His Holiness Pope Shenouda III presents in this lecture the story of our father Abraham focusing on the problem of offspring, his patience and faith, while highlighting his weaknesses and his way of resorting to human means at times.

Delay in granting offspring
His Holiness mentions that God promised Abraham offspring, but the time was prolonged for him: he began his calling at age 75, then the offspring delayed 25 years after the promise, so Abraham was anxious and puzzled about this matter.

The theological view of offspring
He clarifies that children are an inheritance from the Lord and that life and offspring are from God, therefore Abraham asked the Lord in Genesis because he had not been given offspring according to the divine promise.

Resorting to human methods (Hagar and Keturah)
When the waiting prolonged, Abraham resorted to a human solution and took Hagar who became pregnant; the human method succeeded quickly but not according to God’s will, then after Sarah’s death he took Keturah who bore many sons but they were not according to the covenant with Isaac.

The result of relying on humans
His Holiness explains that human methods may give quick results but may fail to achieve God’s true will; these results were not the promised blessing on which the Lord relied to fulfill the covenant.

Family trials and human feelings
The lecture includes the story of Hagar’s humiliation by Sarah, Abraham’s pain, and human actions that show the saint’s weakness; the Pope points out that feelings and jealousy may appear even in the saints.

The test of faith (the offering of Isaac)
His Holiness points to God’s test of Abraham when He commanded him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, and shows that Abraham’s obedience was great and he offered his son without argument, a sign of loving God above every love.

Spiritual summary from a Coptic Orthodox perspective
The lesson is that saints are human and may err in matters not commanded by God’s will, but the true fruit is obedience and trust in God’s promise; we must not resort to human solutions that take the place of divine hope.

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