Injustice and Hope

January 9 Lesson 6

(NIV) INJUSTICE AND HOPE DEVOTIONAL

READING: Genesis 21:8–21 BACKGROUND

SCRIPTURE: 

Genesis 21:8–21 “8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 And the water was spent in the bottle, a…” GENESIS 21:8–20 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

Genesis 21:8–20(KJV 1900)

8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

KEY TEXT God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”—Genesis 21:17–18 JUSTICE, LAW, HISTORY Unit 2: God: The Source of Justice LESSONS 5–9 LESSON AIMS After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to: 1. List key features of the relationships among the six individuals (including God). 2. Compare and contrast Abraham’s distress with that of Sarah and Hagar. 3. Write a prayer of praise for God’s presence during a difficult time of life.

I. The Last Laugh

(GENESIS 21:8–13)

A. What Sarah Saw (vv. 8–9)

V 8. )The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.

We are not told when exactly a baby was expected to be weaned. Much later in Israel, Hannah (another barren woman whom God enabled to conceive) entrusted her son Samuel into the care of Eli to be raised as a priest after he was weaned (1 Samuel 1:22–24). This likely did not occur before Samuel was 3 years old, perhaps closer to 4.

(Sometimes we need to ask God for help instead of trying to do things on our own because in the long run of things we will find out what we wanted was not in Gods plan and probably not work out )

Visual for Lesson 6. Allow one minute for silent personal reflection on this truth before discussing the questions associated with verse 19. Isaac’s weaning was an event to be celebrated. He no longer depended on his mother’s breastmilk for sustenance, which allowed him to spend more time with his father and the other men. This important rite of passage for any young boy was especially important for the child of promise, born in miraculous circumstances.

now after Sarah had given birth to Issac and he was weaned from her to eat on his own or eat table food Abraham had a feast for him and sarah’s son Issac because back then like now it was a great thing not like for it was a about time thing. but Hagar who looked down on Sarah after she did concived and Issac was weaned and her son was grown up some sarah was jealous cause this woman was still around trying to get all she could from Abraham you know how women are that want child support and some. but this is what Sarah wanted remember , so be careful when you try to do things that you did not ask of God>>>>>> so she was just straight up jealous and mad .but remember she wanted to take matters in her own hands and gave her servant to Abraham to have a child so sometimes we need to be careful what we ask for.

V9.) But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,

Referring to Ishmael as the son [of] Hagar the Egyptian emphasizes his relationship to his slave mother rather than to his father. Ishmael was 14 years older than his half brother Isaac (compare Genesis 16:16; 17:25 with 21:5), making Ishmael about age 17 when this event took place (see 21:8, above). We are never told exactly what Ishmael said and/or did to draw the accusation of mocking. The Hebrew word is the same behind the name Isaac, which means “laughter.” The word can imply simple amusement, but other contexts reveal darker possibilities. The same word was used when Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was kidding around about the imminent destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:14). The word also described the frivolity of the idolatrous Israelites with their golden calf (Exodus 32:6). The term further characterized how a husband and wife enjoyed romantic time together (Genesis 26:8), appropriate within a marriage but sinful in other contexts. The final possibility of inappropriate touch is most disturbing. Sarah’s sensitivity to anything to do with Hagar or Ishmael may lead us to assume that she overreacted to a teasing insult to Isaac rather than molestation or abuse. Whatever was happening, it provoked Sarah to act decisively. Given her history with Hagar (see Lesson Context), Sarah was the worst person to witness Ishmael’s misbehaving. ( I dont think that any of my children would do anything like that and i know first hand how half brother and sisters act i have children like that and i also have half brother and sister Half Bro deceased now but we always got along ) and my children are always getting along with each other our blood line is totally different then they were back in the those days. but i think i can blame the woman back then for that because i think that one thought they they were better than the other truly i belive since one was a servant for the other they felt cast down but since Sarah did not go to God for help first this is what she got . seek God first then these problems would not be........

B. What Sarah Said

(vv. 10–11)

V10a.) and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son,

As God cast the first couple out of Eden (Genesis 3:24) and later drove Cain from the soil (4:14; see lesson 5), so Sarah called Abraham to expel Hagar and Ishmael from their camp. We should hesitate to evaluate this action in a moral sense, given the fact of God’s approval (21:12, below). With our knowledge that God worked through Isaac, we might be tempted to excuse Sarah’s request as a pragmatic change-of-address request. We might ask ourselves, Do the ends justify the means? It was cruel to cast out the slave woman and her son—a son born because Sarah herself had willed Abraham to impregnate Hagar. Referring to Hagar and Ishmael in the third person rather than by name may have been Sarah’s way of depersonalizing them and distancing them as legitimate recipients of Abraham’s concern. Subjecting Hagar and Ishmael to starvation, exposure, and violence then seemed tolerable to Sarah in some sense.

lets think about this Sarah i think did not want Ishmael her step son to get any inheritance from Abraham forgetting that she was the real cause of this happening , you see God does things to see how far we will go on doing wrong things. and the poor man once again letting the woman be in charge got what she wanted . or so she thinks .

