Chapter 16. Egyptian servant (self-reliance). Some time has passed. They're getting worried. Was this legal in God's economy? No. Abram listened to Sari (like Adam).
Note: "Abram's wife" and "took the Egyptian."
Verse 5. Sarai chastises Abram because of what Hagar's attitude was even though this was her idea.
Verse 6. Blame shifting (like Eve). Sarai in verse 6 was physically harsh with a pregnant woman. What caused this violent reaction? Because up to this point, there might still have been some question about failure to conceive a child was because of Sarai or because of Abram. The moment Haggar turns up pregnant, Sarai is angry. She bears the full reproach of a culture that says the only thing that a woman is valuable for is bearing children.
Verse 7. God knows the answer to these questions. What is He doing? Gently drawing her in.
Verse 9. "Submit to her." What? It's safer for her to return. She won't return empty handed. He tells her something will happen.
He makes a promise to her in verses 10-11. "Ishmael" - "God knows". She acknowledges He is a God who hears. Also verse 13 "a God of seeing."
Progression: hearing, then seeing (like Job).
She is a victim of two self-reliant plotting people who did not believe the word of the Lord.
Opposition between Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael is modern day Arab. This opposition has been throughout the centuries.
Verses 15-16. "And God said, and it was so". What are we seeing come to pass?
- Interplay of self-reliance
- Sovereignty of God
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