COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 49 - MARY AND SARAH, LOVE AND LAUGHTER, EMMANUEL AND ISAAC

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Last lesson we pondered how so many things that happened to Sarah and Abraham also happened at the birth of our Messiah, Jesus Christ.  While we are here in the Christmas season, I would like to dwell on that subject a bit longer.  It is one of those beautiful epiphanies that you do not let go of easily.  Isn’t it great to have an epiphany happen to you BEFORE epiphany? 

Today I am thinking of the similarities between Sarah and Mary.  I am remembering that even when Sarah was very young she had a divine ability to see things that other people did not see.  This must have also been the case with Mary.  She possessed the excellent wisdom of a biblical scholar at the tender age of 15, when more than likely, she was never formally schooled.  This wisdom must have come to her in many divine ways, much like the wisdom that Sarah received as she praised God while she baked her bread.    

Mary was fifteen when she heard the glorious announcement by Gabriel that she would carry inside her body and give birth to The Son of God.  She was engaged to Joseph at that age.  This was the same age that Sarah became Abraham’s wife.  Sarah was so special that Abraham chose her above all women to be his wife.  Mary was so special that God chose her above all women to bring his only begotten Son into the world.

 

Both of these godly women possessed three special traits.  We have discussed them regarding Sarah, but they are also true in the case of Mary.  

What are these special traits?  They are three simple things that anyone can

do:  (1)  Baking bread  (2)  Keeping Sabbath (3)  Bringing The Divine Presence of God into every room you enter.  

Let’s look a bit at the combination of these three simple things that made Sarah so special:

She baked bread.  It wasn’t just any bread; it was Challah.  Sarai understood that she could invite God into her home through her actions.  As she baked her bread she prayed for God to bless her every action in her home while she worked to make it a special and hospitable place.  She prayed for God’s closeness as she worked for her family’s blessings.  When she made bread, she prayed for God to bless the bread as well as those who would come to eat it.  The Midrash talks of Sarai’s bread saying that when she baked it just before Sabbath, it always remained fresh and good for the next seven days.  

Abraham had many followers in the land of Ur.  They often ate in his home.  When they journeyed on to other places Abraham and  Sarah were known for their love of other people and their hospitality.  Abram loved the way their guest enjoyed the blessings of Sarai’s Challah.  It is said that because she prayed for God’s blessings as she baked, even though she always baked the same amount of bread, it never ran out even when Abram brought in many unexpected guests.  Sarah’s bread was always there for them, and it was always delicious.  No one would ever experience hunger as long as Sarah was baking bread.  

It was through the serving of the bread to their guest that Sarah and Abraham began to establish the first monotheistic religion of mankind.  The bread became an instrument blessed by God to nourish people’s bodies as Abraham spoke to them of the Word of God which nourished their souls.  Sarah taught the women about The One True God as Abraham taught the men.   Their gatherings always centered around the table which always contained bread.   This one little attribute of Sarah’s personality brought constant harmony and team work into their home.  Baking the bread was Sarah's way of coming along side Abraham and contributing to his ministry.  Abraham was very thankful for the bread that Sarah so joyfully provided.  The bread was a part of the gift of hospitality that Sarah exhibited to everyone who came to the door of her tent.  She made people feel welcomed and loved.  Is it any wonder that great miracles abounded in the midst of all of this?  A cloud was always stationed over Sarah's tent and her dough never ceased to rise.  When Sarah died, the cloud disappeared for a while, until her son, Isaac, married Rebekkah and brought her into his mother's tent.

Okay, so what do all these things mean when we think of Mary?  They are even greater and even more wonderful!  While Sarah baked special bread and served it to all of Abraham’s guest, Mary brought The True Bread, the Bread of Heaven into the world through the power of God.  Jesus Christ is The Bread From Heaven from which we feed our souls.  Without this bread there is no hope for mankind.  Mary willingly gave her life for this purpose to bring about God’s will for the world.  Sarah’s bread baking was such a shadow of the hospitality of the love of Christ. 

