Abraham And Sarah Series

October 19, 2024

Last week we concluded with God promising, again, to make Abram a great nation and then ratifying the covenant by walking through the carcasses – taking upon himself the consequences of a failed covenant.

Which brings us to Genesis 16.

It had been 10 years since God first promised a child to Abram and Sarai. Yet, Sarai remained childless. Barrenness was a stigma in that culture. To be childless was to be less-than.

The chapter begins by telling us that Sarai had no children, but she did have an Egyptian maid named Hagar.

Sarai decided to turn to the practice of surrogate motherhood, which was a well-known practice in the Ancient Near East

Sarai went to Abram, “Yahweh has kept me from having children, go sleep with my maid, Hagar; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed and married Hagar. Interestingly, the language used to tell us that Abram “listened” to Sarai is the same language used in Genesis 3:17 when Adam “listened” to Eve. As with our first parents, things are not going to end well.

Hagar became pregnant and began to despise and disrespect Sarai – Sarai’s position in the household was in danger.

Sarai went to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."

Abram responded, “She is your servant, do with her as you think best.”

With Sarai’s position upheld, she began to mistreat Hagar until she ran away.

Abram’s hands were not clean. Sarai’s hands were not clean. Hagar’s hands were not clean. This situation was never a part of God’s plan. It was the result of distrust. Period. Full stop. And yet…… God did not abandon the plan. He was committed to these people in spite of themselves.

It is quite telling that no where in this chapter will you find Yahweh speaking to Abram – as a matter of fact Yahweh will not speak to Abram again for another 13 years – but he did speak to Hagar.

Yahweh found Hagar near a desert spring – and addressed her by name. He told her to go back to Sarai and submit to her. He also told her that she would have a son and that son would be the father of a great nation, “You shall name him Ishmael (God hears), for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." (see Genesis 25:12-18)

How do I know that she was speaking to God and not an angel?

Genesis 16:13 - She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

Hagar returned to Sarai’s tent and bore Abram a son whom he named Ishmael – Abram was 86 years old.

13 years went by. Abram was now 99 years old.

Yahweh appeared to Abram and identified himself as “El Shaddai” – the All Sufficient One, “Walk before me and be blameless.” He said.

Right from the beginning God was reminding Abram that the covenant relationship required a devoted response on his part. He was to walk and be “tam” (sound, blameless, perfect). To be “tam” is to live a life entirely committed to God rather than sinless moral perfection. – Andrews Bible Commentary 162.

“I am here to confirm our covenant. You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will now be Abraham for I will make you the father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

This is the 5th time in 24 years that God had promised Abram that he would be the father of many descendants. This is interesting because Ishmael was 13 years old and yet God’s promise had yet to be fulfilled.

After instituting the sign of circumcision, God did something strange in a male dominate society. He changed Sarai’s name as well, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."