GRIFFIN COMMENTS—GEN 16 (Gen 16:1) Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. You will notice that this was immediately after God made a covenant with Abraham in promise of a son. No sooner had that happened than Sarah and Abraham try to work things out their own way. This is human nature. We believe God and yet He is not doing things quickly enough, or in a way that pleases us, so we try to work it out. That was going to be worked out by Hagar an Egyptian servant that they probably received from Pharaoh when they went to Egypt. (Gen 16:2) 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. The idea apparently made sense to Abraham, even though he had just heard from God and this answer would counter His, so he agreed to it. It is always wise for a man to listen to his wife’s advice because a woman has a certain intuition that a man does not have. But men often have a problem of not wanting to make a decision and will then allow his wife to convince him and in cases like this one and the decision Adam made with Eve, it can be counter to the will of God. (Gen 16:3) 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. Notice that Sarah did this. It was not Abraham who simply went and took her, but Sarah wanted everyone to know that this was her decision. Yet later when the consequences begin to show she wanted to shift the blame to Abraham. Notice also the similarity of this with the first sin in the Garden of Eden when the serpent beguiled Eve. There is a very similar beguiling here as well, showing the same originator of the deed. (Gen 16:4) And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
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The natural thing happened. Sarah could have no children and Hagar could. To have a child was the woman’s greatest desire, so of course, Hagar now despised Sarah. She was not going to think rationally now and decide to act subordinately to Sarah because Sarah could control the matter, instead she allowed her feelings to show. Sarah detected it right away and wanted to do something about it. (Gen 16:5) 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 judge between me and thee. She apparently felt justified in blaming Abraham, otherwise she would not have invoked Jehovah to judge in the matter, but that is exactly what she should have expected and now that the child is on its way, she could have accepted the blame and worked out the situation. Instead she was blind to her own faults. But who has a right to cast stones at her? (Gen 16:6) 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. Sarah could not work out the situation, so she became even more harsh with Hagar until again the inevitable happened, Hagar fled to try and get out from under the strife. She probably intended to go back to Egypt, but did not know the way through the wilderness, got lost and would likely have lost her life had it not been for the intervention of an angel. (Gen 16:7) And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. Since this was Abraham’s child, though brought about the wrong way, God intervened. Abraham was His friend and though he had made a mistake God would help him through it. ANGELIC MINISTRY (Gen_16:7) 1. Finding angel (Gen_16:7-11) 2. Assuring angel (Gen_21:17) 3. Calling angel (Gen_22:11)
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4. Promising angel (Gen_22:15-18) 5. Protecting angel (Gen_25:7) 6. Directing angel (Gen_31:11-14) 7. Redeeming angel (Gen_48:16) WELLS OF PALESTINE 1.
WELL BY THE FOUNTAIN (Gen_16:7) A. B. C.
In the wilderness: Repentance. By a fountain: Baptized. God revealed Himself: Holy Ghost.
It is not among the gaieties and luxuries of the world that Christ is to be found. Not while the soul is enjoying the "pleasures of sin for a season." It is in the wilderness. As we draw away from the attractions of the world. It is by the fountain. Fountain filled with blood. Fountain of the Spirit Baptism in water. Called Beer-Lahoi-roi "The well of Him that lives and sees me." "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." 2.
GOD OPENED HER EYES (Gen_21:19). A. B. C.
3.
WATERED FLOCKS (Gen_29:1-2) A. B.
4.
Joh_6:44 "Spirit drew him" Mat_16:17 Flesh and blood did not reveal Act_16:14 Opened hearts
Place where men are refreshed. Relation begins.
PLACE OF GATHERING (Num_21:16-17)
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A. B.
Gen_22:8; Isa_53:7 In the former passage God will provide, in the latter a lamb is identified. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. The well is personified "Sing ye to it."
Note: It was the gathering center for Israel. Song of Moses and the Lamb. 5.
