Genesis 16 – The Covenant Tested by Impatience (Review Questions)

Genesis 16 – The Covenant Tested by Impatience

(Part 16 in the “God Keeping Covenant” Series)

Introduction

In Genesis 15, Abram believed God’s promise — but time passed, and no child came. In Genesis 16, faith is tested by delay. Sarai, tired of waiting, urged Abram to have a child through her Egyptian maid, Hagar. Abram agreed, and Ishmael was born.

Though this decision created lasting tension, it teaches a timeless lesson: When we try to fulfill God’s covenant by human effort, we produce conflict instead of peace. Yet even then, God remains merciful and faithful.

Theme: God’s covenant promises must be fulfilled by faith, not by flesh.

Genesis 16:1–2 – The Temptation of Impatience

• Sarai said to Abram: “Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.”
• Instead of waiting on God, Sarai tried to “help” Him.
• Covenant Lesson: Impatience often leads to compromise. Covenant faith waits for God’s timing.
• Illustration: Like a baker opening the oven too soon, impatience spoils what God was preparing perfectly.

Genesis 16:3–4 – Fleshly Solutions Bring Strife

• Abram took Hagar, and she conceived. When Hagar saw she was pregnant, she despised Sarai.
• What began as a plan of the flesh created division.
• Covenant Lesson: What we start in the flesh cannot produce covenant peace.
• Illustration: Like planting weeds among wheat, disobedience grows faster than faith — but brings thorns, not fruit.

Genesis 16:5–6 – The Blame Game

• Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you!” Abram told her to do what she thought best. Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, and Hagar fled.
• Covenant Lesson: When we step outside God’s will, we often end up hurting others and ourselves.
• Illustration: Like steering off course and blaming the GPS, Sarai’s frustration was misdirected — the issue was unbelief, not direction.

Genesis 16:7–9 – God Finds Hagar in the Wilderness

• The Angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring and said, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”
• Even though Hagar was a servant and victim of circumstance, God saw her.
• Covenant Lesson: God’s mercy reaches even those on the margins of the covenant.
• Illustration: Like a shepherd finding a lost sheep, God pursued the one who felt forgotten.

Genesis 16:10–12 – The Prophecy of Ishmael

• God promised Hagar a son named Ishmael (“God hears”). He would be strong, independent, and live in conflict with others.
• Covenant Lesson: God blesses even the consequences of our mistakes, but blessing is not the same as covenant promise.
• Illustration: A teacher may show mercy to a student who disobeyed, but that mercy doesn’t change the lesson plan — it only shows grace.

Genesis 16:13–14 – “You Are the God Who Sees Me”

• Hagar called the Lord El Roi — “The God who sees me.”
• Even in pain and exile, she realized God’s care and compassion.
• Covenant Lesson: God’s covenant grace reaches where human understanding fails.
• Illustration: Like a lighthouse shining through fog, God’s eyes never lose sight of us, even when we lose sight of Him.

Genesis 16:15–16 – Ishmael’s Birth and Aftermath

• Hagar bore Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old.
• The promise still hadn’t arrived, but God’s plan was still in motion.
• Covenant

Transcript

10 Key Covenant Principles from Genesis 16

1. Impatience weakens faith but cannot cancel God’s promise.
2. Covenant waiting is as important as covenant believing.
3. Human shortcuts bring long-term complications.
4. Faith begins where human effort ends.
5. God sees and hears even those who suffer because of others’ mistakes.
6. Grace reaches the outcast — Hagar encountered God in the wilderness.
7. God may bless our mistakes but still honors His chosen plan.
8. Covenant promises are fulfilled by the Spirit, not by the flesh.
9. Every delay has divine purpose — waiting matures faith.
10. God keeps covenant even when we fail to wait.

Lesson Summary

Genesis 16 shows that covenant promises cannot be fulfilled by human effort. Sarai’s plan produced Ishmael, but not the covenant child. Yet God’s mercy appeared in the wilderness to a runaway servant, proving that His compassion is wider than our mistakes. Even when faith falters, God’s covenant still stands.

Discussion Questions

1. Why did Sarai urge Abram to take Hagar?
2. How does impatience weaken faith?
3. What lessons can we learn from Abram’s and Sarai’s decision?
4. How does God’s encounter with Hagar show His grace?
5. What does the name “El Roi” teach us about God’s character?
6. How can believers today guard against taking matters into their own hands?
7. How did God’s covenant faithfulness continue despite this mistake?

7 True/False Questions

1. Sarai believed God would fulfill the promise through her.
2. Abram agreed to Sarai’s plan to take Hagar.
3. Hagar despised Sarai after she conceived.
4. Sarai treated Hagar kindly after Ishmael was born.
5. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar in the wilderness.
6. Ishmael means “God hears.”
7. Hagar called God “El Roi” — The God Who Sees Me.

7 Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did Sarai give Hagar to Abram?
   a) To test Abram’s faith
   b) To fulfill God’s promise her own way
   c) To please Hagar
   d) To punish Abram
2. What happened after Hagar became pregnant?
   a) Sarai rejoiced
   b) Hagar despised Sarai
   c) Abram sent Hagar away immediately
   d) Sarai blessed her
3. Who found Hagar in the wilderness?
   a) Abram
   b) The Angel of the Lord
   c) Sarai
   d) A traveler
4. What did God tell Hagar to do?
   a) Keep running away
   b) Return and submit to Sarai
   c) Move to Egypt
   d) Start a new family
5. What did God tell Hagar about her son?
   a) He would be weak and fearful
   b) He would be a wild man and live in conflict
   c) He would inherit the covenant
   d) He would serve Abram
6. What name did Hagar give to God?
   a) El Shaddai
   b) Jehovah Jireh
   c) El Roi
   d) Adonai
7. How old was Abram when Ishmael was born?
   a) 75
   b) 80
   c) 86
   d) 90