Old Testament - Genesis 16 & 17 - February 9, 2022

 2/9/2022 – Genesis 16 & 17

Genesis 16: Abraham had been promised that he would be the father of a great posterity, and yet as the years past, they had no children. Abram was around 86 years old now. Saria went to Abram, saying “the Lord hat restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid [Hagar]; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” (v 2) The Bible Commentary tells us that “according to the custom of the time, Sarai’s giving her handmaid, Hagar, to be a wife to Abraham was an expected and logical act.”

Hagar, an Egyptian, became pregnant, but then we learn in v 4 that Sarai was now “despised in her eyes.” When Sarai told Abraham about Hagar’s attitude, he told her that as Hagar was Sarai’s maid, Saria could handle the situation as she saw fit. V 6 tells us that “Saria delt hardly with her, and she fled from her face.” It seems that Sarai acted in love toward Abraham, but when Hagar became pregnant, she despised Sarai. Sarai responded to that meanness with her own meanness, and Hagar ran away. What started with love and compassion, ended in pride and haughtiness in both Hagar and Sarai. 

Hagar was now on her own—alone and frightened, when an angel appeared telling Hagar to “return to thy mistress and submit thyself under her hands.” The angel then told her that she would have posterity that would multiply so much “that it shall not be numbered for multitude”. (v 10) The angel went on telling her that the Lord was aware of her affliction, and that she was now “with child” and she should call him Ishmael. The angel also said that Ismael would be “a wild man”, or in Hebrew, a “wild ass”. But that could be the description of someone who loves freedom, and enjoys the nomadic life that the descendants of Ishmael would have.

Hagar followed the angel’s advice. When her child was born, he was indeed named Ismael.

Genesis 17 tells us that when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared unto him. The first thing the Lord commands Abraham is that “thou shalt walk uprightly before me, and be perfect”. That is what the Lord has asked of all of us…at least that we should be always working toward that goal of perfection.

Here’s a quote I really like: “Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fulness of the Father’s glory.

“I believe the Lord meant just what he said: that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like God.

“But here we lay the foundation. Here is where we are taught these simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in this probationary state, to prepare us for that perfection. It is our duty to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. Why? Because we are on that road, if we are keeping the commandments of the Lord, we are on that road to perfection, and that can only come through obedience and the desire in our hearts to overcome the world.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:18–19.)

The JST for these verses is as follows: 

3 And it came to pass, that Abram fell on his face, and called upon the name of the Lord.

4 And God talked with him, saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept mine ordinances, which I gave unto their fathers;

5 And they have not observed mine anointing, and the burial, or baptism wherewith I commanded them;

6 But have turned from the commandment, and taken unto themselves the washing of children, and the blood of sprinkling;

7 And have said that the blood of the righteous Abel was shed for sins; and have not known wherein they are accountable before me.

8 But as for thee, behold, I will make my covenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Had Abram become lax in obeying the commandments of the Lord?

But back to the King James Bible: the Lord said: “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.” (v’s 1-2). The JST for Once again, the Lord promises Abram that he would be the father of many nations. The JST adds: “And this covenant I make, that thy children may be known among all nations.” The Lord also, at this time, changes’ Abram’s name to Abraham. And Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah. This is interesting to me as I think of the ordinances of the temple.  The Lord continues, speaking of Sarah “…I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Abraham’s first question is how could Sarah have a child when she is 90 years old. But his very next thought was of Ishmael, pleading “that Ishmael might live before thee.” (v 18) The Lord assures Abraham that both of his sons, Isaac and Ismael, will be blessed. The Lord speaks of the covenant he will “establish with Isaac” (v 21) and then promises that Sarah will bear a son in the following year.

After this amazing time with the Lord, we see that Abraham shows immediate obedience. He brings together all the males that are under his care, and they are all circumcised in obedience to the things the Lord has just commanded them to do.