WELL OF PROTECTION (2Sa_17:17-19) Protected Jonathan and his servant. Securely hidden in the well Col_3:3 Life hid with Christ in God.
(Gen 16:8) And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. She did not know and she did not care exactly where she was going, just as long as it was away from the abuse of Sarah, although her final destination would naturally be her homeland Egypt. The problem was, there was a vast desert between her and her destination, and she lacked the experience of traveling through such a wilderness alone. (Gen 16:9) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. The angel was now going to set up a totally new arrangement, and if Hagar understood it, the work she did from now on would not be difficult. Sarah would no longer be her employer; instead it would be God who had made a covenant with her. SUBMISSION 9. Submission: surrendering to another's authority. SUBMISSION Gen_16:9 Jos_1:8 Gen_16:9 Gen_41:40 Gen_49:15 2Ch_30:8
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Job_22:21 Psa_68:31 Psa_81:11 Luk_10:17 Luk_10:20 Rom_8:7 Rom_10:3 Rom_13:1 Rom_13:5 1Co_16:16 Eph_5:21 Eph_5:22 Eph_5:24 Col_2:20 Col_3:18 Heb_12:9 Heb_13:17 Jam_4:7 1Pe_2:13 1Pe_2:18 Exposition of Psalm 39 The child of God, who is perfectly resigned to His heavenly Father's will, may yet pray to be delivered from his trouble. Prayer for deliverance from grief is quite consistent with perfect submission to the will of God. We may pray, for Jesus prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" Mat_26:39; but we must take care also to add, "Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." An Urgent Request for an Immediate Answer -- Gen_24:49 You remember how the Roman ambassadors demanded of some who came to them that they should, on the spot, decide whether they meant war with Rome or submission to it. When they asked for time, the ambassadors took their wands, and drew a circle round them, and said, "Before you quit that circle, you must settle whether it is to be peace or war." I would draw here a circle round some of you, and say, "Your portion must be either salvation or damnation. You have been hesitating and halting too long already. Do not leave that seat till you have decided one way or the other."
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Slaying the Sacrifice -- Lev_1:5 Out of love to God and man he willingly drank of the appointed cup: the only compulsion which he knew was his own desire to bless his chosen. "For the, joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame" Heb_12:2. Oh, it was splendidly lived, that life of our Lord; the spirit which guided it lights it up with an unrivalled brightness! Oh, it was splendidly died, that death of our Lord, for he went up to the cross with such willing submission that it became his throne! The thorn crown was such a diadem as emperor never wore, it was made of the ended sorrows of his people-sorrows ended by their encircling his own majestic head. On the cross he routed his enemies and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. In the act of death he nailed the handwriting of ordinances that was against us to his cross, and so destroyed the condemning power of the law. For the Sick and Afflicted -- Job_34:21, Job_34:32 A constant submission to the divine will should be the very atmosphere in which a Christian lives. He should put an earnest negative upon his self-will by crying, "Not my will," and then he should with holy warmth beseech the Lord to execute His purpose, saying, "The will of the Lord be done" Act_21:14. He should throw the whole vigour of his soul into the Lord's will, and exhibit more than submission, namely, a devout acquiescence in whatever the Lord appoints. Beloved friends, we must not be content with bearing what the Lord sends, with the coolness which says, "It must be, and, therefore, I put up with it." Such forced submission is far below a Christian grace, for many a heathen has attained it. The stolid stoic accepted what predestination handed out to him, and the Mahometan still does the same. We must go beyond unfeeling submission. We must not so harden our hearts against affliction as not to be affected by it. That chastisement which does not make us smart has failed of its end. It is by the blueness of the wound, says Solomon, that the heart is made better; and if there is no real blueness-if it be merely a surface bruiselittle good will come of it. "For a season we are in heaviness," says the apostle, "through manifold trials," and not only the trial, but the heaviness which comes of it, is needful to us. God would not have His children become like the ox or the ass, which present hard skins to hard blows, but He would have us tender and sensitive.
