Some of our decisions have little impact on others. But some decisions we make effect many generations. Abram’s decision to have a child with Hagar had a global impact that is still having a major effect today. Here is how it all started…
Genesis 16: Sarai and Hagar
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.
4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.
5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!"
6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.
8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai."
9 The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her."
10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."
11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction.
12 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."
13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me."
14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 17: Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly."
3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,
4 "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 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.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."
9 And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.
14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
Isaac's Birth Promised
15 And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"
19 God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."
22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.
27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Things to think about…
1. Where did Abram get the Egyptian slave Hagar I wonder, Gen 16:1. You guessed it – when he had fled from the Lord’s provision and went to Egypt to escape the drought in Canaan. A decision that would be made by later generations who would ultimately have to flee from Pharoah under Moses. Our past has a nasty habit of sprouting undesirable consequences in the future if it is not regulated by God’s word.
2. The Lord spoke directly to Hagar through an angel regarding Ishmael, Gen 16:7-13. Note that he would live alongside his brothers and that he would be a ‘wild donkey of a man’. Without any intention to be racist, I think this is true – the Arab nations in the middle east have been the source of conflict between each other and towards Israel. These nations display an outworking of this original character of Ishmael and his line. Note that he would also be blessed Gen 16:10. Pray that the Lord has many true sons of Abraham among the Arabs today that they will be called sons of the living God through Christ. I met many godly Arab men and women in Israel and know that the Lord is using them mightily to extend the gospel to those who speak Arabic.
3. God’s commission to Abram is the same for us, Gen 17:1 “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless.”
4. Look at the significance of the name changes – this surrounds the covenant and future blessing of Abram and Sarai’s children. Sarai means ‘princely’ was changed to Sarah which means ‘princess’. Abram means ‘honoured father’ to Abraham ‘father of many nations’. These names were prophetic and significant to their roles for the future blessing among the nations, Sarah was the princess to the father of many nations. When we named our sons, we prayed that the Lord would allow them to embrace the significance of their names. We of course are named among the children of Christ. But one day we will be given new names that will have significance in our eternal home, Rev 2:17.
5. We know circumcision is not required today to mark out the children of God, Gen 17:10-14. Tragically, some Muslim countries practise female circumcision as well. This of course is the most horrific abuse on baby girls. Pray the gospel affects these countries that are still ruled by Ishmael who continue in this wild donkey madness, Gen 16:12.
6. Remember Abraham also laughed, Gen 17:17. The word for Isaac is ‘laughter’. We often associate laughter with Sarah (in the next chapter), but they both laughed and doubted God. Have you ever wondered who the 12 nations ‘twelve princes’, Gen 17:20 were that would come from Ishmael? They are listed in I Chronicles 1:29-33. "And these are their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael." These people inhabit modern day Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, etc. Pray for these nations and the gospel in these lands.
7. The covenant with Abraham would come through Isaac, not Ishmael. Gen 17:21 “But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year." The ultimate fulfilment is through Yeshua – Jesus the One who achieves the covenant promises through His blood. Yet there are promises in Christ for the land and the people of Israel as we have confirmed right through the scriptures, Ezekiel 26, 36, 47, Zech 12-14, Matt 24, Rom 9-12, Acts 1:7, etc. Israel will be a united land under Christ’s rule, Rev 20, 22.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer points
1. The gospel to challenge and change Australia and Australian politics
2. Pray for peace as Iran and Ukraine.
3. Pray for the church in Australia to rise up and preach the entire truth of scripture.
4. Nigeria must be delivered from Fulani jihadists. Pray for those poor Christians – the widows and orphans.
5. Pray for the Sacred Minds podcast and our online ministry
6. Pray for One for Israel and their witness in this time of challenge and conflict.
7. Pray for the church in Australia that it focuses on Christ, His Word and holiness.
8. Pray for our leaders in Australia that they press in closer to Christ.
9. The Royal Commission that the Jewish people will feel safe in Australia.
10. Pray for new people to step into ministries at CBC – eg worship, café, Kids@church, sound/technical, giving, podcast.
11. Reform and Revival over our city and country.
12. Finances to cover our needs
13. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Pray for the ministry of the word that went out on Sunday. Thankyou Graham our beloved elder.
2. Doug and Joanne have another granddaughter. Praise the Lord for new life
3. Praise God for the new visitors on Sunday.
4. Praise the Lord for our children and grandchildren 😊.
5. Praise God for ministries – Life Groups, Prayer meetings, Kids@Church, Worship, Technical, administration
6. Café team every week. Thankyou to all those who serve and bring food. Especially Fiona, Maddie and Suzy and those who supply it every week Eg Ros - Milk.
7. Worship, Admin and Technical teams – Peter, Nita, Brendon, AJ, Suzy, Maddie, Mathys, Doug.
8. Kids Church teachers – Jacqueline, Maddie, Elise, and Fiona
9. The Lord’s faithfulness this year to CBC and all who have served in ministries
10. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Prayer meeting – Wed 5:30pm.
2. Creation International Ministry – Dr Michael Thompson 16th August 6pm.
3. Book launch at Chuwar Baptist - Lyle Shelton, Dave Pellowe, Matthew Littlefield will speak. 6:30pm Tues 25th August. Time for Q&A.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for August...
Q. 4. How can you glorify God? A. By loving him and doing what he commands.
