Role Reversal

Genesis 16:3-15 

Vs 3 Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. In alot of ways, I mean really, can you blame him?  He was only  human after all.  He submitted to her. They even tried to smooth over the reality of the sin by Abram marrying Hagar. (see God, it is alright to do this because I am not just sleeping with Hagar, I am making her my wife) There were problems though.  One, Abraham did not stop to pray about this life altering decision.  Neither did Sarai.  Wow! The man who had spoken to God who had Heard from God on a person to person leval.  Abraham had a very deep close relationship with God, and yet in the instance he chose not to seek the Lord. Our past relationship with God does not exempt us from seeking him in every situation. Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.^[a]Sarai knew of Abram's relationship with God and as a help meet, she didn't submit her idea to him for prayer, she said "take my handmaid"  and he agreed!  May we never loose sight of the fact that no matter how good of an idea we think we have, and no matter how close or far away God may seem to us, me must consult him first thing.  If Sarai would have done this, she wouldn't have took the lead role.  Even if she, after praying and seeking God, still thought it was the right thing.  (although I seriously doubt she would have still wanted to do that) If Abram had stopped to seek the Lord he wouldn't have agreed.  They were solving a problem that didn't exist using methods that were backwards.  As wives we must submit to our husbands as to the Lord. Ephesians 5:22 ² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  I love that verse, the submission to our husbands is a direct result of our habit of seeking the Lord.  Are you having a problem submitting to your Godly husband? That is probably a symptom of you not seeking the Lord.  If you think it is because he isn't seeking the Lord, as his help meet it is your responsibly to encourage him to seek the Lord as you yourself are doing.  I promise you, seeking the Lord will change your attitude about submission!

Two, Sarai taking the lead, caused her to blame Abram when the plan took a turn for the worse...to be continued