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Daily Bible Study
Genesis 16:12-14
Lesson # Genesis 16:12-14
Study Material - Genesis 16:12-14
You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
Gen. 16:12-14
12 'And he will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers.' 13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, 'Thou art a God who sees'; for she said, 'Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?' 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
Hagar will have a son and he will be a wild ass of a man. He will be rude and boastful, contentious and constantly provoking antaganism. This is his sin - he will constantly be against man.
The result is that mankind will constantly be against him. His will be his punishment. This is life in the jungle. Constant pressure, no security, always someone or something that might take what you have even your life. There is no tranquility in the jungle, no security, no future, even for the strong. For one day even the strong will become weak and yet another 'strong' person will rise up to take whatever he wishes without concern for those from whom he takes.
Ishmael is representative of those who are born and live outside of the covenant of God. We are all born outside of that covenant. We are all born spiritually dead. But to those who choose a new life, then through faith in Christ, or in Abram's time, through the promised savior to come, the Son of God, then there is a rebirth, and a new covenant which is that of God. Life as a believer in Christ and then the potential of spiritual growth to maturity, depending on ones daily study choices of course.
Ishmael was conceived in sin, and will be born in sin. As we all are from that point in life we are trapped an have no hope of escape by our own efforts. Man cannot solve his own problems. Man cannot solve the issue of sin and death. They will always be with us until the end of human history. And the end of human history is something that God controls, not mankind.
Hagar, near the end of the conversation, finally recognizes who is talking to her. But she makes reference to her suffering, not her sin. God sees my suffering, my affliction. This seeing is in reference to her plight mentioned back in verse 8. Where are you going? Where have you come from?
David had a different attitude, 'Thou seest my sin and folly.' 'I have sinned before thee, in thy sight'
'Thou seest my sorrow and affliction;' is Hagar's attitude.. David recognized his weakness and looked to the solution, while Hagar looks to her personal suffering as a result of someone else's actions. She is self centered, disregarding her own participation in the events of her life.
She names this place, Beer-lahai-roi, the well of Him that lives and sees me. Its location is given as between Kadesh, 'sanctuary, but in an idolatry sense', and Bered, 'hail', a place of turmoil.
Hagar rests and finds water and refreshment in the midst of trouble. The sanctuary is not really a sanctuary, but a place of false hope, a place where fools are fooled over and over again. The true sanctuary lies within the camp of Abram, and that sanctuary is Bible doctrine. It is potential, never automatic. The true sanctuary demands our attention on a regular and daily study basis before it will become real to our lives. As with any place of residence, you can either reside within that sanctuary or drift away from it. Your attitude toward Bible doctrine and daily study determines where you will be.
Ishmael will choose to reject God. He will live apart from God and at the mercy of the jungle. Regardless of this choice, God still has some grace available for unbelievers. We think of that grace in terms of the establishment principles - volition, marriage, family, nation, free enterprise, military preparedness, authority, and so forth. These are the concepts that protect the human race, even in the jungle.
The ultimate grace is that Gods plan through faith in the savior, can reclaim man from this jungle to civilize him, to educate him, to teach wisdom, to promote self worth through spiritual growth. In the jungle there is nothing to look forward to, for it all is lost in the end.
Only in the spiritual life is there hope, confidence and blessing beyond your dreams, but compliance to Gods commands are mandatory, never arbitrary, never optional.
Now is the time to post a prayer.
End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
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