“Then she [Hagar] called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God who sees,’… Gen.16:13
“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.” Galatians 4:22
The present war in Gaza is but a continuing tragic saga between the sons of Ismael (and their descendants —the Arab peoples) and the sons of Isaac (the Hebrews). Two half-brothers, one from an Egyptian mother and the other from a Hebrew mother, but with the same father, Abraham, acting out the age-old conflict mentioned in Galatians: “for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, …”. This unfortunately translates into mountains of hate and rivers of blood.
The promise made to Abram was that “one will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” …” Now look toward the heavens and count the stars…So shall your descendants be.” Abram was 85 years old when the Lord made that promise to him.
Now Abram and Sarai, when things were not happening as fast as they thought they should, came up with a bright idea “to help God out.” Enter Hagar, who was given to Abram by Sarai, her mistress, to fulfill “the promise.” And, according to plan, she conceived and ironically incurred the contempt of her mistress, whose idea it was in the first place. Hagar was forced to flee because of the harsh treatment she received from Sarai.
It was then that the angel of the Lord (a prefiguring of Christ) visited Hagar in the wilderness. For the first time in scripture, a baby was named before birth: " And you shall call his name Ishmael,” which means ‘God hears’. Hagar heard from the same God that David would write about in Psalm 139: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence?”
So, at the Lord’s instruction, she returned to her mistress, confident that the Lord “has searched her and known her…” and that she was continuously in God's mind.
Thirteen years had lapsed between the birth of Ishmael and the time when the Lord appeared to Abram again. There had been no word from God in the interval. The silence of God is testimony to His patience as Abram attempted to fulfill in the flesh what can only be accomplished in the spirit. We likewise protest like Abram to defend our schemes, our “bright ideas”: “Oh that Ishmael might live before You.” Even as God was promising him something far better with the miraculous birth of Isaac.
I have a half-brother, who is the fruit of my father’s scheme to circumvent the segregation barrier of the 1950s in this country. He was one of the American blacks who passed as white, and he wanted my mother to do the same. My mother refused to deny who she was, and this figured in the failure of their brief two-year marriage. My father married twice again to white women and fathered four more children- my half-brother and three half-sisters, who all thought that they were white. My brother and I were never mentioned and were left off the family tree.
To make a long story short, I discovered and met my father and all my half-siblings 12 years ago. My father was afraid of the anger and resentment he anticipated that my brother and I would harbor. This is where the story gets redemptive. The God who saw Hagar also saw my Mom and undertook her needs. My Mom came to know Christ, and so did my brother and me. I have the testimony that I have forgiven my father, and I have nothing but love for my half-brother and half-sisters.
No foreign policy or treaty in Gaza will heal the wounds that only the God of their mutual father, Abraham, can heal. As we share the bread and wine, let us remember that we are sons and daughters of Abraham by the free woman through the promise.
Questions To Think About:
“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.” Galatians 4:22
The present war in Gaza is but a continuing tragic saga between the sons of Ismael (and their descendants —the Arab peoples) and the sons of Isaac (the Hebrews). Two half-brothers, one from an Egyptian mother and the other from a Hebrew mother, but with the same father, Abraham, acting out the age-old conflict mentioned in Galatians: “for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, …”. This unfortunately translates into mountains of hate and rivers of blood.
The promise made to Abram was that “one will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” …” Now look toward the heavens and count the stars…So shall your descendants be.” Abram was 85 years old when the Lord made that promise to him.
Now Abram and Sarai, when things were not happening as fast as they thought they should, came up with a bright idea “to help God out.” Enter Hagar, who was given to Abram by Sarai, her mistress, to fulfill “the promise.” And, according to plan, she conceived and ironically incurred the contempt of her mistress, whose idea it was in the first place. Hagar was forced to flee because of the harsh treatment she received from Sarai.
It was then that the angel of the Lord (a prefiguring of Christ) visited Hagar in the wilderness. For the first time in scripture, a baby was named before birth: " And you shall call his name Ishmael,” which means ‘God hears’. Hagar heard from the same God that David would write about in Psalm 139: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence?”
So, at the Lord’s instruction, she returned to her mistress, confident that the Lord “has searched her and known her…” and that she was continuously in God's mind.
Thirteen years had lapsed between the birth of Ishmael and the time when the Lord appeared to Abram again. There had been no word from God in the interval. The silence of God is testimony to His patience as Abram attempted to fulfill in the flesh what can only be accomplished in the spirit. We likewise protest like Abram to defend our schemes, our “bright ideas”: “Oh that Ishmael might live before You.” Even as God was promising him something far better with the miraculous birth of Isaac.
I have a half-brother, who is the fruit of my father’s scheme to circumvent the segregation barrier of the 1950s in this country. He was one of the American blacks who passed as white, and he wanted my mother to do the same. My mother refused to deny who she was, and this figured in the failure of their brief two-year marriage. My father married twice again to white women and fathered four more children- my half-brother and three half-sisters, who all thought that they were white. My brother and I were never mentioned and were left off the family tree.
To make a long story short, I discovered and met my father and all my half-siblings 12 years ago. My father was afraid of the anger and resentment he anticipated that my brother and I would harbor. This is where the story gets redemptive. The God who saw Hagar also saw my Mom and undertook her needs. My Mom came to know Christ, and so did my brother and me. I have the testimony that I have forgiven my father, and I have nothing but love for my half-brother and half-sisters.
No foreign policy or treaty in Gaza will heal the wounds that only the God of their mutual father, Abraham, can heal. As we share the bread and wine, let us remember that we are sons and daughters of Abraham by the free woman through the promise.
Questions To Think About:
- Have you ever tried to accomplish something through your own strength that only God can do through His Spirit? How’d it turn out?
- Did God see you in your difficulty, and without explaining yourself, you knew that He understood (as David did in Psalm 139)?
Posted in The God Who Sees