Genesis 9;8—9, “Then God said to Noah and his sons with him, “Behold, I now establish My covenant with you and your descendants after you,” When we read phrases such as “with you and your descendants” and “Throughout your generations” These indicate the words of our Creator will outlast everything ever created.

SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS --- LESSON 16

FAMILY FRICTION

ABRAHAM SENDS HAGAR INTO THE WILDERNESS

From Genesis 21

Adonai remembered His promise to Sarah and gave her and Abraham a son, even though they were both too old to have a child naturally. It happened at the time YHVH had said it would. Abraham named his new son Isaac, which meant -- Laughter. When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as YHVH had Commanded. At this time, Abraham was a hundred years old. [YHVH has brought laughter to me,] said Sarah, [for whoever hears of this will laugh with me. Who would have thought that Abraham and I would have a child at this age? Yet here I am, nursing a child when I am old!] As time passed the child Isaac grew and was weaned. On the day he was weaned, Abraham gave a great feast. But Sarah noticed that Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian, was mocking Isaac. [Drive Hagar and her son away from us!] Sarah demanded. [I will not have that woman’s child become an heir with my son Isaac.] This disturbed Abraham greatly, for Ishmael was his son. But Adonai said to Abraham, [Don’t be disturbed because of Hagar and Ishmael. Do what Sarah tells you, for My covenant is through Isaac, and through him your name will remain throughout history. But I will make a great nation through Ishmael also, for he is your descendant.] Early the next morning Abraham prepared some food and a skin filled with water for Hagar, put them on her shoulder and sent her away with Ishmael. But she had nowhere to go, and she wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. When the water was gone, Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush and sat down about a hundred yards away. [I do not want to watch him die,] Hagar cried out. Then she began to cry, wailing loudly. YHVH heard Ishmael’s cries and the Angel of YHVH called out to Hagar from heaven. [What is the trouble, Hagar,] the Angel said. [You must not be afraid, for YHVH has heard Ishmael’s cries as he lies there. Now go and pick up the boy and hold his hand, for I will make a great nation from him.] Then YHVH opened Hagar’s eyes so that she noticed a well of water. She filled the animal skin with water and gave Ishmael some to drink. YHVH was with Ishmael as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran with his mother. When the time came for Ishmael to marry, Hagar arranged for him to take a wife from Egypt. About that same time King Abimelech and his army commander, Phicol, visited Abraham. [YHVH is with you in everything you do,] he said. [Swear to me by YHVH that you will never deal falsely with me or my son or grandson, and that you will remain friendly to me and my country where you have come to live as a stranger, as I have been friendly to you.] [I swear it,] Abraham replied. But Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had taken by force. [I never knew this happened,] said Abimelech. [I don’t know who did it, and you did not tell me about it. Today is the first time I heard about it.] Then Abraham gave some sheep and oxen to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. But when he set aside seven ewe lambs by themselves, Abimelech asked, [What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you set aside from the others?] [These lambs are my gift to you, to witness to all here that I dug this well,] Abraham answered. Thus, Abraham named the place Beersheba, which meant [Well of the Covenant] for that was the place where he and Abimelech made their covenant. Then Abimelech and Phicol arose and returned home to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and called upon the Name of Adonai, the Everlasting YHVH. For a long time, Abraham remained there in the land of the Philistines.

COMMENTARY

THE DESERT

Years before the birth of Sarah’s miracle child, Isaac, she had given a young Egyptian servant woman to Abraham as a second wife. When a boy, Ishmael, was born, Sarah claimed him as her own. There was always jealousy between the two women. But after Isaac’s birth, the friction grew. [Throw out the slave woman and her child,] Sarah demanded. Abraham refused. But YHVH directed Abraham to do as Sarah asked. [I will make a great nation from Ishmael as well as from Isaac,] YHVH promised. So, with only a pot of water, Ishmael and his mother went into the wilderness. Today the Arab peoples trace their line back to this outcast boy. Sand and sea continually wrestle for control of Palestine. Cool winds blowing from the west bring life-giving rain from the Mediterranean Sea. From mid-October through the first half of May these moisture-laden breezes water the earth. But as the month of May gives way to June the winds shift and the temperature rises sharply. Dry hot winds begin to blow from the desert, sometimes bringing clouds of dust. The people of Bible lands have given a name to the scorching wind. They call it the Sirocco which means the easterner. But despite its name, this dreaded wind does not always come from across the Jordan. Palestine is bordered on two sides by the vast Arabian desert and the desert winds blow their hot breath from the south as well as the east. Like a grasping hand, the Sirocco reaches over the borders of Palestine, drawing the margins of the land into the desert’s domain. In some portions of Palestine, the desert has made serious inroads into the land. In the southern region of Israel, called the Negeb, the dry touch of the desert reaches into the territory of Judah. The Rift Valley and the Dead Sea basin are also dominated by the harsh desert climate. Although the desert winds would bring death to a farmer’s fields, the arid climate means home to the nomad. His herds feed on the tough vegetation that clings stubbornly to the low, rolling hills. Pitching his tent wherever he can find water, he follows his herds from place to place. The nomad’s existence is a constant battle against the harsh desert climate. In years of drought, he is the first to suffer from the lack of rain. During Bible times hungry nomadic desert tribes often raided Israel’s borders for food and water. With its vast stretches of uninhabited land, the desert was also a refuge for criminals. Bands of roving thieves attacked caravans travelling the ancient trade routes. The rocky region east of the Jordan was filled with caves that offered sheltered hiding places to the desert outlaws. The parched landscape of the desert was broken only by an occasional oasis. In a few areas underground springs supplied enough water to support tropical plant life. These green islands in a sea of sand made welcome rest stops for weary travellers. Although modern methods of irrigation have reclaimed portions of the desert, most of it has remained unchanged since Bible times. Just as in Abraham’s day, empty stretches of barren land reach as far as the eye can see.

Thought for Today: Tuesday December 06:

May you be in so tune with Ruach HaKodesh’s movement in your life that you are always in the right place at the right time. May your every step be ordered by Adonai. May you go where He wants you to go and say what He want you to say and pray what He wants you to pray. May you be a vessel that Yeshua fills up and pours out on a dry and thirsty land. May your own soul be replenished in the process.

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Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.
Obadiah 1:10

He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword. Edom betrayed Israel time and again for 1000 years even though God commanded Israel to respect their borders all that time. This prophecy was fulfilled in the centuries before Yeshua came, as Judah conquered and eventually scattered or absorbed the remaining people of Edom.

Do women own their husbands?

All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you; they have prevailed against you; those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you— you have no understanding.
Obadiah 1:7

All nations are ultimately tools of God's will. It's impossible to ally yourself against him because he owns all of your potential allies. He will reward your faithlessness toward him with faithlessness toward you from those you rely on most.