Genesis Chapter 21 Part 2

Shalom and welcome to via hafte yes Ryan a Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel we hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher dr. Baruch shares his expose Ettore teaching from the Bible dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zahra Avraham Institute based in Israel although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English to find out more about our work in Israel please visit us on the web at love Israel you are G that's one word love Israel dot o RG now here's Baruch with today's lesson it doesn't take too long of examining the scripture before one reaches the conclusion that God is a merciful God he is gracious secondly we know that God is not a respecter of people meaning he has no favorites now he calls certain the visuals for a unique a special task a unique calling but that calling which is given to that individual usually has broad implications that is it is to bless numerous people and we also know that God is a God of perfect for knowledge and he uses that for knowledge in order to choose perfectly and God always does well with that said take out your Bible and look with me to the book of Genesis chapter 21 the book of Genesis and chapter 21 now we begin that chapter last week and we're going to conclude it in this session and you might recall that Hagar and her son Ishmael they were banished they were cast out of Avraham house and the reason for this is to emphasize this covenant that God made with Abraham is through the child of promise one thing that we could say is that there a relationship between covenant and promise and specifically this promise is not through the child of the flesh not through doubt but rather this promise of the Covenant is based upon faith in order that God's purposes and not man's might be established last week because Hagar and Ishmael was cast out they went into the wilderness they had a provision of a jug of water now that word can also maybe be skins that contain water inside like there's wine skins their skins for water as well so they finished that water they were in that desert and Hagar reached despair she said her son Ishmael underneath a a a tree and there she assumed that he was going to die she went a little further in order that she did not have to look at this death and she began to weep and that was the last thing that we talked about that a hug our began to weep and now let's begin this week study chapter 21 the book of Genesis and now we're ready for verse 17 now even though that Hagar weeped notice what the scripture says and God heard the voice of the young man in other words he heard the sound of the voice of Ishmael now this is significant because you would expect because we were told at the end of verse 16 that it was Hagar that was crying she lifted up her voice in despair but God did not hear her the scripture says he heard yesh mal and why would that be the case because Hagar is suffering the consequences of her own sin remember when she began to to put herself over Sarah to want to replace her and become the preferred wife when Hagar was not a wife but she was a maidservant she was used on properly not according to God's will but nevertheless she was used in Sarah's faithlessness to try to fulfill God's promise in the flesh rather than according to the Word of God and Hagar exalted herself over and because of that in that same spirit went into her son we saw last week that he displayed some of that same characteristics but she is the source of it so as she is crying out God doesn't hear her he hears the son he hears Ishmael so God heard the voice of this young man and the angel of God called to Hagar now what are we learning here there's a principle and one of the things that needs to be emphasized is that the scripture is written inspired by the Holy Spirit and it is written down in a way to convey spiritual truth principles from the Word of God and here's what we learn now naturally we would think because it's Hagar that is crying that's what we are told that the angel would hear that voice but it did not the scripture says God heard the are this young man and here's the biblical truth it is by this child that was born that Hagar is going to find provision to find God's blessing to find life and it's trying to teach us a principle and that is through the son and this is a vital thing that we understand the scripture is laying a foundation it's hinting at a biblical principle it is through the Sun that one finds life it is because of his position that this woman is going to be saved and that is indeed an important biblical truth so we read that the angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens and he said unto her what literally is to you Hagar do not fear now here's another important principle fear biblically speaking is the opposite of faith so he's teaching her don't fear but rather be faithful and it's when we fear that we begin to operate in the flesh but when we exercise faith we are going to become the recipient of God's provision in our life so this principle here is being taught to us through Hagar and Ishmael and what is the reason for this well as we began earlier on God is not a respecter of people this same spiritual truth if it's applied and used by Abraham and Sarah with yet Scott it produces a result and likewise the same biblical truth if Hagar and Ishmael would utilize God's truth they would also find his provision his sustenance for life that's what the scripture is revealing to us so we find once more and this angel said to her what is to you Hagar do not fear for God has heard the voice of the young man now what do we find a repetition and when there's a repetition especially so close together we're we're told in the previous verse God heard the NA are the young man and now once more we find that same sentence being repeated it is for emphasis