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Our Leader through Darkness -- Isa_50:10; Isa_55:4 You can hardly prove that you have any will to surrender, if you have not first brought it before the Lord in fervent prayer. Pray about the matter up to the hilt, and then sheathe the prayer in submission, if it be not the Lord's will. O brethren, let us learn this last virtue. Faith healing is grand, but faith enduring is grander. Glorify God by believing that His will is right, and that the strokes of His rod are kind. Use both edges of the sword of faith. Believe for deliverance from sorrow, or for deliverance in sorrow. (Spurgeon's Sermons) Mat_2:9-12 We do well to remember that Jesus Christ is King. We can never meet Jesus on an equality. We must always meet him on terms of complete submission. Nelson, the great admiral, always treated his vanquished opponent, with the greatest kindness and courtesy. After one of his naval victories, the defeated admiral was brought aboard Nelson's flagship and on to Nelson's quarter-deck. Knowing Nelson's reputation for courtesy, and thinking to trade upon it, he advanced across the quarter-deck with hand outstretched as if he was advancing to shake hands with an equal. Nelson's hand remained by his side. "Your sword first," he said, "and then your hand." Before we must be friends with Christ, we must submit to Christ. Mat_6:9-15 We must note the order of the petitions in the Lord's Prayer. The first three petitions have to do with God and with the glory of God; the second three petitions have to do with our needs and our necessities. That is to say, God is first given his supreme place, and then, and only then, we turn to ourselves and our needs and desires. It is only when God is given his proper place that all other things fall into their proper places. Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires; prayer ought always to be an attempt to submit our wills to the will of God. Mat_6:9 (iv) There remains one further ingredient in reverence. We must believe that God exists; we must know what kind of a God he is; we must be constantly aware of God. But a man might have all these
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things and still not have reverence. To all these things must be added obedience and submission to God. Reverence is knowledge plus submission. In his catechism Luther asks, "How is God's name hallowed amongst us?" and his answer is, "When both our life and doctrine are truly Christian," that is to say, when our intellectual convictions, and our practical actions, are in full submission to the will of God. Mat_6:10 To be in the Kingdom is to obey the will of God. Immediately we see that the Kingdom is not something which primarily has to do with nations and peoples and countries. It is something which has to do with each one of us. The Kingdom is in fact the most personal thing in the world. The Kingdom demands the submission of my will, my heart, my life. It is only when each one of us makes his personal decision and submission that the Kingdom comes. Mat_11:28-30 Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon our shoulders. The Jews used the phrase the yoke for entering into submission to. They spoke of the yoke of the Law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of the Kingdom, the yoke of God. But it may well be that Jesus took the words of his invitation from something much nearer home than that. Mat_16:20-23 The point is that Jesus' command to Satan is simply: "Begone!" while his command to Peter is: "Begone behind me!" that is to say, "Become my follower again." Satan is banished from the presence of Christ; Peter is recalled to be Christ's follower. The one thing that Satan could never become is a follower of Christ; in his diabolical pride he could never submit to that; that is why he is Satan. On the other hand, Peter might be mistaken and might fail and might sin, but for him there was always the challenge and the chance to become a follower again. It is as if Jesus said to Peter: "At the moment you have spoken as Satan would. But that is not the real Peter speaking. You can redeem yourself. Come behind me, and be my follower again, and even yet, all will be well." The basic difference between Peter and Satan is precisely the fact that Satan would never get behind Jesus. So
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long as a man is prepared to try to follow, even after he has fallen, there is still for him the hope of glory here and hereafter. Act_26:12-18 (iii) The Risen Christ told Paul that it was hard for him to kick against the spikes. When a young ox was first yoked it tried to kick its way out. If it was yoked to a one handed plough, the ploughman held in his hand a long staff with a sharpened end which he held close to the ox's heels so that every time it kicked it was jagged with the spike. If it was yoked to a wagon, the front of the wagon had a bar studded with wooden spikes which jagged the ox if it kicked. The young ox had to learn submission the hard way and so had Paul. Barclay SUBMISSION (Agreeableness, Cooperation, Obedience) What kind of submission does