Abram’s life has been up and down, and though God has just covenanted and counted him righteous by faith, this troubling story with Sarai and Hagar happens. We needed to see God take the covenant upon Himself in chapter 15, because no one here is trusting or following Him. This is another Bible story full of the realities of human life, the wreckage sin brings into marriages, families, tribes and nations. Why does God give us these stories? Because this is exactly what we deal with. God works in and through us despite our sins and the sins of others against us.