In chapter 15 Abram questions God about this promise He keeps making. He's not a young man...he has no children...his wife is barren...so I believe I would be asking the same questions. God reiterates his promise to Abram in a graphic way. Then, in chapter 16, Abram once again demonstrates his lack of trust in God's promise by taking matters into his own hands by having a child with his wife's servant.
I sometimes wonder why the Bible includes information like this. I think if my goal was to write an inspiring narrative of history that pointed people to heroes we should emulate I would write about men and women who DIDN'T have these kinds of flaws. People who take God at His word and move forward at His command. The thing is, there's is no one like that. EVERYONE has flaws. Everyone is human. Everyone sins. That doesn't make it okay but it does highlight the fact that, left up to us, we would screw things up royally...but God accomplishes His will in His way and, while we applaud men and women of faith who are used by God to do great things, ultimately it's God who does it...not people. He gets all the credit.
By God's grace I live.
Ancient literature didn't depict the weaknesses and flaws of the protagonists so much. The Bible is extremely different in that regard, and that makes it more than just the thing that spawns modern literature.
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