| Chapter 11 Ishmael's Story II To see Ishmael we must study Genesis chapter 16. "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judgeth between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, wence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi, behold it is between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was four score and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram." 73 _______________________________________________________________________________ Hagar was embittered because Sarai, as well as Abram had treated her no better than they would a brood sow. The name Ishmael is Yishmael, which comes from shama and a shortened ayil. The word shama is a primary root defined as to hear intelligently. The word ayil is from the unused root uwl and means strong man. If Ishmael lived up to his name then he certainly would have listened, in his strength, to his mother's embittered stories, as well as the teachings of Abram, his father. Ishmael probably had difficulty listening to Sarai impartially, and through his thirteen years prior to exile built quite a bitterness. Since Hagar was from Egypt, she probably was descended from Ham, thus so was Ishmael. Genesis chapter 17 shows us that Abram was raising and training Ishmael, as his first born, to take his place. Ishmael would remain in that status until Isaac was born when Ishmael was fourteen ( based on scripture stating Abram's age at both events ). However, Abram knew for the time prior to Isaac's birth that Ishmael would be set aside, whether Ishmael knew or not we don't know. "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 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. 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. And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their 74 ______________________________________________________________________________ |
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