Genesis 15:19 - 16:7

S.    Genesis 15:19 - The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

1.     Kenites – קיני Qeyniy, "smiths" derived from Cain קין Qayin, "possession" and the first son of Eve, first murderer

a.      Here we have literally the “sons of Cain”

b.      Any significance to them being named first?

c.      “Thy seed” of Genesis 3:15 somehow made it through the flood, how?

·        Most likely one of the wives of Noah’s sons, likely Ham’s wife

2.     Kenizzites – קנזי Qĕnizziy, "descendant of Kenaz", Kenaz was Esau’s grandson, was there an earlier Kenaz or is this God speaking of future inhabitants?  Caleb, one of the 2 faithful spies, was a Kenizzite, but his mother must have been of Judah.

a.      Numbers 32:12 - Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

b.      Numbers 13:6 - Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

3.     Kadmonites - "easterners"

T.     Genesis 15:20 - And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

1.     Hittites – חתי Chittiy, "descendant of Heth", the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan

2.     Perizzites – פרזי Pĕrizziy, "belonging to a village" derived from paraz meaning chieftain, leader, warrior

3.     Rephaims – See chapter 14

U.    Genesis 15:21 - And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

1.     Amorites – אמרי 'Emoriy, "a sayer"

2.     Canaanites – כנעני Kĕna`aniy, "zealous"

3.     Girgashites – גרגשי Girgashiy, "dwelling on a clayey soil"

4.     Jebusites – יבוסי Yĕbuwciy, "descendants of Jebus" descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem

5.     10 in number of peoples

I.                The Birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-16)

A.    Genesis 16:1 – Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name [was] Hagar.

1.     Hagar - הגר Hagar, "flight"

2.     The Book of Jasher claims that Hagar was actually one of the daughters of Pharaoh, given to Sarai as a handmaid. 

3.     Regardless, Hagar was most likely added to Abram’s household during his trip to Egypt

B.     Genesis 16:2 – And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

1.     This is an indication of how much the fact that she was unable to bare children was weighing on her, for what wife would suggest such a thing to her husband.

2.     The custom of those days allowed in a case of this sort that the wife give her maid to her husband as a secondary wife in the hope that the new union would be blessed with offspring, which offsping would then be promptly adopted by the mistress.  H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis

3.     “be that I may obtain children by her” - to be built up

4.     Was Sarai’s action justified? This was the cultural norm, not directly given the promise that God had given Abram

5.     Was Abram’s action justified? Should have known better as he was given the promise directly

6.     Parallels between Adam and Eve; Abram and Sarai were the woman offers the man an option that the man should have known better, yet chose the path of sin.

7.     This mindset is wholly dependant upon logic and zero dependence upon the promise.  This shows a major weakness of not just Abram but many men:

a.      Abram was able to stand firm on the promise of God when it came to the material things that Bera, king of Sodom offered

b.      Abram may have been able to trust God with respect to the offspring God promised; but

c.      When sexual temptation was introduced Abram offered no resistance and went along with the suggestion quite readily

C.    Genesis 16:3 – And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

1.     Given to be his wife, not a concubine

2.     Notice Sarai gave Hagar to Abram as Eve gave the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil to Adam

D.    Genesis 16:4 – And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

1.     Hagar elevated herself

E.     Genesis 16:5 – And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong [be] upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

1.     Sarai is blaming Abram for allowing Hagar’s behavior to continue to foment

2.     Leupold translates: “The Sarai said to Abram: the wrong done to me is your fault.  I gave my maid into your arms, and when she saw that she had conceived, I became lightly esteemed in her eyes.  May Yahweh judge between me and thee.”

a.      Sarai blames Abram for doing what she had suggested

b.      Luther supposes that she is charging Abram with certain preferences and honors as the reason for her arrogance

F.     Genesis 16:6 – But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid [is] in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

1.     Abram is suggesting a solution to the problem

2.     Hagar was in the wrong

3.     Abram surrendered authority to the appropriate jurisdiction, that being Sarai as the mistress over the maid

G.    Genesis 16:7 – And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

1.     Angel - מלאך mal'ak, messenger, representative … angel 111, messenger 98, ambassadors 4

2.     The Angel of the Lord – the first of 58 occurrences in scripture (49 Old testament 9 New Testament).  Some of the more notable:

a.      Exodus 3:2 - And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed.

b.      Judges 6:12 - And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him (Gideon), and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

c.      II Kings 1:15 - And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

d.      Matthew 1:20 - But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

3.     This Angel of the Lord is clearly identified as superior to other angels by the authors of the Old Testament. First occurrence.

a.      He explicitly identifies Himself with the Lord

b.      Those to whom He is revealed recognize Him as divine, (he does not refrain from their exaltation)

c.      Authors refer to Him as the Lord

d.      A plurality of persons is implied

4.     fountain - עין `ayin, 1) eye, 2) spring, fountain (occurs 888 times in the Old Testament)

5.     Shur - שור Shuwr, "wall", a place southwest of Palestine on the eastern border or within the border of Egypt; the Israelites passed through the wilderness of Shur after crossing the Red Sea

a.      She was most likely fleeing to her homeland of Egypt