Genesis 16

What do you see?

Too often, we modern folk ask Genesis to answer modern questions, like how old is this water-covered ball that spins at 1000 mph in space while orbiting a nuclear-powered fireball?

But Genesis wasn’t written to us. It was written for us, but not to us. It was written to people asking ancient questions. What are those ancient questions?

The phrase “These are the generations of...” as an introduction is used 11 times in Genesis.

Before the Patriarchs: The need for a family of God

2:4 Heaven and earth

5:1 Adam’s line

6:9 Noah

10:1 Shem, Ham, and Japheth

11:10 Shem

The Patriarchs in the Promised Land: Establishing the family of God

11:27 Terah

25:12 Ishmael

25:19 Isaac

36:1 Esau

36:9 Esau

The Patriarchs in Egypt: Incubation for the Covenant People

37:2 Jacob

As we look, let’s ask ourselves . . . is this how we would tell this story?

Chapter 1: God arranges the furniture

Chapter 2: God puts the man in the garden and creates woman—man was incomplete without her

Chapter 3: Woman is “deceived”, both are disobedient. They experience adolescence. The serpent and the ground are cursed, but the man and the woman are not. God is merciful. God provides for his children as they leave the garden. The man names his wife “Eve”.

Chapter 4: God disapproves of Cain’s offering. Cain is emotional and has bad attitude. Cain kills Abel. Abel’s “blood cries out to me from the ground”. Cain is cursed and cannot work the land. Cain descendents develop culture, murder, and polygamy.

Chapter 5: The descendents of Seth (image of Adam) live a long time and died, except Enoch. Lamech thinks Noah will save him from the curse on the ground.

Chapter 6: Mankind multiplies and becomes corrupt (violent). God decrees a wet judgement. God warns Noah (“Rest”) and instructions on how to build and Ark.

Chapter 7: Entering the Ark and the Flood comes.

Chapter 8: God Remembered Noah

Chapter 9: A New Covenant

Chapter 10: The Table of Nations (map).

Remember that we are still answering ancient questions. “Why am I like this?”

Why am I a “Hebrew” since I don’t live in Hebron? Why is it promised?

This story (Genesis) is particularly about Israel. Our non-Israel questions won’t always get answered.

The Big Shift in Genesis

Genesis chapters 1-11 are “pre-history”. We aren’t going to get a satisfactory answer on dates and places.

Genesis chapters 12-50 are “history”. While difficult, we can begin to get good answers on dates and places. We don’t where Eden or Havilah were, but we do know a lot about Egypt, Hebron, the Negev desert, and most of the places in chapters 12-50. We know about things tribes like the Kenites, Perizzites, Amorites, Canaanites, and Jebusites. Well, I don’t personally know much, but you can get a book and read about the archeology and languages of these tribes.

Abraham conquered Abimelech’s men and captured Beersheba in the Negev desert. We know exactly where Beersheba is and the wells have been in constant use since ancient times. There is a McDonald's near the main one that Abraham probably used. Jacob’s Well is a big tourist site in Nablus, West Bank. It’s Palestinian Authority, so there’s no McDonald’s, unfortunately.

Genesis chapters 1-11 tells a story about God’s blessing and mankind’s rebellion. Over and over, God gives a blessing (like “be fruitful and multiply”) and mankind rebels (murder is the opposite of multiplying).

Most creation stories are focused on the particular tribe telling the story. But God’s creation is to fill the world. Chapters 1-11 are the story of how the world began to be filled.

In chapter 12 we switch to the tribe, the Hebrews, and the first man to live in Hebron… Abraham. God created a lot of families in chapters 1-11.

But now he is going to save the whole world from their rebellion through one family, Abraham’s.

The blessings of chapters 1-11 become promises in chapters 12-50. God blessed the first family to be fruitful and multiply, and they failed. Now in chapter 12, God promises to bless “all the peoples on earth” through Abraham’s family. God commands the Hebrews to bless all peoples in Exodus 19, but they fail. So at Christmas, God came to do it himself.

Chapters 12-50 show God overcoming obstacles to his promise. Infertility, deception, murder, slavery, etc. look like they will derail the promise of God to Abraham. *Spoiler* They don’t. God provides the means to overcome and keeps his promises.

Galatians 3:8 CSB

Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12

The LORD said to Abram:

Go from your land,

your relatives,

and your father’s house

to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make you into a great nation,

I will bless you,

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt,

and all the peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.,

2 Peter 2:7–9 CSB

and if he rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral (for as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

The word “Hebrew” might be derived from the name “Eber”, the son of Shem in Chapter 10.

Or, it could be derived from the place-name, “Hebron”.

Or, they both could be derived from “Eber”.

Or, it could be derived from “Hebri”, a Caananite word for refugee. But...

“Hebri” could be a corruption of “Hebrew”, because the “Hebrews” were “Hebri”.

Hebrewception

Faith vs Belief

The phrase, “the word of the LORD” is only used in this chapter in Genesis. Verses 1 and 4.

Do you have any relatives who have lived a very long time?

Would you be the good twin or the evil twin?

Do you ever feel like a background character in someone else’s story?

Is it hard to get out of your parents’ shadow?

Does God make mistakes?

Do you have a flood story?

How do you deal with unusual requests?

What if I told you it really was aliens in Genesis 6?

Have you ever had to live in a small space?

Would you ever go on Fear Factor?

When did you completely lose your patience?

When does God’s judgement feel real?

You haven’t heard the rest of the story. Is God going to save Noah?

Should God still be doing occasional floods?

Has God ever closed a door to keep you safe?

How did it feel when you were no longer lost?

Why were ancient peoples scared of eclipses?

Why do we have rules or laws? Do they do any good?

Are there natural laws that we take for granted?

How do you normally respond to good news?

Why is incest between adults such a taboo? How does it damage a family?

For what reasons would a parent disown or even curse their children or grandchildren?

Do some criminals deserve to get caught?

Is knowledge dangerous?

Would you live in a house that your kids built?

How do we talk about arrogance or conceit in our stories?

What do you do when the restaurant won’t split the check?

How does it feel to move far away?

Have you ever had a mission that was… um… impossible?

When you tell people about yourself, are there years that you skip over?

How does it feel to realize you’ve made a huge mistake?

Should you distance yourself from family feuds?

Are you nostalgic for your hometown?

What is life like for civilians in war?

What’s your dollar amount for helping your neighbor?

Have you ever found a believer in an unexpected place?

Have you ever been thankful to God at just the right time?

Why do you doubt yourself?

What did you need to see to believe?

Have you been a part of something bigger than yourself?

How did you get out of that impossible situation?

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 15

After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield;

your reward will be very great.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 15

But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 15

Now the word of the LORD came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

The LORD your God has so multiplied you that today you are as numerous as the stars of the sky.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 15

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

This is the new relationship with God. Paul basis his whole argument in Romans on this.

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 4)

What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness., 4 Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 15)

7 He also said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”8 But he said, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”9 He said to him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”10 So he brought all these to him, cut them in half, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds in half. 11 Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, a deep sleep came over Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 15)

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed. 14 However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions. 15 But you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”,

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 15)

When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, from the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River: 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hethites, Perizzites, Rephaim, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Is logic always right?

How does age change our decisions?

Would a modern woman be recognizable in the ancient world?

What would you name God?

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 16)

Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “Since the LORD has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the LORD judge between me and you.”

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 16)

The angel of the LORD found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”9 The angel of the LORD said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The angel of the LORD said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.”11 The angel of the LORD said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction. 12 This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 16)

So she named the LORD who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” 14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Applications