FAITH OR SELFISH AMBITION?

Genesis 16:1-6
Bob Bonner
January 30, 2005

If the opposite of laziness is ambition, then ambition is a noble character trait. Ambition is wonderful when it is directed toward faithfulness to God in the circumstances and role God has placed you in. Ambition is good when it follows a clear cut path God has set before you. However, if your ambition is driven by a need for self-glorification, personal pleasure or by personal dissatisfaction with what God has been doing in your life, then your ambition is nothing less than dishonorable, immoral, indecent, disloyal, irresponsible and even evil. I repeat: If our ambition is driven by a need for self-glorification, personal pleasure or by personal dissatisfaction with what God has been doing in my life, then my ambition is nothing less than dishonorable, immoral, indecent, disloyal, irresponsible and/or evil.

Dissatisfaction can cause a young mother to wish she were free from her role as a mother to pursue an independent career, abandoning God’s calling for her to nurture and disciple her children. A husband, looking for some unique pleasure or excitement, looks elsewhere than to his wife, with whom he may be dissatisfied. A minister doesn’t feel like he is having enough fun in the ministry or is dissatisfied with the lack of results that prove God has been at work through him, so he changes churches or pushes his present church in a direction he thinks will “honor God.” In the end, each of these individuals’ ambitiously looking to satisfy their own personal whims comes at the expense of others, including God’s reputation.

That which pushes ambition in a negative direction is often our problem with not feeling that our lives have much worth or approval by others. We want to feel good about what we do and how we are perceived. We want to look back at personal monuments and be able to say to others, “Yeh baby! See what I did!” By doing good in the eyes of those we consider most significant, or by not doing evil in the eyes of those we consider important, we feel approved and accepted, even if those significant people have died. That significant person could be a parent or it could be the leader of an inner city gang or a Saddam Hussein. It doesn’t matter who the significant person is whose approval we are trying to earn.

In our modern era of celebrity worship, an obvious and even disturbing display of selfish ambition are the antics of professional athletes doing more than giving one another “high fives” or pats on the back after a good play. It’s those end zone dances and show boating. It’s that brief strut or the pointing of the finger at oneself as though you are the king of the court, as you run back up court after making a basket.

There is something in all of us that makes us want to know that our life has counted, that we are somebody. I’m reminded of a lady who had been seeing her therapist for quite sometime. One day when she entered his office for her weekly appointment, her counselor began, “We rarely use the word ‘cured’ when we are finished with our clients. But after three years of therapy, it is my pleasure to pronounce you completely cured!”

But to his surprise, an unhappy look came over the woman’s face, forcing him to ask, “What’s the matter? I thought you would be thrilled.”

To which she responded, “Oh, it’s fine for you to declare me cured, but try looking at it from my perspective. Three years ago I was Joan of Arc. Now, I’m nobody!”

Trying to make a name for ourselves, needing to be somebody significant, trying to find a sense of worth or value can lead to selfish ambition which is sometimes revealed by an impatient spirit. Selfish ambition, driven by an impatient spirit often times leads us to take steps that are harmful to us and those around us.

This morning, we are going to look closely at a perfect example of a woman who is in desperate need of finding approval and personal worth. So desperate is she, that selfishly, ambitiously, driven by her impatience and lack of faith, she takes steps that in the end brings hurt to her, and harm to those around her and who come along long after she is dead. She is none other that Sarah, Abraham’s wife. After we look close at what God has recorded about Sarah, we will consider a few steps that will help us avoid falling into the common trap of selfish ambition.

Before we look at this first glimpse of Sarah, in Genesis 16, let me put this passage in historical perspective. In the New Testament book of Hebrews, Sarah is clearly recognized as a woman of faith. But like Abraham, her spiritual pilgrimage did not begin with her being a woman of faith. She, like Abraham, in the beginning, had problems in her faith walk that needed to be overcome. In the beginning, she was a schemer, impatient, had questions, doubts, out bursts of anger and she usurped her husband’s leadership. However, by the end of her life, she had grown into a faith-filled, decisive woman whose counsel is validated by God. So, although our first look at her is one that reveals her own selfish ambition driven by a personal desire for self worth, it is not the end of her life. Over time, we will see God’s grace at work in her life, just as God wants to work in our lives, so that in the end, we become men and women of faith.

When we come to Genesis 16, Sarah’s age can be determined to be about 75, well past the age of child bearing. What’s interesting is that Moses clues us into the important role Sarah’s barrenness would play in hers and Abraham’s lives and the frustration it must have been to her, by mentioning her barrenness back in Genesis 11:30. The problem of her in ability to have children has now reached a crisis point for her. That’s where we wiil begin this morning, by reading at verse 1. “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.”

