Week 15: Son of Promise

 Week 15: Son of Promise

Contents of this week’s study: 

Day One: Beauty and Favor  

Day Two: If I am a Slave to Sin  

Day Three: You Are as Good as Dead 

Day Four: This is Your Loyalty  

Day Five: Son of Promise  

Day Six: The Shema - Part Four

Day One: Beauty and Favor

This is the second account of Avraham requiring Sarah to say she’s his sister. As we saw previously, Sarah is Avraham’s half-sister. She was the daughter of his father, but they had different mothers. The first time Avraham made this request was when they were going into Egypt. Sarah was about sixty-five years old when they left the land of Haran. She is older now, but there’s still something so beautiful about her that foreign kings desire to marry her.  

Genesis 20:1-2 (TLV) 

1 Then Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was dwelling as an outsider in Gerar, 

2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for and took Sarah.    

*Note: neither Pharaoh nor Abimelech intended Sarah for the Harim [harem]. Both of these foreign rulers pursued this beautiful Jewess as a fully titled wife. Throughout the ancient world a woman who was merely part of the Harim was considered a possession of the king or magistrate, but wives merited favor and held the rights and prestige granted to the king’s relations and elite members of society.    

*For a long time it has been rare for women past thirty to be considered extreme beauties who would be desired even by wealthy, prestigious men, but it wasn’t always so. In fact, even in our hedonistic, youth driven world, we are seeing a resurgence of women being celebrated as beautiful throughout their lives, not only those who have surgeries or use expensive treatments to stay looking “young”, but acknowledging a different kind of beauty. This is what I believe happened with Sarah. I don’t think Sarah looked like a teenager at seventy-five years of age.    

*I imagine these foreign kings desired Sarah’s “mature” beauty with her graying, or perhaps, even white hair, her eyes which had seen a bit of the world, her face with lines of wisdom and the knowledge of God’s redemption across it and her graceful, soft, mature figure, but mostly I believe the attention she received was the result of God's favor, as Hashem, Himself, named her “Princess”. 

Like Avraham, Sarah was favored (chosen) by God.    

*Sarah was a princess of the kingdom, and even if Avraham, perhaps, didn't fully appreciate who his wife was to the creator of the universe, to the worldly minds of the kings around him, his wife was a prize worth killing him for, and he knew it.    

*Avraham had received a promise from God that the line of the Messiah would come through his descendants, but remember, God made it clear that the redeemer was also to be of Sarah’s genetic line. Hashem was enacting His plan to redeem mankind after the fall of man in Gan Ayden, but the heart of mankind is weak and we don't always comprehend our part in His plans and often end up frustrated; wondering why things can't just work easily.  

Genesis 20:3 (TLV) 

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “Behold, you are as good as dead, because of the woman whom you have taken—since she is a married woman.”  

Journaling:

1. Noting what we just discussed above, was Abimelech being told he was going to be taken out -- because he was interfering with God’s plan to bring the redemption through the line of Avraham and Sarah?  

2. Is it just as dangerous for people today who get in the way of the fulfillment of the events that will bring Messiah back; such as anyone who is preventing the Jews from receiving the revelation of who Yeshua was and is? Are people who hate the Jews "as good as dead" because they are trying to claim Messiah for their own instead of coming into covenant with Hashem and His chosen people, our older brother -- the "offspring of Israel [i.e. Jacob]"? 

3. In light of these issues, how important is it that we understand the heart and the plan of God in these end days? 

Day Two: If I’m a Slave to Sin  
Genesis 20: 1 (KJV)

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 

In the Strong’s:  
Negev (South in the KJV) 5045H negeb, neh-gheb; … to be parched; the south (from its drought); specifically- the Negeb or southern district of
Judah, occasionally, Egypt (as south to Palestine): --- south (country, side, -ward).  

*Why did Avraham move back to a barren and dry area? He had, once again, moved outside Hashem’s richest blessings, away from the promise of living in Eden again [the area of Jerusalem and Bethel], and does his choice to live in a parched land reveal something about his joyless heart at this time in his life? (remember, Avraham had two women who despised each other living in his camp. Two women fighting for a man’s favor and affection will always be brutal torture for the man).    

*As we’ve discussed; before you indulge in sin it looks as if it will be the answer to all your problems. Sin typically presents itself as the fulfillment of your desires, but sin is like a drug. Drugs, we now know overstimulate and delude the brain’s pleasure centers, and your body and mind very quickly become accustomed to this heightened level of delusive stimulation.   

