Once Hagar discovered that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. How awful Sarah must have felt. Realising it was her own fault, she hated what she herself had suggested. After complaining to Abraham, she so mistreated Hagar that the slave girl ran away. God had a plan!
This chapter is an encouraging one where we read that God told the Israelites that He could see the mess they were in. And He had plans to change their situation. We can take this same promise for ourselves today. And for our families, our areas, and for our nations.
Yahweh-Jireh meaning "The Lord will provide", is the name used for God in this verse. The situation is an extremely difficult one. Certainly one which none of us would want to find ourselves in. God was testing Abraham to see if he really did trust Him with all his heart.
God really is Lord over everything. Adonai is the Greek word used in this verse. And the supremacy of God is what Paul was telling his readers in the Roman church. The reason Jesus came to earth was to make known to us God as Father and supreme Lord: Adonai.
When God used the name El Shaddai while talking to Abram, He also promised Abram (later Abraham) that he would be the father of many nations. That looked somewhat impossible at the time because he was already 99, and had been married to Sarah for many years without her conceiving.
We look this month at who God is according to The Bible. We will reflect on just a few of the different descriptions in some of the names that The Bible gives Him. As we go through, the month, take some time to ask yourself who God is for you.
What a good message these verses give us to end this study! Of course the whole Bible is important. Many verses can surprise us or shout at us at different stages of life or in difficult situations. We should read it with our hearts open to intervention from Holy Spirit.
Since we had Sunday opening more or less right across the world there are less and less people taking a sabbath rest and many of them are wondering why they are not healthy, or are over tired. These recommendations were designed to help keep us healthy, both physically and spiritually.
Even today, it is good for us all to remember that obeying His commands will bless not only us, but the lives of our children and their children as well throughout many generations! The opposite works too. The sins that God hates have an effect on several generations following us.
The first mention of Saul, who became Paul, is at the stoning of Stephen; one of the first followers of Jesus. Just two chapters later we read of the conversion of Saul. Saul had believed that he was doing God a favour by putting to death those who followed Christ.
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