Expediency or Faith? AMAZING you have to hear it for yourself!!!

Rough overview

Genesis 16 – Sermon by Alistair Begg

AMAZING and ENLIGHTENING

Expediency-Not asking the question what is right but settling for what will work,
Basically Self Effort taking the place of FAITH
The Bible is clear, The end never justifies the means

Abram and Sarai – Promise of a baby from God.

Sarai- expediency -Doubted God, reasoned that God had made her unable to have children, Told Abram to go unto Hagar and gave her handmaiden to Abram tried to make God’s promise come into being from self effort.

Abram – expediency- sinned, listened to Sarai, voice of reason, and came unto Hagar.

Hagar – conceived Ishmael, and conceived false pride by despising Sarai,

Sarai - conceived false accusation towards Abram.

Abram - false responsibility, told Sarah to treat Hagar as she pleased as it was her maid servant.

Hagar – Flees, God tells her to return to Sarai and submit to her authority that she will give birth to a son, name him Ishmael. Descendants would be numerous.

Ishmael – donkey of a man, will be hostile to everyone and everyone will be hostile to him.



Repercussions : chaos, confusion, brokenness, and future repercussions of Islamic religion being born and the war that continues between Ishmael and Isaac today.

What degree of faith we are today determines our outcome of our future tomorrow.

God’s Will Must be done God’s way out of Faith and not self effort. We should not act out of expediency. We should act in faith and learn to wait as waiting and faith are hand in hand. Help us not to grab things with our own hands Lord but to wait on you.