Hagar and Ishmael (Gen 16).

Chapter 16

Lack of faith led to the birth of Ishmael.

-God was developing and testing Abram's faith during the waiting.

-Human efforts to asist in divine purposes often complicate the matter.

1-6. Legal custom for a barren woman to give her maid to her husband and if a child was born, they could take him/her as their own. :( So Sarai's suggestion was unobjectionable according to they customs of that time. But God often repudiates social customs. Mistreated; same word used in Ex. 1:11-12 to describe Egypt's oppression of Israel.

-Abram, like Adam, followed the wrong advice from his wife.

Morgan: "reading about how Abram(Gen 16), like Adam(Gen 3), followed the wrong advice from his wife in the situation with Hagar. Makes me think about what an influential position we're in. . . Too impatient to wait for God's work to unfold we push our hubby's in the direction we want things to go and then, when it all blows up in our faces, we yell at them! Haha O man, what a messed up picture ;D"

7-16. I'm wondering why the angel of the Lord asked her questions. Maybe he did know, but it's also cool to think that angels obey God without knowing too ; )

God, saw Hagar, and she knew it. However, she was still to submit to an unfair/harsh treatment. It just makes me think about how many people think God's all about them being happy. Not that He's against our happiness, but that's not what it's ALL about. Sometimes He wills us to be in yucky places.

"How Abram must have been rebuked when she came back and told God said to name him 'Ishmael', 'God hears'."

Chapter 17

4-5. What was it like for Abram to tell ppl to start calling him Abraham (father of a multidue). That had to suck. I wonder if people laughed in his face. But every time he was called by that name it would be a reminder of God's promise.

9-14. See blog post on Circumcision.

15-18