Genesis 16-18

It is very easy to read the Old Testament, and the New Testament for that matter, and forget to put the characters in their respective historical periods. I can't help but think about the role of women in Abraham's time. I was saddened to read that when Sarah found out that she could not bear her husband a child, she allowed Abraham to take her maidservant, Hagar, as his wife. Sarah knew that in her society she was not a fit wife because she could not have children, let alone a son, and so because she was probably afraid that her husband would leave her, she allowed Abraham to sleep with another woman of a lower social status.

After Hagar became pregnant, she became proud and started to mistreat Sarah whom she was under. Sarah, of course, felt angry because Hagar had forgotten her role in the household and threw Hagar out of Abraham's household.

There is more, though. God in his compassion saw what befell Hagar, and made a promise to her and her offspring, Ishmael. God promised Ishmael that his descendants would be a great people. These people are, of course, the Muslims. I am convinced that God called forth the first leader of Islam. He heard Hagar's cry for mercy and showered his love on her and her offspring. Although we never hear anything about Ishmael ever again for the rest of Biblical history, let's remember that our Muslim brothers and sisters worship the same God.

(Tomorrow's reading is Genesis 19-22)

Genesis 10-12

In today's reading we read about the building of the Tower of Babel. From this account, we learn something very essential about our faith. Trust in God in all things, lest we think we can do everything ourselves and lose His favor. Here is God's response to the building of the Tower:

"The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they will do will be impossible for them' " (Genesis 11:6).

God did not want the ancient people to become proud and forget their God, and He knew that the success of building the Tower would convince these ancient people that anything was possible without the help of God. God is testing us. We must praise God in good times and in bad. Will we be ready to rely on Him when we attempt something, whether mundane or extraordinary?

There is a greater story though that has just begun: the story of Abram. Abram was old and yet he trusted God enough to leave his homeland for a place foreign to him: Haran. Abram and his family became Bedouins in a world so unsafe and harsh. From Haran, Abram and Sarai moved to Egypt when the famine at Haran was unbearable. There, Abram did not present himself in a righteous way before Pharoah. Abram allowed Pharaoh to marry Sarai. His explanation: Abram was afraid that Pharaoh would get so jealous of the former that he would kill Abram to take Sarai. Abram was certainly not blameless, but somehow this man was chosen to become the father of the great nation: Israel.

(Tomorrow's reading is Genesis 13-15)