A DONKEY OF A MAN...HIS HAND AGAINST EVERYONE AND EVERYONE'S HAND AGAINST HIM

Bible | 11 April 2003

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Abraham and Sarah were childless. Sarah wanted a child so badly she asked Abraham to take her servant Hagar and have relations with her and thus, de facto, she could have a child that way. In the Middle East, a barren woman at that time might strip down and the newborn child would be placed on her to symbolize that she had "given birth". In this way, she would be honored by having a "child". This was apparently an attempt to practice this very thing. However, it backfired horribly.

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

Genesis 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children through her."And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 16:3 And after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.

Genesis 16:4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms; but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me."

Genesis 16:6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight."So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

Genesis 16:7 Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.

Genesis 16:8 And he said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?"And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."

Genesis 16:9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority."

Genesis 16:10 Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they shall be too many to count."

Genesis 16:11 The angel of the Lord said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.

Genesis 16:12 "And he will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers."

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

From Ishmael have come all of the Arabic peoples who are not Jews. And, they hate the Jews (duh). This is the biggest family fight ever known (MOAFF). We can't solve it and it will only be solved when one side commits genocide on the other. Mostly FYI.

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[RJCogburn]

Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.

Nice family.

[TrueBeliever9]

The conflict amony these people and all people is resolved in the love of Y'shua. Shalom (which means more than peace - it means to be made whole in every sense - body, soul and spirit).

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Makes you wonder why God allowed this to happen. However, it is the truth and must be told the way it happened. When Sarah drove her off into the desert with a small child, she started the largest civil war the world has ever known. What mother wouldn't be filled with bitterness and hatred after having been told to have relations with the man and then thrown into the desert to die after the fact. What a mess.

[Puppage]

[Gurn]

I think God allowed it to happen to show the consequences of disobedience to Him, and not having faith in His promises.

[AppyPappy]

From Ishmael have come all of the Arabic peoples who are not Jews.

A common fairy tale. The Bible says they intermingled during wars and conquests, much to the dismay of God sometimes. They are killing their own relatives.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I think God allowed it to happen to show the consequences of disobedience to Him, and not having faith in His promises.

Good point.