Lesson date: 13/29/5854AA

Verse 1-2 – We are not told what time of year it was but it was the appointed time spoken of in Ber. 18:14. We have proof of this in verse 1 with the word ‘visited’ (H853). Visited = H6485 – פָּקַד – pâqad – paw-kad’ – A primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.: – appoint. Tehillah/Psalm “What is man that You remember him? And the son of man that You visit him?”

Tehillah 106:4 “Remember me, O יהוה , in the acceptance of Your people; visit me with Your deliverance”

One more verse about visit, this one for the B’rit Hadasha: Kěpha Aleph 2:11-12 “Beloved ones, I appeal to you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts which battle against the life, 12 having your behaviour among the gentiles good so that when they speak against you as evil-doers, let them, by observing your good works, esteem Elohim in a day of visitation.”

Do you see what is being said here? By our keeping the appointed times, the commands and right rulings of Elohim, when people criticize us for doing so, it will bring praise upon YHVH. “Don’t they realize the Yeshu’a (Jesus) did away with all that at the cross? Do they think they are saved by works instead of grace?

Pro 28:4  Those who forsake the Torah praise the wrong, Those who guard the Torah strive with them.

Verse 3 – Imagine being 100 years old and having a son that has been promised to you for the last 25 years. Of course Abraham was happy and that is why he called the boy Yitshaq – laughing. ((Or was it because of Sarah’s laughing in the tent when the angel of YHVH came to them and told them of the child’s birth?

Psa 2:4  He who is sitting in the heavens laughs, יהוה mocks at them.

Psa 2:5  Then He speaks to them in His wrath, And troubles them in His rage, saying,

Psa 2:6  “But I, I have set My Sovereign on Tsiyon, My set-apart mountain.”

Psa 2:7  “I inscribe for a law: יהוה has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have brought You forth.

The word used for laughs is the root word for Yitshaq – H7832 – שָׂחַק – śâchaq – saw-khak’ – A primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction);

See also the similarities between Yitshaq and Yeshua?

Verse 4 – Being faithful to the covenant made with YHVH, Abraham cicumcised Yitshaq when he was eight days old.

Verses 5-7 – Sarah recalls how she laughed when the Messenger of Elohim told Abraham that Sarah would have a child and she laughed in her heart. She is now saying “Look who’s laughing now.” or, “I get the last laugh.”

Verse 8-11 –  There is a lot of debate about how old Yitshaq was at the age of weaning. I believe that he was probably about 12 or 13 years old, the age when a boy was considered a young man but not a man of 20 or older. It does not just refer to nursing as having ceased but rather it represents the fact that Yitshaq now responsibilites within the household or camp. Coloquially, it would have been about the time of his “bar Mitsvah”. However old Yitshaq was, remember Yishmael is thirteen years older.

Now, compare what Sarah says in verse 10 and what she said in Ber. 16:2.

Verse 12-13 – YHVH intervenes for Yishma’el safety and reminds Abraham that Yishma’el will also be a great nation. Remember his description in Ber. 16:12.

Verses 14-16 – People use these verses to prove that Yishma’el was much younger than 20 years of age because it refers to him as a boy and the word  “placed” indicates that Hagar must in some way have set him down. The word for “boy” or “child” is H3206 – yeled – which can mean “a young man”. The idea of “placing” the child could simply have been the command of Hagar, “Here, you sit here under this bush”, I’m going to walk over there and pray.

Verses 17-20 – We see that YHVH hears Yisha’el’s voice not Hagar’s, and comes to his aid. We also see that there was a well of water that had been hidden for her and that in calling out YHVH unveiled her eyes so that she could see the well.

The boy is growing up in the wilderness and becomes an archer: Jer 16:16  “See, I am sending for many fishermen,” declares יהוה, “and they shall fish them. And after that I shall send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

We want to be fished, not hunted! Mat 4:19  And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I shall make you fishers of men.”

Mar 1:17  And יהושע said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I shall make you become fishers of men.”

Verse 21 – Yishama’el grew up in the Wilderness of Paran, where the Children of Yisra’el will be tested many years later. Hagar took an Egyptian woman for Yishma’el. Remember, at this time the Kingdom of Egypt stretches all the way to the Euphrates River. I believe this woman was probably a noble woman or from a well to do family.

