When God Leads Us

Genesis 21:8-21; Matthew 10:24-31

Last week we looked at the story of Abraham and Sarah, our ancestors in faith, and how they responded to God’s impossible promise that they would have a son even when they were both close to one hundred years old. Their story is a story of faith; theirs is a story of trust and action even when God’s promise seemed impossible. However, as we noted, their faith was not perfect. When God seem unwilling or unable or just slow to fulfill the promise he had made they were not above taking matters into their own hands and giving God a little help. In the case of Abraham and Sarah, this “help” came in the form of Sarah’s Egyptian slave, Hagar. Sarah proposed a “solution” that involved Abraham having a child by Hagar. So, when Ishmael, Hagar’s son, was born he was Abraham’s biological son and (since Hagar was Sarah’s slave) he was also Sarah’s legal son. Problem solved, right? Abraham and Sarah could proudly tell God that they had taken care of fulfilling his promise to give them children. There was really only one problem with their plan; it was not God’s plan. God’s plan said that the promised son would come from both Abraham and Sarah without any kind of legal sleight of hand. Last week we read how God appeared to Abraham and Sarah, while they stayed under the oaks at Mamre, and told them, quite plainly, that they would have a son within a year’s time. And, last week we saw that God fulfilled his promise in the birth of Isaac.

Today, we pick up the story at the feast that Abraham threw on the day that Isaac was weaned. In those days a woman nursed her child for longer than usually happens today so Isaac would have been about three years old at the feast. The weaning of Isaac was an important milestone because it showed that he had survived the dangerous early years when children sometimes fall victim to childhood disease. It also showed that Isaac was old enough to survive on his own. So, this was an important day for Isaac and also for Abraham and Sarah. But, there was one other guest at the celebration, Ishmael. By this time Ishmael was probably in his mid-teens so he was not a child but a strong young man. The text is not particularly clear at this point, it seems that Ishmael was interacting with Isaac. Some translations imply that it was nothing more that friendly play between brothers. But, others say that Ishmael was mocking, or perhaps even threatening Isaac. Whatever it was, Sarah was not pleased. And there was probably some reason for her concern; before Isaac’s birth Ishmael was the sole heir of Abraham’s wealth. Now, he was a nobody. So, whether it was real or imagined, Sarah saw Ishmael as a threat to Isaac and demanded that Abraham send both Ishmael and his mother away.

Now, this posed a real dilemma for Abraham. Ishmael was his son just as Isaac was his son and no father wants to be forced to choose between his children. But, Sarah was insistent and God promised to watch over Ishmael. So, in the end, Abraham agreed to Sarah’s wishes and sent Ishmael and Hagar away. He gave them a few provisions and then watched as his son headed out into the wilderness.

This passage is probably no one’s favorite. In fact, I thought about preaching on a different passage today, but felt we need to look at some of the issues this passage raises.

The first issue is how God deals with our actions and incorporates them into his plans. When God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go to the land that God would show him, God set in motion his plan to bring salvation into the world. That plan involved Abraham and his family; it involved Moses and the Exodus; it involved the Law given and Sinai; it involved the nations of Israel and Judah as they struggled to remain faithful to the Lord. And, supremely, God’s plan for salvation involved Jesus Christ who came into the world so all might receive forgiveness and salvation through his death and resurrection. From the beginning, God’s plan involved giving a son, Isaac, to Abraham and Sarah; a son who would inherit God’s promise to Abraham and carry it to the next generation. But, into God’s plan, Abraham and Sarah introduced Ishmael. I am not sure whether to call their action sin; it was certainly impatience with God. But, notice how God responded to Ishmael. He could have rejected him because he was outside God’s original plan. But, God chose to bless Ishmael and make him into a nation as well. God’s plan for salvation still went through Isaac; but God’s plan to bless the world also comes through Ishmael. I believe the lesson for us today is God has a plan and there is a very high chance we will do something contrary to what God intended. When that happens God does not abandon his plan; God changes his plan to include our additions.

