The Bible is interesting about "brother" generations after Esau & Jacob the brotherhood was still very significant to GOD.= Obadiah 1:10,12,13,14,15,
Jesus speaking : Matthew 12:47-50, John 1:12
If we can call each other "bro, brother," in slang in our society, just relation in sporting ....? Is it the Son of GOD reference? 2Peter 2, note 2Peter 2:7-9, Romans 8:14, Hebrews 11,
I have not traveled farther than my neighboring states, except one trip to Hawaii. I am thankful for those who have gone far and wide to different countries and cultures to minister in minister as the Lord has directed them. I understand the obstacles you mentioned for the peoples of Pakistan. My sister-in-law from Africa is a Christian and she has told me about the poverty and lack of basics we take for granted. Also, she has told me how occultists will go to the homes of Christians and speak curses to the households. Many became sick or had a serious accident or died. She is inspiring as a woman who know the desperate need of prayer in these situations. There is also a significant population of Muslims in sub-Sahara Africa and girls and women are oftentimes kidnapped to be made wives whether these females are Muslims or not. They are often abused. Her sister died from domestic abuse,, being trapped in such a "marriage".
Indeed, all nations are a melting pot of diverse nationalities, languages & beliefs; that even Islamic nations are only so because of a predominance of Muslim population & governance.
From my observation when in ministry in Pakistan, most Christians (like many of us in the West: some strong, some nominal in faith), will almost never share the Gospel with their Muslim neighbours or consider going into public places to reach them. With the nature of Islam, & specifically govts. which are increasingly adhering to Sharia Law or aspects of it, reaching out to Muslims or even making ill-considered references to Allah, their prophet, or the Quran, may get them into very hot water. So when we foreigners went into the marketplace (or the girls, door-to-door) to sell/give out literature & share the Gospel, the indigenous Church began to tremble. We were always warned, as the apostle was in Acts 21:10-14, to be very careful or better, to spend more time with 'us' to teach 'us', but it was for that purpose that we were there: to bring Light & Hope to many living in darkness & hopelessness.
As you correctly stated, there are many believers "seeded" within those communities, yet the very poor amongst them already suffer under the Islamic ruling, by not receiving electricity or water for their homes, kept segregated, & being held back from higher education. If we showed the "Life of Jesus" film to them followed by a message, we had to take our own electricity generator & lighting, for they could only depend on sunlight or moonlight to do their work, or homework for the kids. We had a special leading to such folk who always hungered to learn more of the Bible, but we knew that the Church at large also needed feeding. Pastors were present, but often they too needed teaching. So, I relate this to share with you that the Church (in Pakistan at least) needs to be more than just a visible entity but to be "the hands, feet & mouth of Jesus". We were trying to meet that need, D.V.
I am aware that the descendants of Ishmael became many of the Arab tribes. Unfortunately, most of those tribes today follow the teachings of Muhammed, a false prophet who claimed that Ishmael was the promised heir, not Isaac. However, there is not a 100% Muslim population in any Islamic nation. There are Christians "seeded" among these Muslim communities. Pray for God to protect them from the Muslims who are pressed to persecute and execute Christians. These Christians are the hands, feet, and mouths of Jesus in situations where people are following false teachers who cannot offer hope of salvation to their followers. Most Muslims have not known any other belief system, (same for the Jews). They are in bondage to their religion, not free in Christ Jesus. Our intercession is needed and valuable.
I am concerned about what has and is transpiring in the Middle East. Such turmoil for such a long, long time. And in these times it doesn't just involve those who live there. It involves the whole world. Islam has spread across Africa and Asia as well as the middle east. Many are very devout and committed to honor their god no matter what. Are we more devout and committed to honor the True God more than the Muslims of the world? We need to be. WE have the most excellent promises of all of history. Let us seek for the fulfillment of these promises to be accomplished God's way, not ours. this takes faith and wisdom and courage. I pray to have these in fuller measure as I face the senior years of my life.
