September 6, 2020 (Sunday)
In Genesis 15 God establishes a covenant with Abram. But
sometimes, God’s directions and promises are not clear to us or complete.
Genesis 15:4b states, “Your heir will definitely be your very own biological
child.” [CEB]
Abram understood God intended to make him the father of many
nations, to bless the earth, and inherit the land. The trouble is, he and his
wife were old. His wife was considered “barren,” unable to have children. So
Sarai hatches a plan to make it happen.
He suggestion is found in Genesis 16:2, “Sarai said to
Abram, “The Lord
has kept me from giving birth, so go to my servant. Maybe she will provide me
with children. Abram did just as Sarai
said.” [CEB] This makes sense
from a human perspective. Sarai reasons the LORD has kept her from having
children, which was a disgrace. From a human perspective, if Abram was to have
a child, he needed another woman to bear the child.
Remember the complicated relationship with Egypt? Hagar was
an Egyptian. The plot thickens. Hagar becomes wife number two. She is also
considered a slave which figures into Christian theology in Galatians. The story
continues, “He
slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when she realized that she was
pregnant, she no longer respected her mistress.” [Genesis 16:4 CEB]
This pregnancy is not a happy event for Abram. He finds
himself stuck between women. Eventually he will be torn between two sons. Once
the drama starts, it continues like dominoes falling. It continues today. First Abram must deal with
Sarai, “Sarai
said to Abram, “This harassment is your fault. I allowed you to embrace my
servant, but when she realized she was pregnant, I lost her respect. Let the Lord
decide who is right, you or me.” [Genesis 16:5 CEB] Having given in
to a bad idea, Abram finds himself in the way of Sarai’s fury.
Abram decided to “punt” (give the decision to someone else).
An unhealthy suggestion leads to an unhealthy situation. Abram complicates what
is happening, but not taking responsibility. “So Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran
away from Sarai.” [Genesis 6:6b CEB] Can you see the chain of
errors? The sad part in this conflict is sometimes they reach a “point of no return,”
seemingly.
While the humans continue to topple dominoes, Jesus steps in,
“The angel of
the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the
way to Shur.” [Genesis 16:7 ESV]
Generally “the angel of the LORD” is a “Christophany” (appearance of Christ).
She receives this instruction, “The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your
mistress and submit to her.” [Genesis
16:9 ESV] Running from a conflict is not always the healthiest thing. In this
instance it was not God’s will.
Hagar is then given a promise, “The angel added, “I will increase your
descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” [Genesis 16:10 NIV] This promise is similar to
the one Abram was given concerning the number of descendants. The angel then
prophesies. Hagar will have a son, who is to be named “Ishmael” (meaning “God
hears”). It is also prophesied he (representative of his descendants) would be
in conflict with “everyone,” especially his relatives.
Hagar names the place “El Roi” (God who sees) and asks, “Have I truly
seen the One who sees me?” [Genesis
16:13c NLT] The Hebrew could be translated, “Have I really seen God and
survived?” Hagar obeyed. She gives birth to a son. Abram names him Ishmael. At
this point Abram was 86 (see Genesis 16:15 – 16).
Stay tuned. More on this next time.
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