and to teach us to underscore a principle and that is a principle that we just learned she is benefitting from the Sun and the principle for us is as well we only find sustenance we only find that which gives life we only find blessing through the Sun we're unworthy God does not recognize us for who we are he recognizes us because of a relationship we have with the Sun that's what he's teaching here so verse verse 17 at the end for God heard the voice of the na r I want to talk a few minutes about this now normally a na R is a young man but that word is used many places in the scripture to denote to denote a very young child so because of other information we know at this time that Ishmael is a young man in his early teens so God heard the voice of Ishmael just as he is there which means in that present state now we learn another principle there was nothing that Ishmael did he was in his natural state but God according to his principles heard him because he wanted to reveal truth and he became a recipient it wasn't that in this case that Ishmael had some merit in and of himself but it was because God chose to favor him and God is free to do that he was not obligated he did not have to so we're seen in the end of this verse a description a definition of God's grace now verse 18 he speaks and once again the angel is speaking to Hegar and he says rise up take up this young man and and strengthen your hand upon him because he will be literally I will set him for joy Gadol a great nation now here again this is a example of God's favor Ishmael didn't deserve it he's not the child the promise but yet God in this passage is showing us how he desires to bliss how he delights in giving us what we don't deserve it is an outcome of mercy it's an outcome of grace it's an outcome of God manifesting his nature being a blessed God and once again what the Scriptures doing here is teaching us principles we're learning things about God and godly truth from the scripture well continue on verse 19 and God opened up the eyes literally her eyes and she looked and there was literally bare mind a well of water and she went and she filled up this this jar or skins and it says these skins of wine and she gave drink to this young man or Ishmael now she was thirsty but we see something we see now a sacrificial character she gave drink first and foremost to her son and this is an example of love so these principles that were seen here in this passage of Scripture about God being merciful Oh God extending favor God blessing God sustaining life all of those things why does he do it because he's of God of love he's a God that has a sacrificial love he gives not what we deserve but he gives according to his desire to to bless and we see Hegar demonstrating that at the end of of this verse look now to verse 20 and it came about that God was with this young man and he grew now God said that this young man was going to become a Gadol a great nation and what do we learn well we learned that he is growing he's becoming great literally it's the same Hebrew word the dull one is in the noun for now we are countering that same word in the verbal form and what is this to speak of God's faithfulness God says one thing and he's going to carry it out he is going to be a FULFILLER a promise he keeps his word now why is that important well it's important because we're going to move into another part of this chapter and the emphasis of this part of that chapter is covenant so it's vital that we see that God is a keeper of his word and because God keeps his word we can have faith in his covenant Allah promises we should want to have a covenant elationship with God so we read and God was with this young man he became great of a adel and he dwelt in the wilderness and he become a mighty archer now what we see here is a description of something that is natural he became not spiritually wise not a prophet not a discerner of spiritual truth but what it says is he became a mighty or a great Archer now why is it important well through the scripture we see that a kesh it is and that is in art a bow we see that that that is a term of a weapon or physical strength so when it says that he became a mighty archer he became great with the bow as another way that we could translate it it's speaking about his physical aspect and so when God says I'm gonna make him a great nation it's speaking about here the example is physically not necessarily spiritual why well what we find here is that God did not enter into a covenant with yesh mil and Hegar rather we find that the Covenant that God entered into was through Avraham and yet Scott Yaakov and the children of Israel so this is being discerned in this passage of Scripture so the promise that God made to issue was one of natural blessings not necessarily spiritual blessings say that's unfair no he can find those spiritual blessings but he has to find them in this covenant that God made through this promise of Isaac through that family not replacing this family and why do we know that it's a a blessing of the flesh in the physical well if we keep reading it becomes very clear look now to verse 21 and he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt now Egypt we've talked about this Egypt is synonymous with the world so the blessings that that he has for becoming this great nation is a worldly blessing not a spiritual one no the spiritual one is going to come from Avraham and now notice how the text goes back and there's a change beginning in verse 22 verse 22 and it came about at that time now that phrase is informative at what time at the time that this was going on so this phrase of ayah he be Etta he and it came about at that time is hermeneutical ii significant its kind these two things together that they worked together to reveal to clarify what God wants us to realize about what has just happened it gives us a proper tool