The Covenant of Sarai's Creation

Scripture(s) Genesis 16:1-6

Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no {children,} and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing {children.} Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

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. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

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."
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.

Commentary:
Sarai wanted a child desperately, but she was barren and could not give her husband a child. She was obviously frustrated with her barren situation, and wanted to produce a child so badly; that she did not think about what would happen once her husband, and her maid had sex. She did not consider how she would feel about, her husband's heart now being divided between her, and the woman she gave him permission to sleep with. She did think of how she would feel seeing the relationship changes that were bound to happen based on a new covenant that had been established by her, and not by God. Taking matters into her own hands, cost her dearly because she was desparate for something that God did not ordain.

When the covenant of Sarai's creation was staring her right in the face, twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week; she couldn't bare it any longer. She began to blame her maid, and her husband, for an ordeal that she created herself. Hagar thought she had an upper hand on Sarai because she was pregnant with her bosses husband's child. Hagar was feeling superior, and God had to deal with her heart; as well as Sarai's, and Abram's. Sarai had learned from her husband during the times of famine, how to manipulate others into doing things that she wanted them to do. She used what she had learned to manipulate the situation by using the word, please; to make her husband respond to her desperation; just as her husband had done with her.

Reflection:
Through all of the covenant breaking due to the weakness of man's flesh, God came in and still kept his promise to Abram; because He is not a covenant breaker. He keeps His promises, and shows us our need to fully depend upon Him, in order for us to keep ours. The promised son, Isaac, would be born to Abraham, and Sarah; when Abraham was ninety-nine, and Sarah was ninety-two. The son of the bondwoman "Hagar", was born when Abram was seventy-three years old. Therefore, God reminded Abram once again at the age of eighty-six; that the promise was yet alive thirteen years later. The covenant that God made would manifest at the appointed time. Even though Abram laughed when God told him that he would be a father at ninety-nine, God looked past the condition of his heart, and fulfilled His promise.

Prayer:
Father God, I thank you for your grace and mercy, that even when I fall short in believing your promises, that your promises still stand. I thank you for writing your word  on my heart, and that my heart will respond with acceptance, and expectation; of what you have promised. I thank and praise you for revealing your word to me, and manifesting your power every day of my life. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: Genesis 16:2

So Sarai: 8297
Sarai = "princess"

1) original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham

Said: 559
1) to say, speak, utter

a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
 
To Abram: 87
Abram = "exalted father"

1) original name of Abraham

Now: 4994
1) I (we) pray, now, please
a) used in entreaty or exhortation

Behold: 2009
1) behold, lo, see, if

The LORD: 3068
Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God
a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of 0136

has prevented: 6113
1) to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain

a) (Qal)
1) to restrain, halt, stop
2) to retain
b) (Niphal) to be restrained, be stayed, be under restraint

me from bearing: 3205
1) to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail
a) (Qal)
1) to bear, bring forth
a) of child birth
b) of distress (simile)
c) of wicked (behaviour)
2) to beget
b) (Niphal) to be born
c) (Piel)
1) to cause or help to bring forth
2) to assist or tend as a midwife
3) midwife (participle)
d) (Pual) to be born
e) (Hiphil)
1) to beget (a child)
2) to bear (fig. - of wicked bringing forth iniquity)
f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)
g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

children, Please: 4994
1) I (we) pray, now, please

a) used in entreaty or exhortation

go: 935
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
a) (Qal)
1) to enter, come in
2) to come
a) to come with
b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
c) to come to pass
3) to attain to
4) to be enumerated
5) to go
b) (Hiphil)
1) to lead in
2) to carry in
3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
4) to bring to pass
c) (Hophal)
1) to be brought, brought in
2) to be introduced, be put

into my maid: 8198
1) maid, maid-servant, slavegirl
a) maid, maid-servant (as belonging to a mistress)
b) of address, speaker, humility (fig)

perhaps: 194
1) perhaps, peradventure
2) if peradventure
3) unless
4) suppose

I will obtain: 1129
1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue
a) (Qal)
1) to build, rebuild
2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)
b) (Niphal)
1) to be built
2) to be rebuilt
3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)
4) established (made permanent)
5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

through: 4480
1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than
a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of
b) out of
1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)
2) (of material from which something is made)
3) (of source or origin)
c) out of, some of, from (partitively)
d) from, since, after (of time)
e) than, more than (in comparison)
f) from...even to, both...and, either...or
g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)
h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

Listened: 8085
1) to hear, listen to, obey
a) (Qal)
1) to hear (perceive by ear)
2) to hear of or concerning
3) to hear (have power to hear)
4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
5) to understand (language)
6) to hear (of judicial cases)
7) to listen, give heed
a) to consent, agree
b) to grant request
8) to listen to, yield to
9) to obey, be obedient
b) (Niphal)
1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
2) to be heard of
3) to be regarded, be obeyed
c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
d) (Hiphil)
1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
2) to sound aloud (musical term)
3) to make proclamation, summon
4) to cause to be heard

to the voice: 6963
1) voice, sound, noise
a) voice
b) sound (of instrument)
2) lightness, frivolity

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Beginnings - Genesis 16 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 6 Jan 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=16&t=NASB

Higgins, S. 2009. The Covenant of Sarai's Creation. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com