*Now, all the normal little pleasures of life just don’t get you to a happy place anymore because your view of what is actually happy has been distorted. Over time drugs, and any kind of sin, can do semi-permanent if not permanent damage to your pleasure sensors preventing you from feeling any sense of real pleasure and eventually leading you into self-service and enslaving you to seeking ever more intense stimulants.

*1 John 3:4 tells us that "sin is transgressing God's statutes and decrees". Hashem gave us His "law" to keep us on His straight and narrow path and to keep us from veering too far to the right or the left.   

*Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here. God has built the desire for pleasure and joy into his creation. The pleasure that Hashem created, however, is always soothing, enriching and under our control. Anything that you’re involved in that causes you to focus the majority of your attention and energy on getting it -- is sin. It is a trap my friends.  

*Avraham settled between Kadesh and Shur:  

Kadesh 6946H Qâdêsh, kaw-dashe´; sanctuary; Kadesh… from 6945H kaw-dashe´; … a (quasi) sacred person, i.e. (technically) a (male) devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry: --- sodomite.  

Shur 7793H Shûwr, shoor; … the same as 7791H shoor; a wall (as going about): --- a wall, from 7788H shoor; (PR); properly, to turn, i.e. travel about (as a harlot or a merchant): --- go sing.  

*If you remember, Shur is the place where Hagar was headed when she was running away. This was a place of; being joyless, wandering and prostitution (idolatry).    

Gerar 1642H Gerâr, gher-awr´; a rolling country …, from 1641H gaw-rar´; (PR) to drag off roughly; by implication- to bring up the cud (i.e. ruminate); by analysis- to saw: --- catch, chew, x continuing, destroy, saw.  

3. Using the definitions of the names of these three places, what would you say we might opine about why Avraham chose to encamp in such a strange place?  

4. Why do you think Avraham sojourned in Gerar?  

In the Strong's

Sojourn 1481H guwr, goor: (PR)Properly, to turn aside from the road(for lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid): --- abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger x surely.

Journaling:

 Did God allow Avraham to camp in this desolate place, surrounded by sin, to “bring up” and deal with some of Avraham’s own sin? Namely, was this place used to prepare our patriarch to get the sin of Hagar and Ishmael out of his life so he’ll be focused and prepared to be a good, loving father to Isaac? 

Day Three: You are as Good as Dead    
Genesis 20: 2-3 (NKJV) 

Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

From the Strong's:  
Abimelech 40H 'Ăbîymelek, ab-ee-mel´-ek; father of the king; …, from two root words; 

1st root word: 1H awb; (primary word); father (in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application): --- chief, (fore-) father ([-less]), x patrimony, principal. 

2nd root word: 4428H meh-lek; a king: --- king, royal, from 4427H maw-lak; (PR); to reign; inception- to ascend the throne; causatively- to induct into royalty; hence, (by implication) to take counsel: --- consult, x indeed, be (make, set a, set up) king, be (make) queen, (begin to, make to) reign (-ing), rule, x surely.    

The first word included in the name of the king of Gerar is actually pronounced Avi (not abi or awb), so his name is pronounced, Avimelekh [aw-vie-mellek].

*It can be understood, from the meaning of his very name, that Avimelekh wanted to father a king, but, perhaps, not just any king; we could consider that maybe he wanted to be the father of The King. What if Avimelekh was trying to usurp the ruler-ship of God's holy nation? This is where this line of thought gets even more interesting my friends.

Dream 2472H chălôwm, khal-ome´; … a dream, dream (-er), from 2492H khaw-lam´; (PR); properly- to bind firmly, i.e. (by implication) to be (causatively- to make) plump; also (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream: --- (cause to) dream (-er), be in good liking, recover.   

Dead 4191H mûwth, mooth; (PR); to die (literally or figuratively); causative- to kill: --- x at all, x crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy (-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro [-mancer], x must needs, slay, x surely, x very suddenly, x in no wise.  

Married (Wife in KJV) 1166H bâ'al, baw-al´; (PR); to be master; … to marry: --- have dominion (over), be husband, marry (-ried, x wife).  

*If you have studied the Old Testament [Tanakh] at all you may think the word baal in the definition of the word "married" is referring to the Phoenician idol, but it’s not. The idol is defined in 1167H and 1168H in the Strong’s. This is a fairly common word in Hebrew and simply means someone in authority who provides safety and sustenance for someone else.

*Remember, marriage is a covenant, a legally binding agreement. Do you think it might be possible that God was warning Avimelech that Sarah was in covenant, not only with Avraham, but with Hashem himself, and although Avraham was apparently not in any kind of mental state to protect his covenant relationship with this “chosen” woman, God would step in to guard Sarah, saying He would end Avimelech's life if he dared touch her?    

*Note how God says He prevented Avimelech from sinning against Him in vs. 6 below.  

Genesis 20:4-7 (TLV) 

4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. So he said, “My Lord, will You slay a nation, even though innocent? 5 Didn’t he say to me, ‘She’s my sister’? And she herself even said, ‘He’s my brother.’ I did this with integrity of my heart and guiltlessness of my hands.”  

6 Then God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I myself knew that you did this with integrity of your heart, so I, yes I Myself prevented you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not allow you to touch her. 7 So now, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet. And let him pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will surely die—you and all who are yours.”  

Journaling:

Write your thoughts.

It is interesting that vs. 7 seems to contain a hint at what God told Adam would result from eating the fruit of God's reserved tree [Genesis 2:17] -- and what the "serpent" said to Havah [Eve] [Genesis 3:4]. The King James version (among others) interpreted the same exact wording in all three places. 

 Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die... 

In all instances, i.e.God's instructions to mankind in Gan Ayden and in the case of Avimelek taking Sarah with the plan of marrying her; could there be a glimpse of what will result from getting in the way of God's plan.

"You will surely die".

Day Four: This is Your Loyalty  
Genesis 20:8-13 (TLV)  
8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants and spoke all these words in their ears—and the men were very frightened. 9 Then Abimelech called to Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us, and how have I sinned against you, that you brought great sin upon me and my kingdom? You’ve done to me things that should not be done!” 10 Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What motivated you to do this thing?”  

Let's highlight some details for insight and clarification:

Q) Did Avimelech and the leaders of his kingdom take God’s warnings seriously?  

1. Fill in the missing word from Gen. 20:8, “Avimelech rose ____________ in the morning”. 

Consider:

a) Does it sound like Avimelech was doing something a-typical in getting up earlier than usual to settle the matter of Sarah and avoid the wrath of God? 

b) Do you think we tend to take Hashem’s love for us for granted; often failing to carefully keep His commands?  

2. Abimelech called his servants (probably the wise men and advisors) and told them God’s warning, and “the men were ___________  _________________”. 

a)Are you ever “very frightened” of God’s wrath when you sin?    
Hebrews 4:1 (CJB) 

“Therefore, let us be terrified of the possibility that, even though the promise of entering his rest remains, any one of you might be judged to have fallen short of it;”  
B)Considering Paul's advise, how seriously should we be taking God’s commands?  

3. What do you suppose Sarah’s life was like in the tents of Avraham waking every day to face Hagar; her rival for Avraham’s affection? Do you think Sarah was treated like royalty as Avraham’s wife or even beloved and favored by her husband, and how do you suppose her life would have been different living as a royal woman in Avimelech’s palace? 

Our Author tells us that Avimelech was showering Avraham, Sarah’s supposed brother, with gifts; can you imagine how he must have been doting on and gifting Sarah?    

*Sarah would have been served and pampered. She would have eaten fine meals and enjoyed palace entertainments. She would have been dressed in finery and adored as a regal woman. The life Avimelech offered her as one of his wives may not have been a satisfying one for the long term, but I can’t help thinking her head must have been turned by the king. If he was dashing at all to look at, she may have been swept completely off her feet, and, as we’re about to see, he was most certainly taken with her.  

Genesis 20:11-13 (CJB)  

11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘There is certainly no fear of God in this place, so they’ll kill me, because of my wife.’ 12 And besides, she really is my sister. She’s my father’s daughter, though not my mother’s daughter. Then she became my wife. 13 So when God made me wander away from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your loyalty that you must show me: in every place we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother.’”  

From the Strong’s: What did Avraham ask Sarah to show him?  
Loyalty (kindness in the KJV) 2617H checed, kheh´-sed; kindness, by implication- (toward God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof or (subjectively) beauty: --- favor, good deed (- lines, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.  

1) Avraham had assumed that the people in this parched land were completely ignorant of God and paganistic. 

2) Avraham feared what the men of Avimelek's kingdom would do to him to get to his wife. Remember, this is the man who had formed a "well-trained army" and chased down the Eastern kings to retrieve his nephew, Lot; why was he so afraid in this instance? 

3) It would seem that Avraham may have been happy to live as the king’s brother in law, reaping blessings based on the admiration the king felt for Sarah -- his wife.  

*Perhaps with Sarah in the palace of Avimelek, Avraham could enjoy the peace of living with only one woman, and also enjoy a close relationship with Ishmael without having to deal with Sarah being jealous.  

It would seem that God’s plan is too far gone now, but, as we know will happen, He is going to have to step in to arrange matters and get these two distracted inheritors of blessing back together and moving forward again.  

Genesis 20:14-18 (CJB)  14 Avimelekh took sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Avraham; and he returned to him Sarah his wife.   
Avimelekh did fear God and he gave Sarah, his great prize, back to her husband.

Genesis 20:15 (CJB)

Then Avimelekh said, “Look, my country lies before you; live where you like.” 

Journaling:

Write your thoughts.

Now Avimelech turns his attention toward Sarah, herself, and addresses her, in what feels like a very tender moment.

Genesis 20:16 (CJB)

16 To Sarah he said, “Here, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. That will allay the suspicions of everyone who is with you. Before everyone you are cleared.”  

Avimelekh gives Avraham what must have been a very generous restoration price and tells Sarah clearly that it was to protect her from accusations and innuendo: a noble price given for a royal and very desired woman. 

Q) Could it be that Avimelech was aware of Avraham’s contentment with the situation while Sarah was gone and understood that the 1,000 pieces of silver would make it more desirable to Avraham to have her back?  

17 Avraham prayed to God, and God healed Avimelekh and his wife and slave-girls, so that they could have children. 18 For Adonai had made every woman in Avimelekh’s household infertile on account of Sarah, Avraham’s wife.  

Interestingly, all the women of Abimelech’s household, and, in fact, Abimelech himself, had become barren while Sarah was living in the palace -- Sarah had remained barren.

Day Five: Son of Promise  

So, Avraham finally had Sarah back home, Sarah and her redemption price, worth an amazing one thousand pieces of silver, which, other than her fond memories of his kindness and favor, was all she had left of her royal appointment in Avimelech’s palace.   

She’s back to the place she was before, fighting the heat, dust and duking it out with (fighting) the servant girl for Avraham’s affections, and believe me when I tell you that Sarah, God’s princess, was on the losing end.  

*Avraham had long ago developed an appetite for carousing with the slave girl, and he could no longer remember the amazing love he felt for his wife, the woman of God, the woman who’s giftings and personality complimented his own; she who chose to stand by him and tell a half truth to protect him. Avraham would never be free to focus on Sarah and the miracle God was about to perform until he sent the slave girl and the fruit she bore away, and yes, though God would be present by His Ruach (Spirit), Avraham had to be the one to end his sin.  

*Sarah had never wanted to say she was Avraham’s sister. She loved him and missed his companionship once he transferred his affections to another.  

*Although, I’m sure, she was very convincing, Hager did not love Avraham the way Sarah did. Hagar saw an opportunity to get something she wanted by giving herself to this man who was, in all actuality, not a man she otherwise would have chosen.

Hashem knew Avraham would never recognize Sarah’s worth or the deep passion he did still feel for her until the foreign woman and her offspring were gone.   

Genesis 21: 1,2 (CJB)
1 Adonai remembered Sarah as he had said, and Adonai did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the very time God had promised.  

*It had been one year since God's messengers had appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre and promised him a royal son from his and Sarah’s union.  Despite Avraham and Sarah’s mistakes, God was faithful. He visited an amazing miracle on Sarah and she finally gave birth to the son of promise.  

Genesis 21: 3-10 (CJB)

3 Avraham called his son, born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitz’chak. 4 Avraham circumcised his son Yitz’chak when he was eight days old, as God had ordered him to do.  5 Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitz’chak [laughter] was born to him. 

The name Isaac (Yitz'chak) has a dual definition. It can be either “laughter” or it can mean “to jeer at”. 

Genesis 21: 6-10 (CJB)

6 Sarah said, “God has given me good reason to laugh; now everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Nevertheless, I have borne him a son in his old age!”  
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham gave a great banquet on the day that Yitz’chak was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom Hagar had borne to Avraham, making fun of Yitz’chak; 10 so Sarah said to Avraham, “Throw this slave-girl out! And her son! I will not have this slave-girl’s son as your heir along with my son Yitz’chak!”  

 *We now learn who it was that really suffered for all the bad choices and self-gratification the adults around him were making. Ishmael was being pushed aside to make room for Isaac, the prince, and he was missing his father and hurting. In his lack of understanding Ishmael jeers or makes fun of Isaac and Sarah sees it. She is not going to have the son of a concubine tormenting her son. 

*Before we judge Sarah too harshly, we need to consider that there was no feasible solution to this issue other than to end the cycle of sin. There would never be peace as long as Hagar stayed, and Isaac must be raised very carefully.  

A note to my believing brothers:

I know you don’t like getting ultimatums which is what Sarah is doing in today's study. It is easy to see this kind of demand as nagging or petty bullying, but I want to caution you against jumping to that conclusion when your wife puts her foot down. Just as in this case between Avraham, Sarah and Hagar, people often avoid difficult situations hoping they will somehow work out on their own. The reality is, however, that the avoidance strategy rarely works. If Sarah had not put her foot down and demanded Avraham get the sin out of his life for his family’s sake things would have continued to spin out of control.  I challenge you to learn to celebrate your wife’s insight which ultimately makes you a better man and, believe it or not, almost always, a happier one too.  

Journaling:

Write your thoughts

Listen to Everything Sarah Says  
Genesis 21:11-13 

11 Avraham became very distressed over this matter of his son. 12 But God said to Avraham, “Don’t be distressed because of the boy and your slave-girl. Listen to everything Sarah says to you, because it is your descendants through Yitz’chak who will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation from the son of the slave-girl, since he is descended from you.”  

1) Note that although Hagar used to be called Sarah’s slave-girl, she is now called Avraham’s slave-girl, just in case anyone doubted my conclusion about Avraham continuing a relationship with Hagar.  

2) It is so much better not to allow sin into your life than to be so broken up over all the little tragedies sin causes. Avraham knows he will be separated from his eldest son for the rest of his life, and he is in terrible pain over the loss.  God tells His friend to not torment himself over having to send Hagar and Ishmael away, because He has a plan to be a father to Ishmael Himself.   

3) “Listen to everything Sarah says to you’” means “Do” everything Sarah says. Avraham has to realize that his head is foggy with the effects of living in sin. He needs Sarah to be strong for him and help him get his life rooted in God again.  
 

Day Six: The Shema, Section Four - The Remembrance

Lord God, King of heaven and earth; creator, redeemer, merciful Father, the Holy one; the King who chose Yisrael as His particular people and gave His Torah that Yisrael might learn to walk uprightly in Covenant with Him and before Him and be a light to the nations:
 Ha Melech, Elohim, Your teachings are true and enduring; Your words are established forever; awesome and revered are they, eternally right; well-ordered are they; always acceptable. 

They are sweet, pleasant and precious; good, beautiful and beloved. True it is that Eternal God is our king; that the Rock of Ya'akov is our sheltering shield; He is our sustaining stronghold. He is eternal, and His glory is eternal. He is God for all generations. His sovereign throne is firmly established; His faithfulness endures forever.
His teachings are precious and abiding; they live forever --- for our ancestors, for us, for our offspring. For every generation of the people of Yisrael, His teachings are true, everlasting.   
True it is that You are the Lord, our God; even as You were the God of our ancestors; the God of Avraham, the God of Yitchak, the God of Ya’akov; our king and our ancestor’s King, our Redeemer and our ancestor’s redeemer; our creator, our victorious stronghold. You have always helped us and saved us. THERE IS NO GOD BUT YOU!
 
 You were always the help of our ancestors; a shield for them and their offspring; our deliverer in every generation. Though You abide in the pinnacle of the universe, Your just decrees extend to the ends of the earth. Happy, the one who obeys your mitzvot; who takes to heart the words of Your Torah. You are, in truth, Lord of Your people; our defender and mighty King. You are first and You are last. We have no king or redeemer but You.
 You rescued us from Mitzrayim; You redeemed us from the house of bondage.
 The firstborn of the Egyptians was slain; Your firstborn, were saved. You split the waters of the sea; the faithful You rescued; the wicked drowned. The waters engulfed Yisrael’s enemies. Not one of the arrogant remained alive; yet You lead Your people through the midst of the waters in safety and security.   
 Then Your beloved sang songs and Psalms; extolling You with praise and adoration they acclaimed God King; great and awesome source of all blessings; the ever-living God, exalted in majesty, who redeems the meek, helps the needy and answers His people’s call. Praises to God supreme; forever praised is He!
 Moshe and the people Israel sang with great joy this song to the Lord:
 Lord God, King of the universe; “who is like You among all that is worshiped; who is like You, Oh mighty King; Majestic in holiness; awesome in splendor; working wonders?”
 The redeemed sang a new song to You. They sang at the shore of the sea; acclaiming Your sovereignty: The Lord God, King of the universe “shall reign for all eternity!
 Amen and Amen
 Rock of Yisrael, rise to Yisrael’s defense. Fulfill Your promise to deliver Yehudah and Yisrael; for our redeemer is the Holy One of Yisrael; Adonai Tzva’ot is His name. [King of all creation]
 Baruch atta Adonai, Elohainu,  Melech ha Olam; redeemer of Your nation, Yisrael.