Verses 22-24 – We are not given the backstory until verse 25 but Abimelek and his commander of the army come to Abraham asking for a covenant.

Zec 8:22  ‘And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek יהוה of hosts in Yerushalayim, and to pray before יהוה.’

Zec 8:23  “Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all languages of the nations take hold, yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man, a Yehuḏite, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.” ’ ”

Verses 25-31 –  In asking for a covenant we see it revealed that Abimelek’s men had taken over the well of Be’ersheba.

The symbolism used in these verses of Scripture is really exciting. Be’ersheba, the well of the oath is located in the southern portion of Judah just before the Negev(b) near the River of Egypt, Wadi el ‘arish. Look at the word for “oath” H7650 – שָׁבַע – shâba‛ – shaw-bah’ – A primitive root; properly to be complete, but used only as a denominative from H7651; to seven oneself, that is, swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times):

Be’ersheba is not quite half way between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean coast, being slightly closer to the Dead Sea.

In verse 32 we see that Abimelek and Pikol return to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines were a naval power and rarely ventured inland very far, unless of course there were rivers for them to use to navigate their ships on. The Philistines appear to have come for Crete and may have been what was left of the Minoan Empire after it was destroyed when the volcano of Thera erupted sending a tidal wave over much of the island of Crete, destroying the Minoan civilization. By this verse we see that Abimelek and Pikol lived closer to the coast than where Abraham is located.

Verses 33-34 – And Abraham called upon the Everlasting El,  Everlasting Ěl – אֵּל עוֹלָם – Ěl Olam!and he planted a tamarisk tree. Planting a tree was also indicative of an oath but a tamarisk is an amazingly hardy tree. In can survive very salty ground water and will even deposit salt on its leaves so that the next time it rains the salt is washed away. But, by doing so, it is increasing the salinity of the salt which will prevent competition from other plants.

Ahavah,

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Lesson date: 05/28/5858AA

Verse 1-2 – We are not told what time of year it was but it was the appointed time spoken of in Ber. 18:14 and, it is just a guess, but I would say that it was probably Spring and also probably Pesach. We have proof of this in verse 1 with the word ‘visited’ (H853). Visited = H6485 – פָּקַד – pâqad – paw-kad’ – A primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.: – appoint. Tehillah/Psalm “What is man that You remember him? And the son of man that You visit him?”

Tehillah 106:4 “Remember me, O יהוה , in the acceptance of Your people; visit me with Your deliverance”

One more verse about visit, this one for the B’rit Hadasha: Kěpha Aleph 2:11-12 “Beloved ones, I appeal to you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts which battle against the life, 12 having your behaviour among the gentiles good so that when they speak against you as evil-doers, let them, by observing your good works, esteem Elohim in a day of visitation.”

Do you see what is being said here? By our keeping the appointed times, the commands and right rulings of Elohim, when people criticize us for doing so, it will bring praise upon YHVH. “Don’t they realize that Yeshu’a (Jesus) did away with all that at the cross? Do they think they are saved by works instead of grace?

Pro 28:4  Those who forsake the Torah praise the wrong, Those who guard the Torah strive with them.

Verse 3 – Imagine being 100 years old and having a son that has been promised to you for the last 25 years. Of course Abraham was happy and that is why he called the boy Yitshaq – laughing. ((Or was it because of Sarah’s laughing in the tent when the angel of YHVH came to them and told them of the child’s birth? Truly I think it was because of Sarah being joyous that she gave birth and was nursing  her new son. And in Verse 6 we see that she invites others who hear about it to laugh with her.

Psa 2:4  He who is sitting in the heavens laughs, יהוה mocks at them.

Psa 2:5  Then He speaks to them in His wrath, And troubles them in His rage, saying,

Psa 2:6  “But I, I have set My Sovereign on Tsiyon, My set-apart mountain.”

Psa 2:7  “I inscribe for a law: יהוה has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have brought You forth.

The word used for laughs is the root word for Yitshaq – H7832 – שָׂחַק – śâchaq – saw-khak’ – A primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction);

See also the similarities between Yitshaq and Yeshua?

Verse 4 – Being faithful to the covenant made with YHVH, Abraham circumcised Yitshaq when he was eight days old.

Verses 5-7 – Sarah recalls how she laughed when the Messenger of Elohim told Abraham that Sarah would have a child and she laughed in her heart. She is now saying “Look who’s laughing now.” or, “I get the last laugh.”

Verse 8-11 –  There is a lot of debate about how old Yitshaq was at the age of weaning. I believe that he was probably about 12 or 13 years old, the age when a boy was considered a young man but not a man of 20 or older. It does not just refer to nursing as having ceased but rather it represents the fact that Yitshaq now has responsibilities within the household or camp. Colloquially, it would have been about the time of his “bar Mitsvah”. However old Yitshaq was, remember Yishmael is thirteen years older.

Now, compare what Sarah says in verse 10 and what she said in Ber. 16:2.

Verse 12-13 – YHVH intervenes for Yishma’el safety and reminds Abraham that Yishma’el will also be a great nation. Remember his description in Ber. 16:12.

Verses 14-16 – People use these verses to prove that Yishma’el was much younger than 20 years of age because it refers to him as a boy and the word  “placed” indicates that Hagar must in some way have set him down. The word for “boy” or “child” is H3206 – yeled – which can mean “a young man”. The idea of “placing” the child could simply have been the command of Hagar, “Here, you sit here under this bush”, I’m going to walk over there and pray.

Verses 17-20 – We see that YHVH hears Yishma’el’s voice not Hagar’s, and comes to his aid. We also see that there was a well of water that had been hidden for her and that in calling out, YHVH unveiled her eyes so that she could see the well.

The boy is growing up in the wilderness and becomes an archer: Jer 16:16  “See, I am sending for many fishermen,” declares יהוה, “and they shall fish them. And after that I shall send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

We want to be fished, not hunted! Mat 4:19  And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I shall make you fishers of men.”

Mar 1:17  And יהושע said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I shall make you become fishers of men.”

Verse 21 – Yishma’el grew up in the Wilderness of Paran, where the Children of Yisra’el will be tested many years later. Hagar took an Egyptian woman for Yishma’el. Remember, at this time the Kingdom of Egypt stretches all the way to the Euphrates River. I believe this woman was probably a noble woman or from a well to do family. This chapter does not seem to indicate a long passage of time reinforcing the idea that Yisma’el was probably in his early 20’s at this time. If some of the extra-biblical books are to believed that Hagar was a younger daughter of the Pharoah then it would have been very easy for Hagar to arrange a marriage into an important family.

Verses 22-24 – We are not given the backstory until verse 25 but Abimelek and his commander of the army come to Abraham asking for a covenant.

Zec 8:22  ‘And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek יהוה of hosts in Yerushalayim, and to pray before יהוה.’

Zec 8:23  “Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all languages of the nations take hold, yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man, a Yehuḏite, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.” ’ ”

Verses 25-31 –  In asking for a covenant we see it revealed that Abimelek’s men had taken over the well of Be’ersheba.

The symbolism used in these verses of Scripture is really exciting. Be’ersheba, the well of the oath is located in the southern portion of Judah just before the Negev(b) near the River of Egypt, Wadi el ‘arish. Look at the word for “oath” H7650 – שָׁבַע – shâba‛ – shaw-bah’ – A primitive root; properly to be complete, but used only as a denominative from H7651; to seven oneself, that is, swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times):

Be’ersheba is not quite half way between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean coast, being slightly closer to the Dead Sea.

In verse 32 we see that Abimelek and Pikol return to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines were a naval power and rarely ventured inland very far, unless of course there were rivers for them to use to navigate their ships on. The Philistines appear to have come from Crete and may have been what was left of the Minoan Empire after it was destroyed when the volcano of Thera erupted sending a tidal wave over much of the island of Crete, destroying the Minoan civilization. By this verse we see that Abimelek and Pikol lived closer to the coast than where Abraham is located.

Verses 33-34 – And Abraham called upon the Everlasting El,  Everlasting Ěl – אֵּל עוֹלָם – Ěl Olam!and he planted a tamarisk tree. Planting a tree was also indicative of an oath but a tamarisk is an amazingly hardy tree. In can survive very salty ground water and will even deposit salt on its leaves so that the next time it rains the salt is washed away. But, by doing so, it is increasing the level of salinity of the salt which will prevent competition from other plants.

Ahavah,