for understanding it rightly verse 22 and it came about at that time that avi Mela said and behold who was his his ruler of his army his cabinet minister you might say his general to Avram so these men are speaking to Abraham and they're saying God is with you in all which you have done now here again in the same way that via he Beca he is a key hermeneutical aid to help us understand the right way of using this passage of Scripture this phrase that I just read in the text where avi Malik and pee-hole is saying God is with you big coal ash errata Assad and everything which you have done now this also helps us to understand that up until this time and everything that Avraham has done God has been with him now rabbinical commentaries will say with one exception and what is that when he took Hegar to be the the mother of his child that did not come from divine revelation that came from Sarah's mouth her insecurities and her faithlessness but when God spoke to a Fromme in every other situation he did so Avraham did so responded to him in obedience and that is further supported in the previous chapter where God says that Avraham was a prophet he was one who heard from him so God is with you they're saying we recognize that God is with you and everything that you have done verse 23 now swear to me in God here and he says you know do not lie to me now why would he say that well because avi Mela comes from a culture where deceit is a norm so he says you know don't deal falsely with me or my son or my grandson so he seizes has has the ongoing interpretation what is happening here is going to have long-term implications and avi Mela realizes it he says in verse 23 but according to your hesed grace or loving-kindness or mercy which I have done with you do with me and what was that well here's this loving kindness that we're speaking out that this word has it the moment that avi Malik realized who our ham was so he was a prophet of God that he was a servant of God that he was an instrument of God what did we learn in the previous chapter two weeks ago that avi Malik that he blessed offer huh he gave him cattle and flocks and wealth recognizing his call God's call on Avram's life so he says basically I understand God's choice of you referring to our homes covenant he recognizes that and he says you know I want you to deal kindly with me and what's this word kindly well it's the word yes it which says it's what God's provides in order that his covenant Allah promises might become a realization in someone's life that word can also be translated grace so avi Mela and this general of his pit hole they are asking for a good thing they want God's favor they want his blessings in their life and notice a response of Avraham Avinu it says well let's finish it up verse 23 says you know deal kindly as we have dealt kindly with you do also with me in the land which you have soldier now he just doesn't want for himself but he also wants for the land that avi Malik is is ruling over which Avraham is dwelling in verse 24 now and Avram said I swear he agrees why well he's got the character of God in his life it's in the same way that it's God's nature to bless Avraham is doing that same thing he's also blessing that's what Israel's supposed to do bless the nations so he swore but notice verse 25 he makes his agreement but there's kind of a condition and that is that Avraham argued or he reproved avi Miller concerning the well of water which his servants as servants of Abimelech stoled now this is important because it speaks about a person of land that avi Melek and what are we talking about here the Philistines that's the area of land that we're speaking of the Philistines are synonymous they're not the same people but they're related spiritually we'll see that when we get into chapter 26 of Genesis 2 the Palestinians of today and what we learn is that Avram says you know you're not going to find hesed from me you're not going to find God's blessings you're not going to be a recipient of his promises because of the land that you have stolen from me and notice his response of speaking about avi Melek verse 26 and avi Malik said I did not know who did this who has done this thing also you have not told this to me and also I had not heard about it until this day so he's saying I'm innocent I'm not behind this I'm not a stealer of land now he's the king of the people who did but what we find is this God is not against people in a general sense God doesn't say because you're from that country you are from that nation you speak that language you have that color skin he doesn't say because of that I'm against you no God deals many times with the individual and therefore avi Malik is saying I was not part of this I had no knowledge of that until this day verse 27 and Avraham he took a flock of sheep and cattle and he gave it to IV melih now what is the significance of this well as I said two weeks ago we saw that avi Mela what did he do he gave these things to our huh and what are we fine well when we bless the man of God now the purpose here of a man of God is he is a physical example of God so when when avi MELAS blessed Abraham his purpose was I want to bless God and in that same way when a person does that what's the purpose well the outcome and the purpose of that is God will bless you and that's what a firm does he blesses back avi Mela he sets flock of sheep and cattle he gives it to to AVI Malik and what was the outcome here's a real blessing and the two of them cut a covenant that is they made a covenant but the word literally is to cut a covenant because you can't say make a covenant in Hebrew you can only say cut a covenant and Avram stood seven sheep by themselves now this was for a testimony and avi Malik said to offer him what is here these seven sheep would you upset by themselves now it is example a physical testimony and that's what we're