Abraham was 85 when Sarah asked him to take Hagar and father a child with her. This was 10 years after God promised Abraham an heir generated from his body. When Sarah asked him to do this, he may have thought that it may be the way God would give him and heir since Sarah was long past childbearing age. It seemed logical to him and was a common practice in those times and cultures. Although he had not heard directly from God do go through with this like God had spoken to him when He gave Abraham the promises, Abraham probably made many decisions without this direct communication from God. He perhaps felt sure of his perception of "following the guidance of God's Spirit to him." This happens to believers often. Sometimes we may sincerely feel that the Spirit is leading us to do or say a specific thing, only to find out later that it probably wasn't God's leading at all. Sometimes ourselves get in the way when we are going about His work. Oh, how I wish I could always gauge these leadings rightly and recognize from whom they are really coming from! But we are on a spiritual walk in this life and haven't arrived at our final destination yet. We will stumble along the way, but God will still lead us down the right path. He called us and He loves us.
I was taught that Hagar was Egyptian. Perhaps she was "acquired" when Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt due to the recent famine. She was away from her home country and had very little power of her own. I have always felt sorry for Hagar. She was "used" by Sarah and Abraham because they tried to "help" God accomplish His promise. I imagine that she was much younger than Sarah and Abraham. Perhaps she was very lovely and Sarah was concerned that Abraham would turn to Hagar to have more children and relegate Sarah to status as "second wife". Hagar didn't help matters with her disrespect for Sarah. Yet she still was carrying a child and knew that the child would become Sarah's, not hers. She may have been concerned that the child might be a girl and therefore, not be an heir. She may have been concerned about what would happen to her if the child was female. When Sarah sent her away harshly, she probably thought she was going to die in the wilderness. But, thankfully, God stepped in and gave her hope as well as instructions on what she should do. She was relieved and grateful that God took notice of her. She may not even have been a follower of the true God. Because the child was not the promised heir, God could have had her miscarry, or die in the wilderness, or be taken by another chieftan to be in his harem. Then the child would not be part of Abraham's lineage. God chose differently. But Hagar returned to Sarah and submitted to her, as God told her to do.
Sarah lacked faith to believe that she would be the woman to bear the heir for Abraham. She was very desperate to have a child and decided to make it happen one way or another. Let this be a warning to us today when people go to methods of conception other than what God ordained from the time of Adam and Eve. It is very difficult to deal with infertility, especially if it last a long time and then a woman ages past childbearing years. Sarah must have struggled greatly with this.
Hi Dgjot So are you saying you don't have times of disbelief, look at the children of Israel forty years in a wilderness to clean out an entire generation. Then I think of Gods patience of everything he did and overlooked to bring about my deliverance through His Son Jesus Christ. Moses saw a Bush not burning God talking to him didn't believe it, needed to see another display of power staff turned to snake and back, then tells God can't talk too eloquently and God makes Aaron available remember these people were just as human as you and I. I believe if God would work that big in most peoples lives it would scare the hell out of them. I personally met a woman who was ministered to died sent to the spot in the hospital where they take the dead bodies to await autopsy then got up. Someday we'll believe what's really available. In His Service
Dgjot, may CHRIST IN US grace us with HIS understanding and HIS wisdom.
The MORE these verses become TRUTH to you, the more understanding you will receive from God's word.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God (SPIRIT) that worketh IN YOU both TO WILL (Spirit causes his will to be your will) and do HIS good pleasure.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom (in Christ) we ALSO have obtained an INHERITANCE (to become Son's of God; exactly like Christ the FIRSTBORN, I am the first (Son) and the last (Son), being predesinated according to the PURPOSE of HIM (Spirit) who WORKETH ALL THINGS after the COUNCEL OF HIS WILL.
We are the POT; HE (Spirit) (Life) (Truth) is causing you (all mankind) TO WILL and TO DO what has been purposed; to create you exactly like the SEED (THE WORD) that was PLANTED IN YOU.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature (all creation) WAITETH for the manifestation of the Sons of God.
Romans 8:21 For the creature (all creation) ITSELF shall be DELIVERED from the bondage of corruption unto the LIBERTY of the Sons of God.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh (the deception of this world), and keepeth MY WORKS (we are the pot, he is the potter) until the end, to him (the overcomer) will I give POWER over the nations.
Revelation 2:27 And he (the overcomer) shall rule the nations (because you are exactly like Christ, able to judge in righteousness) with a rod of iron; as vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. ( Psalms 2:8-9)
Isaiah 1:26 And I will restore thy JUDGES as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning, afterwards (after the world is judged) thou shalt be called, The city or righteousness, the faithful city.
Isaiah 26:9 ...when thy JUDGEMENTS (resurrection to judgement) are in the earth, the world will LEARN righteousness.
Proverbs 16:5 By MERCY and TRUTH iniquity is PURGED ....
