The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/genesis/16.htm

This is a story about faith and how the lack of faith can have irreversible consequences for years, even millennia.

Abram’s wife Sarai was barren, unable to have children. Other places in the Bible refer to it as “her womb was closed”, pertaining to any woman who was barren, and there were many back then.

God said He would make Abraham a father of many, yet they wondered how this was possible since Sarai could not have children. And instead of having faith in the Lord, instead of knowing God’s promise would come through, they decided to take things in their own hands.

Sarai had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. And Sarai, trying to be a good wife for her husband, urged him to have sex with Hagar, and she could bear him a child, his heir. So he did, and Hagar became pregnant, and bore Abram a son that they named Ishmael.

And this is where the problems began. I’m not of the Muslim faith, but after hearing them talk of Abram as their father, I did some research, and I believe the Muslims today believe that since Ishmael was the firstborn, the lineage of the messiah comes down through him. Now, I didn’t research any deeper to determine if “Allah” descended from Ishmael or not; all I know is the Muslims share the same patriarch as Christians, and that is through Abram. And one pastor suggested that if Abram had waited for God’s promise, all of the strife and wars in the Middle East over the centuries might not have occurred if Abram had simply waited for God’s promise.

So after Ishmael was born, and by the way, Abram did love Ishmael for he was his son, Sarai became bitter, and you can assume she regretted suggesting that Hagar be a surrogate mother. So she became angry, treated Hagar badly, so bad in fact that Hagar took Ishmael and fled. But an angel appeared to her and told her to return to Sarai, and Hagar complied.

If you have faith in God, you will always come out on top, provided your desire is within God’s plan. Remember, God’s Will will be done.