2023-07-23 A Place of Seeing

2023-07-23

Sean. 8th Sunday of Sunmartide. Genesis 16 vv 1-16 Hager.

• Scripture can be complicated and messy, because the people are complicated & messy. Scripture is not about ideals: it's about reality
• What does faith look like in a God whose promises tarry too long?
• Is it fair to say Sarah's motivation is due to distrusting God?
  • She may be motivated to bring about the promised child. This was an acceptable way to establish a legitimate linage at the time.
  • Sarah's infertility was likely painful for her.
  • Sarah deserves our grace.
• Hager looked w/ contempt due to a change is dynamic.
  • Sarah Mistreated Hager as badly as the Israelites were treated in Egypt later.
• Hagar - 1st person to get angelic messenger in Scripture.
  • "Ishmael" God listens. God has listened to Hagar..
• Bad interpretation: Muslims us Jews. Remember Hebrew poetry - each line restates & builds on the previous.
  • "Wild Donkey" - Ishmael will be free, not a slave like Hagar
  • His hand free from everyone, everyone's hand free from him.
  • He will live in. the presence of all his kin.
• This makes Hagar's response which more reasonable.
• Hgar (uniquely) gives God a name: God of Seeing.
• Paralells between Abram & Hagar.
  • God's promise
  • Promise of descendants
  • Procure wife for child
  • Naming of place

This isn't a pretty text. Glosses over intertility and a slave is raped & abused.

Hope for victims. God still listens and sees victims. We too should listen and see victims. We are a part of redeeming all things