The second issue focuses on the outcast. For me, the most painful part of this reading is watching Hagar place Ishmael under a bush and then leave him there so that she will not have to watch him die. Through no fault of their own they had been cast out of a prosperous community and were close to death. Today the news cycle seems to have moved away from the refugees that are fleeing conflict zones all around the world; but, they are still there. It is estimated that over 65 million people have been displaced by crises around the world. The question we often ask when confronted by these horrors is, “Where is God?” If we return to the story of Hagar and Ishmael it is clear that God did not abandon them as they wandered in the wilderness. It is clear that God provided for their immediate needs; he showed Hagar where to find water. And, God provided for their long-term needs; he provided a wife and twelve sons for Ishmael. So, even though some may say that Ishmael was an unwanted addition to God’s plans, God provided for him when he was an outcast. The question that probably needs to be asked more often is, “Where are we when the outcast needs help?” Here the story offers us no answers; we are left to answer that question on our own.

And, what is perhaps the most difficult issue to confront, where is faith in this story? Strangely, I believe that Abraham again shows his faith through his actions. Notice that it was Sarah who brought up the issue of inheritance with Abraham, but he did not act based on her demand. Rather, he only acted after God reassured him that he would make Ishmael “into a nation” because he too was a son of Abraham. Abraham had to make a choice. Would he send Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness – a very dangerous place – with only God’s word that they would survive and prosper? Or, would he defy both God and his wife and choose to keep both sons? Only faith in God allowed Abraham to let one son go into the wilderness so both sons could prosper. The other place I find faith in this passage is in Hagar. This was not her first trip into the wilderness. When she found out she was pregnant with Ishmael she began to disrespect Sarah and Sarah treated her so harshly that Hagar fled into the wilderness. It was there that she received a vision from God (the only woman in the Old Testament to receive such a vision) who gave Ishmael his name and promised Hagar more descendants than she could count. So, like Abraham, Hagar too lived with the promise that God would provide for her future. So, as Hagar and Ishmael left the protection of Abraham’s household, they were walking by faith into an uncertain future. The wilderness around them was bleak and unforgiving; their only protection was God’s promise that he would watch over them and give them a bright and prosperous future. So, both Abraham and Hagar had faith in God; both sent Ishmael into the wilderness with only God’s promise to protect him. Faith acted and trusted in God’s (impossible) promise.

As I think about it, I need to expand today’s sermon title. It really should be “When God leads us where we do not want to go.” When you think about it, that is the story from today’s readings. God led Abraham to a place he did not want to go; the place where he sent his son off into the wilderness and into an uncertain future. And, God led Hagar to a place she did not want to go; to leave the only home she and Ishmael had ever known and trust God to keep the promises he had made to them. Neither wanted to go where God was leading them, but both trusted God. And, because of their faith, Isaac was able to grow up and inherit the promises God had made to his father. And, because of their faith, Ishmael too, was able to fulfill the destiny God had given him. So, what about us? Are there places that God wants to lead us that we do not want to go. I remember when I was considering answering God’s call for ordained ministry the prospect was terrifying. I was afraid of the work that was required. I was afraid of the impact it would have on Alice and our children. I was afraid I might end up a failure. I knew God was calling me; I knew God was willing to lead me; but, I was not sure I wanted to go where God was leading. Decisions of this type, the decisions Abraham and Hagar faced, cannot be resolved by logic or reason; only faith can guide us forward.

What about us? What about you? Is God leading you to a place you would rather not go? Is God calling you to do something you would rather not do? I pray no one here is facing a decision like Abraham’s; a decision to let a child walk alone into an uncertain and dangerous future. But, maybe that is exactly what you are facing. Maybe God is saying that letting go is the only way forward. I do not know your situation, but I can say this, “If God leads us to a place we would rather not go, God will never abandon us; God will provide.” God provided for me when I set out on the journey towards ordained ministry. And, God provided for Hagar and Ishmael as they wandered in the wilderness. God will not lead us to a place where he will not go. Faith may not know the final destination; faith may not know the route we must take; but, faith knows and trusts the One who protects and leads us. Faith know that God never fails.

Amen.

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