God expect from us? BIBLE READING: Luk_14:25-35 KEY BIBLE VERSE: And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me. (Luk_14:27, TLB) Submission to Christ’s lordship is central in Christianity. Jesus’ audience was well aware of what it meant to carry one’s own cross. When the Romans led a criminal to his execution site, he was forced to carry the cross on which he would die. This showed his submission to Rome and warned observers that they had better submit too. Jesus spoke this teaching to get the crowds to think through their enthusiasm for him. He encouraged those who were superficial either to go deeper or to turn back. Following Christ means total submission to him—perhaps even to the point of death. BIBLE READING: 1Co_11:2-16 KEY BIBLE VERSE: But there is one matter I want to remind you about: that a wife is responsible to her husband, her husband is responsible to Christ, and Christ is responsible to God. (1Co_11:3, TLB) Submission is a key to harmony in relationships. Submission is a key element in the smooth functioning of any business, government, or family. God ordained GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 16—PAGE 9
submission in certain relationships to prevent chaos. It is essential to understand that submission is not surrender, withdrawal, or apathy. It does not mean inferiority, because God created all people in his image, and all have equal value. Submission is mutual commitment and cooperation. Biblical submission is based on valuing one another as equals. God calls for submission among equals. He did not make the man superior; he made a way for the man and woman to work together. Jesus Christ, although equal with God the Father, submitted to him to carry out the plan for salvation. Likewise, although equal to man under God, the wife should submit to her husband for the sake of their marriage and family. Submission between equals is submission by choice, not by force. We serve God in these relationships by willingly submitting to others in our church, to our spouses, and to our government leaders. Biblical submission is choosing to obey and glorify God in relationships. God created lines of authority in order for his created world to function smoothly. Although there must be lines of authority, even in marriage, there should not be lines of superiority. God created men and women with unique and complementary characteristics. One sex is not better than the other. We must not let the issue of authority and submission become a wedge to destroy oneness in marriage. Instead, we should use our unique gifts to strengthen our marriages and to glorify God. BIBLE READING: Eph_5:21-33 KEY BIBLE VERSE: Honor Christ by submitting to each other. (Eph_5:21, TLB) Biblical submission is a mark of equality rather than inequality. Submitting to another person is an oftenmisunderstood concept. It does not mean becoming a doormat. Christ—at whose name “every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phi_2:10)— submitted his will to the Father, and we honor Christ by following his example. When we submit to God, we become more willing to obey his command to submit to others, that is, to subordinate our rights to theirs. In a marriage relationship, both husband and wife are called to submit to one another. For the wife, this means willingly following her GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 16—PAGE 10
husband’s leadership in Christ. For the husband, it means putting aside his own interests in order to care for his wife. Submission is rarely a problem in homes where both partners have a strong relationship with Christ and where each is concerned for the happiness of the other. Biblical submission is based on love. Why did Paul tell wives to submit and husbands to love? Perhaps Christian women, newly freed in Christ, found submission difficult; perhaps Christian men, used to the Roman custom of giving unlimited power to the head of the family, were not used to treating their wives with respect and love. Of course both husbands and wives should submit to each other (5:21), just as both should love each other. Biblical submission attacked the root of slavery and inequality in the days of the New Testament. In Paul’s day, women, children, and slaves were to submit to the head of the family—slaves would submit until they were freed, male children until they grew up, and women and girls their whole lives. Paul emphasized the equality of all believers in Christ (Gal_3:28), but he did not suggest overthrowing Roman society to achieve it. Instead, he counseled all believers to submit to one another by choice— wives to husbands and also husbands to wives; slaves to masters and also masters to slaves; children to parents and also parents to children. This kind of mutual submission preserves order and harmony in the family while it increases love and respect among family members. Biblical submission will not be understood by people who refuse to submit to God. Although some people have distorted Paul’s teaching on submission by giving unlimited authority to husbands, we cannot get around it— Paul told wives to submit to their husbands. The fact that a teaching is not popular is no reason to discard it. According to the Bible, the man is the spiritual head of the family, and his wife should acknowledge his leadership. But real spiritual leadership involves service. Just as Christ served the disciples, even to the point of washing their feet, so the husband is to serve his wife. A wise and Christ-honoring husband will not take advantage of his leadership role, and a wise and Christ-honoring wife will not try to undermine her