V10b.) “for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

When the law is later given at Sinai, it will be mandatory for the firstborn son to inherit a double portion of his father’s estate at the father’s death (see Deuteronomy 21:15–17). But Sarah was unwilling to see Ishmael even as an heir equal to her own son. THE WICKED STEPMOTHER Fairy tales exploit negative stereotypes about stepmothers. These stereotyped individuals in story lines serve as foils for conflict and the ultimate triumph of children. Cinderella’s stepmother forced her to live as a servant in her father’s house. Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother sent them out of the house when food became scarce. While we might like to think that such characterizations are entirely imagined—that no adult, no matter her position, would mistreat children—we must admit that there is some truth here. Disappointingly, Sarah sounds like the wicked stepmother here. Jealousy, pride, fear—all played a part in Sarah’s disregard for Ishmael. And yet God worked through Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Hagar, and Ishmael for his purposes. Be alert for how our Father, who watches the women and children this world rejects, may work.

now we see why Sarah did not want her step son there so he could not share any inheritance she wanted it all for her son Issac . which later on we will see does not matter. but how many times do you see something like this where the one cant stand to share with the other . this is kind of hitting home because i sort of know what this really is about. but now in my right mind will never have to worry about such matters . being that i really don't have a whole lot to share . not like when we realize there was not going to be an inheritance . thats just the way it was . but i know that there are peop;e that still go through stuff like this. but sarh keeps forgetting that this is some thing that she ask for.

V11.) The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.

Abraham rightly loved his son Ishmael. The father was not naïve about the dangers that the boy and his mother would face if sent away. Perhaps Abraham thought both sons would share his inheritance; after all, when God specified that Abraham’s heir would be his own flesh and blood, Sarah was not mentioned (Genesis 15:4). And if Abraham understood that God intended for only one nation to descend from Abraham, then that man could be excused for thinking that his two sons would both contribute to that one people. Ishmael’s banishment would throw all these assumptions into disarray.

Abraham knew that both his sons should share in his inheritance because they both came from the same blood line. now i have no land not alot of money but i dont know if any of my xxxx;s have life insurence on me and it really doesnt matter now anyway but whatever i have and have desiganated to my wife and children so be it. its already done . unlike this situtation with old jealous Sarah .im just hoping that God will make a way for all of my family as he continues to do .....

C. What God Said

(vv. 12–13)

V12). But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

We might conclude quickly that it’s God’s will for Hagar and Ishmael to move away. But recognizing three ways to speak of “God’s will” is important. The first is that of God’s purposive will (referring to God’s desire and decision; examples: Genesis 1:1; Acts 2:23). The second is that of his prescriptive will (referring to God’s desire and human decision; examples: Hosea 6:6; Matthew 23:37). The third is that of his permissive will (referring to human desire and God’s permission; examples: Acts 14:16; James 4:13). The third of these three is in view here. In other words, God was willing to work within Sarah’s desire as he moved his own plan forward. He would act in genuine partnership with Abraham and Sarah. Sometimes humans take initiative, and then God responds to their actions. This had been so in Abraham’s case at least since Sarah decided to have a child by Hagar. It is one thing to say that God wanted Sarah to cast away her servant and Abraham’s son; it is another thing to say that God allowed it and saw it as a way to carry out his larger promises for his people. Those larger promises revolved around Isaac—not Ishmael. So God told Abraham to accept the will of his wife.

see how God works he knows sarah;s heart and told Abraham to do as she ask because it was time for God to do his will in making due of a promised that he made to Abraham in Genesis 17:4-8

Genesis 17:4–8 KJV 1900

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

so this is how he is keeping his promise . now we have a God that if he say or said something he will keep his promise belive me because when says that he will never forsake us thats what he mean. so keep trusting in God’s word . to to see his words in action......

V13) “I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”

In working with Sarah’s decision, God did not ignore Hagar or become indifferent to Ishmael. Although God was always going to fulfill his promises through Sarah’s child, he chose to also make Ishmael a nation because he too was Abraham’s son (see Genesis 21:18, below). Even so, Abraham left his entire estate to Isaac (25:5). After Sarah died, Abraham had additional sons with Keturah (Genesis 25:1–4). These sons do not appear to receive the same blessing as Ishmael, but Abraham sent them away from Isaac’s family with gifts before he died (25:6).

see God did keep his promise just like i know whatever we ask and if God gives it to us he has kept his promise ,ask and ye shall recieve but when you ask make sure that you ask with a pure heart .

