Genesis 16:1-16

Chapter 16 has a lot of information that applies to us today. This chapter could be titled “When Women Wear the
Pants in the Family”. What we are about to read in this chapter still effects us today.

1 ¶ Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Abram had taken his wife down into Egypt (the World) because there was a feminine and food was in Egypt. The Lord told Abram to trust Him. But he didn't completely trust God. When Pharaoh found out Abram had lied to him about Sarai, Pharaoh kicked Abram out of Egypt and told him to take what he wants on the way out. Hagar was probably part of that package, and she is still causing trouble to this day. Whenever you mess with the world, you do not escape unscathed.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray you, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. Instead of talking to God about their heir situation, they took it upon themselves to make decisions about what to do about the lack of an heir. It was customary in those days that if the wife didn't conceive an heir, the maid was expected to be a surrogate mother of sorts. They didn't have in vitro fertilization, so Hagar had to go “be” with Abram in the biblical sense to conceive an heir for Abram and Sarai. Having no heir in those days was considered an absolute tragedy. Even though it was a customary practice to have a slave give birth to an heir for them, they didn't consult God and that was their mistake.
3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram...