Amen. Okay, so Genesis chapter 16 now in our Genesis Bible study. Last week we were in
Genesis 15, Abram was told, if you remember after being right with God the
chapter before, to fear not that God is his shield and exceeding great reward. We
looked in quite depth at that. He then asked what's going to happen as his heir
is a servant because he had no children and God said that his heir will come
from his own bowels and his seed will be innumerable. He had faith in God and what
was a part prophecy of the eventual gospel as well, but he asked for God to
show him how he's going to inherit the land of Canaan, which was obviously full
of different tribes at this point wasn't it? So he's probably thinking how on earth
am I going to take over all this lot? I mean there's tribes everywhere. There was
then this interesting combination of sacrifices, divisions, protection from
fowls and then it was followed by a dream which for me was where God was
explaining the picture that he'd just kind of made of how Abram's seed will
inherit the land with captivity, the the exodus and their return to claim it. He
said it's in 400 years time because the the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
full and we looked at that as well that obviously he'd kind of been confederate
with some of them as well. They obviously weren't as bad as the rest of them, it
wasn't yet full but eventually they're going to be as wicked as everyone
surrounding them because that's what often happens isn't it? You get infected
by those around you. The chapter ended with God making that covenant with
Abram. It said in verse 18 of chapter 15, in the same day the Lord made a covenant
with Abram saying unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt
unto the great river, the river Euphrates, the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the
Kadmonites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaims and the
Amorites and the Canaanites and the Gergashites and the Jebusites and then
chapter 16 begins with verse 1 where it says now Sarah I, Abram's wife, bear him
thy children as she had an handmaid and an Egyptian whose name was Hagar. I'd
like to pray before we get started with this chapter. Father thank you for your
word, thank you for this chapter of the Bible which I'm about to preach from now
Lord. Help me to just preach fully your spirit please Lord, just strengthen me
help me to just preach what you want me to preach now and help me to just preach
boldly as well Lord and just clearly so everyone could just really take in what
your word saying to them. So at this point Sarah has been
barren a long time hasn't she? She has this Egyptian handmaid called Hagar and
remember that they were in Egypt at the end of chapter 12 so if you're thinking
how did that work out? Well they actually spent a long time in Egypt, they actually
got very wealthy in Egypt it seemed and there was added unto them animals all
these things and it I would imagine that's when they picked up Hagar as a
servant. Now the thing with that is we looked before at how you know some might
look at our goal look at all these blessings blessings of Abram but in fact
he was lying through his teeth while he's in Egypt and the wealthy accrued
actually ended up there was a lot of problems that came from that him and lot
obviously had the separation well you could argue as well that this is a
problem from that as well because what happens with Hagar now probably isn't
well it definitely is an ideal and we see we see more issues from from his
time in Egypt verse 2 it says and Sarah I said unto Abram behold now the Lord
has restrained me from bearing I pray thee go in unto unto my maid it may be
that I may obtain children by her and Abram hearken to the voice of Sarah I
now this is on the back of the previous chapter in verses 2 to 4 so back in
chapter 15 of verse 2 it said and Abram said and Abram said Lord God what will
thou give me seeing I go childless and the steward of my house is Eliezer of
Damascus and Abram said behold to me that I was given no seed and lo one born
in my house is mine heir and behold the word of the Lord came unto him saying
this shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels
shall be thine heir now Abram has been told by God that he will have an heir
but eventually Sarah I has become impatient now before we go get too harsh
with Sarah I here bear in mind that she's been without a child for a long
time hasn't she okay she's never had a child and this wasn't you know like
nowadays where it's all the rage okay so obviously you know it's not nowadays
well you know we live in a different age where people are kind of you know living
it up until they're about 40 and then you know then it's time for some drugs
to help them conceive and stuff well that's not the case here okay here you
know she's wanted a child that's kind of the natural instinct for most women
isn't it and she's not been able to have a child and she's got to a pretty ripe
age here already and it must be pretty heartbreaking for Sarah I have right
because I think often we can kind of skim over this and think like you
imagine what she must have gone through all that time this was a time when
people were having multiple multiple children and they're still living long
lives as well and she's unable to have children she doesn't understand why it's
not I mean I don't know how accurate is nowadays but I don't you know that I'd
doubt there was kind of they were going to doctors who was giving her so-called
reasons as to why she's probably just thinking what's going on here look but I
do believe that she was just aware of the promise to Abraham okay I don't
think that he kept that a secret wasn't a secret promise from God she's she's
the one that cracks first and starts trying to take it into her own hands
