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The Story of Redemption
sin because they became corrupted and departed in this thing from
God’s order.
The Lord said of Noah and his family, who were saved in the
ark, “For thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.”
Genesis 7:1
. Noah had but one wife, and their united family dis-
cipline was blessed of God. Because Noah’s sons were righteous
they were preserved in the ark with their righteous father. God has
not sanctioned polygamy in a single instance. It is contrary to His
will. He knew that the happiness of man would be destroyed by it.
Abraham’s peace was greatly marred by his unhappy marriage with
Hagar.
Wavering at God’s Promises
After Abraham’s separation from Lot the Lord said to him, “Lift
up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward,
and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which
thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will
make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number
the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.” “The
word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not,
Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.... And
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Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one
born in my house is mine heir.”
As Abraham had no son, he at first thought that his trusty servant,
Eliezer, should become his son by adoption, and his heir. But God
informed Abraham that his servant should not be his son and heir,
but that he should really have a son. “And He brought him forth
abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou
be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed
be.”
If Abraham and Sarah had waited in confiding faith for the fulfill-
ment of the promise that they should have a son, much unhappiness
would have been avoided. They believed that it would be just as
God had promised, but could not believe that Sarah in her old age
would have a son. Sarah suggested a plan whereby she thought the
promise of God could be fulfilled. She entreated Abraham to take
Hagar as his wife. In this they both lacked faith and a perfect trust in