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husband’s leadership. Either approach causes disunity and friction in marriage. Related topics: HUMILITY, MARRIAGE, OBEDIENCE UNDER NEW ORDERS (Gen_16:9) Eph_6:5-8; Col_3:22-25 Hagar could have a different attitude when she came back because she was under God's employment, not Sarah's. Whether or not she enjoyed her work after that depended upon whether or not she recognized that she was under new orders. Poem: Pastor's Heart Mat_25:32-46 Ye did it not Pro_19:17 "Giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord" Mat_6:24 "No man can serve two masters" Tit_2:10 "Adorn the doctrine" 2Co_3:2 "Ye are epistles known and read of all men" Onesimus "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Girl who would not cheat and was fired: Boss told banker, "You need that girl." (Gen 16:10) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. Because this was the son of Abraham, and Abraham’s seed was to multiply like the stars of the sky and sand by the seashore, this child would also enjoy the benefits that would not have been due him otherwise. We all should realize as Laban did later, that it is because of others that we are blessed. Recognize a cause and effect, sowing and reaping motif in life.
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(Gen 16:11) 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. God named the child for her. He called him Ishmael, or God hears. She would not have the privilege of naming him herself. She and the child now would come under the care of Jehovah. God had heard and paid attention to her affliction, but more than that He heard Abraham in the cry of the child. All of Abraham's seed would be under special protection except those of Esau. (Gen 16:12) 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. The descendents of Ishmael fulfilled this to the letter. They have always been against the whole world without any reason, and yet they all live in the same general area with their brethren. The descendants of Ishmael do to this day. The descendants of Esau did the same until God destroyed them During the lapse of three thousand years, they have by turns assaulted all their neighbors, and been assaulted by them. At this present moment they seek not the alliance of the great or the small, the rich or the poor; they care not who wins or who loses in the strife of the world, if they can remain; the hated of the whole family of mankind besides. What is sacrificed or what is gained is to them matter of perfect indifference if still they may frown upon a world they deem their foe. This has been the case, while all other nations have passed through the phases of slavery and of freedom, of poverty and of wealth, of luxury and of hardihood, of disaster and of danger. Still the Arab is the same. (J. Aldis.) (Gen 16:13) And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? She recognized that God had made a covenant with her and that He was one who had an eye on every event of life. She was not alone. She certainly needed someone to help her in her affliction, though she
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could have spared herself a lot of this trouble had she reckoned with the natural results of the jealousy and revenge that would come from Sarah. (Gen 16:14) Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. She called this well the “Well of the life of vision,” or it could be said, “of the living and seeing God.” Isaac spent a lot of time camped by this well, which is interesting because it does not appear that Ishmael did. One glance conveys more to the mind than the most accurate and labored description. God not only sees us, but sees through us, and knows us altogether. (T. H. Leale.) (Gen 16:15) And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. Here it says that Abraham called the son Ishmael, and the angel said this would be his name so apparently God revealed to Abraham also that this was to be the name. It is obvious from this account that Hagar believed the angel and obeyed, which says something of what she had learned in the home of this Hebrew, and which she would never have received in Egypt. (Gen 16:16) And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. Abraham was still able to have children at the age of 86, though Sarah was too old. When he was a hundred he apparently had reached a place where he recognized that his own body was now dead (Rom_4:19). Before he had staggered at the promise of God, but when God told him afterwards that he was still to have a child at 100 the Bible says he staggered not at the promise of God.
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