Chapter 16: Well apparently Abram and his wife Sarai were dece | ✞ Dr C 17 ✞

Chapter 16: Well apparently Abram and his wife Sarai were decently old (late 80’s) and didn’t think they would ever have children so for God to promise them kids was laughable (and we will see later that they indeed laugh at this notion). But nonetheless Abram is loyal to God and believes He will deliver for them. So they are trying and trying to conceive but it just isn’t working (Side note: everything in God’s time; not yours) so Sarai gets pissy, but since shes a dutiful wife she says “why don’t you just take my Egyptian maid Hagar, I insist you must have a child and since I can’t deliver like God said then at least have one with her”. Abram obliges (should’ve known better than to listen to that advice-kek) and He and Hagar conceive-here we go

Sarai is now super jealous and catty with Hagar, and Hagar, who thinks she is a better woman than Sarai, more favored by God, and now likely more loved by Abram she insults her back by bragging about the land and the promise coming “AT least I can carry an heir for Abram” WOWOWOWOW. Facepalm.

Now Abram is stuck in the middle between God’s Promise and these two women, one his wife, and the other a maiden who carries his first child. Sarai demands that this woman be kicked out, and Abram says “its up to you, my wife, whatever you want. Sarai then goes on disparaging this maid-servant, making her work harder, insulting her along the way, to the point where this woman Hagar can no longer handle it and pridefully she flees, leaving her duties.

Whoopsy. NO worries tho- all will be corrected in the end. God doesn’t make mistakes, he adjusts and continues you on the path intended the entire time- you shall see.

An Angel then appeared to Hagar, checked her ego by calling her “Hagar, Sarai’s maid”… “where have you come from and where are you going?” Hagar was honest and fair in her own assessment of her actions and says to the angel that she has fled Sarai and her duties. The angel says in response “Return to Sarai and submit yourself to her authority. Humble thyself for what you have done amiss, beg for forgiveness, and resolve this for the future to better behave yourself”. (It doesn’t matter if you think you’re right or wrong- your contractual obligations and duties to the deals you make should be upheld; your word is your everything and your pride and ego mean nothing to God) The angel also says “Behold, thou art with child; and therefore this is not a fit place for thee to be in. Also, the Lord will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count. The child you carry will be Abram’s son and you shall call him Ishmael. He will be a wild ass of a man and his hand will be against everyone’s hand and everyone’s hand will be against him. He will live east of all his brothers”

NOTE: This is the first heir to Abram: Ishmael and he will be a crazy ass, and he will live TO THE EAST of all his brothers (more sons of Abram and more brothers, sons from Hagar to come). The fact that this is the FIRST heir to Abram is setting the stage for what we see now as many wars in the Middle East over the land promised. However, we will find out that the promised bloodline will NOT come from Ishmael, however a younger brother’s bloodline will be chosen.