065 Abraham: The Consequences

Some of the most comforting words in all the world are these: God forgives your sins.

But while God forgives our sins and wipes the slate clean in terms of our relationship with Him, our wrongdoing may have lingering consequences with others.

For example, say you got caught shoplifting. As you confessed that to God, He forgives you.  However, you might have to deal with the fact that you also sinned against society, and that society demands that you pay a penalty. So now you have a criminal record. Consequences. 

Or maybe your anger has wounded your children and now that relationship is damaged. Or you engaged in sexual sin and now you can never get back what you’ve given away. Consequences.

Can God forgive? Yes. But consequences remain.

This is where we find Abraham in his journey of trust. Isaac, the child of God’s promise, is now 3 years old and the doting parents are throwing a party. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Ishmael, the son of Abraham’s sin, is harshly mocking and mistreating his half-brother. Isaac’s mother, Sarah, would have none of it. She demands that Abraham get rid of Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. 

Abraham was distressed. It’s not difficult to imagine him kicking himself for his earlier actions. “What a mess I’ve made of this!  Now I’m caught between a grown son whom I love and an angry wife.”  To Abraham’s way of thinking, there were no good options, and he was paralyzed.

Finally, God steps in. Ishmael had to go. And Abraham obeyed.

It seems heartless, but God had a plan – not only for Abraham but for Hagar and Ishmael.

Hagar and her son wandered into the desert and when their food and water had run out, Hagar put her son in the shade of a bush and walked away so she wouldn’t have to watch him die. 

Perhaps you feel like Hagar. Your memories are sad, and your future is bleak. Your soul is parched, and you don’t know where to turn. 

May I offer you a word of hope? While you may feel all alone, you are not alone.  God sees you.  He hears your weeping.  And He is willing to meet you and care for you.  He will see you through the barrenness of this desert if you will but follow His lead.

God opened Hagar’s eyes to a resource that was right there all along – a well. Life-giving water. 

Scripture goes on to say that Ishmael became the father of 12 sons, and eventually the entire Arab nation.

This lends itself to our first point of application. 

Though past events might result in a painful present, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a hopeful future.

It also points us to points to a difficult yet helpful truth:

Though every act of sin is forgivable, the effects of some sins are not erasable.

To varying degrees, we all live with the consequences of our poor decisions.  Some carry minimal cost.  Others, sadly, are truly life-altering.  

Make no mistake: sin always costs…always. And many times, it kills. To take the attitude that says, “I can go ahead and do this. I know it’s not right, but God will forgive” is to make a tragic error.    

Yes, God will forgive.  But what will your actions cost you and those you love?  What consequences might you…and they…have to deal with for years to come?

Text: Genesis 21

Originally recorded November 30, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.