basically okay and this is a pretty harebrained scheme let's just make that
clear this isn't like a normal thing this is this is as kind of out there as
you can get can't you this is harebrained having children by another
woman to then claim children by her oh well it's my maid so it'll kind of be
like my child that's just this it's weird isn't it but like I said in Sarah
eyes defense she's likely been desperate for children think about the heart the
heartbreak and heartache every month that she's probably given up with now
the sadness the feelings of lack of worth all that stuff so that I you know
you've got to have sympathy for Sarah I here however Abraham or Abram at this
point shouldn't have hearkened to her should he okay he should not have
hearkened to her this was a bad move make no mistake about it this is a bad
move now I don't think it was quite on the level of pretending that they weren't
married and then having his wife taken off by Pharaoh the king of Egypt having
claimed that it's just his sister but it's probably it's not a long way off
either because this was just bound to cause loads of trouble and here's the
thing about the Bible everyone barring the Lord Jesus Christ is sinful aren't
they everyone's sinful and and one of the reasons it is just so real isn't it
the Bible because when you look at other holy books they're like these perfect
people but I don't know if you ever spoken to Muslims you try and claim that
Jesus just like all the other prophets they're all sinless they're all kind of
perfect to some degree they didn't sin and everything else well I don't know
since everyone's sinful and Abraham does some pretty whopping great sins here as
well doesn't it I mean massive sins I mean there's stuff with his wife before
and in this one as well because he the buck stops at him doesn't it okay he
should have said no this is a bad idea Sarah I you know I'm waiting for God's
will to be done here yet Abraham the sinful Abraham Abraham as we you know as
eventually he's called was called God's friend in the Bible he's faithful
Abraham he's known as but he still made mistakes and so will we okay and you
know obviously I've preached on this sort of stuff before and it needs
preach a lot because I think sometimes people can find it really hard to come
back from mistakes and we will often make errors and make mistakes and
obviously we talked about it a bit as well as that you know if people have
genuine repentance for genuine mistakes and they're not you know kind of
ridiculous where it's just clear as day what they are we you know we want to
also be able to forgive people as well don't we but um but you've got to be
able to forgive yourself to some degree as well don't you okay and understand
that look we're all gonna make mistakes in life we're gonna make errors the
questions how you how will you respond when you make the mistakes and no one's
beyond making gaffes and errors and everything else the the great Abraham
the friend of God you know the the faithful Abraham made some pretty
whopping great mistakes didn't he now I'm not trying to encourage people to
make mistakes however when you do it's how you respond he shouldn't have harken
to his wife as the stronger vessel the buck stops at him okay for me look she's
got she's has all the pressure and issues and everything that someone who's
been barren for that many years would have Abraham look don't get me wrong I'm
sure he had some heartache and some issues with it as well but let's be
honest it isn't the same is it it's not the same and he should have been
stronger here and he should have said no he should have said look we're not
doing this this sounds crazy this is gonna cause trouble this is gonna cause
problems down the line and ultimately as well we're going out of God's we're not
waiting for God we're not being patient here but there is also a lesson I want
to show you here as well for the ladies because this was a harebrained scheme
but don't miss how she asked her husband now we've seen that that she was very
she she was she obeyed her husband calling him Lord we we see spoken about
don't we I think it is in in first Peter isn't it well here it says it says and
Sarah I said unto Abram behold now the Lord has restrained me from bearing no
notice what she says here I pray thee I pray thee go in unto my maid it may be
that that I may obtain children by her and Abram hearken to the voice of Sarah
I there was no bossing around was there she didn't tell him what to do there
were no threats now this was a wrong thing but I just just a point here
because I think you know if I think if women understood this more they might
find them more success when they're requesting things you start trying to
try to boss your husband around he ain't gonna do it yeah most men are gonna be
like foot go straight down right however when it's I pray thee and it's requested
and things like that men are much more likely to respond even when it's as
harebrained as this now he shouldn't have done that okay I'm not trying to
say right come up with a really crazy idea and then you know as long as you
say I pray thee but notice it is a request isn't it because we see later
in about for example you could see Jezebel the wicked Jezebel just
commanding a hab what to do to go and basically set up you know to get the
vineyard and he sets up the two false witnesses she just gives him this list
of commands now he does still respond because they're just wicked reprobates
right however look for for normal men they don't respond to being bossed
around okay by their wives here she didn't she said I pray thee and it did
she did get the result although it was sadly a bad result now the thing is
however when they do do it the right way okay as men we still have to put our
feet down sometimes right and look and obviously you talk about as married men