In Sarah’s culture it was a social stigma for a woman to be of this age and to never have given birth to a child or to not give one’s husband an heir. This stigma caused Sarah to question her value and purpose for even being alive. She felt very much like a failure and was desperate to earn the approval of others as a woman, who could bear children.

Furthermore, she was well aware, that God had told Abraham, her husband, that together they would have a child. She was not confused about God’s promise as some would like us to think. Hence, the crisis for Sarah was one of faith and how to deal with her impatience with God.

I once believed that Sarah was a little confused and wasn’t exactly sure what God meant by His promise to Abraham that Sarah would have a baby, and thus, I made excuses for her and what she had done. But after closer study of the text, I am now convinced that Sarah did know and understood correctly God’s promise. What convinced me of this? If you will notice, Moses unnecessarily emphasizes throughout this chapter that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and that Hagar was only his and Sarah’s maid. I say that Moses unnecessarily emphasizes this point, unless Moses is deliberately trying to make a point, which I believe he is.

When we read through this entire chapter, we notice that Moses, Abraham, Hagar and even Sarah make the point that Sarah is to be the wife and Hagar was a mere handmaiden. The point of Moses’ repetition of this fact by everybody is that Sarah knew who was to be the mother of the promised child that was to come from Abraham. She was Abraham’s wife, and no other. And even though culture at the time permitted the action that Sarah was taking, all parties knew, Moses, Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, that Sarah was to be God’s instrument, the rightful mother of God’s promised child to Abraham. She, not Hagar, was to be the only mother of their children, because God had ordained in marriage, only one man for one woman. It mattered not what the culture or customs of the day permitted, God had His law about marriage: one man for one woman. The only exception to this will be made by God in the future, but it does not apply here.

When this is taken into account, one can only come to the conclusion that Sarah’s impatience moved her selfish ambition, cultivated by her rationalizations, to do something that in the end produced the fruit of an act of faithlessness.

But still, let’s not be too critical of Sarah. Let’s be a little understanding. That promise of God, that she would become a mother was 10 years old and nothing had happened yet. Humanly speaking, that’s a long time to wait. It would be easy for anyone to become impatient at that point, especially if one is a “type A” personality.

If there were not “type A” personalities, very little would get done in this world. Type “A”, people can’t stand sitting around doing nothing. It drives us nuts!! We were born with the message on an loop-like tape that keeps repeating itself in our heads that says, “Doin’ something is better than sittin’ around doin’ nothin’! If you are not moving forward, than you are going backward. Status quo is death!” But you know what? As popular as those statements are in growth seminars, leadership seminars and motivational sales programs, those philosophical statements find no basis of truth in God’s economy.

If you consider yourself a spiritual leader, listen up! Those statements cannot be supported by scripture. In fact, I cannot think of one biblical example when a person driven by those thoughts produced anything lasting or godly. Instead, in the long term, the results of such selfishly ambitious actions founded on such beliefs have produced nothing but havoc in people’s lives, ie. Sarah’s. The results of such actions set back God’s program, not put it forward, as we will observe today.

Again, spiritual leader, listen up: When a “type A” personality is not spiritually controlled by God, that person will become impatient with their calling from God, and moved by their own selfly ambitious agenda, will push forward when God says, “Wait!” As a type A person, as a leader, I must stand guard over my heart, over my flesh and take deliberate steps to insure that I hear from God, before I move forward. Impatience is more of a warning sign to stop, than it is to hurry up.

It doesn’t take much to put oneself in Sarah’s sandals and to empathize with her impatience and discouragement. It’s easy for us to understand how it is that she took matters into her own hands. Nothing was happening, so she was going to make something happen.

It is also ironic that Sarah’s test here may have never happened if Abraham had not had a failure in faith, and never done what he did in ch. 12, going to Egypt and coming home with the slave, Hagar. As with his failure in his test of the famine, Abraham, once again, does not consult God as to what to do. In this case, he listens to Sarah, and moves forward.

Amidst her rationalizations, Sarah fell back on that which was a legal and socially accepted practice among the nations of that time. At that time, when a woman could not conceive a child, it was a common practice for that woman to offer her maid-servant to her husband to bear a child to her husband in the wife’s name. This practice is confirmed by the Code of Hammurabi (1700 B.C.), the Nuzi text (1500 B.C.) and an Old Assyrian marriage contract (1900 B.C.). However, even though this was a culturally acceptable practice this practice was not an acceptable practice to God. In our culture, drunkenness, practicing homosexuality, having sex outside of marriage, dishonoring parents maybe legal or culturally acceptable here, but they are not now nor were they ever acceptable to God. Nonetheless, Sarah did what she had to do to earn approval by removing the profound stigma for herself of being labeled “childless.”