In her journey as a young girl engaged to Joseph Mary carried The Bread From Heaven everywhere she went.  Realizing this, she must have, like Sarah, understood that she could invite God into her home through her actions.  She had invited God to let The Savior of the World live in her womb, and she invited God into every place that he stationed her in the process of giving birth.  As she waited for the blessed child, much like Sarah awaiting the birth of Isaac,  she must have prayed for God to bless her every action in her home.  As  she worked to make their home a special and hospitable place she must have prayed for God’s closeness and His blessings on her new family.  In the midst of this strange and unexpected pregnancy, she must have prayed for God to bless the child in her womb as well as all of those who would come to know Him.  God has so graciously answered these prayers of a young woman’s heart.

 The Midrash talks of Sarah’s bread saying that when she baked it just before Sabbath, it always remained fresh and good for the next seven days.  The Bread from Heaven that Mary brought forth has multiplied into millions and millions of servings for all the inhabitants of the earth.  All who eat The Bread from Heaven will never be hungry; they will be FILLED with the blessings of Christ and they will be satisfied. 

Baking bread was one thing that Mary and Sarah had in common, the lesser being just a shadow of the greater.  The other thing is that both women kept Sabbath.  Keeping Sabbath is probably the greatest thing a person can do to invoke God’s will and ways into their daily lives.  When the Sabbath came, both Mary and Sarah were known to light the Sabbath candles and invite God to fill their homes with His awesome presence.  They were happy to put aside daily tasks and bask only in the gift of the Presence of God for a full 24 hours each week.  They were careful to prepare for this and they never missed this or let the world pull them away from it.  Both Sarah and Mary knew the secret of true worship, or putting God first and honoring Him above all things. 

If every woman in America would truly start to keep Sabbath in her home, the world would change forever.  It is a lost art in homes today.   Yes, people attend

Church; but do they truly keep Sabbath?  The two are not the same.  Mary and Sarah knew that keeping Sabbath in their homes was the secret to keeping The One True God in their lives and in their family’s lives.  Sabbath was never a chore to either of these two excellent examples of womanhood.  They considered keeping Sabbath with true worship of God their greatest joy.    From one Sabbath to the next these women lit the Sabbath candles and gave light to those looking for their way through the darkness.  This is another beautiful example of bringing The Light Of The World, Jesus, The Messiah, into the world by our actions and deeds.  They were celebrating Chanukkah continually once a week, as we should do today, but often neglect because of the cares of the world and the voices that are not from God.

Bringing Christ into our homes and celebrating Sabbath every seven days  is all about resting with God.  Rest was abundant in the tents of Sarah.  Rest was abundant in the home of Mary.  In her rest she nurtured and provided a safe warm place for The Son of God to grow into The Savior of The World.  These women knew about resting in The Lord.    Six days were full of labor, but the seventh day found Mary and Sarah and those of their home and their guest resting and praising God for His blessings.

It is said that Sarah brought the presence of God into every room she entered.   Mary carried God inside her womb.  Every room she entered was blessed!  We see this when John The Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb as Mary entered the house pregnant with Christ.   If you are a Christian you have Christ living inside of you!  You are in so many ways just like Mary.  You are carrying Him with you to every where you go and every thing you do.  Are you conscience of the fact that you too are pregnant with Christ?  Do you realize that the whole world is groaning right now with labor pains while we await His promised return?   

 These are the things about Sarah that captured the heart of Abraham, and these are the things about Mary that God loved when He considered making her the Mother of Christ.  Even if none of the other qualities had existed, this act of carrying God into the world, would have been sufficient.    This quality is in fact the source and essence for the other two.  

When Mary and Sarah entered a room they brought the creativity of God with them.  They brought the beauty of holiness with them.  They brought the wonder of God's creation with them.  They brought the wisdom of a Mighty God with them.  They brought the courage of faith. love, hope and joy.

 Sarai brought laughter, which later spilled over into the name of a very special son.  It was said that the laughter of Sarah could change the world.  Mary brought pure and complete love and devotion to God, which spilled over into the name of a very special Son,  Emmanuel; God with us!  Mary in being willing to bear the Child of God has definitely brought change into the world!

Let us carry His Presence into this Christmas with joy and adoration!

O come let us adore Him!

SEASONS - A CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION OF CHANUKAH IN 2014 - Prayers and Meditations for the Second Day of Chanukah

(Partially Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf.  The Meditation section of this article is written by Rabbi Debra Orenstein.)

It is the Second Day of Chanukah!

Instructions for lighting the Chanukah Menorah:

The Chanukah candles cannot be used to light each other, which is why we use the Shamash Candle to light the Menorah.  It's not one of the 8 Chanukah candles, so we set it in a place above the rest. The Shamash can be made out of sweet-smelling beeswax.  This candle represents Y’shua, Jesus to Christians.  Jewish people know it as "the servant candle."  This candle is higher and more special than the others because it has more power, yet it is a servant to the other candles, giving them life and light.

We place candles in the Menorah from right to left, but we light the candles from left to right.

On the first night we light one candle on the right side. On the second night we light the new, candle first, starting from the left and moving to the right. A new candle is added each night until we have eight candles and the Shamash on the eighth night.  Chanukah, like the oil of the temple when it was rededicated, lasts for eight days.   

Each night as we add another candle and light them again we can recite special blessings.  We can also meditate on the truth from the illustrations found in God’s Word and the truth of the history of God’s people throughout time to help us understand the full meaning of this special time together and how Chanukah was a great miracle of God. 

Many people delight in gathering and serving foods cooked in oil during this season in order to remember the miracle of the oil in the menorah lasting for eight days when there was thought to be only enough oil for one day.

BLESSING FOR THE SECOND NIGHT OF CHANUKAH

We praise you O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us by Your Presence and enjoins us to kindle the Chanukah lights.

We praise You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed great miracles and deeds many times over for our ancestors in the days of old during this season. 

We praise You  for the joy in the miracles that You continue to show us each day of our lives.

 We praise You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. 

We praise You for Your provision of our every need, even in the midst of hopelessness, You shine out Your Holy love into our lives and turn our mourning to joy.

MEDITATION FOR THE SECOND DAY:

This meditation is taken from the teachings of Rabbi Debra Orenstein.  She has given us great insight into the miracle of the second candle we light tonight.

The miracle of the second candle is one of surprise,  joy, and delight. With the benefit of hindsight, and with the story so entrenched in Jewish culture and consciousness, we have to work to imagine the shock and celebration that must have ensued when the light burned past its time.

Picture the scene: Jews are gathered around the newly purified Temple. They hold one another, celebrating the victory, supporting one another over the losses. The light that is about to go out in the Menorah represents another loss, another bit of damage inflicted by the enemy. They want to bask in the Light and the victory for as long as it will last.

There is a debate among the Jews over whether to continue fighting for complete political independence, or to be satisfied with having beaten the enemy back. The flame of the Menorah, now about to go out, is a symbol that either side could invoke. “We have our menorah back: purify the oil, focus on holy, and light the flame of faith again.” Or: “we must endure more darkness. Therefore, purify the oil, focus on the holy, and don’t abandon the fight until it is done. “

Before any of these thoughts are spoken, a buzz starts to go through the crowd. First one person and then another realizes that the flame has been burning “too long.” There is more light, more hope, than they had dared to expect. Soon everyone is cheering and singing. The Light will not go out! The political choice is still before them, but the spiritual promise matters more.

 The Light will not go out!

Take a few quiet moments in front of the second candle or during the second day of Chanukah and consider:

What are the miracles of  joy, surprise, and delight in your life?

Was there a time when you were you recovering from loss, and preparing to face the future, when you got a gift – a sudden surge of hope, of Light, a promise for the future?

FURTHER COMMENTS OFFERED BY SHEILA GAIL LANDGRAF:

How does the miracle of the light of Chanukah for the Jewish people relate when we think of the state of America today? 

What can Americans learn from the Jewish people about hope and perseverance in a time of trouble?

What was the main thing that brought about this great miracle?  

What did God do?  What did the people do?

SEASONS - A CHRISTIAN CHANUKAH IN 2014

If you are among the many Christian people today who have come to see and understand the Jewish history which brought about the celebration of Chanukah, and have learned that it truly was a miracle of God which should be remembered and find it a reason to celebrate; and if you too, like me, believe that this celebration actually shows us Christians MORE of the meaning of Our Lord Jesus Christ coming into this world as The Light Of The World; there is no reason why you and I, as Christians, should not feel free to join in the celebration of this joyous holy time.  Our celebration will be slightly different in light that we believe the Messiah has already come and the Chanukah miracle plays into that belief.  

So, go ahead!  Buy a Menorah and some candles and set aside the time in your home with your family to ponder the miracles of God during this season.  Each day for the next eight days I will be posting prayers and meditations which relate and you can use them if you like to implement into your own yearly celebrations of God’s love for mankind in your own home with your own family and friends.

Instructions for lighting the Chanukah Menorah:

The Chanukah candles cannot be used to light each other, which is why we use the Shamash Candle to light the Menorah.  It's not one of the 8 Chanukah candles, so we set it in a place above the rest. The Shamash can be made out of sweet-smelling beeswax.  This candle represents Y’shua, Jesus to Christians.  Jewish people know it as "the servant candle."  This candle is higher and more special than the others because it has more power, yet it is a servant to the other candles, giving them life and light.

We place candles in the Menorah from right to left, but we light the candles from left to right.

On the first night we light one candle on the right side. On the second night we light the new, candle first, starting from the left and moving to the right. A new candle is added each night until we have eight candles and the Shamash on the eighth night.  Chanukah, like the oil of the temple when it was rededicated, lasts for eight days.   

Each night as we add another candle and light them again we can recite special blessings.  We can also meditate on the truth from the illustrations found in God’s Word and the truth of the history of God’s people throughout time to help us understand the full meaning of this special time together and how Chanukah was a great miracle of God. 

BLESSING FOR THE FIRST NIGHT OF CHANUKAH

We praise you O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us by Your Presence and enjoins us to kindle the Chanukah lights.

We praise You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors in days of old during this season.

We praise You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.

MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST DAY:

Life is precious and should be appreciated as the gift from God that it is.  It is God’s Son, Y’shua, Jesus, who gives us life, and gives it more abundantly; according to John 10:10

(John 10:10) 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.”

Furthermore, Y’shua, Jesus, declared in John 11:25-26:  “I am the resurrection and the life:  he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me, shall never die.”

Y’shua, Jesus came that we might have life and light.

 This is represented well by the Shamash, or the servant candle that we use to give the light to all the other candles.  This candle brings the light into our world, just as Jesus Christ has brought life into  a dark world.   

SEASONS - THOUGHTS ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

This is the third Sunday of Advent.  

I love remembering what this Sunday stands for, and I think of it as we light the pink candle.  

There is so much to ponder.  All of it can be defined in one little four letter word; LOVE. 

 The third Sunday of Advent is all about love.  

It is a time to remember that God gave the glorious news of the gospel first to ordinary shepherds tending their flocks in the fields.  They were the first to hear the message of Christ, just ordinary men, not Kings and greatly known world leaders.  

It is a time to remember that God chose Mary to give birth to Our Lord and Savior, an ordinary young girl living a very humble life. 

It is a time that God chose Joseph, just a simple working man, a carpenter by trade, to watch over His precious son as He grew and fulfilled His destiny.  

For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son and WHOSOEVER believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  Humble little "you" and "me."  We, just ordinary people going about our ordinary lives get to be a part of that great big "whosoever."  Our part is so easy; BELIEVE!  It is that simple.

It is a great time to remember God's wonderful love for all of us, so much that He sent us His greatest treasures in a gift from Heaven.  He sent the greatest gift ever given to all.  Not just to Kings and dignitaries, He sent the love of Christ into the world as a gift for all mankind.  Red or yellow, black or white, ALL are precious in His sight.  He sent the gift to young and old, weak and strong, rich and poor.  He came to save us, and He gave the news first to humble shepherds abiding in the fields at night.  They were tending their sheep right before the coldest part of winter when they looked up and saw the glorious angels and heard them rejoicing over the Great Thing That God had done for all of mankind.  

And what do you think these shepherds did?  

They SHARED the gospel that they had come to know with everyone that they met.  They wanted everyone to know the wonderful news!  

We are shepherds too, just ordinary people walking humbly through life in a strange and sometimes frightening world.  We too, like these shepherds, have heard the glorious news of the baby in the manger that would one day become a King.  Are you telling everyone you know that the King is coming?  He is coming again, but not as a baby.  The next time He will come as The King of Kings.  

Go out, like those shepherds from years ago, and tell the world that LOVE has come down.

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 47 - BECOMING THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

                

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Sarai must have felt like the laughing stock of the tents of Abram.  Had God not given them a promise that Sarai would bear a son?  Well, what silly notion had given them that idea?  Anyone with eyes to see could look at Sarai growing older every day without a child.  That promise that God had given to Abram must have been for Hagar’s son, Ishmael.  Yes, Hagar was a very blessed woman indeed.  She had been an Egyptian slave girl, yet she had worked her way up to the status of Abram’s wife.  The women in the tents must have considered her very smart.  Now she was the mother of Abram's first-born child.  That Hagar was one lucky girl, and that Sarai must do something about's those foolish thoughts that she imagined God had put into her head. 

This was probably the main gossip as the women gathered at the well every day and as they kneaded the flour for their bread.  They all lived very close.  They all knew each other’s business, or at least they THOUGHT they did.  

Sarai, who had once been known as the most beautiful woman in the land, who had been sought after by Kings and Pharaoh’s and the one whom Abram had chosen because of her beauty and her spirit must have struggled to hold her head up and remember who she really was.  The next thirteen years that transpired for Sarai were probably very hard.

When the people around you mistake your identity and purpose for someone and something else, you can get confused and forget the promises God made specifically to you.  You can have days when the voices haunt you and the whispers behind your back annoy you and even you might begin to doubt yourself and wonder what is wrong with you.  If you aren't very careful you will catch yourself believing the lies.  

When you begin to believe the lies you can feel very low.  Sarai must have been feeling pretty low during those long years of Ishmael's childhood.  Perhaps she was keeping inside her tent, simply tending to her household duties and not venturing out much.  It probably wasn't much fun for her to watch Abram wrestling and playing under the trees with Ishmael.  She probably did not enjoy seeing the smile that must have played across the lips of Hagar.  Perhaps she became more introverted, not greeting everyone that came along, not singing all the time, just keeping an on-going silence.   

The lies, they stop the love.  The lies hurt and they can make even the most beautiful woman on earth feel ugly.  Only God can pull you away from the lies.  Only God can show you again who you really are.  Only God can restore the truth to your reputation when people allow the devil to take over their tongues and their actions and none of it is within your own control.  

Sarai knew God.  She sought his refuge.  He must have comforted her in this hard time of her life. 

Abram at this point also must have felt like some things were amiss.  I guess he might have been going through a late mid-life crisis.  Yes, it seems even Abram had such problems. Many think that Abram forgot to call on the name of God for a while during the childhood of Ishmael.  There are thirteen years of time missing from the account in the scriptures.  It was as if Abram had become distracted from God.   Perhaps he was disturbed over the division that had formed within his household when he and Sarai had not followed God's plan.  Perhaps he thought God must be angry with him for listening to Sarai and being impatient and perhaps he thought God had turned His face away.  All we know is that Abram had a covenant with God; he had not been patient enough to wait on God's promises; he now had a son by an Egyptian handmaiden who was growing up wild and unruly.  

He had also probably spent more time in the tents of Hagar than Sarai during this time.  Perhaps nothing he could do would make this up to Sarai.  There was a lot that Abram needed to repent.  

Perhaps he had finally thought things through and found himself waking up to the reality of the wrong things he had done.  Perhaps he spent hours thinking, realizing how far away he had wondered from God's will for his life.  When he looked at the wild unruly son growing up before him, he probably did not see any of the promises of God being fulfilled in him.  Abram must have often asked God for forgiveness.  He must have reached a lonely place where he began to seek the comfort of God again; perhaps still confused at how things were beginning to transpire and unfold.  He must have had a million questions when he finally turned his face back toward God.  The main question:  why did Sarai not bear him a son?  Why had Hagar been the one?  What was God’s will – REALLY?   He must have asked God this question on a daily basis. 

It came time for Ishmael’s 13^th birthday.  This was the beginning his manhood and the end of his time of childhood.  Abram must have asked God again, why Ishmael?  How should I treat this son when you told me it would be Sarai’s son whom You would covenant with?  What am I to do now?

And God  finally answered Abram.  He told him to walk before Him and be righteous.  Well, yes, that had been a problem!  God always keeps his promises, He had made an unconditional covenant with Abram earlier.   It seems that Abram was once again agreeing to walk righteously before God.  God told Abram to be perfect before Him and he would make His covenant with Abram to multiply his generations.

  "Being perfect with God" can often be as simple as repenting, receiving grace and turning from the things that you have done wrong.   That last part is very important, that part that says to turn from the things that you have done wrong.  God wanted Abram to turn.  This must have been what God wanted when Abram spoke to God after a long time of silence.  Abram had time to realize that his life had got to be off-track with God's will.   God was waiting on Abram to come to his senses and turn from his disobedience.    Finally, God felt Abram was ready for an answer.

Abram fell on his face when this answer came.   Those years of hopelessness must have melted away.   Finally hearing the voice of God again must have given him great joy and relief!  The long time of not hearing the voice of God had changed Abram's heart.  Perhaps he went from being hard-hearted  and frustrated to being confused and lonely, from feeling hopeless to feeling humble and repenting of his sin.  True repentance always brings the hope of hearing God's voice again.  When God spoke again, it must have stirred Abram's heart to walk closer and better with God.   This time Abram was very intent in his listening to God.   He never wanted to do the wrong thing again.  He wanted to hear this right!  He wanted to grasp it all.  

God has this uncanny way of always knowing when our time of destiny has come.  He waits and waits patiently on our hearts to change, refusing to move until our hearts are in the right place.  Abram's heart had definitely been changed.  He had come to recognize his deep humanity and how far away he had wondered from God's plan for his life.  He longed to change this, to please God again, to walk with God as he had done before his sin.  He must have poured this out in prayer.  God is always there, listening, waiting.  All we have to do is lay down our stubbornness and pride and seek His face with repentance.  

Once again God told Abram that His covenant was with him and God explained that Abram would be the father of many nations; but this time, something was different.  This time God told Abram that his name would be changed.  Abram meant "Exalted Father."   The name Abram had been given by his earthly father and might have seemed like an embarrassment at this point in life, as he had remained fatherless for a long time, then only having one son by a handmaiden and not his chosen wife.  It was becoming more and more apparent that Ishmael would only be exalting himself as he grew and matured.  He had respect for no one.  

God said Abram would now be called Abraham, which meant “Father of Many.”  This name given by his Heavenly Father was even more of an overstatement for where Abraham was living in time.  When God emphasizes something enough to rename it, it is always best to believe it.  These things always come to pass, even when they seem impossible.  This time Abraham chose not to doubt, but to believe with all his heart.

God said once again that Abraham would become the father of many nations and that Kings would come from Abraham.  God said that he would establish His covenant with Abraham as well as the generations of Abraham’s descendants.  He would be their God and they would be His people.  Once again God mentioned the Land of Canaan, and said that it would be given by Him to Abraham and all of his descendants.  God commanded Abraham and his descendants to keep His covenant of circumcision.  This was to be true of all of Abraham’s household, both born and bought as slaves or adopted.  By the time they were eight days old, every male of The House of Abraham should be circumcised. 

Then God mentioned Sarai.  Sarai meant "princess."  It was the name given to her by her earthly parents.  God changed her name to Sarah, which means “princess of many.”  Once again God told Abraham that Sarah would have a son, and from her son will come Kings of nations.  God says clearly to Abraham that He will bless Sarah. 

There it was again!  God was calling the impossible, possible.  


The changing of names here is a precious principle that we all would do well to remember.  We walk through a world that names us according to the lies, but God has holy purposes that He has hidden deep within each of us.  He renames us according to His purpose for our lives.  We must determine to do just what Abraham did.  We must listen carefully to God and hear the name He gives to us instead of listening to the lies of the world.  God is outside of time.  He knows the beginning from the end.  He KNOWS us and He alone can direct us.  Open your ears to be listening for your new name.  He has one just for you if you are willing to do like Abraham; turn and repent and listen for further instructions and do the will of God.  Knowing your new name will help to keep you on track.  If it feels impossible just remember that God can DO the impossible.  Believe.

At this point in the story, Abraham wants to be very sure he understands.  He thinks of Ishmael and mentions him to God for a blessing.  God makes it very clear to Abraham that Sarah will bear a son and this is the son that God will covenant with.  God tells Abraham to name Sarah’s son "Isaac." 

Then God mentions Abraham’s request for Ishmael and says he too will be blessed.  God will make him fruitful and a nation will grow from him and he will have 12 sons of his own.  But God makes clear to Abraham that it is Isaac that will be the covenant son, and God tells Abraham that Isaac will be born to Sarah about this same time next year. 

At that point God left Abraham to ponder and carry out all the things they had discussed.  Abraham went home and circumcised every male in his household, including himself and Ishmael.  Abraham was 99 years old and Ishmael was 13.  All of the men living in the tents of Abraham both free and slaves were circumcised.  The covenant of circumcision required action on Abraham’s part and on the part of all those of his household.  It was a painful act of obedience.  They were obedient.  Abraham followed everything that God had told him to do; then he went back to his tent with Sarah and sat down to wait to see what The Lord was going to do next.  

Abraham, the circumcised man with the new name had learned to wait on God and not make his own plans.  

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 46 - WHO CAN KNOW THE MIND OF GOD

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Hagar was pregnant with Abram's first child.  She let this change of events go straight to her head.  Some people do not do well with the way they handle success, especially the first time that they taste it.  She had to brag, and she had to flaunt her new found power over her situation with Sarai.  She had to get into Sarai’s face with it.  She became very legalistic in her thinking.  That was probably Hagar's biggest mistake.  She went from being a sweet, humble, agreeable young servant girl looking up to her mentor to being a prideful, arrogant, boastful, haughty concubine. 

Perhaps Hagar even took every opportunity to embarrass Sarai publicly.   Perhaps she gossiped about her behind her back.  Perhaps she was angry and rebellious in her words and actions toward her.  Perhaps she openly stated to Sarai that she would never be the true mother of her child.  Who knows what could have gone on? Perhaps she threatened Sarai’s life?  Things would have really been easier for Hagar if Sarai accidentally had a fatal fall and never recovered. 

This is all speculation of course, no one really knows everything that went on in those tents during those days.   From everything we have read and studied about Sarai, it is clear that these situations were not common occurrences in her household before Hagar was with child.  

The beautiful, peaceful, joyful atmosphere that surrounded Sarai’s tents as she baked her bread and welcomed her guest with extreme hospitality must have shifted a whole lot during this time.  A different kind of cloud must have settled over the area where these two women dwelt, and Abram must have spent a lot of time looking after the flocks instead of sitting in the tents.   

It is possible, in all of her years as the wife of Abram, that this might have been the first time Sarai had ever encountered pure rebellion, or anyone who hated her.  She must have stewed inside as she considered how to handle the situation that was causing great grief to her once well-run and peaceful household.    

The scriptures tell us that Sarai “humbled” Hagar.   It is the same word used later in the scriptures when the children of Abraham became slaves in the land of Egypt; they too were “humbled.”  Your sins often come back to haunt you even when you are living under grace.  Nothing is ever truly hidden or unseen even when God chooses to give unconditional mercy.   The punishment that Sarai dealt out as she punished Hagar was the same punishment that was many years later used against Sarai’s ancestors in the wilderness. 

  

What this word “humbled” means is not specifically clear; but it was severe enough for Hagar to decide to flee.  She took off for the dessert hoping to make it all the way back home to Egypt.  It was a very dangerous and courageous thing for a young girl expecting a child to do.

As she walked through the hot dessert road on the way to Shur, following the trade route that passed through the Sinai peninsula, a girl who was very thirsty, very tired, emotionally wrought and very pregnant; she cried out to The Lord.   The Angel of The Lord found her and asked her:  “Hagar, slave girl of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”   Hagar didn't seem surprised to be hearing from an angel.  Apparently  she was already used to seeing angels in the tents of Sarai and Abram.  She looked up and  told him she was running away from her mistress, Sarai.

By the time the angel spoke with Hagar, who had stopped next to a spring of water, she had almost made it all the way back to Egypt.  The angel told her that she would have a child from which would come a nation, but she must first return to Sarai and have the child among the Hebrews.  The angel told her that her son would be named Ishmael because the Lord had "heard" her cries.  The name Ishmael means "The Lord hears."   The angel also told Hagar that her son would become like a wild donkey; that he would be against everyone and everyone would be against him.  

