1402AFC011014 – Angels Watching Over Me
Read it online here, please.
Genesis 16:7 – The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
Aloha nui loa, Beloved. Today I want to look at this first use of the word angel in the Bible. Here is the context for this passage:
Abram’s wife, Sarai (the name means “Princess”), had not born him a child – male or female – and that gnawed at her heart and her pride. She wanted a child to love and to care for, and she wanted her husband to have a child to carry on his bloodline. She also wanted to lose the stigma of being barren and replace it with the blessing of being fertile. She was bitterly disappointed that she could not bear a child. She knew that God had promised Abram (whose name means “Exalted Father”) that he would make Abram the father of a great nation; but, that was a long time ago in Sarai’s mind. She was impatient for that great nation to get started, so she took advantage of an ancient custom and offered her servant Hagar (name translated as “flight”) – a young female slave from Egypt – to Abram so that Hagar could bear him a child and, in Sarai’s mind, help God fulfill his promise to Abram. Abram basically said, “Yes Dear,” and sure enough, Hagar conceived.
As soon a Hagar found out that she – a young, woman slave – was pregnant with Abram’s offspring, she started arrogantly mistreating Sarai, as if her mistress were her inferior. Sarai was infuriated because of Hagar’s haughty insults, and she complained to Abram. Abram’s response was, “Don’t look at me! This was your idea. Fix it yourself.” Sarai then began to be so abusive to Hagar, perhaps even more than she herself had been abused by Hagar, that Hagar decided to run away. She headed out into the desert alone – hurt, angry, and probably feeling a bit self-righteous. She got as far as an oasis called Shur along the way often taken by travelers to get to Egypt; she was running back to her relative at home and was apparently thinking she would give birth to her child among her own people instead of this aging couple who had no child of their own. Instead of their surrogate, she would be the beginning place of her own family.
Then something extraordinary happened. Hagar, an Egyptian slave on the run, was suddenly in the presence of an Angel (Messenger) of the LORD. This verse is the first occurrence of this word angel or of the title Messenger of the LORD. The context in this verse, considering the appearances El Shadday – Almighty God – had made to Abram in the previous chapters (12-15), indicates that this was not one of the created angels, but actually God – Jehovah himself – appearing in a discernible human form – there’s no clue as to whether or not the messenger had a physical presence, but there was certainly a visual presence. The messenger asked her whence she came and where she was going. He had been watching her. Hagar gave half an answer, “I’m running away from Sarai.” The messenger, Jehovah, told her she must go back to her Mistress and put up with her abuse. He further said that she was carrying a male child who would be the first in a multitude of descendents of Hagar and Abram. She was to name him Ishmael (translated “God will hear” in accordance with Hagar’s complaint), and he would be the father of many nations (all Arabian) peoples. He would “live in open hostility against all his relatives.” Hagar went back, made amends with Sarai and Abram, and when her son was born, Abram named him Ishmael. At the time, Abram was 86 years old.
Thirteen years later, El Shaddai again confronted Abram, this time to tell him that within a year, Sarai would bear him a male child who would be the child of the Covenant promised to him by God. He – God – changed Abram’s name to Abraham (“Father of a Multitude”) and Sarai’s name to Sarah (“Noblewoman”). The child’s name would be Isaac (“he laughs”) because both Sarah and Abraham laughed out loud (Abraham apparently ROTFLOL – see Genesis 17:17-19) Abraham fell face down and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at ninety?” So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael could live in your favor!” He was still trying to “help” God keep his promises.
We’re going to look back at this story over a few (don’t know how many) installments for three reasons: [1] We’ll look further into angels/messengers (both “created” and Divine), [2] We will continue to look into Biblical names so see how the names are signposts of God’s plans, and [3] we’ll look for the back-stories that help us apply these Old Testament (and maybe some New Testament) stories to our stories of our own lives. Here’s a little example based on what happened to Hagar.
First, we know she was being watched because the messenger of God found her – tracked her down – near the well at Shur. God watches all his creation, and that includes all of us.
Next, Hagar had a plan for her life, but she wasn’t paying attention to God’s plan. God had promised Abram myriads upon myriads (close to a gazillion) offspring, but he had not authorized the plan Sarai and Abram concocted, yet he still intended to ensure the seed of Abram would always see greatness. He promised that Hagar’s child would also have gazillions of offspring, but that they would always be opposed to the offspring of Sarai and Abram.
Third, although God was saving the lives of Hagar and her unborn child, he also chastised her for running away. He wanted her to go back, face the music – so to speak – and to completely submit to her Master and Mistress, bear a child for them, and allow Abram to raise him as his son.
As we develop this series, we will look often into these concepts associates with angels, biblical names, and the stories behind them. For today, I ask you to go dig out your Bibl and read the tenth chapter of Acts. There are a couple of great lessons there, so if you have a bible with a commentary and notes, be sure to take a little time with those, too.
Just a note of thanks to all of you who continue to read these every week. Please recall that these are not mine, but His, and whenever you use them, you are experiencing Him seeking you out and finding you in the desert. Please continue your prayers for all our friends with cancer, addictions, seemingly-hopeless financial situations, and especially pray for the folks like me whose arrogance matches or exceed that of Hagar.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
See you next week?
