The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 16:3-6, “And after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s

wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as

his wife.

4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had

conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

5 And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into

your arms; but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight.

May the LORD judge between you and me.’

6 But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in

your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.’”

There were so many things my dear mother told me not to do; and when I did them, I knew why she had said not to. She was wiser than I was obedient. Song writer Lethal Ellis certainly told the truth when he wrote:

Out into the darkness you alone may go,

And seeds for the wicked one you may sow;

But, there’s an eye that’s watching from the Throne on High,

You can’t do wrong and get by.

It’s too bad Sarai hadn’t heard those lines. It was her thought that the LORD was too slow in giving Abram and her the child He had promised. She jumped ahead and encouraged Abram to have a child by Hagar. But when Hagar conceived, Sarai became jealous and treated Hagar quite harshly.

Now, Sarai’s really steamed and turns on Abram. In the moral culture of that day, what Abram did with Hagar was not considered wrong, as it would be today. What was wrong was Abram’s lack of trust in the LORD, leading him to listen to Sarai. The situation had not gone as either of them expected, and Hagar is blamed for her participation. For Sarai’s part, all blame fell on Abram. What a mess!

Abram was the head of the household, so essentially the responsibility was his. But Hagar was Sarai’s maid; so Abram laid some responsibility on her when he said, Look, you started all of this; if you’re upset with Hagar, she belongs to you; do whatever you want with her. Poor Hagar got such rough treatment that she simply took her newly-born son and left. Everybody is at a loss.

Does the moral of this biblical account have meaning in today’s culture? It certainly does! The ultimate authority in all matters and under all situations lies with the LORD! He always speaks in wisdom, and He never forgets what He has said. Unlike Sarai and Abram, you and I need to heed the directives the LORD gives us. We are not permitted to change anything. He alone is the fulfiller of His promises; and the timing of His fulfillments resides with Him alone!

Do you have any messes you need straightened out? Take my mother’s advice: “Let the LORD do it! Don’t try to do anything alone! You’ll just regret it!” Thank you, LORD, for giving us godly mothers! “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”