here and you know and obviously we talk about that sometimes and not everyone
here is a married man or you know or at least a lady married to a man however
you know it's not always let's put it this way it's not always it's not always
the grass isn't always greener okay so for some of those ladies out there
sometimes have found this hard because of the brainwash and the conditioning
and well or because that women have we seen a Bible sometimes we would find it
hard yeah it's always good luck but having to put your foot down with things
can be a bit of a pain sometimes got it you know having to say no actually no
this is my will this is what we're doing can be difficult and it's easier to just
go along to get along Abraham here went along to get along I think and you know
who knows other reasons for it as well but that was a bad move and then they
both suffer because of that and by the way with that as well there is a good
measure measure for submissiveness I hear our pastor talk about this quite a
bit where he says just because you'll do the things that you agree with that
doesn't mean you're submissive submissiveness is when you do the things
you don't agree with is doing the things that you don't want to do is when you
submit to something which you're not already agreeing with right there's a
big difference there however here we see that that he gets it wrong Abram he
hearkens to her verse three says it's Sarah I Abrams 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 now back in chapter 12 verse 4 we were told
that Abram was 75 when he left Haran to go into Canaan so here he's now 85 with
Sarah I 75 don't forget that Abrams fathered Tyra just if you're looking at
that going what on earth yeah I mean poor old Hagar poor you know Sarah I no
wonder you know she's given up well Abrams father Tyra died at 205 years old
okay so we're talking sort of over double the kind of ages here and Abraham
dies at 175 Sarah because that's what they're eventually called lived until
127 so it's not the same as now okay yeah they're clearly in the latter years
of childbearing and everything else right another ten years later by the
way after the promises and is where we're at now and you can see why she's
doubting and trying to do things her own way can't you she got they got these
promises originally ten years ago it's ten years down the line she's 75 thinking
what on earth is gonna go on and and you could even if you halved it and I don't
you know I don't want to just I don't really know how it worked yeah but I do
know that people were bearing children well into their hundreds and hundreds
and hundreds pre-flood and even after that Noah lived a long time and people
the the ages started getting less and less but say you just halved it and you
were like okay well she's kind of 37 38 years old she's never had a child you
can understand I think it's not gonna happen yeah okay however she's 75 years
so it's a long time of that as well so she's doubting and we often try to do
things our way don't we but here's the thing is how do we know when it's God's
way or our way then so how do we know because you could argue that she was
thinking well look God promised a seed from Abraham he didn't say from Sarah I
maybe this is God's will maybe this is what we need to do because it's just not
working out perhaps we're doing God's will here well the way we judge because
often many people have questions in life and wonder is it God's will or not it's
by the word of God isn't it okay are we contradicting clear scripture because
when we are it's definitely not God's will okay if many Christians around the
world would understand that it would probably save them a lot of heartache
wouldn't it however much we try and tell ourselves it is God's will and many
people try and do that don't know turn to Genesis chapter 2 now with Abram and
Sarah I hear although Psalm 119 of verse 89 tells us forever o Lord thy word is
settled in heaven your turn to Genesis 2 but Psalm 119 89 forever o Lord thy
word is settled in heaven legit the book of Genesis hadn't been physically
written at this point on earth right however they did have direct access to
God don't forget that who said in Genesis 2 24 therefore shall a man leave
his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be
one flesh so God made that clear now I don't know exactly how it worked whether
things were passed down orally until Moses wrote them or it was full just
obviously he was inspired I don't know how far that went you know but we do
know that Jesus quotes it in the Gospels when asked about divorce and many of
these men married multiple wives okay the the the twelve tribes of Israel came
from four different wives by the way but you won't see God command it once in the
Bible he never commands it once in the Bible it always causes trouble and here
it causes trouble because some people like to go oh well you know so do you
believe that you should have multiple why you believe the Old Testament do you
what about polygamy and things like that well did God ever did God ever command
that no we've just seen he commanded the exact opposite in Genesis chapter 2 of
verse 24 that they too should be one flesh one flesh so it does cause trouble
here it causes trouble the the first example of polygamy is actually in
Genesis 4 and again if I'm wrong on this let me know but this is what I
believe the first polygamous lamech who happens to be a murderer too so the
first example of someone taking an extra wife is lamech right at the end of
chapter 4 and he ends up being being at least a single if not depending on how
you read it a multiple murderer and then he's boasting about the fact that God's
gonna you know if anyone tries to take him out God will avenge him you know
multiple times you know 70 times seven or whatever he says or 70 times so