going to see for example if a a man is going to get married there is a ketubah a marriage document and the man will go with witnesses and they will put this ketubah this marriage document into force they will be signed by two witnesses but it's not valid it does not enter into force until when well usually the Rob will say here the covenant of marriage is being established through this agreement and do you agree he just doesn't say yes what does he do well usually he picks up something lifts it over his hand usually it's the pen that the two witnesses signed the ketubah with he picks up something as a physical visible testimony of agreement and this is what Avraham is doing here it's part of the culture so as a testimony he puts the seven sheep by themselves before avi medic and before himself and because of that he says here you know what are these seven sheep that you stand alone before us and verse 30 and he said because for these seven sheeps you will take from me in order that it shall be for a testimony that I have not what I would say rendered void this this well meaning that that this is mine I have not given it it belongs to me so the point is this in order for a family to enter into this covenant a blessing what does he have to do and this is so important he has to recognize recognize that land in this case the well belonging to Avraham it is only the recognition of the land belonging to Avraham that will allow this covenant to be also what also initiated for Evie Malik that he can be blessed by it verse 31 therefore they called the place that place bare Chava bare meaning well and Chava is oath now it's important because there was seven sheep place by themselves at this testimony seven has to do with purpose seven have to do with holiness and what we learn here is that all of this has to do with the purpose of God and the term bear shava or bear shave as it's sometimes called in modern Hebrew is the number seven so it's an oath but it's also a play on words because the word for oath and seven are related the same Hebrew root verse 32 in the second part and avi Malik he got up and also pee-hole this general and they returned to the land of the Philistines now they're in this place and the Philistines well if you read the Bible you know that the Philistines are the enemies of God people but avi Malik in the whole is an example of how two individuals can enter into a covenant not a different covenant but the same covenant that God made with Avraham that's what this second covenant speaks to that they are entering into a relationship with Avraham so the blessings of that Abrahamic covenant can be upon them divine covenant 'el promises look at verse 33 now this is very important because it says and he meaning Avraham but it says and he planted heschel now an issue a certain type of tree but we also need to realize that same word can be spoken of as a Torah scholar that is someone who studies and knows God's testimonies the Word of God so even though in a physical sense Avram planted a tree there we can also see that Avraham planted a Torah scholar someone who is in knowledge of of God's Word his principles his covenant 'el truth and notice what it says and Avraham literally and he planted a tree in bare shaiva and he called the name he called upon the name of the lord el meaning the god of the world or the eternal God now he is the eternal God but this word Olam can reference the fact that God wants the world to enter into this covenant 'el the same covenant and Avraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines and this is significant he dwelt there for many days why did he dwelt there for many days well this is what the rabbi's say he dwelt there many days because he planted that scholar a biblical scholar that's what the word means today it has two meanings a tree but or a biblical scholar and I've Rami stayed there many days in that location training disciple I'm building up someone who can share truth with that nation not a different truth not their own truth but the same truth that God revealed to our huh so again God is not a respecter persons this passage is a strong witness that God wants all people to find blessing but you don't find blessing in your own covenant separated from the Covenant that God made with Abraham this whole passage teaches us the uniqueness of God's covenant with Abraham and if we are not seed of Abraham then we are not going to have the blessing and ultimately there's that play on words because we are the seed of Abraham those who have faith in the seed of Abraham and the seed of Abraham according to Paul in Galatians 3:16 is Messiah so in the same way that we are blessed through the son we saw that principle established earlier it's the son if we have a connection with him just like ivy Malick was seeking a connection to Abraham if we have a connection with the son Messiah sure we are going to be brought into the Abrahamic covenant that's what this passage is treating us well I'll close with that until next week may God bless you may he teach you great truth through his word that you might obey and be a living testimony of God's truth Shalom from Israel well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of love Israel org again to find out more about us please visit our website love Israel not bow RG there you will find articles in numerous other lectures by Baruch these teachings are in video form may download them or watch them in streaming video until next week may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua that is Jesus as you walk with Him Shalom from Israel

Channel: LoveIsrael.org

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Keywords: Bible & Teaching, Creation, Israel, Missions & Ministry, Religion, Spiritual Growth, Education

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Length: 36min 23sec (2183 seconds)

Published: Mon May 07 2018