Kiss Hagar Goodbye

B. Ishmael represents the work of man to fulfill the promise of God.

Why couldn’t God have fulfilled His promise to Abraham through Ishmael? Because Ishmael was not the son of promise—the son of faith. Ishmael was Abraham’s attempt to do what only God could do.  Romans 14:23 tells us that "Whatever is not from faith is sin." We cannot altar the plan of God for our lives and still end up at the same destination.

C. Ishmael represents what Abraham loved as well as a reflection of himself.

It was easy for Sarah to tell Abraham to "cast out" Hagar. There was no emotional conflict. There was no attachment. There was no longing in her heart with which to struggle.

 Stewart Briscoe offers this bit of insight, "Ishmael was Abraham’s son, but he was not Sarah’s son and even though she had made the arrangement by which he was born there would never beat in Sarah’s heart the same love that throbbed in Abraham’s veins." (Briscoe, 185)

III. HE HAD TO KISS HAGAR GOOD-BYE BECAUSE GOD WAS CALLING HIM ONWARD.

A. Abraham could not find the blessings of God in the failures of yesterday.

Abraham would have liked for God to have blessed what he had done. He wanted things to stay the way they were. After all, what harm could there be in the son of promise and the son of the bondwoman growing up together? Abraham could have kept things the way they were. But there comes a point in our lives when we must deal with the failures of yesterday. We cannot continue as if nothing has happened, as if no wrong has been done, as if we have not erred from God’s plan.

 "If you don’t deal with your mistakes, after a while, your mistakes will mock your miracles." (Jakes, audio)

B. Abraham could not walk into the future shackled to the failures of yesterday.

He was bound to the bondwoman; but he was about to learn that we must be willing to walk away from the failures of yesterday. We must do whatever it takes to be free from the bondwoman. It may appear that others are being blessed without having to do what God has asked you to do. Don’t concern yourself with what appears to be the case. God has a plan for you. Kiss Hagar good-bye because God is calling you onward!

CONCLUSION

Does God have a plan for your life? Yes, He does! It’s time to leave behind the mistakes of yesterday, the unfruitful relationships with this world and decide follow God. You know the reasons why you must kiss Hagar good-bye.

You have gone as far as you can go with bondwoman.

You have gone as far as you can go with the mistakes of yesterday hanging over your head. You have gone as far as you can go with those sins that are dragging you down and wearing you out.

You have gone as far as you can go trying to pretend that everything is all right.

You have gone as far as you can go holding onto your own way of doing things. Kiss it all good-bye! Let God do something wonderful in your life!

References

Briscoe, Stewart. (1987). Mastering the Old Testament, Volume1: Genesis. Dallas, TX: Word Publishing.

Chambers, Oswald. (1963). My utmost for His highest. Westwood, NJ: Barbour Books.