Wasn't Sarai Abram's sister??? Why was incest okay back in those days but not now?
So, Sarai was faithless and didn't bother to wait on the promise of God that she would have a child, and sent her handmaid Hagar the Egyptian into Abram, and because of her faithlessness, she had Ishmael/ his descendants and we are all plagued with the wicked Mozlems, who have been on a murdering Jihad against everyone- Jew and Gentile alike for over 1400 years.
Good going, Sarai.
This also reminds me of Lot's faithless daughters who, after being led out of Sodom by Angels, didn't have enough faith to believe that God would find them husbands, and laid with their own father to get children.
Sick puppies.
I know that the will of God must be first and foremost. I also know that God held back a pure remnant of people that Jesus would eventually come from.
The more I try to understand, the more confused I get.
So, Sarai was faithless and didn't bother to wait on the promise of God that she would have a child, and sent her handmaid Hagar the Egyptian into Abram, and because of her faithlessness, she had Ishmael/ his descendants and we are all plagued with the wicked Mozlems, who have been on a murdering Jihad against everyone- Jew and Gentile alike for over 1400 years.
An Egyptian slave, Hagar encountered God in the desert and addressed him as El Roi, "the God who sees me." Notably, this is the only occurrence of El Roi in the Bible.
Hagar's God is the One who numbers the hairs on our heads and who knows our circumstances, past, present, and future. When you pray to El Roi, you are praying to the one who knows everything about you.
She [Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi [the"well of the Living One who sees me"]. ( Genesis 16:13-14)
PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH GOD'S NAME
Even the most watchful parent has to sleep. But Scripture makes it clear God never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another, never misses a millisecond of what is happening on earth. It also assures us God is on the lookout for men and women who are totally committed to him. Why? Because he wants to strengthen their hearts as they serve him. If you are feeling weak in the face of life's challenges, the best way to grow strong is to strengthen your commitment to Christ. Decide to obey fully, to follow completely, to keep your eyes fastened on him. Let El Roi take pleasure as he watches over you, and you will soon find your heart stronger and your confidence deeper without quite knowing how it happened.
Having done an impromptu review just now; the chapter does imply blessings to Hagar & Sarai as equals, but not first equals. That said, The Ishmaelites that have read this and act in a responsible, loving way, divinely decreed manner, should
be heirs to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, AND Ishmael .
Christ was there before, during, and after this episode and will be coming back to redeem ALL who are worthy .
Sarai gave Hagar to Abram for a wife so they could have a child by surrogacy. A great honour for Hagar being the second wife of a great Chieftain. Impatience though and not waiting for Gods promise would have lasting problems but the merciful God blessed the boy anyway and made him into the mighty Arab nation. Unfortunately modern Arabs are abandoning the God of Ishmael for the god of Mohammad. Salvation through Jesus was meant for them as well but many have chosen another religion which will take them nowhere and violently.
J D Kazar I would think that you must give thought to the times and place this event took place also of the persons especially Abraham whom is given much Honor for his Faith among other honors from our GOD. To call that event rape in my mind is a gross assumption and I'd be careful about throwing slanderious accusations around about someone whom GOD has bestowed such high honor upon. For we all must give an account of every word that comes out of us. I would suggest you give some more thought to your conclusion in your prayers for your own sake. In JESUS name may you receive this in Love.
Hagar is called a maid or handmaid. 16.1,16.2 etc. in 16.3 "Sarah gave Hagar to her husband Abraham". I submit that if someone can give you to someone else you are a slave. Then Abraham proceeds to rape Hagar and impregnate her. When Sarah got angry, at Hagar!, over this although Hagar clearly had no say Abraham says she's yours do what you want to her 16.3. Lovely people
this is a good lesson, and to apply to our lives, prayer lives, intercessory prayer for others. The only wisdom is that which comes from above. i know what it's like to go out without the counsel of the Lord, and i usually regret it!
Really. It is true. When God' favour is upon us, we need not despise other people because God can remove that fovour from us. but because He is a mercyfull God, He didn't do that to Hagar.
We also need to wait upon the Lord and be still before Him.
The Bible is interesting about "brother" generations after Esau & Jacob the brotherhood was still very significant to GOD.= Obadiah 1:10,12,13,14,15,
Jesus speaking : Matthew 12:47-50, John 1:12
If we can call each other "bro, brother," in slang in our society, just relation in sporting ....? Is it the Son of GOD reference? 2Peter 2, note 2Peter 2:7-9, Romans 8:14, Hebrews 11,
Hopefully these are helpful
Thank you. And thank you for your website.