really look that's not a good example of a polygamist is it okay the first guy
for me is a reprobate Abram and Sarah I go out of God's will and could have
asked him though couldn't they so you're thinking well well they didn't know
Genesis to can they have just asked God I mean he seems to be able to have
conversations with God he's calling out to him he's talking to him he's asked
him when God said this so they could you go well you know maybe it's only
when God's talk to him why did he wait for God to talk to him and then ask him
he could have just asked him and here's the thing if you apply it to us here's
some application here how often do we go out of God's will when we could have
just asked him when we could have just asked him and we go outside of his will
because we don't ask him and when I say ask him what am I referred to opening up
our Bibles so many big decisions in life and people it's like what I prayed about
you heard people say that a lot we will love that one I've prayed about it yeah
okay what was the answer you got because if you didn't read the Bible you didn't
get an answer oh no I didn't get a small still voice saying no this sort of stuff
people believe don't they now God will talk to you through the Word of God
you're gonna whisper in your ear the answer you by all means pray yeah pray
about it and then see what he says by reading the Bible and sometimes you
might have to search right something you might have to look it up but God wants
you to know the answers doesn't it but so many people go well I prayed
about it however they haven't actually waited to hear what God's got to say so
they're doing all the talking apart and he's not and on this subject that we're
looking at how many try and justify divorce so many people try and justify
divorce don't know and again look you know I always want to say this because
again what's happened before is what's happened before but so many Christians
so many Christians who are saved who who are saved and you know and claim to
believe the Bible and everything else will then try and justify an actual
divorce coming up we'll try and give reasons for why divorce is okay Matthew
532 says but I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife saving
for the cause of fornication causes her to commit adultery whosoever shall marry
her that his divorce committeth adultery I mean the Bible's clear about that
isn't it clear as day how many are justifying the new job a hundreds and
miles from a decent church with rotted on Sundays and Wednesdays these people
are everywhere aren't they well yeah but I think it is it God's will God I just
don't know if it's your will for me to move to the other side of the country
and take this job even though Matthew 6 33 says but seek ye first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you put him
first and you'll get the right job put the job first and it ain't gonna work
out in fact Hebrews 10 24 again you have turned to these a famous
scriptures says and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of summies
but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching
yet again how many people try and find ways well I think it's God's I don't
know if it's God's will that I take this extra job on a Wednesday night or I take
this so I do it's not God's will me yeah and you don't really need me to
tell you that or you don't need whoever else you just need to open your Bible
because he does want he does talk to us doesn't he here they could have asked
him but so often we could ask him as well here's another one how many are
justifying the latest sinful Netflix series you know I had a guy on the door
trying to convince me I have to watch what was it it's some biblical Netflix
series what's it anyone know the name the chosen or there's something is it
chosen something like this this guy's going you gotta watch it it's really
it's made me think more about you know it's doing a good thing it's made me
think more about God okay can I show you the gospel now I don't have time it's
not better but I'm definitely thinking about God isn't that a good thing look
at the fruits of it yeah but you're still unsaved if you still believe it
works salvation you know and and but again how many will try and justify all
sorts of stuff the Netflix series the latest synagogue of Satan movie how many
single and maybe not not just see I'm trying to bigger see how many people
try and justify pornography to some degree and all this sort of stuff well
you know well you know it's not fornication or it's not whatever yet
some hundred one of us fee says I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I
hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me and again
they're just easy they're obvious ones aren't they yeah they're probably some
of the most common stuff aren't they and they're just clear obvious verses that
people will hear preach you could probably Google these verses if you
really needed to Google will even give you the answer yet they seriously but
yeah so many won't ask God will they and here they should have asked God
shouldn't they they should have asked God all you have to do is ask and you
know why people don't ask because they've already made their mind up okay
and how often will people under if you ever had this where people come to you
for so-called counsel however they've already made their mind up and really
they just want you to affirm their decision and if you don't do it it makes
no difference cuz they never really want to counsel they just wanted you to agree
with them and then if you don't I'm not interested even if shown clearly from
the Word of God and but we do just have to ask them when we ask we've got to
make sure therefore that we're open to the response you know from the Word of
God you know well Abram Sarah I didn't ask in verse 3 says in Sarah I Abrams
