Story 11: Ish'ma-el's Birth And The Visit Of Angels To Ab'ram ll

   The visit of the angel was seen by Ha'gar as a special providence of God, and she accepted his message as the voice of God. She believed all that he told her, and the place where the angel appeared to her was afterwards called: " The well of the living one who sees me."
   Ha'gar returned to the home of Ab'ram, and hereafter showed proper respect for Sa'rai. In due time she gave birth to a son, whom she named Ish'ma-el as commanded by the Heavenly messenger. From Ish'ma-el there descended a people who became noted for their numbers and strength, and whom we shall learn more in later chapters. Thus did God permit an alien in the house of faith to rise from the lowly place of a bondservant. As a wife of the man whose name was soon changed to mean "father of a multitude," she had a part in founding one of the largest groups of the human family.
   For thirteen years after the birth of Ish'ma-el Ha'gar remains in Ab'ram's home, caring for her son, and helping her mistress Sa'rai. They were filled with doubts and fears for Ab'ram and Sa'rai, but they remained faithful to God; making no further effort to interfere with God's fulfillment of the promise for a son of their very own. God then appears to His servant, talks with him face to face, and again assures him that Sar'ai shall give birth to a son who shall be the true heir to the promised heritage of Canaan. The Covenant was renewed and enlarged, with the rite of circumcision prescribed for Ab'ram and all male children descending from him. His name was changed from Ab'ram to A'bra-ham, which means "father of a multitude." The name of his wife Sa'rai was changed to Sa'rah, which means "princess."

Story 11: Ish'ma-el's Birth And The Visit Of Angels To Ab'ram l

   As Ab'ram grew older without seeing the fulfillment of God's promise to give him a son he became very impatient, and was greatly disturbed by the thought of dying without leaving descendants. Instead of asking the will of God, as he had done before, Ab'ram talked the matter over with his wife Sa'rai, who was now well advanced in years beyond the usual period of childbearing, and who felt very deeply her disappointment in not having a son. Her heart, like that of Ab'ram, had grown sore with hope deferred. They did not doubt God, but instead of awaiting His appointed time and way they sought means of their own for securing a son. They rebelled, not against God, but against a providence which seemed unbearable.
   Ab'ram and Sa'rai then took advantage of a custom that was often used in their time. Men frequently had more than one wife, and wives taken after the first were known as concubines. It often happened that when a man and his wife had been childless for many years the wife herself would suggest that a concubine bear children for her, and this is what Sa'rai did. There was in the household an Egyptian woman named Ha'gar, who was Sa'rai's maid. At Sa'rai's request Ab'ram took her as a concubine, and she gave birth to a son whom they named Ish'ma-el.
   In passing judgment upon this act of Ab'ram and Sa'rai, one should not be too severe. Their faith was great, but it wavered under the heavy trials placed upon it; in their human weakness Ab'ram and Sa'rai fell short of absolute perfection. They did not think it unwise or wrong to aid God in carrying out a promise which was impossible to fulfill in the usual course of nature, and therefore, did what seemed best under the circumstances. Their deed, however, brought great unhappiness to their home, and resulted in trials that were even harder to bear.
   By the raising of Ha'gar from a bondservant to the position of a wife, her relation to Ab'ram's family was greatly changed. Even before her son was born she became proud and self-satisfied, despising the very person who had made it possible for her rise. Sa'rai, who had suggested the entire matter, was now filled with envy for the honor which Ha'gar would soon enjoy as the mother of Ab'ram's son, and felt more keenly than ever the disappointment of her own childlessness. She complained bitterly to her husband, blaming him for her unhappiness. Ab'ram refused to quarrel with her, merely telling her to do as she wished with Ha'gar. The jealousy between Sa'rai and Ha'gar increased day by day, and Sa'rai began to treat her former maid harshly, no doubt making life miserable for the entire household.
   At last Ha'gar decided to flee into the wilderness rather than endure the ill treatment of Sa'rai. Forgetting that she had been chosen to bear a son for Ab'ram, Ha'gar fled from the unhappy home and started back toward her native land. As she stopped by a fountain of water on the roadside an angel of God appeared to her, addressing her by name and asking why she was there, and where she was going. These questions were not merely to learn what the angel already knew, but to show God's care for Ha'gar and His interest in the solving of her problems. When Ha'gar told the angel of her wish to escape from Sa'rai, she was ordered to return to Ab'ram's home and do whatever Sa'rai commanded her. She was also told that God knew all about her troubles, and would protect and prosper her. The angel told her that she would bear a son who is called Ish'ma-el, meaning "God hath heard." He was to be strong and fierce, the founder of a tribe that no one could overcome.