I have not traveled farther than my neighboring states, except one trip to Hawaii. I am thankful for those who have gone far and wide to different countries and cultures to minister in minister as the Lord has directed them. I understand the obstacles you mentioned for the peoples of Pakistan. My sister-in-law from Africa is a Christian and she has told me about the poverty and lack of basics we take for granted. Also, she has told me how occultists will go to the homes of Christians and speak curses to the households. Many became sick or had a serious accident or died. She is inspiring as a woman who know the desperate need of prayer in these situations. There is also a significant population of Muslims in sub-Sahara Africa and girls and women are oftentimes kidnapped to be made wives whether these females are Muslims or not. They are often abused. Her sister died from domestic abuse,, being trapped in such a "marriage".
From my observation when in ministry in Pakistan, most Christians (like many of us in the West: some strong, some nominal in faith), will almost never share the Gospel with their Muslim neighbours or consider going into public places to reach them. With the nature of Islam, & specifically govts. which are increasingly adhering to Sharia Law or aspects of it, reaching out to Muslims or even making ill-considered references to Allah, their prophet, or the Quran, may get them into very hot water. So when we foreigners went into the marketplace (or the girls, door-to-door) to sell/give out literature & share the Gospel, the indigenous Church began to tremble. We were always warned, as the apostle was in Acts 21:10-14, to be very careful or better, to spend more time with 'us' to teach 'us', but it was for that purpose that we were there: to bring Light & Hope to many living in darkness & hopelessness.
As you correctly stated, there are many believers "seeded" within those communities, yet the very poor amongst them already suffer under the Islamic ruling, by not receiving electricity or water for their homes, kept segregated, & being held back from higher education. If we showed the "Life of Jesus" film to them followed by a message, we had to take our own electricity generator & lighting, for they could only depend on sunlight or moonlight to do their work, or homework for the kids. We had a special leading to such folk who always hungered to learn more of the Bible, but we knew that the Church at large also needed feeding. Pastors were present, but often they too needed teaching. So, I relate this to share with you that the Church (in Pakistan at least) needs to be more than just a visible entity but to be "the hands, feet & mouth of Jesus". We were trying to meet that need, D.V.
I am concerned about what has and is transpiring in the Middle East. Such turmoil for such a long, long time. And in these times it doesn't just involve those who live there. It involves the whole world. Islam has spread across Africa and Asia as well as the middle east. Many are very devout and committed to honor their god no matter what. Are we more devout and committed to honor the True God more than the Muslims of the world? We need to be. WE have the most excellent promises of all of history. Let us seek for the fulfillment of these promises to be accomplished God's way, not ours. this takes faith and wisdom and courage. I pray to have these in fuller measure as I face the senior years of my life.
Abraham was 85 when Sarah asked him to take Hagar and father a child with her. This was 10 years after God promised Abraham an heir generated from his body. When Sarah asked him to do this, he may have thought that it may be the way God would give him and heir since Sarah was long past childbearing age. It seemed logical to him and was a common practice in those times and cultures. Although he had not heard directly from God do go through with this like God had spoken to him when He gave Abraham the promises, Abraham probably made many decisions without this direct communication from God. He perhaps felt sure of his perception of "following the guidance of God's Spirit to him." This happens to believers often. Sometimes we may sincerely feel that the Spirit is leading us to do or say a specific thing, only to find out later that it probably wasn't God's leading at all. Sometimes ourselves get in the way when we are going about His work. Oh, how I wish I could always gauge these leadings rightly and recognize from whom they are really coming from! But we are on a spiritual walk in this life and haven't arrived at our final destination yet. We will stumble along the way, but God will still lead us down the right path. He called us and He loves us.