II. A Lasting Promise

(GENESIS 21:14–20)

A. Hagar’s Wandering (vv. 14–16)

V14a). Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy.

In this instance, as in the story of Isaac’s near sacrifice, Abraham’s obedience to the Lord was seen in his immediate action early the next morning (Genesis 22:3). The only record we have of Abraham and Ishmael together after this is when Ishmael returned to help Isaac bury their father (25:9); whether Ishmael spent time with his dying father is unknown. There is no record of Hagar ever returning to see Abraham.

but now we know who wore the pants in Abraham’s house because he gave food water and threw it on her back along with their so and sent her on her way . wow dont you know that now days its not that easy to get ris of someone that easy now days to get rid of old things (lol ex’s) so now hagar and her son are on their way somewhere in the wilderness to make it on their own . like i said not that easy nowdays.

V14b.) She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.

Beersheba was in southern Canaan, west of Gerar, where Abraham had settled (Genesis 20:1). Later, the entire promised land could be measured from Dan in the north to Beersheba. Indeed, the phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” became a catchphrase in that regard (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20; 2 Samuel 3:10; 17:11; 24:2, 15; 1 Kings 4:25). Hagar likely intended to return to Egypt and eventually did so (Genesis 21:21). Her wandering in the desert foreshadowed Israel’s own experience on their journey out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 2:1). Later Abraham would designate a well in the area by the name Beersheba (Genesis 21:31). Isaac and Jacob both had significant spiritual experiences in the area (26:23–25; 46:1–4).

i guess it was different back then than now i would loved to have been able to get out of a realtionship that easy. because now you have to give up alot in order to make your past vanash but God was in the mist and he is not gonna let anything bad come upon them while the roam around .

V15). When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. We are not told how long Hagar wandered in the desert before running out of provisions, though we would expect that Abraham had sent her and the boy away with as much as they could carry. Put in this verse is the same term used when Joseph was thrown into a well and left for dead (Genesis 37:22, 24; see also Exodus 1:22). We can assume that for Hagar to be able to leave her teenage son under one of the bushes, he had no strength to change his circumstance.

we see here that old saying that God is going to put on you more then u can bare .because they had enough to last a while but does not say how long it lasted but it was enough to last while .

now why she put him under a bush is unknown at this point.

V16a.) Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, Here a play on words measures this distance in terms of a bowshot, foreshadowing Hagar and Ishmael’s own near future (see Genesis 21:20, below).

V16b.) for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. The last time Hagar ran away, pregnant with Ishmael, God met her by a spring of water and promised that Ishmael would grow into manhood (Genesis 16:7–12). At that time, she called the Lord “the One who sees me” (16:13). It must have seemed to her that God was breaking this promise and refusing to see their current plight. Not giving a thought to her own likely death, she sobbed for her boy.

now we see why she put him there because they ran a bow shot away (

have you ever shot a bow and arrow? if you did and did it right it can go a long way) hagar could not look at her son die ,but her faith and belief must not have been strong in the lord. because before she gave birth she ran away but the lord told her what he was going to do for the boy . so we cant loose faith in God but once we see things are not going our way we tend to loose faith in God . but you see that is all part of the test that we go through in our daily lives to see how strong our faith is being we gave our life over to Jesus.

B. God’s Hearing

(vv. 17–18)

V 17a.) God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;

The angel of God opened a conversation with Hagar as “the angel of the Lord” had done previously: with a question about her status (Genesis 16:7–8). But this time the angel didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, the unanswered question is immediately followed by the command not [to] be afraid. Throughout the Bible, this command shows up dozens of times, often when humans encounter God or angelic beings (see Joshua 8:1; Matthew 28:5; Luke 1:13, 30). Hagar would not have the language of God’s love driving out fear, but surely her experience confirms the apostle John’s words in 1 John 4:16–18. Because God loved both Hagar and Ishmael, the mother had no reason to fear for her child. When God calls his people to fear not, he calls them to love him and trust in his plans for them.

I like this because God does hear us when we cry to him. When God makes a promise to you through an angle or in a dream rrest assure he will keep his word. he will let you know ( fear not) i got this like one of my favorite songs , i got this by dottie peeples . so all we need to do is let go and let God. and most of all don't loose faith.

