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."
• According to the Talmud, the naming principle applied to Sarah was also applied to Abraham. In both cases they graduated from the level of authority over a certain people to the level of universality.
Berakhot 13a: …. Initially he became a father, a minister, and prominent person, only to (the nation of) Aram, so he was called Abram, father [av] of Aram; and ultimately with God’s blessing he became the father of the entire world, so he was called Abraham, father of the masses [av hamon], as it is stated: “I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5). The same concept applies to Sarai as to Abram... Initially she was a princess only to her nation: 'My princess' [Sarai], but ultimately she became Sarah, a general term indicating that she was princess for the entire world.
Why is this important? Because so far, all Abraham’s actions have indicated that he believed the covenant only applied to HIM and HIS descendants.
He interpreted the “you” in God’s promise, “I will make you a great nation,” as applying exclusively to himself.
Sarah was expendable – it’s fine if she was taken by Pharaoh ---- it’s fine if he has a child with someone else.
By changing her name, God was telling Abraham that he had a very different agenda. Sarah was a part of the covenant promise. She had always been a part of the covenant promise and she was the key to the promise being fulfilled.
From God’s perspective it had never been just Abraham’s Story. It has always been Abraham and Sarah’s Story.
And Abraham laughed! He laughed out loud for joy! Unfortunately, his joy was mixed with a sprinkle of doubt. Under his breath he whispered, “Will a son be born to a man 100 years old or to Sarah who is 90 years old?”
Out loud he said, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing.”
Yahweh: “Sarah will bear you a son and you will call him Isaac and I will establish my covenant with him and his descendants. As for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”
The promise now had a name – Isaac (which means laughter).
Not many days later, Abraham was sitting in the door of his tent. He looked up and saw 3 men (Yahweh and 2 angels) standing nearby. Immediately he jumped to his feet to greet them and invited them to wash, rest and eat.
They agreed and the household sprang into action.
Bread was made, a calf was selected, and soon the meal was prepared.
As the men ate, Abraham stood nearby.
“Where is your wife, Sarah?” They asked.
“In the tent.” Abraham responded.
Yahweh: "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."
Sarah was listening. Just a reminder ---- Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89.
She laughed in wonder. As would every lady in the room.
After a careful analysis of the Hebrew word for laughter, author, Ari Lamm has this to say:
• Now, let me ask you a question: when God hears her laugh, what immediately becomes clear?...
The answer: Abraham never told her!
He laughs in Gen 17 because he is hearing the wonderful news, but he doesn't share that news with Sarah.
That's why, in Gen 18, SHE laughs. She's learning right now — for the very first time — that she's going to have a child!
God is clearly upset. But here's the thing: He's not upset with Sarah.
He's upset with Abraham.
That's why, when God asked why Sarah laughed, he didn’t ask Sarah …. He asked Abraham.
How many times, asks God, do I have to tell you that Sarah is your equal partner in my covenant? When I gave you the news that my promises to you will finally be fulfilled, I didn't just change *your* name. I changed Sarah's too. How could you have overlooked her in your joy?
God continued to question Abraham; “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
God’s only response to Sarah, when she said, “I didn’t laugh,” was, “Yes you did.”
That’s it, the entire written account of this little dinner party. Does Abraham now understand God’s intent? Only time will tell.
The men got up to leave. They looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.
Until next time……….