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 so there
was some sort of official giving in marriage by the way here it didn't say
he just lay with her did it okay she gave her to her husband Abram to be his
wife she was given to be his wife that's not saying it's okay it was still a
disaster but just to make that clear cuz there are those out there try and
basically say that there's no such thing as marriage you know in the Bible no
there's a difference between being given to be their wife or going in until
whatever else the euphemisms in the Bible okay verse 4 says that he went in
unto Hagar but he's just been given to be his wife she's just been given to be
his wife and she conceived and when she saw that she had conceived her mistress
was despised in her eyes so this is how I see this is as soon as she now has a
child the motherly instinct kicks in now okay she now sees Sarah I as
competition for her husband for the father of a child she probably envies
her position as Abrams first choice as well the fact that she's in charge that
she's had made yet she has a baby of the boss and it's just created this massive
issue now hasn't it she's straight away as soon as she knows she has this baby
she's basically despising the competition in her life for Abrams
affection everything else and that was kind of for me that was pretty obvious
that was gonna happen wasn't it that's what I believe I I know you get these
weird situations out there with people I get surrogate mums and things like that
we ever heard the stories where they do this and then you know then it comes to
the birth time and then they kind of they cut out of the deal whatever deal
it is we're like these rich people pay someone to like have a baby carry a
baby for them and then when it comes to the crunch that I don't want to give my
baby up and that's pretty obvious isn't it a weird thing to do but people do
this stuff here they've done that she now her mistress was despised the
mistress being because remember she's had made and not a mistress so the
mistress being Sarah I is despised in the eyes of Hagar here and Sarah I said
unto Abram my wrong be upon thee I've given my maid into thy bosom and when
she saw that she had conceived I was despised in her eyes this is what she's
saying to Abram here the Lord judge between me and Lee no I think she's
saying I've messed up here for both of us she now hates me it kind of feels
like she's giving up to like she's going to leave Abram to it she's got a lot of
judge between me and me type thing like you know whoever he wants to kind of be
with here because that the whole thing's just a mess now I can't really live this
sort of life now with this second wife here that's why for me that we see a
but in the next verse verse six it says but having she's just said that I've
given my maid in thy bosom when she saw that she conceived I was despised in her eyes the Lord judge
between me and thee but Abram said unto Sarah I behold my maid is in thy hand so
you say look even I've married her she's still your maid you're still the boss
you're still my wife you're still my number one wife basically do to her as
it pleases thee and when Sarah I dealt hardly with her she fled from her face
so that's for me what he's just saying look she's still your maid I'm not going
to leave you now because I've got this woman and this and and this baby you
deal with her as you fulfill the need to deal with her right so Sarah I seem
shows her who's boss and she likes it okay she likes it after that I mean
again you can imagine all the emotions going on all the issues all the problems
you can imagine how she feels how you gonna you can imagine how Sarah I feels
what an absolute mess and it says in verse 7 so she's she's like it says and
the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness by
the fountain in the way to Shur she's really liked it okay well now sure is on
the way to Egypt it's sure itself is well over 100 miles from Canaan okay but
according to or at least from central Canaan okay if you were like and before
we saw they weren't a long way from Jerusalem obviously Melchizedek came who
was a king of Salem etc but called a versatile team we don't know where
they've traveled in between that it did say wherefore the world was called be a
la hey Roy behold it is between Kadesh and Birad so she's basically right in
the kind of south of Israel going into the desert between Israel and Egypt at
this point and and the you know she's clearly gone a long distance she's
really meaning it and she's just I mean where's she going she's she's pregnant
she's off into the wilderness on foot I'd imagine and and now this is a first
time though in the Bible that we come across an angel as well no the sons of
God weren't angels in case anyone's kind of miss that and they've still kind of
got images of you know strange giant creatures with wings or something else
okay so an angel is a messenger and can vary in scripture as to what sort of
messenger it's referring to okay so it can refer to to a regular person now if
you turn to us turn a second Samuel 19 see an example of this so it varies okay
and it's kind of one of those one of those situations like many things in the
Bible where the translators it's not their job to tell us what they think it
is it's something that we work out what sort of messenger it is right what sort
of angel it is it could refer to a regular person second Samuel 19 and
verse 27 so 2nd Samuel 1927 Mephibosheth refers to David as an angel when
explaining how he's deceived by servants this is on the return after you know the
whole Absalom affair and Mephibosheth he says this in verse 27 and he have
slandered thy servant unto my Lord the King but my Lord the King is an angel of
God do therefore what is good in thine eyes so here he's describing he's