Story 10: God's Wonderful Promise To Ab'ram ll

   Although Ab'ram and his wife had reached so great an age that it seemed impossible for God to perform the miracle of giving them a son, Ab'ram did not lose hope. Believing with all his heart that God would do what seemed to be impossible in order to keep His promise, Ab'ram accepted the word of God without question. His faith rose into heroic vigor, and for it he was accounted righteous before the Lord.
   The Lord took Ab'ram into full confidence concerning the future of his offspring; in symbolic language He revealed the future slavery of the children of Is'ra-el in E'gypt, their return to the land of Canaan, and their growth into the great nation through which the Sav'ior should be given to the world. All the promises which God had given before were now summarized and made binding in a Holy Covenant. Included in this Covenant were the following promises: the gift of a son, the future greatness of the people descended from him, and final possession of the promised land. In return for these blessings Ab'ram promised to serve God faithfully for all his days upon earth. Of Ab'ram in that hour it may be said:
               "Majesty, combined with meekness,
                  righteousness and peace unite,
               To ensure those blessed conquests,
                  his possession and full right;
                     ride triumphant,
               decked in robes of purest light."

Story 10: God's Wonderful Promise To Ab'ram l

   After Ab'ram had been blessed by Mel-chiz'e-dek, and had given to this priest of God a tenth of all his possessions, the Lord appeared to him in a special vision. Of the many remarkable conversations between God and His servant Ab'ram the most wonderful now took place. The opening words were spoken by God: "Fear not, Ab'ram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."
   Ab'ram then laid bare to his heart before the Lord, complaining that no blessing which the Lord might bestow upon him could make up for the fact that he had no child of his own through whom the promises which God had already made could be fulfilled. Up to this time Ab'ram and Sa'rai had not been blessed with children, and the only heir of Ab'ram's household was a servant named E-li-e'zer, who was a foreigner from Da-mas'cus. Under these conditions it was hard for Ab'ram to see how the Lord could keep His promise of making a great nation of his descendants. Because he truly loved the Lord, and had perfect faith in His power and justice, Ab'ram was willing to trust himself completely to His mercy,
   The Lord then told Ab'ram that he should have a son of his very own, through whom His promises should be fulfilled. That night He took Ab'ram out of his tent and told him to gaze at the countless stars in the Heavens. Then he was told that the number and glory of his descendants should be like unto the multitudes of bright, shining stars upon which his eyes looked in wonder, and which no man could count. Before this meeting with God, Ab'ram had been told that his offspring should be as innumerable as the sands of the sea and the dust of the ground. From now on, whether Ab'ram looked down toward the ground, or out upon the shores of the sea, or up into the Heavens he would always be reminded of the vast number of descendants to be given him by the Lord.

Story 9: The Parting Of Lot And Ab'ram ll

   The choice proved to be very unfortunate for Lot, though he had only himself to blame. It was a choice determined solely by material gain and worldly advantages, guided entirely by worldly wisdom, and devoid of all spiritual sensitivity. The dangers to his moral and spiritual welfare were completely overlooked in his inordinate desire for riches and fame. He purchased worldly prosperity at a fearful cost; for it nourished his selfishness and pride, exposed him to the contagion of evil associates, and deprived him of the benefits of religious ordinances.
   Lot no doubt thought that he was doing a clever thing in apparently taking advantage of his uncle, but his fancied shrewdness resulted in his own undoing. Instead of overreaching Ab'ram, he overreached himself; in the lust for worldly gains he suffered immeasurable spiritual loss. No doubt his worldly goods were increased, but in the sight of God he became a spiritual pauper.
   There was no altar to the true God in Sod'om, and Lot was too much embarrassed by the sinfulness of his surroundings to erect one. Though Lot may have been vexed in his better moments by the vileness of the people of Sod'om and Go-mor'rah, he failed to protest against the proud luxury and idleness which vaunted itself on every side. He appears to have avoided the grosser immoralities of Sod'om, but his wife and a number of his children became fatally entangled. Some of his daughters married men of Sod'om, and in their lack of faith declined to leave the city when its destruction was announced by the messengers of God. Lot's wife lost her life during the flight from the city because she paused to look back upon the worldliness to which her heart had become attached. Lot and his two daughters who escaped the destruction of Sod'om and Go-mor'rah were later guilty of shameful deeds which brought disgrace to his name and a curse upon his descendants.

