“Helping God” brings

ongoing agony!

Genesis 16

zGenesis 15

God came to Abram and did

the “Cut Sacrifice” Offering

Himself

Declaring He was completely

responsible for the Covenant

He is the Guarantor of the

Covenant

zGenesis 16

Trap set: Sarai’s conversation with Abram

Vs 1 - 6

I still have not conceived a child/son

Take Hagar, my Egyptian servant, as your wife and see if she

will answer our prayers… This is an Assyrian Desert custom

Abram (85 yrs old) sleeps with Hagar –Hagar gets pregnant

Hagar became arrogant and despised Sarai

Sarai –upset –blames Abram – he says, “Do whatever…”

Sarai mistreats Hagar and Hagar runs away

Sarai = anxious; offers a

solution to the problem instead

of waiting on God; becomes

bitter and revengeful

Hagar = became pregnant;

became arrogant; despised

Sarai (female torture!); ran

away

Abram = Chose the ‘natural’

cultural answer; ‘hands off’ –

not responsible response…

zHagar runs away and meets El Roi’

V7 –16 The angel of the Lord found Hagar –on her way to

Egypt –Shur (wall) is the eastern border of Egypt –

“Where have you come from and where are you going?” He

knew the answer…offers an opportunity for an honest

dialogue…(same with Adam and Eve “where are you?”)

“I am running away…”

The angel tells her to return and submit because… “I will

increase your descendants”…

zThe Angel of the Lord

An angel = messenger of God or

A Theophany –God Christophany –Christ = a

physical appearance of God in the OT

V10 “I will increase your descendants so much that they will

be too numerous to count.” – leans interpretation to this

was a Theophany/Christophany

Ishmael:

Named “Ishmael” = ‘God hears’

Circumcised in Gen 17 & dearly

loved by Abram

V12 “A wild donkey, against

everyone and everyone against him,

live in hostility with his brothers/

relatives

Gen 21: God was with him, he

married an Egyptian, had 12 sons,

known as an expert warrior…

More about Ishmael:

Gen 25: 9 –helped Isaac bury Abraham

Had 12 sons who lived in hostility with each other and

became the Arabic Nation –a great (in number and

power) nation –still today (Nomads)

Esau married an Ishmaelite (Gen 28)

Joseph sold to Ishmaelites (Gen 37)

Died at the age of 137 (Gen 25)

The strife/fight between Ishmael & Isaac continues today

Called the “Father of Muslims”

zHagar says…

V13 “You are the God Who sees me, I have now seen the

One Who sees me.” The El Roi’

“I have been seen by God, have seen Him and still live…”

God’s grace and mercy shown to Hagar… she has been

seen, she has seen, and she still lives!

zThings to think about and to respond to…

Did Sarai & Abram need to help God keep

His promise?

God’s blessing is still with Ishmael – the Arab

Nations (not all Arabs are Ishmaelites)

God is a God of grace and mercy –He sees

and is seen!