describing David as an angel of God now you could also argue because David is a
picture of the coming Christ but however it's still talking to a person as the
angel of God okay that's how he's describing him a messenger of God
basically turn to Galatians chapter 4 now it most often refers to a
supernatural spirit okay and I don't think we need to go to many verses to
show that the angel Gabriel being one of many obvious examples you know there are
many many in in scripture but but here in Galatians 4 where you're turning we
also see the word used to refer to the Lord Jesus Christ Galatians 4 Paul says
to the Galatians from verse 12 Galatians 4 and verse 12 brethren I beseech you be
as I am for I am as you are you have not injured me at all you know how through
infirmity of the flesh I preach the gospel unto you at the first and my
temptation which was in my flesh you despise not nor rejected but received me
as an angel of God even as Christ Jesus so for me he's saying as an angel of God
even as Christ Jesus kind of being an example of an angel of God a messenger
of God obviously Jesus Christ is God but he is also a hundred percent man as well
and he's a messenger of God at the same time and in scripture an angel being a
messenger of God could also be referring to the Lord as we see right and we're
gonna see this in a minute and you could say some would say perhaps any of the
Trinity and I you know I heard an opinion the other day which you know is
an interesting one you turn to Exodus 13 by the way well you turn to Exodus 13
I'm gonna just read to you from Exodus chapter 3 and verse 2 where there's the
opinion that the burning bush could possibly be an example of God the
Father with a Exodus 3 2 says and the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a
flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked to behold the bush burned
with fire and the bush was not consumed you could see why that would be the case
right and I know he looked at the bush but I don't know if he looked at his
face or how that worked Exodus 13 where you turn says this is another example
verse 20 Exodus 13 20 says and they took their journey from Sukkoth and encamped
in Eitham in the edge of the wilderness and verse 21 says and the Lord went
before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night
in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night so who went
before them the Lord yeah in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire he took
not away the pillar of the cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from
before the people but now turn over to chapter 14 of Exodus in verse 19 where
it says and the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel removed and
went behind them and the pillar of the cloud went from before their faces stood
behind them and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and a camp of Israel
and it was a cloud of darkness then but it gave light by night to these so that
one came not near the other all the night so it seems like it's been
referred to as the angel of God now so again it's the Lord but it's an angel of
God so in Exodus 13 21 it was the Lord Exodus 14 19 an angel of God you could
say it's because now you could say some would say well it's because the angel of
God represents God in a kind of thus saith the Lord sort of way but I don't
think so I think we're gonna see more examples as we go forward in in Genesis
as well I think because the angel of God sometimes is God okay often in the
person of a pre-incarnate Jesus Christ and back in Genesis 16 we're gonna see
the first mention of an angel and first mentions are important aren't they to
get an idea of this Genesis 16 of verse 7 says and the angel of the Lord found
her by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to
sure and he said Hagar Sarah eyes made whence came a sow with a wilt thou go and
she said I flee from the face of my mistress Sarah I and the angel of the
Lord said unto her return to thy mistress and submit thyself under her
hands and the angel of the Lord said unto her I I will multiply thy seed
exceedingly that it shall not be number for multitude in the angel Lord said
unto her behold thou art with child and shall bear a son shall call his name
Ishmael because the Lord hath heard thy affliction Ishmael by the way means God
hears verse 12 says and he will be a wild man his hand will be against every
man and every man's hand against him and he should dwell in the presence of all
his brethren and she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her thou God
seest me for she said have I also here looked after him that seeth me
wherefore the world was called bear lay hey Roy behold it is between Kadesh and
be read now beer beer la hey Roy means the well of him that liveth and seeth me
so for me this is Jesus Christ in the Old Testament how do I know it's Jesus
Christ she said that she looked after him and in Exodus 33 20 where Moses
asked see God's glory said thou canst not see my face for there shall no man
see me and live I think she's just seen a pre incarnate Jesus Christ here now
what else happened here other than Hagar seen Jesus Christ okay that for me is
the first mention of the angel of the Lord here and we see that it actually
seems to be the Lord Jesus Christ coming as a messenger of God in verse 7 says
and the angel of the Lord so back to verse 7 the angel of the Lord found her
by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to sure so
we've just seen that the angel of the Lord for me is a pre-incarnate Jesus
Christ and this for me is a picture of salvation okay where's he see her the
angel of the Lord founded by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the
fountain in the way to sure now turn there John 4 14 says but whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never first but the water that
