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The Calling of Abraham (26)

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The Calling of Abraham (26)

9 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face” (Genesis 16:1-6).

Rev. J.B. Zippro, Grand Rapids, MI

Abram, Sarai. and Hagar

Sarai’s proposal

Dear readers, there is a great difference between the promise and the fulfillment of it. There is a period of time between the receiving of the promise and the fulfillment of the promise. That has been mentioned many times while we have been meditating upon the dealings of the Lord with Abram. One of the most difficult things between the receiving of the promise and its fulfillment is to wait on the Lord. We can see how difficult this can be in natural life, also, when we have to wait for someone for whom we are longing such as one of our loved ones who lives in a distant land and intends to pay us a visit.

How much more difficult it is, however, to wait on the Lord. There are many texts in the Bible which attest to this. In the Psalms we read, “Wait on the Lord.” We can say this so easily, but when it becomes reality, that is another matter because unbelief cannot wait, and our heart is full of unbelief and fleshly thoughts. Unbelief cannot wait and even anticipates God’s time. Unbelief desires to see the fulfillment and tries to find ways to fulfill the promise in a way without the Lord. We desire to go our own way without God, and how sad but also how clear it is in this chapter.

This is true especially when we have to wait a long time, and God does not give any answer or encouragement, and He hides His face. Oh, yes, He is still there and He will take care of those who fear His name, but how difficult it can be to wait on the Lord, especially when the Lord postpones His fulfillment. We see that so clearly in the life of Abram and Sarai. The Lord had spoken so many times of the promised seed, and He had also confirmed it in a wonderful way as we read in the previous chapter. There were two promises: the promise of seed and the promise of land. The promise of seed was confirmed on that starry night when the Lord led Abram outside and told him to look to the stars and try to number them: “So shall thy seed be.” This was a visible confirmation, and Abram was privileged to believe it. This was a wonder because the heart of man is so hard, but Abram’s heart was melted in that night. The day following was also remarkable when the Lord commanded him to prepare all things for a sacrifice, and He established a covenant with him which was also used as a means to confirm His promise.

In the previous chapter we see two confirmations of the promise. We could say if chapter 15 is so wonderful, then you would expect Abram, being a man of faith, strongly to believe in the Lord and that he would remain in that condition. We would think he had nothing to worry about, but this chapter teaches us something else. Abram is called a hero of faith in what he did, what he was able to do, etc. Of course, the Lord granted him grace, but there is also another side to this hero of faith. Hebrews 11 speaks of heroes of faith, but we must be careful with the use of the word “hero,” and we must never think that they are some sort of extraordinary persons who can always believe, always pray and trust the Lord, and never have any doubts or temptations in their life.

If we search all the chapters of God’s Word, we will perceive it differently. Many take for themselves only the pleasant words out of God’s Word and say that we are all the same. If I am left to myself, then I will also select the most pleasing words out of the Bible. We may say, oh, how wonderful is chapter 15 which relates to us that starry night where Abram believed. However, chapter 16 follows which tells us something of the dark side in the life of Abram and Sarai. They had to wait on the Lord, and they could wait no longer.

Abram is already eighty-five years old, and his wife is of a high age, also. At the end of this chapter we read that Abram was eighty-six years old, but that was at the time of the birth of Ishmael. Therefore, at the beginning of this chapter he must have been eighty-five and Sarai seventy-five years old. Verse 3 tells us that it had been ten years since the Lord had called him from Ur of the Chaldees. Therefore, he was seventy-five when the Lord called him, and now, ten years later, there still is no seed. The Lord’s promise when He had said that he would be a great nation is still not fulfilled. Do you remember when the Lord made the promise that Abram would be a great nation, where He said, “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great”? That was ten years ago, but now when Abram is eighty-five and Sarai still doesn’t have children as it is written, “Sarai bare him no children,” now Abram wondered how that ever could be fulfilled. When unbelief “sits on the throne” and we are left over to ourselves, then we can only be very doubtful and afraid. What we read here is not to the honor of God.

In spite of all the things which came to pass and the unforgettable meetings and visits of the Lord in the life of Abram and Sarai, they were still childless. This can also be the case in the life of those who fear His name. We can experience some visits in our life along with promises that the Lord will not forsake us and will be our shelter, shield, and help. This could have taken place years ago. Perhaps some who read this can also say, “Yes, that is true. The Lord has spoken at times, but... but... that was long ago.” Now they question, “Was that really of the Lord?” Then a person begins to doubt as Asaph also wrestled in Psalm 77 (Psalter 209:6):

Has God forgotten to be kind?
Shall I His promise faithless find?
For me shall wrath henceforth replace
His tender mercies and His grace?

Oh, there are so many questions in our life: “Can it be, Lord? Is that really true? Shall it ever take place, Lord?” Are there any readers who know something of those wrestlings in their lives? There are people who have a faith which never questions, never wrestles, and is always clear. Everything is understandable and good, and when they hear about temptations and questions, they say, “Those poor people, they should believe and accept the promises.” The Lord is the Judge, of course, but there is a people who have to be exercised and brought to places where they may believe because if flesh is on the throne, it can lead to great trials.

It was a great trial for Abram and Sarai when he was already eighty-five years old and the question arose in his heart, “Would the Lord’s promise ever be fulfilled?” There may be couples in the congregation who are experiencing this in their lives; they do not have children or they have to wait for the blessing of children, and they can well imagine what their thoughts would be if they became seventy-five and eighty-five years old.

However, there was something else. In Abram’s life, as we saw the previous time, Matthew Henry says, “Childless also meant Christless.” That meant they were without the promised seed or the Messiah, in whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This missing was in addition to Abram’s natural childlessness, but we should not forget this was also in the background, or perhaps we should say, in the foreground. For Abram to receive the fulfillment of the promise meant not only to receive a child, but it was also connected to the whole revelation of salvation, the covenant, and with the coming Messiah in whom only God would grant and open the way of salvation. This is also a spiritual lesson.

We do not have to spiritualize God’s Word, but I think I do not say too much when we say there is also a people waiting for the spiritual fulfillment of the promise. They are longing to know Christ and to see something of His salvation. Perhaps they have received a promise, but how shall that promise ever be fulfilled? They are so unfruitful and barren in themselves, and it becomes impossible in their lives. They say there is so much sin inside, I am so polluted, how can a place ever be made for Him, how shall that ever be fulfilled? With all the experiences in the past, they go, as it were, “Christless” over the world, but... the Lord will come at His time. That can be their only hope and expectation as it is expressed in Psalter 381: “The work Thou hast for me begun shall by Thy grace be fully done....”

— To be continued —


There is a solemn reality in real religion, both in the sorrows and the joys. If the Lord’s dear people feel guilty before God, they confess it. If they are cast down in their mind, oppressed by sin and Satan, and tempted by the great adversary, they have nowhere to go but to the Lord; sometimes they are so burdened that they cannot tell the Lord what they feel. No, they are so poor they cannot get their feelings into words, and they have to groan out their feelings before Him. If you are so poor that you cannot pray, groan, nor anything, then the Lord knows all about it.

— Author Unknown

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 februari 2011

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The Calling of Abraham (26)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 februari 2011

The Banner of Truth | 24 Pagina's