HAGAR, the Egyptian

February 18, 2019

Genesis Chapters 16-21 

 HAGAR, the Egyptian

Personal Slave of SARAH

ABRAHAM and SARAH went down to Egypt because of a famine  when he was about 75 years old.

About 10 years later, having returned to the land of Canaan,  Abraham questions God about being childless.  Remember, Sarah is barren!   The Lord tells Abram that an heir will come from him and his offspring will be numerous…more than the stars and the sand!  The Lord made a covenant with him.

The journey to Egypt got more than wealth from there; they also acquired slaves…and SARAI owned an Egyptian slave named, HAGAR!

Sarah, too assumes that God’s idea of Abraham having offspring and her being barren meant that someone else was to help Abraham father a child!

*EXAMPLE OF RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD ~

Sarah said to Abraham:  ”Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family…And Abram agreed.” 

Genesis 16:16 ~ Abram was eighty-six years old when HAGAR bore Ismael to him.”

HAGAR despises Sarah being her Mistress after she becomes pregnant with Abraham’s child and shows her disrespect and she’s rude to her.  Sarah consults Abraham and he tells her to do with her whatever she wants.  Sarah begins to mistreat Hagar, so Hagar runs away.

The Angel of the Lord appears to HAGAR by a spring of water in the wilderness and tells her to return to her mistress and submit to her mistreatment because her offspring would be greatly multiplied.

He said she would have a son and she would name him ISHMAEL for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction.

So HAGAR gave birth to Abraham’s son and he gave him the name ISHMAEL.

We don’t hear any more about HAGAR or ISHMAEL until he is 13 years old and God gives Abraham a new covenant about circumcision and all the males in Abraham’s household were circumcised that day.

This is also the year that SARAH is told she is going to have a son by Abraham…when Abraham is 100 years old and Sarah is 90 years old she gives birth to a son and his name is ISAAC.

When Isaac is weaned, Abraham held a great feast and Sarah saw Ishmael mocking her son Isaac and she became angry and told Abraham to send HAGAR away because her son would not be coheir with her son Isaac.

God told Abraham to do as Sarah said because his offspring would be traced through ISAAC.

God said not to be concerned about ISHMAEL and HAGAR because He would make a nation of the slave’s son because he is also his son.  It was difficult for Abraham because of his son; but early in the morning, he gave HAGAR food and water and sent her and ISHMAEL away.

HAGAR wandered in the wilderness until they ran out of water and she had Ishmael sit under some bushes and she sat down and wept.  God heard her and told her to get up because He was going to make a great nation of her son.  Her eyes were opened and she saw a well of water and they filled their waterskin and the Lord was with them and they settled in the wilderness.  The boy grew and became archer.  His mother got him a wife from Egypt…

…and they lived happily in the Wilderness of Paran

near Sinai.

                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

SARAI BECOMES SARAH & RECEIVES GOD'S PROMISE

February 14, 2019

Genesis Chapters 12-23

SARAI BECOMES SARAH

Wife of Abraham

Mistake #3 ~ ABRAM had a beautiful wife that he cherished…as long as it didn’t threaten his well-being.  Listen to his reasoning:

He said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are.  When the Egyptians see you, they will, say, ‘This is his wife.’  They will kill me but let you live.  Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.” Genesis 12:10-20 

…See also chapter 20

Not learning from this mistake…Abram & Sarai repeated it again when leaving Egypt and entering the Negev to Canaan (where he was supposed to be setting up Home!)

SARAI was an obedient wife, but also foolish because this arrangement made her eligible for the affections of another man!

 It also caused great consequences for those who innocently received her as Abram’s sister…such as Pharaoh who took her into his house to be one of his wives; and God struck him and his household with severe plagues.  He told them to “go”.  Abraham, SARAH and all he had acquired there…flocks, herds, donkeys, camels and slaves. 

He left wealthy!

     Inching his way back to the land God gave him; he encounters King Abimelech of Gerar and this time Sarah says he is her brother!  She was brought to Abimelech…but God said to him in a dream that he was about to die because the woman he had taken was a married woman!  All the women of Abimelech’s household God had closed their wombs.  Abraham prays for them and they send them away with lots of money to vindicate Sarah’s honor.  

It’s now about 10 years later, and Abram questions God about being childless.  Remember, Sarai is barren!   The Lord tells Abram that an heir will come from him and his offspring will be numerous…more than the stars and the sand!  The Lord made a covenant with him.

                                

The Egypt Mistake has more repercussions – they got more than wealth from there; they brought back slaves…and SARAI owned an Egyptian slave named, HAGAR!

*BAD IDEA ~”Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, 

go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family”

…And Abram agreed.” 

Genesis 16:16 ~ Abram was eighty-six years old when HAGAR bore Ismael to him.”

