Genesis 16 – The Birth of Ishmael
The chapter ends (v. 16) by telling us that Abram is eighty six years old when Ishmael is born to him. (Note that his name is still recorded at this point as “Abram.”) Allowing for the gestation period of the child, we can say that Abram was perhaps eighty five when this takes place. We were told that Abram was seventy five when he left Haran and first received promises from God (Genesis 12:4). That is a span of ten years, during which he and Sarai have been waiting on something to happen.
The focus here is on Sarai. Years are passing and God’s promises to Abram become more clear. She surely was surrounded by other women among the servants of Abram who were producing children. With the passing of time, Sarai likely sees herself as a failure regarding her role in giving Abram his biological heir. Verse 3 tells us that Sarai gave Hagar to Abram “as his wife,” meaning for the purpose of procreation. This was an ancient practice by which a woman could dictate child-bearing services of a handmaid. Sarai’s gesture may not have been the best example of faith, but it was not unreasonable given the circumstances.
Things don’t go well for Sarai. Once Hagar sees she has conceived, her attitude toward Sarai turns to one of superiority. Sarai perceives this and becomes angry, looking to Abram to resolve the situation and put Hagar in her place. Instead, Abram leaves Hagar at the mercy of Sarai’s anger, and Sarai begins to mistreat Hagar. This causes Hagar to flee. Verse 7 indicates that Hagar, being an Egyptian, has taken a route toward her homeland (Shur).
When the angel of the Lord finds Hagar, the first thing she is told is to return to Sarai and submit to her authority. This most likely is in conformation to God’s plan for how the descendants of Abram would be connected in the biblical narrative. Next, Hagar is given a word of encouragement by being promised descendants “too many to count” (like Abram). The one notable difference is the absence here of the qualification that “through you all people will be blessed” (ref. Genesis 12:3).
Hagar is told by the angel of the Lord that “the Lord has given heed to your affliction.” This is a powerful recognition that God, though working the grand plan of redemption through Sarai’s offspring, has regard for all humanity. Hagar acknowledges the Lord (v. 13) as “God who sees,” for the Lord has seen her in her affliction. The location means “well of the living one who sees.”
In verse 12 Ishmael’s descendants are described. To be a “wild ass of a man” is not a derogatory remark as it sounds to us. The term in context suggests one who lives with rugged independence a nomadic lifestyle on the edges of civilization. They would be defensive, living in constant tension with their kindred and their neighbors. Job 39:5-8 offers another biblical reference that helps us see what is being communicated here.
At this point we may have curiosity about Ishmael and a drive to know more about how his descendants connect to the biblical narrative. We will continue to see his presence in the coming chapters, and will explore this topic as the narrative progresses.
Genesis 17 – The Covenant of Circumcision
God begins the promise reaffirmation with the command, “Walk before me, and be blameless” (v. 1). It is an action that has previously been associated with Enoch, who “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24), and with Noah, who was “a righteous man, blameless in his time, (who) walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Abraham is called to join the ranks of these who presented themselves as pleasing to God through their journey in life. Exercising faith would be a necessary component of such a life.
At this point God institutes new names for our key couple. Abram, meaning “exalted father,” now becomes Abraham, “father of multitudes.” Sarai also receives a name change, perhaps more subtle than that of Abraham’s. Both forms of her name hold the meaning of “lady” or “princess.” The original form of Sarai may mean “my princess.” Sarah becomes more universal in reference, which correlates with God’s word that she, similarly to Abraham, would be a mother of nations (v. 16).
In her commentary on Genesis 12-50, Joyce Baldwin points out that God had established the covenant with Abraham in an unconditional act through sacrifice in Genesis 15. Here Abraham’s response is stipulated. In a similar way God established the covenant with Israel through Moses by giving the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12:13), and later at Sinai the response of the people was stipulated (Exodus 20). Another point to be observed is that, up to this point, God’s covenant with Abram has been a matter of private interaction. Now the response to the covenant promises (circumcision) involves all who are associated with Abraham.
We are told at the beginning of the chapter that Abram is now ninety nine years old. This puts us at 24 years past the original promise of God to Abram. We can also note that Ishmael at this point would be 13 years old, a fact that can impact how we understand his circumcision and how it relates to that of Isaac. Why such a long wait for God to accomplish the promised child? A straightforward answer is that the act must be understood as divine intervention, not something produced in the normal course of life. The writer of Hebrews reflects this thought (Hebrews 11:11-12) saying that by faith Sarah received the ability to conceive “beyond the proper time of life,” and Abraham also received the ability even being “as good as dead.”
Ishmael continues to be part of the narrative. Abraham, struggling with the faith to believe that someone his age would sire another child, petitions God to extend the blessings of the covenant through Ishmael (v. 17-18). God assures Abraham that Ishmael will himself receive blessing, and become the father of “twelve princes” (v. 20). In the coming chapters we will see that other children are born to Abraham. Even so, it will be Isaac and Ishmael who retain the primary focus. The tone of this passage will be a theme throughout the Bible; while God has regard for all people, the unfolding of his covenant promises will happen through a line of God’s choosing. In this case, that chosen line will come from Isaac, not Ishmael. The fact that Ishmael is circumcised may seem curious. The centrality of Ishmael’s descendants becomes greater in the tradition of Islam than it is in Judaism and Christianity. What we can conclude here is that there is a possibility, though not a guarantee, for all people to be incorporated into the blessings that will come through the line of Isaac. Further, we are reminded that bearing the outward sign of the covenant does not necessarily mean participation in the covenant blessings.
