If Waiting Was Easy, Everyone could Do It

O.T. #35  "If Waiting Was Easy, Everyone Could Do It"
April 26, 2013
Genesis 16
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.  Genesis 16:9

LET IT GLOW

I can't wait! There. I admitted it. Waiting is not my better virtue. I'm talking about waiting for anything and everything. Just waiting for God to move, handle situations, issues, problems. If
waiting was easy, everyone could do it. Then we wouldn't make mistakes by doing things our
way nor rushing ahead of God.

Our first child was a sweet little girl. We waited  three and a half years for our son to be born.
Some couples have waited long, I realize. Poor Sarah had to wait a long time-25 years, for a
child. I couldn't have done that, I think to myself. On the other hand, if I must wait 25 years for something, I must, in order to be in God's will-I'll wait. How about you? Are you waiting for something?

God made the covenant and would fulfill it. All Abram and Sarai had to do was wait by faith
(Heb. 6:12). Follow Him one day at a time. That's all. We know that God's purpose for Abraham's
life was to use him to build a nation that loved God, to be a father that served and obeyed God
with all his heart and showed the world how to live for Him. But it took 25 years of waiting for
this child of promise, Isaac to be born. During that time, God developed Abram's character.

Gals, shall we look at this chapter from a woman's perspective?
Poor Sarai. The waiting must have been hard. Every time she heard a baby cry, her heart sunk
low. Men don't understand. They have their work. Women have this innate, built in mothering instinct, cuddling and soothing their own child. Most of the time, previously, Abram had listened
to God, but now he was listening to his wife, instead. She wasn't listening to God say wait. She
had waited long enough. It was time to take action. The clock was ticking and she wasn't getting
any younger. (I'm not trying to justify what she did, but trying to better understand Sarai.) She,
too, waited 25 years for her own son to be born. Obviously, after 12 years of no baby, God
needed some help. So she schemed. If Hagar, her maiden, had the baby by Abram, she could
take care of it and raise it as her own. (We know faith is living without scheming.) Her scheme
didn't work. It didn't turn out like Sarai planned.
Sarah pictures the New Covenant and Hagar the Old Covenant; Hagar was a slave while Sarah
was a free woman; Ishmael was born of the flesh, yet Isaac was born of the Spirit.

Sarah could have changed her mind after sharing the idea with her husband. In fact, her husband could have refused the plan, but he didn't. Then as time went on, Hagar took Sarah's place of importance. She became so prideful of carrying Abraham's baby. Sarah couldn't stand it any
longer-Hagar had to go, which meant harsh treatment to run her off. Good riddens to her.
Poor Sarah. Things aren't getting any better around the tent.

Is God taking His time in answering your prayers? Are you tempted to jump in and take care of things? Can we learn from Sarah's mistakes, girls? If God says wait, then we must wait. Do it His way, or we will live to regret it. How many times did Sarah regret her not waiting? Every time
she saw Ishmael or hear him cry?

LET IT GROW

Here is the first time in Scriptures that we the angel of the Lord appears. It is a preincarnate appearance of Christ. It is a Christophanies (temporary visible appearances of Christ). (Falwell)

I find encouragment in the Lord speaking to a slave girl, of all people. Hagar ran away into the wilderness. The Lord's message to Hagar was to return and submit to her mistress. She was given
a promise-her seed would be multiplied. She was instructed to name her son Ishmael, which
means "God hears" and told he would be a wild man and dwell in the presence of his brothers.
Hagar called the name of the Lord El Rai, which is a God of seeing or a God vision; not so much
a God who sees, but a God who permits Himself to be seen.
Did Hagar obey? Yes, she returned and submitted, had a son, and called him Ishmael. Abram
was 86 years old when Ishmael was born.

It was 13 more years before God spoke to Abram again. Poor, poor Sarai. Hagar had a baby and
she didn't. Do we do that? Think poor, poor _______? (Insert your name in the blank.) I do. I
told you at the beginning of this lesson,  waiting is not my thing. Patience is not my virtue. I
have to get it from the Lord-strength to wait on Him. Is God telling us to return to His will and submit to Him or someone else?

Isaiah 40:31 says But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint.

How long will you wait? Will you take matters into your own hands, or wait?

Joseph Campbell said, "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have
the life that is waiting for us."

Will you wait on God and His timing?

LET IT GO

Wait as long as God wants me to wait.

Renew my strength in the Lord's Word.

Don't scheme to get it done my way.