King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Chapters: Genesis 16-18
Message: Genesis: Sarah and Hagar
Hello My Friend,
Have you ever made a decision that you knew was not a good one? It is that sinking awareness that God will surely deal with us for what we have done. When God told Abram that he would become the father of a multitude—so many descendants that counting them would be like trying to number the stars—Abram was seventy‑five years old, and Sarai was sixty‑five. Abram believed God, yet he could not imagine how such a promise could unfold when his wife was long past her childbearing years. As we continue in the reading of Genesis we learn that Sarai made a suggestion to Abram on how they can have children.
[Genesis 16:1-4 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 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. 3 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. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.]
As a woman who is now married and almost at the point that I cannot bear children anymore I can understand where Sarai felt as though God had kept her from conceiving. There is no way that I would be willing to share my husband with another woman. The reason why God often waits to send those promises is because He wants us to see that He alone fulfills them. If they are handed to us easily then we a start to think that we did it by ourselves, but when we have exhausted all our efforts on our own, that is when He will begin His work, [Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.]
The reason God often waits to fulfill His promises is because He wants us to recognize that He alone brings them to pass. When blessings come too easily, we are tempted to believe that our own strength, wisdom, or planning produced them. But when we have exhausted every effort and reached the end of ourselves, that is when God begins His work. He waits until there is no doubt that the outcome is His doing, not ours. There was no doubt that Sarai was feeling some regret as well as envy and jealously.
[Genesis 16:5-9 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. 6 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. 7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.]
It was not Sarai who despised Hagar. As soon as Hagar realized she was with child, she began to look down on Sarai. When Sarai recognized what had happened, she went to Abram and admitted that her suggestion had been wrong. Yet every time she saw Hagar’s growing belly, she was reminded of the choice she had made, and that reminder stirred bitterness within her. Hagar, did not know what to do so she ran.
[Genesis 16:11-13,15-16 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.]
All of a sudden, the Angel of the Lord appeared—the Son of God Himself, as He so often manifested in the Old Testament. His words revealed a knowledge, authority, and compassion. God gave Hagar the opportunity to raise her son with the knowledge of the true God. However, she raised him to believe that he was the promised seed, which is why we have the nation of Islam today. It is not enough to believe in and even have faith in God, we must worship Him as He is, [John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth.]
Now, sometimes when God chastens us it is not in the form of physical discipline, He will often use that time to get us to not only reflect on what we have done, but to trust Him completely. This happened eleven years after God had first called Abram. God, could have just ended things right there and chose someone else, but He did not, even though he did wait thirteen years before speaking to him on this matter.
[Genesis 17:1-6 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.]
Since there is none perfect, but Jesus, did God expect Abram to never sin again? No. What God expected was perfect faith. He knows that we are going to sin, but we are to never waver in our faith, [Hebrews 10:22-24 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:]
Yes, those who love God will maintain good works toward one another as a token of the promise that God has made them. What we receive upon our faith in Christ is not to be taken lightly, Jesus, gave His life to save our soul, the least we can do to honor Him is to walk before Him and be perfect. Now, God, goes on to literate the covenant, and how they can know that they follow it.
[Genesis 17:7,9-10,12,14 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.]
Do you know why God chose circumcision as the sign of the covenant He made with Abraham? It was a mark hidden from the world, known only to God and to the one who bore it. In the same way, our salvation through Christ is deeply personal—an intimate covenant between the individual soul and Jesus Himself. No one else can see that transaction of grace. Yet while salvation is inward, our faith is not meant to be concealed. The works that follow our salvation are the outward evidence of the inward change. They do not save us, but they testify that we belong to Him, [Colossians 2:10-12 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.]
Remember, we were bought with a price, and that price was Christ blood, and that is all we need for proof that we are one of God’s, and of Abraham’s for that matter. God, was not done, there was still the matter of a child that was promised. God, goes on to remind him of that covenant that He made with him that Sarai, would have a child, He changed her name too, to Sarah.
[Genesis 17:15-18 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!]
