Good Morning “Standers With Israel.” Today we are in Genesis Chapter 16.
Why did I open this mornings note with that kind of title? Given the events of the last couple weeks in Israel, todays chapter takes on a whole new level of importance. Choices come with consequences. Sometimes small, sometimes enormous!
It’s now been 10 years since God promised Abram to make from him a great nation. Sarai has heard the promise as well. She is still not able to have children. Once again they come to the conclusion they need to help God. Now culturally there were 2 choices. It was acceptable to take another wife if your wife couldn’t have children, but then her child was her child and she was equal to the first wife. You could also take your wife’s slave as a concubine. In this act her child was was the first wife’s child and because she was a slave she had no rights. She was not equal. This is Sarai’s suggestion. Abram agrees and thus Ishmael is born to Abram and Hagar - but culturally he would be considered Sarai’s.
Ishmael is going to be a fighter - waging war against everyone. Specifically - “His hostility will be towards his brothers.” (Who will be Jewish) His people will be wanderers and because Hagar was at no fault here, God promises to make his descendent’s numerous- “too numerous to count.”
There are some important things to note here. Things that apply directly to us:
- Although Abram literally had regular communication with God, here - he never consults God on the matter. He runs ahead and chooses a solution outside the will of God. God was clear in Gen. 2. One man, one woman, united for life. If when waiting on the Lord our decision is contrary to Scripture - guess what, it’s NOT of God.
- It’s important to note that although taking multiple wives was an acceptable cultural practice it was NEVER Gods design nor does He ever give approval to it in the Word. In fact the practice was first instituted by a sinful man Lamech - so we deem it sinful. God no more endorses it than any other sin. Negative consequences always result from the practice - as we see in Scripture. Sin will ALWAYS ultimately result in negative consequence. Temporary pleasure should never be interpreted as Gods blessing.
- This is where the line of Shem splits. Remember from Shem’s line we get Semites - both Jews, and Arabs. Soon Isaac will be born. He is the son of the Jewish line. Ishmael born from an Egyptian mother, a Gentile, will become the father of Islam.
The horrible atrocities of the war in Israel today are a part of the years and years of consequences tied to this single event. Re-read this chapter with the current war as a backdrop to what we are hearing about now in Israel.
We make choices. We do not get to choose the consequences. Love you all! Dig in!
Why did I open this mornings note with that kind of title? Given the events of the last couple weeks in Israel, todays chapter takes on a whole new level of importance. Choices come with consequences. Sometimes small, sometimes enormous!
It’s now been 10 years since God promised Abram to make from him a great nation. Sarai has heard the promise as well. She is still not able to have children. Once again they come to the conclusion they need to help God. Now culturally there were 2 choices. It was acceptable to take another wife if your wife couldn’t have children, but then her child was her child and she was equal to the first wife. You could also take your wife’s slave as a concubine. In this act her child was was the first wife’s child and because she was a slave she had no rights. She was not equal. This is Sarai’s suggestion. Abram agrees and thus Ishmael is born to Abram and Hagar - but culturally he would be considered Sarai’s.
Ishmael is going to be a fighter - waging war against everyone. Specifically - “His hostility will be towards his brothers.” (Who will be Jewish) His people will be wanderers and because Hagar was at no fault here, God promises to make his descendent’s numerous- “too numerous to count.”
There are some important things to note here. Things that apply directly to us:
- Although Abram literally had regular communication with God, here - he never consults God on the matter. He runs ahead and chooses a solution outside the will of God. God was clear in Gen. 2. One man, one woman, united for life. If when waiting on the Lord our decision is contrary to Scripture - guess what, it’s NOT of God.
- It’s important to note that although taking multiple wives was an acceptable cultural practice it was NEVER Gods design nor does He ever give approval to it in the Word. In fact the practice was first instituted by a sinful man Lamech - so we deem it sinful. God no more endorses it than any other sin. Negative consequences always result from the practice - as we see in Scripture. Sin will ALWAYS ultimately result in negative consequence. Temporary pleasure should never be interpreted as Gods blessing.
- This is where the line of Shem splits. Remember from Shem’s line we get Semites - both Jews, and Arabs. Soon Isaac will be born. He is the son of the Jewish line. Ishmael born from an Egyptian mother, a Gentile, will become the father of Islam.
The horrible atrocities of the war in Israel today are a part of the years and years of consequences tied to this single event. Re-read this chapter with the current war as a backdrop to what we are hearing about now in Israel.
We make choices. We do not get to choose the consequences. Love you all! Dig in!
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