Christian Stories - Biblical Stories
After Abram had dwelt in the land of Canaan for ten years we find that his wife Sarai did not have any children she could call her own. It's during this time we find that Sarai begins to express her concerns to her husband Abram. "The Lord has kept me from having children," Sarai would tell her husband. This would be the main talking point that she would used to convince Abram to go along with her plan. "Go slept with my maidservant named Hagar, perhaps I can build a family through her," Sarai would ask of her husband. It would seem, that Abram was growing impatient as well? Being a man of great faith as he was, perhaps he was starting to doubt God? Because of this, his thought process could have been compromised -- causing him to think, that... perhaps the promised seed that God had foretold to him could come from Hagar instead of Sarai? After all, Sarai was in her advanced years, so maybe Hagar is the one that will bear the promise seed for Abram's household? So Abram agreed to Sarai's proposal and married the Egyptian maidservant Hagar and laid with her. That night Hagar would become pregnant with Abram's child. Soon after, Hagar's attitude towards Sarai would change for the worse. She would begin to despise and look down on Sarai. Being that she was barren and could not bring Abram an heir, Hagar began to boast that she was a better woman than her. In the meantime, Sarai becomes extremely upset and confronts Abram about Hagar's behavior towards her: "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows that she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me?" Abram would try to counter this argument: "Your servant is in your hands. Do with her whatever you think best," Abram would tell his angry wife. Sarai would begin to mistreat Hagar, so much so -- that the Egyptian maidservant would leave Abram's household. Hagar would venture out until she comes to a fresh water spring that she found in the desert beside a road that led to Shur, which was also known as -- The Wilderness of Shur. This name means wall or enclosure, which was a place that was used as an important part of Egyptian's defenses that helped protect their north-eastern borders. It would seem, that Hagar was on her back to her homeland and stopped at this fresh water spring to replenish and rest her pregnant body. While she was resting, an angel of the Lord would find her: "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" the angel would ask her. "I'm running away from my mistress," Hagar would tell the angel. "Go back to your mistress and submit to her and I will increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count. You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers," the angel would inform Hagar while reassuring her. "You are the God who sees me. I have now seen the One who sees me," Hagar would say as she dedicates the well she was resting by to the Lord. This well was located between Kadesh and Bered and from that day on would be called Beer Lahai Roi, which means -- "the well of him that liveth." Hagar would then head back to Abram's household and bear him his son in which they did name, Ishmael. Abram was eighty six years old when his first son was born. 01) Introduction of Abraham - Before He was Called 02) The Divine Calling of Abraham 04) The Strife between Abram and Lot 09) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 10) Abraham the Father of a Multitude 11) Sarah the Mother of Nations 13) Abraham Bargains for Sodom 14) Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed 15) The Judgment of Lot's Wife 17) Abimelech Angry with Abraham  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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