Story 9: The Parting Of Lot And Ab'ram l

   Ab'ram and Lot were prosperous before they went into E'gypt, and when they returned to Ca'naan they were rich in cattle, silver, and gold. In the vicinity of Bethel, where Ab'ram again built an altar and worshiped God, the shepherds of these two kinsmen searched the hill country for sufficient pasturage to feed their greatly increased flocks and herds. Some of the land was occupied by herdsmen of the native people, so the servants of Ab'ram and Lot found difficulty in securing grass for their sheep and cattle. Quarrels and contention arose between the two groups of herdsmen, and when Ab'ram learned of the unhappy situation he said to Lot:
   "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."
   In these generous words Ab'ram displayed the spirit of true meekness and recognized the obligations of kinship. Rather than permit another to be injured he was willing to yield his own rights and privileges, even to suffer loss. The grasping, assertive spirit so common among other men in similar circumstances was wholly lacking; his conduct was marked by generosity and self-denial, and by a spirit of true humility. As the elder, more prominent of the partners, and as Lot's uncle and benefactor he had the right to choose his part of the country first, but he yielded the privilege to Lot. He could have claimed the entire country for himself, or selected the best parts of it, but he deferred to Lot's preference, taking the land which Lot had refused.
   From the vantage point afforded by the high hills around Bethel, where Ab'ram and Lot resided, one could look eastward toward the Jor'dan, beholding a beautiful plain, fertile and covered with luxuriant vegetation. Beyond the plain and within the immediate vicinity of the Jor'dan, perhaps on what now constitutes a part of the bed of the northern end of the Dead Sea, stood the wealthy and wicked cities of Sod'om and Go-mor'rah. The fame of this area for beauty and fertility was comparable to that of the Garden of Ed'en or the valley of the Nile in E'gypt. No crust of salt, volcanic action, or curse from God had yet blasted its verdure, or wrecked the civilization of the Phoenician settlements which had developed into these two great cities. All that here takes place was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sod'om and Go-mor'rah, and the country was wholly unlike the present barren waste.
   Lot was attracted by the fertility of this plain, and impressed also by the commercial advantages offered by the two great cities. Disregarding the moral contamination and spiritual disaster that might result from contact with immoral neighbors, he chose the plains for himself. Going down from the mountains where God was known and worshiped, Lot took all his possessions and "pitched his tent toward Sod'om." He did not settle within either of the wicked cities at first, but gradually moved closer and closer, becoming more and more involved in their low standards of morality and gross paganism.

Story 8: The Divine Call Of Abraham ll

   The Lord appeared to Ab'ram in Ha'ran and directed him once again to take his family and all his possessions and resume the journey to the distant land of promise. God then blessed Ab'ram, assuring him that his family would become a great people; the entire land would be given to his descendants, from whom there was to spring a great nation. Though the blessing was given to Ab'ram, all the families of the earth were to be blessed through his future generations.
   Ab'ram did not grasp the full meaning of these promises, nor did he know the course which was to bring him at last to the promised land, but he promptly obeyed the voice of God. Accompanied by his nephew Lot and all the servants gathered in Ha'ran, Ab'ram started at once on the long journey. Over the plains, and hills, and mountains they journeyed with all their possessions, not knowing where the journey would lead, but safely guided by Divine Providence.
   Ab'ram's journey began at his native city of Ur, going up the river Eu-phra'tes more than five hundred miles to the mountainous region of Mes-o-po-ta'mia, and then turning southwest from Ha'ran, with lofty ranges of mountains on the west, and the great desert to the east. The travelers crossed many rivers and hills, passing through narrow valleys for another five hundred miles until they entered the narrow strip of country between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. This country was then known as Ca'naan, now called Pal'es-tine, and is appropriately named the Holy Land because of its historic identity with true religion and the birth of the Sav'ior.
   Upon reaching the land of Ca'naan, Ab'ram passed well into the center of the territory, setting up his tent under an oak tree on a plain not far from the city of She'chem. Here the Lord appeared to him and renewed the promise to give this land to him and his descendants. Ab'ram built an altar, offered sacrifices unto the Lord, and worshiped Him. He then moved to a mountain east of Bethel, to the south of She'chem, and once again built an altar and worshiped God. He loved the Lord, believed His promises, and faithfully served Him wherever he stopped, even when surrounded by heathens.