We leave HAGAR here for a brief conclusion later…

ABRAM becomes ABRAHAM and SARAI becomes SARAH

When Abram was 99 and Sarai was 89, the Lord appeared and said he was setting up His Covenant and promises to multiply him greatly.  He changes his name and says:  “I will make you the father of many nations…for generations to come My covenant between Me and you will be marked in your flesh, and every male will be circumcised…throughout generations when a male is 8 days old.”

Ismael was 13 years old when he and Abraham were circumcised.

SURPRISE! ~  God also says that SARAH is going to have a son, and you will name him ISAAC!...(Genesis 21)

“Sarah said:  God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.  Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?  Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age…Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”

SARAH now resents HAGAR and has her sent away…

Genesis 23:1 ~ “Now SARAH lived 127 years.  Sarah dies in Hebron in the land of Canaan and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her…Abraham buried his wife SARAH in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Hebron in the land of Canaan.”

INTRODUCTION OF SARAI

February 11-13, 2019

Genesis Chapters 12-23

INTRODUCTION OF SARAI/SARAH

Wife/Sister of Abram/Abraham

Son & Daughter of TERAH

***Note Genesis 20:12 for more explanation about Sarah being Abraham’s sister

The first significant woman following the flood is simply introduced as 

“Abram’s wife was named SARAI…

Sarai was unable to conceive, she did not have a child.”

Background info:  (More information is in the previous post.)

TERAH was from the lineage of SHEM.  He was 70 years old when he fathered ABRAM, NAHOR, and HARAN.  His native land was in Ur of the Chaldeans.  After his son, HARAN died, he took his son, ABRAM, grandson LOT (Haran’s son), and his son ABRAM’s wife, SARAI and they set out to go to the land of Canaan.  But when they came to Haran, they settled there.  TERAH lived 205 years and died in Haran.

            

Point #1 ~  The LORD speaks to ABRAM and tells him to leave his land, relatives and father’s household and go to a land that He will show him.  He is 75 years old.

The LORD promises ABRAM that He will make him into a great nation; He will bless him, and makes his name great; he will be a blessing; He will bless those who bless him and He will curse those who mistreat him; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through him.

 

Point #2 ~ ABRAM, husband of SARAI, we know will become a great man of FAITH; however, his journey to that was made up of trials and errors.  It becomes apparent that he has an ego problem that will endanger his wife, Sarai; and he has his own self-centered idea about The Lord's instructions and promise.

Mistake #1 ~ ABRAM does not follow directions about who and what he was to leave behind, and brought “trouble” with him.

Mistake #2 ~ When he got to the land The Lord told him to go to and that HE said was to be his and his offspring, ABRAM’s eyes and curiosity caused him to slowly venture away from the land of Canaan and “he went down to Egypt to stay there for a while to avoid a famine in the land!

Mistake #3 ~ ABRAM had a beautiful wife that he cherished…as long as it didn’t threaten his well-being.  Listen to his reasoning:

He said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are.  When the Egyptians see you, they will, say, ‘This is his wife.’  They will kill me but let you live.  Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”  

to be continued...

2nd FEMALE NAMES RECORDED SINCE EVE

February 8, 2019

Genesis Chapter 11

2^nd FEMALE NAMES RECORDED

SINCE EVE

SARAI ~ Wife of Abram

MILCAH ~ Wife of Nahor,

Daughter of Haran

ISCAH ~ Daughter of Haran

These ladies are connected to the Family of TERAH

TERAH had 3 Sons: 

ABRAM ~ married to SARAI

NAHOR ~ married to MILCAH, daughter of Haran

HARAN ~ His wife is not mentioned.

He has 1 son, LOT and

2 daughters:  MILCAH & ISCAH

He dies in Ur before God calls ABRAM.

We don’t hear any more about ISCAH, but we will

hear a lot more about SARAI and MILCAH will

be back in the picture a bit later…so keep reading!

FIRST FEMALES RECORDED AFTER EVE

February 7, 2019

“Genesis Chapters 4-7”

FIRST FEMALE NAMES RECORDED

AFTER EVE ~  ADAH, ZILLAH, NAAMAH

Genesis 4:19-24

    It is interesting where we find the first women names following Eve’s.  Cain has murdered his brother Abel and been banished from the land of Eden to the land of Nod east of Eden.

        Cain’s lineage begins and he has a grandson down the line whose name is Lamech; and Lamech took two wives for himself, one named ADAH and the other named ZILLAH.

What we learn from these ladies is that they were the mothers of nomadic herdsmen; 

the father of all who play the lyre and the flute and the maker of all kinds of bronze and iron tools…

and, Zillah also had a daughter named NAAMAH.

Their story ends with Lamech telling them to make sure he is avenged for killing a young man for striking and wounding him.  

This would make him the 2^nd murderer since Creation!

 <<<>>>

We don’t have any more female names recorded until the Flood and Noah.  I find it amazing that the entire population of the earth is destroyed except for Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives; and these 4 women are to begin the re-population of the earth and they are never given names!!!