I was taught that Hagar was Egyptian. Perhaps she was "acquired" when Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt due to the recent famine. She was away from her home country and had very little power of her own. I have always felt sorry for Hagar. She was "used" by Sarah and Abraham because they tried to "help" God accomplish His promise. I imagine that she was much younger than Sarah and Abraham. Perhaps she was very lovely and Sarah was concerned that Abraham would turn to Hagar to have more children and relegate Sarah to status as "second wife". Hagar didn't help matters with her disrespect for Sarah. Yet she still was carrying a child and knew that the child would become Sarah's, not hers. She may have been concerned that the child might be a girl and therefore, not be an heir. She may have been concerned about what would happen to her if the child was female. When Sarah sent her away harshly, she probably thought she was going to die in the wilderness. But, thankfully, God stepped in and gave her hope as well as instructions on what she should do. She was relieved and grateful that God took notice of her. She may not even have been a follower of the true God. Because the child was not the promised heir, God could have had her miscarry, or die in the wilderness, or be taken by another chieftan to be in his harem. Then the child would not be part of Abraham's lineage. God chose differently. But Hagar returned to Sarah and submitted to her, as God told her to do.
Sarah lacked faith to believe that she would be the woman to bear the heir for Abraham. She was very desperate to have a child and decided to make it happen one way or another. Let this be a warning to us today when people go to methods of conception other than what God ordained from the time of Adam and Eve. It is very difficult to deal with infertility, especially if it last a long time and then a woman ages past childbearing years. Sarah must have struggled greatly with this.
The MORE these verses become TRUTH to you, the more understanding you will receive from God's word.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God (SPIRIT) that worketh IN YOU both TO WILL (Spirit causes his will to be your will) and do HIS good pleasure.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom (in Christ) we ALSO have obtained an INHERITANCE (to become Son's of God; exactly like Christ the FIRSTBORN, I am the first (Son) and the last (Son), being predesinated according to the PURPOSE of HIM (Spirit) who WORKETH ALL THINGS after the COUNCEL OF HIS WILL.
We are the POT; HE (Spirit) (Life) (Truth) is causing you (all mankind) TO WILL and TO DO what has been purposed; to create you exactly like the SEED (THE WORD) that was PLANTED IN YOU.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature (all creation) WAITETH for the manifestation of the Sons of God.
Romans 8:21 For the creature (all creation) ITSELF shall be DELIVERED from the bondage of corruption unto the LIBERTY of the Sons of God.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh (the deception of this world), and keepeth MY WORKS (we are the pot, he is the potter) until the end, to him (the overcomer) will I give POWER over the nations.
Revelation 2:27 And he (the overcomer) shall rule the nations (because you are exactly like Christ, able to judge in righteousness) with a rod of iron; as vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. ( Psalms 2:8-9)
Isaiah 1:26 And I will restore thy JUDGES as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning, afterwards (after the world is judged) thou shalt be called, The city or righteousness, the faithful city.
Isaiah 26:9 ...when thy JUDGEMENTS (resurrection to judgement) are in the earth, the world will LEARN righteousness.
Proverbs 16:5 By MERCY and TRUTH iniquity is PURGED ....
So, Sarai was faithless and didn't bother to wait on the promise of God that she would have a child, and sent her handmaid Hagar the Egyptian into Abram, and because of her faithlessness, she had Ishmael/ his descendants and we are all plagued with the wicked Mozlems, who have been on a murdering Jihad against everyone- Jew and Gentile alike for over 1400 years.
Good going, Sarai.
This also reminds me of Lot's faithless daughters who, after being led out of Sodom by Angels, didn't have enough faith to believe that God would find them husbands, and laid with their own father to get children.
Sick puppies.
I know that the will of God must be first and foremost. I also know that God held back a pure remnant of people that Jesus would eventually come from.
The more I try to understand, the more confused I get.
Good going, Sarai.
Hagar's God is the One who numbers the hairs on our heads and who knows our circumstances, past, present, and future. When you pray to El Roi, you are praying to the one who knows everything about you.
She [Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi [the"well of the Living One who sees me"]. ( Genesis 16:13-14)
PROMISES ASSOCIATED WITH GOD'S NAME
Even the most watchful parent has to sleep. But Scripture makes it clear God never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another, never misses a millisecond of what is happening on earth. It also assures us God is on the lookout for men and women who are totally committed to him. Why? Because he wants to strengthen their hearts as they serve him. If you are feeling weak in the face of life's challenges, the best way to grow strong is to strengthen your commitment to Christ. Decide to obey fully, to follow completely, to keep your eyes fastened on him. Let El Roi take pleasure as he watches over you, and you will soon find your heart stronger and your confidence deeper without quite knowing how it happened.
M.
be heirs to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, AND Ishmael .
Christ was there before, during, and after this episode and will be coming back to redeem ALL who are worthy .
The waiting truly is the hardest part.
We also need to wait upon the Lord and be still before Him.