Why Ishmael? (1)

Genesis 16: 2 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.s


Abram had just been reassured in chapter 15 that God would give him a child and he would be the father of a great nation. What is God waiting on? Will God really give me a son? When is the baby coming? Why is God taking so long to bring about the dream, the promise, the vision that He has spoken?

When God gives you a spoken promise, get ready; doubts will come on you like a tidal wave. Satan doesn't want you to believe in your dream. He will tempt you to abort, to abandon to divert away from the dream. Most times our problem is that we are too impatient with the process and we take the nearest bypass from God's original ordained plan.

In the chapter 16, Sarah says to Abram, take my maid Hagar, sleep with her, she will give you your child. Abram didn't take very long thinking about that proposal. The word says; "Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara." (2b) Anytime you divert from God's voice to a man's voice, you have just bought yourself a lot heartache and grief.

Abram's impatience didn't change God's plan. In Chapter 17, God says to him at the age of 99 years old, " Walk before me and be thou perfect and I will multiply thee exceedingly." God goes on to tell him you will have a son through Sarah. Abram laughs and says, "Can a hundred-year old man father a son? And can Sarah, at 90, have a baby?"

Nothing is impossible to the one who will believe God. How many dreams, promises, and visions have we aborted because we got discouraged and doubted what the Lord has spoken.  Ishmael came as a result of unbelief and being impatient with God.

Many of us have also brought about our own Ishmael's because we to have gotten down and discourage with the waiting on God."Be ye not weary in well doing. For in due season, ye shall reap if you faint not." (Galatians 6:9)

How many times have we fainted in the wait? If God said it, He will bring it to pass. But what if I have diverted from the blueprint that God drew out? God doesn't change his mind. "The gifts and calling of God is irrevocable." (Romans 11:29)  Your Isaac may not come today or next week or next year, but if you will humble yourself and wait for His will, His plan, His timing, His spoken word, your Isaac will surely come.