V17b. )“God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. We may wonder why the angel told Hagar that God heard the boy, even though Hagar was the one weeping audibly in the previous verse. Nowhere in Genesis 21 is Ishmael referred to by name, which is a combination of the Hebrew words that mean “God hears” (Genesis 16:11). By emphasizing that he heard the teenager, God showed Hagar that he was looking after her son personally. He proved her son’s name to be reassuringly true, even when it seemed that not even the boy’s mother had the capacity to listen to him any longer.

see god told Hagar that he would make a great Nation fro the boy in verse 13 Genesis 21:13

so we know if God made a promise he will keep it not like us we have known to break promises am i right ? we say i promise sometimes so fast and all the while we can”t keep that promise . but we know who will .

V18.) “Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” God already had promised that Ishmael would become a great nation (Genesis 17:20), and God planned to keep his promise. The only other person to whom God made such a promise was Abraham (12:1–2). Ishmael would have 12 sons (25:12–18) as would Isaac’s son Jacob (49:1–28). These Ishmaelites show up in Joseph’s story (see 37:25–28). They were nomadic people, generally living in northern Arabia.

here we have God keeping his promises like he said and form what ive read a big promise . so the next tome you make a promise write it down to see if you keep it ......

C. God’s Help

(vv. 19–20)

V19.) Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

Why Hagar could not see the well before is not clear. Perhaps her exhaustion and dehydration prevented her from seeing what was right before her eyes. This water was enough to revive Ishmael and keep her hope alive. The God whom she previously declared to be the God who “sees me” (Genesis 16:13) had opened her own eyes.

here is a example … On Saturday, January 13, 2018, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency sent an alert to tens of thousands of Hawaii cell phones that warned of an inbound ballistic missile. The alert caused immediate panic in many who saw it. Only minutes later, relief came in a second message confirming that the first was a false alarm. My friend Diana had been in Hawaii at the time. She told me she immediately fell to her knees when she read the text. “And when I got up, I asked the Lord for two things: help me be brave, and if I die today, please make it quick. Other than that, I knew that I was ready to go.” Her testimony was short, but powerful. Hagar might tell a similar story. In her crying, the Spirit of God heard her and cared for her and her son. No matter how dire the situation, God hears and God loves.

i love it even though Hagar was away from her son watching him suffer because they were out of supplies .crying her eyes out and what she need was right in front of her , maybe she could”nt se because of her own tears but God open her eyes past her tears and to her supprise there was water right in front her. This is how our God works we worry so much about the problems we have but the sulotions are right in front of us . you ever have that happen to you? you know what i mean worry worry worry but our sulition is right in front of us . like wandering how im gonna pay for this bill and the next thing you know a way comes its happen to me alot. but all we have to do is wait on God keep our faith and trust that God wil come through........

V20a. God was with the boy as he grew up. God kept his promise to Hagar. His presence with the boy serves as a reminder that, though God looks after his chosen people in a special way, he also cares for people beyond that group (compare Matthew 5:45). Indeed, God set apart Abraham’s family through Isaac precisely to bless all nations (Genesis 12:3). How great to serve a God who has always loved the whole world and chose to demonstrate it through his Son (John 3:16–18)!

and we can take this to the bank ever heard that saying but being children of God through the belief of Jesus we have a right to the tree of life and rest assure that all we have to do is believe keep the faith and never give up hope in God.

20b. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

Ishmael’s becoming an archer completes the play on words from verse 16. More importantly, it also fills out some of God’s original declaration about the boy’s future. The last time God spoke with Hagar, he told her that Ishmael would become a wild man at odds with others (Genesis 16:12), a characteristic one might expect from a boy growing to maturity in the desert without a father to guide him or a community to mold him. Bows were the weapon of choice in Ishmael’s time—for hunting (27:3) and waging war (1 Samuel 31:3). These skills undoubtedly contributed much to his survival and eventual prosperity.

wow God really took care of Ishmael made him a Archer somebody who could hit his targets with an Arrow . so he was really good and could defend himself with just a bow and arrow .

we that have some american indian in us should have that same talent but we dont some of could’nt hit the side of a barn as big as that is but we do have talents ones that were given to us by the will of God thanks be to Jesus who has given us a way back to god in 2nd corinthians 5 read it at your leisure. praise god for being guide our help and savior Amen.

Conclusion

A. God Who Hears Hagar had a difficult life. But as Ishmael’s name reminds us, God hears! Abraham’s God, who loved both Isaac and Ishmael, is the Lord of all creation. He cares for all people, and he keeps his promises. He hears all cries of injustice, and he responds with a message of hope. That message must be preached, taught, and lived by his people before the watching world, which is desperate for a better story than the divisions that so often define our lives. When we hear, the world might begin to believe that God also hears.

B. Prayer God who hears, we raise our voices to you. Strengthen our hope so the world may have hope in you through our faithful witness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.