 However, because I think they deserve recognition I have named them:  

MRS. NOAH, MRS. SHEM, MRS. HAM and MRS. JAPHETH…

…We salute you for giving life to the ends of the world!

FIRST WOMAN ~ EVE

FIRST WOMAN ~ EVE

Genesis 2-3

“⁷ Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.”  (Do go and read both chapters for all the wonderful details.)

<<<<<<<>>>>>>> 

Adam was made from DUST – soil, the ground.  

Everything else was made out of nothing but God’s imagination that spoke it all into being.

Adam was made from what was already made, but he did not live until the BREATHE OF GOD breathed into his nostrils the spirit of life prepared for him beforehand

Every animal had a mate, but Adam had none...and God said it was not good for man to be alone (incomplete.)

God did not made Adam’s mate the same as he did Adam…He made his mate out of him!

God does first surgery and puts Adam into a deep sleep; removes one of his ribs; and closes him back up. Adam shed some of his own blood to get his bride!

God took a part of Adam that was already living with blood cells in it and fashioned it and breathed into her the spirit of life prepared for her beforehand…

God performed the First Marriage 

God brought her to Adam as a Special Gift for a Special Person to complete him and be an equal to help him…not to serve him – to be as one…like two sides of a knife that make ONE blade!

A Helper is one who helps to do what you can’t do by yourself!  That is true of husband and wife…and it is true of us and The Holy Spirit.  He is our Helper to do what we can’t do by ourselves.  

Notice that Adam and Eve were naked, but had no shame…until sin, and then they were ashamed of their nakedness and covered themselves.

God sacrificed the first animal and shed its blood to make clothing to cover their sinfulness!

Adam named the animals…and he named his wife, EVE

 because she was the mother of all the living.

She would be partner with God in giving life!

 WOW!

NOTE:  I am studying the women God has recorded in His Word to see why we were created so magnificently in His Image and from His Heart.  He created us as His crowning glory and we need to embrace His Purpose to find true Delight!

WOMAN

DELIGHT...NOT DUTY!

ALLYSON’S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2013

She wants me to teach about “Prayer being a Delight, not a Duty”!  She learned this at Nana’s Camp.  Her S.S. class has made this their motto.

Her S.S. Teacher, Caleb emailed me their lesson that is on Nehemiah building the walls to Jerusalem.  It is to be a character study.  I’ve asked the Lord to show me how to incorporate the two themes…and to have a visual aid to reinforce and remember.

This was my teaching outline:

BEGIN WITH PRAYER ~ wear red covering

Read Chapter one of Nehemiah and see the primary character of his life was prayer. 

Chapter 2:1-6  note prayer

Chapter 4:4-6; 9; 15; 20 note prayer

Wall completed in 52 days…they celebrate to the Lord…

Chapter 8 Ezra reads the Word of God and the people’s hearts are broken and they weep and repent, then Nehemiah says in verse 10 to rejoice…

Chapter 9 confession of sins; repentance and prayer.

Their memory verse is Isaiah 41:10

  So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

New Testament version:  Hebrews 13:5-6

For He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   

So that we may boldly say:

   “The Lord is my helper;
   I will not fear what man
   shall do unto me.”

Point out Nehemiah’s relationship with God…and the evidence.

Our relationship with God and the evidence.

How was God with Nehemiah and Isaiah in the Old Testament?

How is God with us today?

Relationship produces confidence in God!

How did God speak in Nehemiah’s day?

How does God speak today?

Visual Aid and Remembrance:  According to today’s memory verse, God says He will hold us with His righteous right hand!  If He is using His right hand to hold our hand; which hand of ours is He holding?  The left! 

Before medical science discovered how the circulatory system functioned, people believed that a vein of blood ran directly from the third finger on the left hand to the heart. Because of the hand-heart connection, they chose to call this the vein of love. Based upon this name, their contemporaries, purported experts in the field of matrimonial etiquette, wrote that it would only be fitting that the wedding ring be worn on this finger. By wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other.

My point isn’t about the wedding ring but about the left hand.  In Isaiah 41:10 and Hebrews 13:6 The Lord says not to fear because He will be our Helper.  What is a helper?  One who helps me to do what I can’t do by myself. 

Illustrate using hand without thumb.  The thumb is vital to the hand.  Something else interesting about the thumb…No one else in the whole world has my thumb or your thumb.  It identifies who we are…and God etched it especially on each one of us.  We are you-nique!  One of a kind.  And, made with purpose!  And equipped with the power of God by His Spirit to live out our purpose to His glory.

But The Holy Spirit only works by our asking…this would be prayer!  As we delight in spending time talking to Him and reading His Word, He will give us direction and more…the desires of our heart.

So, I have the idea to remind us to delight in Him in prayer and witness by painting my left thumb white to designate the Presence of the Holy Spirit of God…my Helper…and delight in Him!