For clarification purposes, Hagar is called a “maid” or “maid servant.” A maid servant was a personal servant owned by a rich woman, not a slave girl answerable to the master. Hagar’s relationship with Sarah resembles Eliezer’s relationship to Abraham; Hagar was answerable to Sarah, not Abraham. In verse 8, the angel of the Lord will reassert that this is so.

Also note, that in verse 1, Sarah blames God for her barrenness and suggests that God hasn’t been good to her. This blaming God for keeping something good from her was the same thing Eve did in 3:1-6, claiming that God was keeping knowledge from Eve.

In the middle of verse 2, we read of Abraham’s response. “And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.”

The problem of Sarah’s barrenness was also becoming a quiet faith crisis in Abraham’s mind. I believe that Abraham had probably quietly considered this acceptable cultural option of going into his handmaid before his wife ever mentioned it. But not wanting to bring heartache to his wife, he never brought it up. .

But when Sarah made the request to go into Hagar, he did what he knew to be wrong, because he loved Sarah and didn’t want to disappoint her. Just like Adam knew it was wrong to eat the apple that Eve offered, he did it anyway, because he loved Eve. Like Adam, in the end, Abraham surrenders his position as the head of the home, he does wrong to please his wife.

Men, don’t read into my words or this text that it is not good to listen to our wives. That is not the point of this text. My wife and I rarely disagree. And when we do, I have found that very rarely when my wife gives me advice do I find her advice wrong. I have always valued her opinion. But there are times when I don’t sense that what she says is from God or it is what’s best for the situation. At those times, I have to disagree and do what God is leading me as head of our home to do. Because my wife knows that I honor and respect her, and that I would never intentionally do anything that would put her at risk or in harms way, she typically will go along with my decision.

But Abraham did not do so in this case, and it has cost the entire human race nothing but heart ache ever since in light of the ongoing Arab Israeli conflict. For there would be no conflict today, if Hagar had not born Abraham’s child, Ishmael.

As we read verse 3, notice another interesting parallel between Eve and Sarah. “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.”

Like Eve, Sarah “Took....and gave to her husband” something that God had never intended. The text in Genesis 3 says the exact thing as it does here in Genesis 16. In fact, the only place in the Old Testament that this Hebrew formula is used, this “She took...and gave to her husband” is found her and in Genesis 3. It’s obvious to the reader, that these women’s actions were wrong and they both knew it.

Somewhere along here, Sarah or Abraham had to explain to Hagar why this was being done. It was more than to just produce offspring. Hagar would be told that this action was being taken as the way to help God fulfill His promise.

Verse 4, “He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she [Hagar] saw that she [Hagar] had conceived, her mistress was despised in her [Hagar’s] sight. [“was lowered in her esteem].”

That word “despise” comes from the word Hebrew word to “curse”. It means that Hagar began to treat her master with disrespect. And for Sarah, who’s self-esteem was already rocky, this did not go over well at all.

From Hagar’s human point of view, she had every reason to be as proud as punch. Not only had she slept with the most powerful man in the region; not only was she handpicked for this assignment, but she thinks she gets to be the vessel to bring God’s promise to fruition. But different than Mary, the mother of the promised Messiah who was very humble about her calling and pregnancy, Hagar became arrogant and odious to Sarah. Hagar mistakenly turns on her owner who asks for her help. I imagine that she was strutting her pregnant belly around the palace with the message of, “Hey, Look what I’ve I got. You husband’s child!” Not a smart move, for a slave. Sarah, in return, is steamed.

Note what Proverbs 30:21-23 says, “Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up: Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food, Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.”

Question: What is our typical reaction when we do something wrong and it ends up hurting us or causing others problems? When our mistake is discovered, we become defensive. Our flesh flares up. We give way to outbursts of wounded pride. Instead of chiding ourselves or taking personal responsibility for our actions, we turn on those associated with us; we bitterly reproach them or anyone nearby for wrongs of which they at most were only instruments, whilst we were the final cause. And that’s what happens next!

Verse 5, “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.”

Like Eve, Sarah now shifts the blame, and like Adam, Abraham shrugs off his responsibility. Sarah is so beside herself with anger and jealousy that her own plan has backfired on her, that she blames Abraham for her being made fun of or mocked or despised by Hagar. Sarah goes to Abraham as the proper judge in this situation, and demands that he take action. And just in case he refuses her, she appeals to a higher judge than her husband, God.

Abram realizes that he is in a no win situation. It’s true that he wouldn’t be in this situation if he had believed God and had obeyed God. But no use crying over spilt milk. He wisely chooses not to get in a verbal battle with his wife as to who’s fault it was. Instead, he calmly explains to Sarai in verse 6, “But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.”

