Genesis 16

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

 

The Birth of Ishmael

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 

 

God confirmed that Abram would be the father of the seed son, but He never stated that Sarai would be the mother. Hagar was a slave from Egypt, but Abram and Sarai must have given her a Hebrew name. Hagar means “fugitive, to flee, or flight.” Rabbinic tradition listed her as Pharoah’s daughter, but there is no Biblical evidence for this interpretation.

 

2So Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” Abram did what Sarai told him.

 

Sarai used the Lord’s name to assert her human viewpoint. She was following the customs of the Nuzi Tablets and the Code of Hammurabi. God never mentioned Sarai as being the mother, but she should have assumed this, since she was Abram’s only wife. Instead of obeying God, Abram obeyed his wife.

 

3So after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband to be his wife. 

 

Ten years passed and there was no baby. Abram was 85 and Sarai was 75. They began to lose faith in God. As their faith weakened over time, they turned to pagan secular laws and customs of that day.

 

According to the Code of Hamurrabi, “When the freemen marries a priestess and she gave a female slave to her husband and she has then born children, if later that female slave has claimed equality with her mistress because she bore children, her mistress may not sell her; she may mark her with the slave mark and count her among the slaves.”

 

The Nuzi Tablets stated “If Gilimninu, [the bride] will not bear children, Gilimninu shall take a woman of Lullo land as a wife for Shennima [the groom].”

 

The Old Assyrian Marriage Contract stated, “Lagipum took (in marriage) Hatals the daughter of Enisru. In the country, Lagipum shall not take (in marriage) another (woman), (but) in the city (of Ashshur), he may take (in marriage) a priestess. If within two years, she has not procured offspring for him, only she may buy a maid-servant and even later on, after she procures somehow an infant for him, she may sell her whenever she pleases.”

 

The Neo-Assyrian Text stated, “If Sabetu does not conceive (and) does not give birth, she may take a maid-servant (and) as a substitute in her position, she may place (her). She (Sabetu) will thereby bring sons into being (and) the sons will be Sabetu’s sons. If she loves (the maid-servant), she may keep her. If she hates her, she may sell her.”

 

Therefore, Sarai was following the pagan customs of that day. However, God’s laws are higher than man’s laws, especially the pagan laws of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Abram and Sarai had committed no immorality, but they had refused to trust in God. Therefore, Hagar became the legal wife and concubine of Abram. This was not illegal in that day, because it was before the Mosaic Law.

 

4He had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 

 

In Biblical days, a barren woman was despised. A child was considered a gift from God. A barren woman was considered cursed by God. Also, the absence of children left the family without an heir and without children to protect the family tribe.

 

5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, but when she realized that she was pregnant, she despised me. May the Lord judge between you and me!”

 

Sarai blamed Abram for their predicament. Abram was ultimately responsible, because he was the leader of the family. He was not strong enough to say “no” to Sarai.

 

6Abram said to Sarai, “Since your servant is under your authority, do to her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai treated Hagar harshly, so she ran away from Sarai.

 

According to the Code of Hamurrabi, returning a concubine to slave status was legal. This means there was no more sexual intercourse between Abram and Hagar.

 

The irony is that the Jewish woman afflicted the Egyptian woman just as the Egyptians afflicted the Jews.

 

Solomon wrote a proverb about the husband-wife-concubine relationship, “For three things the earth does tremble, And for four, it cannot bear: … a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.” (Proverbs 30:21-23).

 

7The Lord’s angel found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 

 

The angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Christ, the second member of the Trinity. Rabbi Hertz stated that “the angel of the Lord is sometimes used to denote God Himself.”

 

The desert is the Negev, which was between Israel and Egypt. The spring of Shur was located on the main highway from Israel to Egypt. Hagar was heading back to Egypt.

 

8He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai.”

 

Hagar answered the first question of where she came from, but she did not answer the second question of where she was going. She was wandering around aimlessly without a home and without hope.

 

9Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority. 

 

Hagar was not to despise Sarai any longer. She was to submit to her authority.

 

10I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 

 

Hagar will become the mother of the Arabian nation. The Arabs will become so numerous, that they cannot be counted. There are over one billion Arabs in the world today.

 

11Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “You are now pregnant and are about to give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your painful groans.

 

Jehovah predicted the birth of a son. This is the first unborn child that Jehovah named in Scripture. Ishmael means “God hears.” Hagar prayed to the one true God and her prayer was heard and answered.

 

12He will be a wild donkey of a man. He will be hostile to everyone, and everyone will be hostile to him. He will live away from his brothers.”

 

Ishmael would become the father of the Arab race. They would nomadically roam across the deserts like wild donkeys. In those days, wild donkeys roamed across the Negev deserts. 

 

When these nomadic Arabs roam across the desert, they will attack other tribes that cross their path. Those whom the Arabs attack will retaliate against them. 

 

The seed of Ishmael will always live next door to their brothers, the seed of Isaac, but it will always be in conflict. Therefore, Abram’s failure to trust God caused 4000 years of wars between the Jews and Arabs. These wars will most likely continue into the Great Tribulation.

 

13So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 

 

Hagar realized that she was speaking not just to an ordinary angel, but she was speaking to the God who can see the prophetic truth of the future. 

 

14That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. (It is located between Kadesh and Bered.)

 

Beer Lahai Roi means “the Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.” This location later became the home of Isaac (Gen. 24:62, 25:11).

 

15So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 

 

Apparently, Hagar told this story to Abram, so Abram named his first son Ishmael. 

 

16(Now Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.)

 

Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. However, Ismael was not the seed-son. The seed-son would not be born until 14 years later.

 

The Rabbi Paul gave an inspired, deep, rabbinic teaching on this issue in Galatians 4:21-31.

 

It is interesting to note that much of ISIS comes from the Ishmael genealogical line. The current American political party in office violated the Abrahamic Covenant by allowing ISIS to arm itself against Israel. Now, these armed ISIS terrorists may have crossed through American borders as refugees. America may receive the kind-for-kind curses of the Abrahamic Covenant. God will protect Israel, but who will protect America?

 

In conclusion, the human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches that Jews and Arabs are natural enemies that can make peace through diplomatic channels.

 

The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that Jews and Arabs will be continuous and perpetual enemies until Christ returns and establishes the Millennial Kingdom.

 

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1, SAQ--What is the theme of Genesis 16?

 

2. Why did Sarah want Hagar to be the concubine of Abraham?

 

3. What was the ancient culture view of barren women?

 

4. What solution did the Code of Hammurabi state about the status of barren women?

 

5. What did Solomon write about the wife/concubine/husband relationship?

 

6. Why was polygamy not forbidden during the days of Abraham?

 

7. Who was the Angel of the Lord whom Hagar met in the desert?

 

8. What did the Angel of the Lord predict about Ishmael and his descendants?

 

9. What does Ishmael mean?

 

10. What is the origin of the modern Arab-Israeli conflicts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that Jews and Arabs will be continuous and perpetual enemies until Christ returns and establishes the Millennial Kingdom.