Archaeology indicates that the practice of circumcision is an extraordinarily old custom observed by some ancient people groups. Depictions from ancient Egypt suggest that circumcision was associated with religious rites or royalty. Other cultures may also have used it as a cultural rite of passage for males. Like the “covenant cutting” of Genesis 15, we are here faced in the pages of scripture with another practice that seems to come out of nowhere. In reality, this is another example of God using something with which our people are already familiar to signify something specific. Abraham is given direction regarding how he and those associated with him will signify participation in God’s covenant. No longer does the promise of God implicate Abraham by himself; now his entire household, servants included, are impacted by the response required by the Lord.
Genesis 18 – Isaac’s Birth Foretold / Abraham Pleads for Sodom
Vs. 1-15 Isaac’s birth foretold
The Lord’s visit to Abraham appears to be in the form of three men who come near Abraham’s tent. His reaction leads us to believe that Abraham recognized them as divine visitors. Verses 3-8 detail Abraham’s response of hospitality, something that would have been a serious matter in their culture. If Abraham would walk in righteousness before God (ref. 17:1), he would not let guests pass without caring for their needs with a generous offering of provisions.
The men (angels?) indicate that in one year they (He) would return and Sarah would have a son. Sarah’s response is laughter. She takes the prophecy like a good joke (although maybe not so good to the extent it touches a tender spot for her and Abraham). In her mind the bearing of a child at her age approaches the ludicrous. The Lord then asks Abraham (v. 13) why Sarah laughed. Does she think this is too difficult for the Lord? No response from Abraham is recorded, which may be understandable from a man who would like to avoid a negative reaction from the Lord or from his wife. Feeling the scrutiny of the Lord because of her reaction, Sarah attempts a denial of her laughter. The Lord, however, doesn’t let her off the hook.
Vs. 16-33 Abraham’s petition for Sodom
Abraham’s guests depart, apparently with an eye toward the rift valley and the area around the Dead Sea. Completing his hospitable acts, Abraham sees them off. It is at this moment that an internal divine conversation happens. An unidentified outcry has reached the ears of God regarding Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 20). God is about to bring an act of judgment on the cities, and questions if Abraham needs to be foretold of the event. The reasoning behind disclosure is that Abraham, poised to be the father of nations, will be challenged to raise his children in the way of righteousness. To this end, it may be beneficial for Abraham to know what comes upon those who act corruptly (v. 19). We can also note the anthropomorphic action of God, who will “go down and see” if the accusations are true (v. 21).
At verse 22 we get more distinction regarding the Lord and the three guests. The men turn toward Sodom and begin a journey in that direction. Judgment is obviously at hand, and apparently the news has been shared with Abraham. Abraham “draws near” to the Lord for prayerful conversation. In doing so, Abraham raises a theological question that countless others will ask sooner or later: Will God punish the righteous with the wicked? The way Abraham works this out in prayer does bear a humorous element, as we see Abraham using what would otherwise be bargaining tactics to get the best “deal” possible for Sodom. The truth is that Abraham is working out with God an understanding of justice, and it is no laughing matter.
In a brief phrase that is easily overlooked, Abraham makes a declaration, the power of which could not be overstated. At the end of verse 25, Abraham says, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” If you take away the negotiations (fifty, forty five, etc.) and just hang onto this statement, would you not be on solid ground? With all that we don’t comprehend from one incident to the next, can we find hope and peace in the confidence that the God of Creation will do what is right? There are instances when the innocent have suffered judgment along with the guilty. The captivity of Israel and Judah are perfect examples. There are also instances when suffering is not interpreted as an act of judgment at all. Jesus made two such references (Luke 13:1-5): Galileans who were murdered while making sacrifice; people on whom the tower of Siloam fell. Interpretation can be difficult; wisdom from the Lord in such matters goes a long way. Will the righteous suffer? Ask Job. Better yet, ask Job’s friends who came to counsel him. They ended up being the ones chastised by God after (wrongly) deducing that Job must have sinned in order to be suffering his circumstances. With our limited human understanding, interpreting the movement of God’s hand can be challenging. Inevitably we will come to times when we feel God has been unjust. At such times, we would benefit by pausing to ask if it is God who is unjust, or we who have limited knowledge and an imperfect understanding of perfect justice.
A final reminder is appropriate. The conversation Abraham is having with the Lord is one that has personal stakes for Abraham. His nephew Lot is living in Sodom, along with family and a host of servants in his household. When Abraham is mentioning fifty righteous, forty five righteous, forty righteous, it is reasonable to think he has faces and names that go with those numbers. It is not difficult for us to imagine how Abraham is feeling at the prospect of his extended family being killed in an act of God’s judgment. As an antithesis to Abraham’s concern we could consider the prophet Jonah. He was sent by God to preach a message of repentance in Nineveh, a city full of people for whom Jonah could not have cared less. In fact, Jonah was downright angry when the Ninevites repented and avoided God’s punishment. This would not have been the case for Abraham. The idea of his family suffering the judgment of God must have been deeply disturbing.
The Winding Path 