April 24, 2018 - Day 16 - Genesis 16

I am writing from 11A on an Alaska Airlines flight from San Jose to Seattle.

Genesis 16:

We are reminded that Sarai cannot bear children, but that she has a slave lady named Hagar.  Sarai says that the Lord has kept her from having children.  Maybe she’s looking for something to blame, I think most of us would. 

Next she offers up her slave to sleep with Abram so she can build a family through her.  Sucks for the slave. 

Sarai gives Hagar to Abram so she can be his wife.  Remember that women were property.

Hagar gets pregnant and starts to despise Sarai.  (Not sure why they thought this arrangement would work)

Then Sarai tells Abram that her suffering is his fault. 

WHOA NOW.  THIS WAS YOUR IDEA SARAI. 

So Abram tells Sarai to do whatever she wants with Hagar, so she decides to mistreat her.  Nice.  Then Hagar bounces. (obviously)

An angel finds Hagar and tell her to go back to Sarai and submit to her.  What the hell man?  The angel tells her that her descendants will be increased to a number she can’t even count.  Is having more kids worth being treated poorly?  In this context, I think yes.  A woman’s worth was the children she could give.

The angel tells her she is now pregnant and will give birth to a son she must name Ishmael.  Ishmael means “God hears.”  It is unclear if this is Abram’s child or immaculate conception.  The angel says she is now pregnant because the Lord has heard of her misery, so it sounds like immaculate conception to me. 

We are told that Ishmael will be a “wild donkey of a man,” and that he will live in hostility towards all of his brothers.  Damn!  And he isn’t even born yet.  Talk about being dealt a losing hand.

For whatever reason, Hagar appears pleased with God, and says, “You are the God who sees me; I have now seen the one who sees me.”

Why does she feel seen?  She’s been treated like dirt.  I’m curious to see where her story goes from here.

We end this chapter with Ishmael being born.