I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life you go what's your point here well the Old Testament is full of little
pictures and glimpses of Jesus Christ the gospel and many other things okay in
Genesis 3 if you remember we made them coats of skins a picture of the
sacrifice yeah in Genesis 4 he required an animal sacrifice instead of the work
of men's hands yeah when it came to Abel as opposed to Cain's work of men's hands
in Genesis 7 he said to Noah come into the ark a picture of salvation in
Genesis 11 we saw a picture of the end times if you remember as well with with
what happened at Babel in Genesis 12 and 13 there's a gospel being preached to
Abraham in sort of slightly pretty cryptic ways in Genesis 14 Melchizedek
turns up with bread and wine which is represented the body and blood of Jesus
Christ and then in Genesis 15 we saw the prophecy of the Exodus with the
picture and the divisions of all the animal sacrifice and then it explained
in the dream and then here you've got Hagar fleeing and ending up at a well
that's called a fountain for a reason it's a well and it's making a point of
being called a fountain verse 7 says the angel Lord founded by a fountain of
water in the wilderness by the fountain the way to show revelation 21 6 says
that he said unto me it is done I am alpha and Omega the beginning and the
end I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of
life freely look he comes the first time we see him clear as day explained as the
angel of the Lord and we see with a little bit of study that it's Jesus
Christ he comes and he's basically at a fountain of water with her okay just a
small picture glimpse for me of salvation verse 8 says and he said Hagar
Sarah is made whence came a sow and whither wilt thou go and she said I flee
from the face of my mistress Sarah I remember that she's under the employ of
Abram and Sarah I so if we're looking at this little small picture glimpse here
of the gospel she is a picture of a sinner isn't she look she's she's just
fled from her from her mistress that's that's a sin okay that's that's a crime
really as well I mean they look when they had like these kind of servants and
things like that a lot of time they pay a large amount of money at the beginning
they're basically like buying them to be in service for them they put they're
training them up they put time and effort into them it's not like oh yeah
well yeah I've given my notice in I was only on a week's notice that's not how
it works you know these people are basically employed and live with them
and here that's what that's what she is she's basically running away from that
she's basically the pic you know for me a picture of a sinner sinner here but he
does forgive her doesn't he now like I said she's he meets her at the fountain
of water in the wilderness now Jesus Christ is talking to her he's saying
well where'd you come from where are you gonna go and I think he's just saying
like what are you doing you know what are you doing but he then tells her to
return and now that for me obviously here now and I like I said this is a
picture it's a glimpse of the gospel we got clear salvation verses which are
very clear but however after that and you could argue after you get saved
after you meet the Lord Jesus Christ I'll put your faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ look he does want you to live right doesn't he he wants you to live
it's not gonna get you say but he wants you to live right and here he tells her
to return now he says okay right it's time to return he said in verse 9 it
says in verse 9 the angel Lord said unto her return to thy mistress and submit
thyself under her hands and look we're all to submit to the authorities in our
lives aren't we okay that that's a clear teaching in the Bible you don't have to
send their first Peter to 18 says servants be subject to your masters with
all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the forward so even
if she's dealt harshly with her and by the way Jesus Christ doesn't change okay
that was our well that's a New Testament now now in the Old Testament as well God
expects people to work as unto the Lord okay God people expected people to work
hard to be good employees etc many laws we see for that don't we in the Old
Testament as well and and here we see in the New Testament him saying basically
look you should be working hard even if it's for a dodgy boss and maybe you know
that was a dodgy situation poor Hagar got into there however she should be
going back and still doing the right thing and the honest thing and working
hard and and being subject to her master and the angel of the Lord said unto I
will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude
so this is Ishmael going on to multiply and the angel of the Lord said unto her
behold thou art with child and shalt bear a son and shall call his name Ishmael
because the Lord hath heard thy flexion now Ishmael means God hears and he will
be a wild man his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against
him and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren which seems to be
referring to all of his sons and their and their families Genesis 25 if you
flick forward speaks of his sons and eventual death so in Genesis chapter 25
we're going to look from verse 13 where it says and these are the names of the
sons of Ishmael by their names according to their generations the firstborn of
Ishmael Nebuchadnezzar and Kedar and Adbil and Mipsam and Mishma and Duma and
Mesa, Hadar and Timur, Jeter and Naphish and Kedemah these are the sons of Ishmael
and these are their names by their towns and by their castles twelve princes
according to their nations and these are the years of the life of Ishmael and
hundred and thirty and seven years and he gave up the ghost who died who was