Poor Abraham, and they wondered why God gave their son the name Isaac, which means laughter. Abraham, laughed at the thought of him having another son, with Sarah especially since he was ninety-nine and she was eighty-nine, and even goes on to suggest that Ishmael is right here to fulfill that promise, but God reconfirms once again, that Sarah would give birth.
[Genesis 17:19-22 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.]
Do you see the difference between a blessing and an everlasting covenant? I am sure that Abraham taught Ishmael to fear God, but remember what was said about him, [And he will be a wild man;]. Eventually, Ishmael, just like every other person who wants God in their lives on their terms, would go on to establish his own nation of people. Jesus, said this about those who proclaim Abraham as their father, but are not people of God.
[John 8:37-39,44 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.]
Can you imagine the sight? A visible, physical person ascending into heaven before Abraham’s eyes. Abraham already knew who He was, but this moment confirmed it beyond all doubt. God will only enter into covenant with those who truly know Him. Yet knowing Him does not mean we always believe everything He says without hesitation. Our hearts often lag behind His promises. Twenty‑five years of waiting, wondering, and wrestling with the promise. But at last, Abraham believed. And about a year later, the Lord Himself visited him again.
[Genesis 18:1-5 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.]
It was a hot day, and they were living in a tent, so you can imagine how stifling it must have been inside. Abraham did not receive many visitors, so when he saw three men approaching, it was a welcome surprise. What he did not realize at first was that these were no ordinary travelers. This was the Lord Himself—Jesus in a pre‑incarnate appearance—accompanied by two angels. And once again, He reminded Abraham that Sarah would indeed bear a son.
[Genesis 18:10-14 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.]
Do you see how we know that this is Jesus? Abraham, may not have known His name to be Jesus, but he sure did know that He is the LORD. This reminds me of what Jesus also had told the Pharisee’s, [John 8:54-58 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.]
Quite often, the reason God makes us wait so long is that we get in the way of His plan and try to rush Him along by doing these ridiculous things. Sometimes, we forget how big God is, what is absolutely impossible for us is always possible with God. We do not need to figure out why or how He does the things He does, we just need to trust Him, and have some patience in waiting for them, [Hebrews 10:36-37 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.]
These men were not there just to visit with Abraham, they were on a mission. and they were about to follow God’s command to send judgment upon Sodom. As they head out, they converse with one another about where they were going, turning toward Sodom and whether or not they would tell Abraham.
[Genesis 18:16-19 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.]
Can you just imagine the cries? This was a town full of immorality, including incest, homosexuality, rape, murder, and idol worship. The cries no doubt may have been from innocent blood that was shed as it did when Cain killed his own brother, [Genesis 4:9-10 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.]
God, will give every soul the opportunity to come to Christ before He destroys a nation, which is why He told this to Abraham. God knows exactly who we are, His people maybe sinners, but we are His, and He cares enough to let us know that we have friends and family that will die and end up in hell if they are not saved. Abraham asks the question that every believe does at one point when they start seeing how wicked their nations are.
[Genesis 18:20-25 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?]
Abraham, is quite bold, but Jesus respects that statement and goes on to say that He will not destroy it if there were ten of His people living there, [Genesis 18:31-33 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. 33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.]
Do you see why Jesus is not here yet? And why we who are saved are not up in the clouds just yet? There is a lot of His people still here. When the true Christians start disappearing that is when we need to keep our eyes and ears open. We are going to start seeing cities, states, and even countries destroyed, and yes, if He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He will destroy every nation that is wicked. Nevertheless, God, will give every soul the opportunity to come to Christ before He destroys one nation., [The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. – II Peter 3:9-10]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your promises, they are the hope of every soul who puts their faith and trust in Your Son, for truly we perish without them. Part of seeing those promises come to pass is waiting on You, You know exactly when we are ready to receive the things You promise as well as the things we are in need of. And as long as we keep standing on Your promises, and trust You, having no doubts in our heart, we will see them, and faster than we think. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your mercy, grace, and power to stay in Your will. Your patience to wait for Your timing and not try to rush You, Your discernment to keep from making foolish decisions that hinder You, and Your strength to stand firm on Your Word and not let anyone convince me to help You along by doing something against Your will. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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