A STUDY IN GENESIS
We now enter a time in the book of Genesis that an ancient conflict has its roots in. We now come to the issue that was created due to Abram and Sarai’s weakness. This is not a salvation issue, but rather a failure to have faith in the promise of God. The result would be catastrophic!
Genesis 16:1-4 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no [children.] And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing [children.] Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.”
Instead of listening to the Lord and holding fast to that promise, they decided to “orchestrate” God’s plan. They didnt want to wait anymore, so they went with their own idea hoping to jump start God’s idea. How often do we do this in our own lives? When we do, we not only hurt ourselves but we can also hurt others. In the case of Abram and Sarai, they did just that. Hagar is the victim in all of this. And yet, God reveals His love and mercy to her. When Sarai grows angry and Abram fails to be a strong leader we see God having to step in.
Genesis 16:5-10 “Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong [be] upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me.” 6 So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid [is] in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. 7 Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” 9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” 10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
Now right here, people fail to recognize something that God is doing. He is keeping His promise, not to just Abram, but also to Hagar. We see promises being made and God providing the sign of that promise. God promises a son to Hagar.
Genesis 16:11 “And the Angel of the LORD said to her: “Behold, you [are] with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction.”
Now this next scene, many fail to recognize the magnitude of what this would have on today’s geopolitics and the issues and arguments that proceed from this one prophetic observation from the Lord. God is not blessing Ishmael, but rather identifying how he would act. Ishmael and his descendants would be a group of people that fight all others, and are always seeking a way to subvert the promise of God that comes from Isaac. God made Hagar’s son have everything that God promised to her. But it was never intended to replace the promise that would come from Sarai.
Genesis 16:12-16 “He shall be a wild man; His hand [shall be] against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” 13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, [it is] between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram [was] eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.”
Now what does this mean to you and I? It is very simple. First, we can route through the genealogy to Jesus, we can examine that God’s promises are perfect and unfaltering and that He means what He says. It also means that there is a promise for the descendants of Ishmael. Let’s not forget that God is a God of more than just Israel, but of the nations as well. Through Israel we gain salvation and Immanuel. And yet, God has orchestrated through other nations the rise and fall of many who would help orchestrate the agenda of what He would have done. Let us be vigilant in keeping on watch to be instruments of His will.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL