Day 5, Genesis 15-17

Abram (exalted father) became Abraham (father of multitude).

“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.”

-Genesis 17:5

Sarai became Sarah, (both mean princess).

“And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.”

-Genesis 17:15

Abram and Sarai wanted a child so badly that they were going to have their servant Hagar be a “surrogate.” I was surprised to read that Abram actually married her. Was he still married to Sarai? Could he have two wives?

And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her…Sarai, Abram’s wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived.”

-Genesis 16:2-3

When Hagar saw that she was pregnant, she looked at Sarai with contempt. Because she was able to give Abram a child? Well, that pissed Sarai off, because she was still her servant, sister-wife or not; and put that bitch back in her place. Hagar ran off, but met an angel of the Lord.

“And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call him Ishmael (God hears), because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

-Genesis 16:11-12

I do not understand the second part of this, but I like the description. “A wild donkey of a man.” So, he will be an ass? I’ve met many men I could describe this way!

Then, it got into Abraham’s circumcision covenant, yikes!

“You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.”

-Genesis 17:11

It is hard to believe this was the way to show an everlasting covenant. I understand the putting it “in your flesh” part, but there wasn’t anything else they could come up with? A tattoo, a brand, a scar of some sort?

To think that all men had to become circumcised right then is crazy. Faithful and loyal, but wild to think about. Eight days old or Abraham at ninety-nine years old were circumcised.

After God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, he said he would bless her and give them a son. Why not before, she gave her husband another woman to have a child with?

“Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.”

-Genesis 17:19

Today went a little better in terms of following the story. I have to understand that Abraham and Sarah are characters, and this is part of the overall picture I guess. So, what happened to Hagar I wonder?