Chick
1402AFC011014 – Angels Watching Over Me
Read it online here, please.
Genesis 16:7 – The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
Aloha nui loa, Beloved. Today I want to look at this first use of the word angel in the Bible. Here is the context for this passage:
Abram’s wife, Sarai (the name means “Princess”), had not born him a child – male or female – and that gnawed at her heart and her pride. She wanted a child to love and to care for, and she wanted her husband to have a child to carry on his bloodline. She also wanted to lose the stigma of being barren and replace it with the blessing of being fertile. She was bitterly disappointed that she could not bear a child. She knew that God had promised Abram (whose name means “Exalted Father”) that he would make Abram the father of a great nation; but, that was a long time ago in Sarai’s mind. She was impatient for that great nation to get started, so she took advantage of an ancient custom and offered her servant Hagar (name translated as “flight”) – a young female slave from Egypt – to Abram so that Hagar could bear him a child and, in Sarai’s mind, help God fulfill his promise to Abram. Abram basically said, “Yes Dear,” and sure enough, Hagar conceived.
As soon a Hagar found out that she – a young, woman slave – was pregnant with Abram’s offspring, she started arrogantly mistreating Sarai, as if her mistress were her inferior. Sarai was infuriated because of Hagar’s haughty insults, and she complained to Abram. Abram’s response was, “Don’t look at me! This was your idea. Fix it yourself.” Sarai then began to be so abusive to Hagar, perhaps even more than she herself had been abused by Hagar, that Hagar decided to run away. She headed out into the desert alone – hurt, angry, and probably feeling a bit self-righteous. She got as far as an oasis called Shur along the way often taken by travelers to get to Egypt; she was running back to her relative at home and was apparently thinking she would give birth to her child among her own people instead of this aging couple who had no child of their own. Instead of their surrogate, she would be the beginning place of her own family.
Then something extraordinary happened. Hagar, an Egyptian slave on the run, was suddenly in the presence of an Angel (Messenger) of the LORD. This verse is the first occurrence of this word angel or of the title Messenger of the LORD. The context in this verse, considering the appearances El Shadday – Almighty God – had made to Abram in the previous chapters (12-15), indicates that this was not one of the created angels, but actually God – Jehovah himself – appearing in a discernible human form – there’s no clue as to whether or not the messenger had a physical presence, but there was certainly a visual presence. The messenger asked her whence she came and where she was going. He had been watching her. Hagar gave half an answer, “I’m running away from Sarai.” The messenger, Jehovah, told her she must go back to her Mistress and put up with her abuse. He further said that she was carrying a male child who would be the first in a multitude of descendents of Hagar and Abram. She was to name him Ishmael (translated “God will hear” in accordance with Hagar’s complaint), and he would be the father of many nations (all Arabian) peoples. He would “live in open hostility against all his relatives.” Hagar went back, made amends with Sarai and Abram, and when her son was born, Abram named him Ishmael. At the time, Abram was 86 years old.
Thirteen years later, El Shaddai again confronted Abram, this time to tell him that within a year, Sarai would bear him a male child who would be the child of the Covenant promised to him by God. He – God – changed Abram’s name to Abraham (“Father of a Multitude”) and Sarai’s name to Sarah (“Noblewoman”). The child’s name would be Isaac (“he laughs”) because both Sarah and Abraham laughed out loud (Abraham apparently ROTFLOL – see Genesis 17:17-19) Abraham fell face down and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at ninety?” So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael could live in your favor!” He was still trying to “help” God keep his promises.
We’re going to look back at this story over a few (don’t know how many) installments for three reasons: [1] We’ll look further into angels/messengers (both “created” and Divine), [2] We will continue to look into Biblical names so see how the names are signposts of God’s plans, and [3] we’ll look for the back-stories that help us apply these Old Testament (and maybe some New Testament) stories to our stories of our own lives. Here’s a little example based on what happened to Hagar.
First, we know she was being watched because the messenger of God found her – tracked her down – near the well at Shur. God watches all his creation, and that includes all of us.
Next, Hagar had a plan for her life, but she wasn’t paying attention to God’s plan. God had promised Abram myriads upon myriads (close to a gazillion) offspring, but he had not authorized the plan Sarai and Abram concocted, yet he still intended to ensure the seed of Abram would always see greatness. He promised that Hagar’s child would also have gazillions of offspring, but that they would always be opposed to the offspring of Sarai and Abram.
Third, although God was saving the lives of Hagar and her unborn child, he also chastised her for running away. He wanted her to go back, face the music – so to speak – and to completely submit to her Master and Mistress, bear a child for them, and allow Abram to raise him as his son.
As we develop this series, we will look often into these concepts associates with angels, biblical names, and the stories behind them. For today, I ask you to go dig out your Bibl and read the tenth chapter of Acts. There are a couple of great lessons there, so if you have a bible with a commentary and notes, be sure to take a little time with those, too.
Just a note of thanks to all of you who continue to read these every week. Please recall that these are not mine, but His, and whenever you use them, you are experiencing Him seeking you out and finding you in the desert. Please continue your prayers for all our friends with cancer, addictions, seemingly-hopeless financial situations, and especially pray for the folks like me whose arrogance matches or exceed that of Hagar.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
See you next week?
Chick
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