The Code of Hammurbi protected the wife against this type of a response from a handmaid toward her master, should she give her master’s husband a child. According to the Code of Hammurabi, Sarah could not sell her slave, nor kill Hagar. But if the slave became insolent, she could in some way mark the slave, such that Hagar would be humiliated or made less honorable among all other slaves. Hence, when Abraham gives Sarah reign to do what was good in her sight, he was simply reminding her of her rights. He also was affirming her that she was the apple of his eye, his one and only wife.

And what did Sarah do with her rights? We read in the rest of verse 6, “So Sarai treated her harshly,...”

Sarah did everything but sell or kill Hagar. In the footnote of the Ryrie Study Bible, it explains that it is possible that the harsh treatment included Sarai removing Hagar from the palace or Sarai’s household as Abram’s concubine and reduced her back to a common slave until the child was born. She may have, and probably did worse to Hagar.

Interestingly, the term “treated her harshly” is the same term used in 15:13, that described the Egyptians mistreatment of the Hebrews. The point being that here, Sarah’s reaction was too severe. First a victim by her barrenness, now Sarah becomes the victimizer. Both Hagar and Sarah have been wrong. Hagar is unrepentant and insubordinate, while Sarah was harsh and overbearing.

Whatever it was that happened to Hagar, it’s plain that the humiliation of being demoted was too much for Hagar. It is clear that Abraham was making sure that Sarah and Hagar both knew that Sarah was not on the same par as Hagar, either in the area of being loved intimately or in the area of master/slave relationship. As a result of learning that she was not the favored woman she thought she was, we read at the end of verse 6, “and she fled from her presence.”

It appears, that as the saying goes, “What goes around, comes around.” Hagar disgraced Sarah by her actions, and Sarah humiliated Hagar by demoting her. Hagar doesn’t like the bitter taste of humble pie, so, she runs away (or waddles, since she is pregnant). In addition, Hagar was being forced to learn a lesson she didn’t want to learn about submission. Instead of being willing to submit, she ran.

In my study of this passage, I had five pages of lessons one can learn from this little paragraph and principles to ponder. As I sought the Lord as to where He would have us land this morning, these are the two He impressed on my heart, as it concerns our tendency to step out in the flesh due to our impatience and selfish ambition.

The first is, What are we to do, when we feel pressed to push forward, but we are not sure if the pressure to do something is from God or from our own fleshly ambition or impatience? When you feel stymied, frustrated, impatient or that you are not moving forward as fast as you think you should, stop and pray...long and hard.

Ask God to prevent you from doing something foolish. Ask God to prevent you from stepping out in the flesh.

Second, Ask God to reveal any fleshly attitudes. I caution you here to wait for His answer. Don’t run off to quickly. Give Him time to speak to your heart.

Then, and only then, if you are convinced and others are convinced that your heart is really to glorify God and not yourself, then Ask God for specific directions and to get confirmation from spiritual counselors.

Once you have taken these steps, then step out in faith. Then get busy for God!

The second point we are to focus on is that just because an action is legal and culturally acceptable, does not mean it is God’s way, or that God will bless it. Just because it was legal and culturally acceptable for Sarah to give her husband her handmaiden to produce a child, didn’t make it God’s way or morally acceptable.

Divorce is legal for many reasons culturally. But God says there are only two conditions under which divorce is permissible. Other than those two situations, God said marriage was for as long as you both shall live.

Although adultery, pornography, sex outside of marriage and homosexuality has become acceptable in our culture, God says it’s not and will not condone it. One way or another, He will discipline those who disobey Him in these matters.

Legally, people can declare bankruptcy. But before God, bankruptcy is immoral, unless others legally demand that you go bankrupt.

The list of culturally acceptable practices that God says no to is huge. The question I ask you, is do you really care? Do you really want God’s best in your life? Do you really want to obey His will? Do you really want to reach your culture for Christ? If you don’t, then you can continue to live as too many Christians have already chosen to live, compromising their faith, living like self-righteous Pharisees and we the church will continue to have no impact upon our culture.

But if you want to see our culture change morally, then it must begin with YOU. Revival or turn around must begin in your heart first, as a believer, if you expect to morally impact your world. You can march, protest, get politically active all you want, but until you examine your own life, to see if there is any evil or wicked way in you and determine to submit to God’s will, all of your type A activities will prove to be eternally fruitless.

Until you take a good, long look at your heart and seek the truth about what drives you, your ministry or your personal agenda, whether it be your selfish ambition, your impatience, your personal drive for pleasure or a specific directive from God,...until you begin with you, all of your actions will be like Sarah’s. Other’s may applaud and go along with you, but God won’t. Furthermore, there will be no lasting or eternal impact. Remember, God’s ways are not man’s ways.

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