1 And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty God: walk before me, and be perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 Abram fell flat on his face. 4 And God said to him: I AM, and my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.

5 "Abram"... in the Hebrew, signifies a high father: but Abraham, the father of the multitude; Sarai signifies my Lady, but Sara absolutely Lady.

6 And I will make thee increase, exceedingly, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy sojournment, all the land of Chanaan for a perpetual possession, and I will be their God. 9 Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant which you shall observe, between me and you, and thy seed after thee: All the male kind of you shall be circumcised:
Genesis 17:1-10

It's easy to understand how confusing one moment in time can signify something not good and then we begin to read of a pleasant change. What's missing is what we don't read between the lines. Or the sorrow of the participants for what had transpired. There are many gaps and like our own life, parts are missing when one side of a story is told when it involves many others. We judge what we hear without truly knowing what went on with the other half. The gift of God's mercy always shines through doesn't it. One moment we read of one thing that says no good and then next we read of mercy and blessing.

Abram has always been close to God and pretty much did as he asked. But like us we can do that as well and falter in a moment of time and find ourselves forgiven and blessed by God. God showed himself to Abram for a reason, he revealed himself and Abram lived to see him face to face. His name became known and a covenant was made. A covenant that has never been broken. God's plan for Abraham has been shown to us and we will continue to see how wonderful God works in our lives as well as he did in the time of Abraham. God has always kept his covenant with us, it is us who breaks ours with him. All he has asked is to keep his covenant with him. It's not that hard to do.

5 And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee.

3 "To wife"... Plurality of wives, though contrary to the primitive institution of marriage, Gen. 2. 24, was by divine dispensation allowed to the patriarchs: which allowance seems to have continued during the time of the law of Moses. But Christ our Lord reduced marriage to its primitive institution. Matt. 19.

6 And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away. 7 And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, 8 He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress. 9 And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand. 10 And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me. 14 Therefore she called that well, The well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad. 15 And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.

16 Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.
Genesis: 16:5-16

What happens when we place our desires above God's Will for us. Our life isn't always the way we might have liked for it to be. Like Sarai, she was barren and chose to do something about providing children for her husband. She took it upon herself to give another woman to her husband to bring forth heirs. The choice she made showed her will being done above God's Will for her and Abram. She acted upon her will in regards to not having her husband looked upon by others and being judged by them as well. Abram also did not heed God's Will and consented to do take what his wife offered. His own desire to produce fruit from his seed. God's Will has always been a factor since the beginning of time and every now and then we read of situations and the results from not doing God's Will. Hagar in this regard was used selfishly for the benefit of others. But her offspring were born out of selfishness rather than love. Ever do something that would produce repercussions and regret. The ripple effect comes to mind in this instance. When we do God's Will we live according to his plan and all we do benefits. When we go against it and do our own will the results are not always beneficial. If it is God's Will for us to be barren who are we to change the course of his plan for us.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full until this present time. 17 And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions. 18 That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates. 19 The Cineans and Cenezites, the Cedmonites, 20 And the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaim also,

21 And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites
1 Now Sarai the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children; but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar, 2 She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request, 3 She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife. 4 And he went in to her. But she, perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.
Genesis 15:16-21, 16:1-4

Now we know where the idea came from to use surrogate mothers. Not always a good idea, since it causes jealousy in the one who cannot produce from their own body. And also from the one who bears the fruit. Not always an easy situation. It tends to play out in our time as well, woman barren and seeking to produce a child of their own. We have come a very long way since then. Science has managed new ways for mothers to bear their own children, but without love or being part of a family. Where man and wife become one in unity and bear fruit from the seed of life. Now it's become a labor of selfishness to produce a child without love from two people united in faith, hope and love. Where a single person seeks to create a life alone. Jealousy now has been removed, so has the love between a man and a woman and the purpose that God had made them for.

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.

6 Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice. 7 And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it. 8 But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it? 9 And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years, and a ram of three years, a turtle also, and a pigeon. 10 And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the two pieces of each one against the other; but the birds he divided not.

11 And the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him. 13 And it was said unto him: Know thou beforehand that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years. 14 But I will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after this they shall come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a good old age.
Genesis 15:5-15

Abram placed much trust on God's guidance in his life in the direction he would travel and where he would settle. He was given specifics on what to sacrifice at that time period. We too have sacrifices that we give to God. The sacrifice of the Mass, the many sacrifices we offer daily in regards to our daily life. The things we give up so we can spend quality time with God. Abram was very close to God, he relied heavily on God. Do we rely on God for everything including our health. We know Abram did because he had no heirs, that was something that we don't really concern ourselves too much about in our time. Many woman rather take the seed of life and kill it and many men will promote to do the same so they will not see the result of their flesh. God has the right to judge us all in everything we say and do. What do we think our judgement would be for our words and actions. We say we love life but promote death. We say we love life but promote war. We say we love life but cause more bondage than ever. Where is the sacrifice then?