When she received this astonishing advice from The Angel of The Lord and learned that the child she was bearing would become the leader of a nation Hagar named this messenger of God El Roi, “The God Who Sees Me;” and then she took his advice and returned to Sarai; taking comfort in the fact that someone had at least noticed her plight and come to her aid and given her a reason for hope.  She had been heard and she had been seen by God.  This must have given her the courage she needed to go back.  

Despite Hagar’s return, the bad feelings between Sarai and Hagar went unresolved. 

You have to wonder what went on in the mind of Sarai from the time they discovered Hagar was missing until she returned.  Sarai must have wondered if she had dealt too harshly because of the severe punishment she had inflicted upon Hagar.  Do you think she could have repented of this?  Did Sarai regret how harshly she treated Hagar?  She might have wondered how she would be able to face Abram with the news that she had chased off the woman who bore his only child.  Was she going to tell him she had run away for no reason?  Sarai must have been very afraid and confused about what to do.  

Perhaps since both women desired to please Abram it is possible that they never even told Abram what transpired between them.  It is possible that Hagar returned before he even found out what was going on.  Neither woman would have had any good reason to explain to Abram what business had taken place.  Each of their stories would have been different anyway, because both of them had a totally different perspective.  Who would Abram have believed?

The sadness that Sarai had felt from being barren must have paled in the sadness that she experienced in the time of watching another woman bear her husband’s child and give birth.  An intended time of joy must have turned into a sad time of silent, lonely mourning for Sarai, and to make it even worse, she now had no close friend to talk to and share the hard times of her soul.  Her friendship with Hagar was over and Abram would not want to listen to these things without knowing how foolish a choice Sarai had made and what a predicament they had been put into.  She would only make things worse by sharing her feelings with him now.  Her only choice was to grieve alone and without the comfort of a friend by her side to see her through.

Hagar once again took her place in the tents of Abram and concentrated on the fact that her son would one day rule the tribe; since Sarai did not have a child and it appeared that she never would.  Perhaps Hagar taunted Sarai with threats of running away again every time Sarai tried to put Hagar in her place.  Sarai’s actions would have definitely looked selfish to the public, no matter how deserving Hagar might have been.  Perhaps this kept Sarai’s new found emotions under control for awhile.  Perhaps in this time Sarai did what she should have done all along.  Perhaps she turned to God and repented of her mistake.  Perhaps she listened more carefully to hear the voice of God in her life again.  Perhaps she sought solace in the only One who had loved her so perfectly and unconditionally all along.  Perhaps she learned to never take this for granted again.   

   

Hagar, at least to the outside looking in, must have been quieter and more humble, but in her heart, she was not humbled at all.  She still hated Sarai, and she probably became even more determined to replace her.  She was patiently waiting for HER day to arrive.  The older her son became, the more the importance of Sarai would diminish in the tribe and the eyes of Abram.  That may have been in Hagar’s thoughts as she lived out her days with determination.  As we said before, ambition seemed to be Hagar’s strongest characteristic.  Yet, she had seen The Angel of the Lord and this time He had come to Hagar, not Sarai.  Perhaps this had softened the heart of Hagar too.  Perhaps, now that she had experienced a personal encounter with God and was sure that God could see her and cared about her; maybe she too was trying to lean more into listening to the will of God for her life.  Who knows?  It does seem that built into every one of us is the instinct to call on The Name of God when we are at our lowest point and no one else can help us. 

Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

For fourteen years Ishmael was seen as the future heir of Abram.  He was the first born son, which usually assured inheritance.  Hagar and Ishmael both become very comfortable with this whole idea.  They thought nothing at all could rock their world and take away the prospects that their future held.

But there was one thing that could change everything; God had a plan that He had been unfolding despite all this humanity taking place from the beginning of God's plan to the end.  He always keeps His plans and purposes, but not always on our schedule or in the way we think it will happen.  He is outside of time and we are inside of time.  The time we spend inside of time as human beings was made for our growth.    If we are wise we chose to become more like Him during this time.  Some chose this, some do not.  Some chose this some of the time, but not all of the time. 

All of the tents of Abram were waiting and watching Sarai and Abram and Hagar.  What would their choices be from here on out?