God promised Abram that He would make him into a great nation, bless him, make his name (Abraham) great and that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:2,3). The promise implied that he and Sarai would have offspring. Years later when God spoke to him in a vision, he despairingly shared his childless situation and the reality that all he owned would go to his servant Eliezer. But God said Elizer would not be his heir and that his descendants would one day be like the stars—too many to count. Again, Abram believed God (15:1-6).
The years piled up and Sarah became an old woman. [Sarai] “had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said” (16:1, 2). As a result of consensual sex, Hagar bore her 86 year-old master a son, Ishmael. This was not the child God intended to carry out His promise. Consequently, when Sarai finally gave birth to Isaac, he arrived into a family seeded in conflict.
The English word compromise is not found in Scripture, but the concept exists throughout God’s Word. When God gives us a promise or instruction, it is our responsibility and privilege to believe and obey Him. Abram and Sarai’s inability to look past their aging caused them to question God. Compromise focuses on the problem and is based upon doubt. Tired of waiting on a covenant that looked increasingly fictitious, Sarai went to her husband with her own remedy. Compromise relies on human ingenuity instead of God’s solution. Had Abram asked God if his offspring would come through Hagar, the Lord would have told him no. Compromise offers an immediate remedy without regard for long-term implications. Twelve rulers would descend from Ishmael. Many scholars believe he is the Arab’s progenitor, a civilization at constant enmity with the Jews.
Compromise is all about making concessions. In essence, we sacrifice what is absolutely right for what is relatively convenient. We surrender what is best for what is good. Has God asked you to do something that seems too difficult? Don’t give up! Trust Him. Has God allowed you to be uncomfortable without seeing His blessing? Be steadfast—don’t relinquish what you know to be right to gain respite. God’s promises are based on His power. To rely on our reasoning at the expense of trusting Him is like settling for a roman candle and missing the northern lights.
Inspiration