gathered unto his people and they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before
Egypt that we've just spoken about as our goest toward Assyria and he died in
the presence of all his brethren so basically what I see from that is that
they were a pretty tight-knit group that were quite concentrated at that time
although they seemed to spread out later and that's what he's saying here
in verse 12 back in verse 12 there we just saw in verse 18 it said and he died
in the presence of all his brethren that mean that they everyone was there while
he died I don't think that's necessarily what it's saying I think it's saying
that they were pretty close together all of his kind of the tribes that came from
him it said in verse 12 and he'll be a wild man his hand will be against every
man every man sound against him he shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren I think it's just saying that they'll all be kind of pretty close to
together at this point they didn't make leagues or mix with others now I think
they go on to what people think is they're going to be like many Arabic
tribes and Bedouin I think they call them came from Ishmael you know and
the Muslims think that they've all come from Ishmael and Muhammad came from
Ishmael which isn't a very good advertisement for poor old Ishmael is it
can you imagine that one of the like most famous nonces in all of history
however here you know for me it just seems like they're quite like a
close-knit group these kind of Arabs that went out from from there as we know
him today so there's a verse 13 and she called the name of the Lord that spake
unto her back where we are verse verse 13 of chapter 16 of Genesis thou God
sears me for she said have I also here looked after him that seared me so like
I said for me this is the Lord Jesus Christ isn't it she's looked upon him
he's come and spoken to her we've seen that picture for me of salvation as well
we you know the end he's described as the angel of the Lord and you know
that's one of those things when you go through the Bible you could try to work
out well is that an angel as we kind of would traditionally call it is that
Jesus Christ is it a person for example you know to the to the angels of the
seven churches in Revelation which are most likely actual probably pastors
they're messengers of God yeah preaching the Word of God and yeah it's
one of those things you kind of work out as you go through it anyway it then says
in verse 14 wherefore the world was called be la hey Roy behold it is
between Kadesh and beer ed now I think I told you what what that's apparently
mean means a well of him that liveth and seeeth me and then verse 15 says in
Hagar bear Abram a son now look at this bit and Abram called his son's name
which Hagar bear Ishmael so he named him didn't he but she said sorry the
angel of the Lord said to her to name him Ishmael and Abram called his son's
name Ishmael so I'm guessing that she relayed what had happened to Abram and
for whatever reason maybe because she said look I saw the Lord yeah and the
Lord said this and at least Abrams kind of getting things right again here
like I said at the beginning of the sermon we're all gonna make mistakes
right but now he could have gone right I'm gonna know go ahead I'll call him
what I want it's mine now mine and Sarah's now and you can do one you know
but instead no you know Abram at least kind of harken to what God had relayed
through her it seems like he's trying to get things right again after this point
and it's all about how we respond right you're gonna make mistakes you're gonna
make errors you're gonna kind of mess up now and again hopefully never as bad as
maybe you will right in hopefully in different ways into that you know
because that's a pretty messed up situation however what are you gonna do
after that you're gonna get right here he Abram called his son's name which
Hagar bear Ishmael and Abram was four score and six years old when Hagar bear
Ishmael to Abraham now that's 86 years old and you can understand what they
were getting a bit you know wondering what was going on there and yeah that's
that's Genesis chapter 16 that's what my take on that it's a bit of a shorter
chapter we're finishing a little bit earlier tonight but yeah you know we'll
have a long one I'm sure next week or the week after so on that we're gonna
finish up in the word of prayer only father thank you for your word thank you
for well you know the just a clear teacher give us out of out of your word
that the clearer things such as a gospel such as salvation I mean that they're
just clear as day Lord but help us help us also to you know to be able to study
and get to the bottom of those you know more complicated passages the pictures
in the Old Testament and some of the other harder passages help us to kind of
want to want to just learn those things help us to be able to learn those things
it all comes from the Holy Spirit Lord and where we get things wrong Lord help
us to just be put right by you to not be too stubborn to accept those things
especially self as a preacher and and just others others in the church as well
going forward Lord help help just help us now to think about the message you've
given us and probably the main message for us to take home is to you know is to
not go against your will Lord against your clear teachings your word and to
ask you when we need to know what your will is in our life and something that
Abram and Sarah I didn't do and and sadly reaped the repercussions of that
but they should be an example to us Lord to help us not make the same mistakes
help us to remember those things help us to have a great second half of the week
and to be able to all just just be well and healthy and able to return on Sunday
for for another day and a full day there in your house in Jesus' name I pray all this
Amen