ThreeChapter 16:
Sarai gives Hagar, her maidservant to Abram. Sarai recognized that YHVH kept her from bearing children.
Verse 2:
“…….consort, now, with my maidservant, perhaps I will be built up through her. And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.”
Hagar conceives and Sarai was lowered in her esteem. Sarai becomes angry with Abram. Sarai deals rashly with Hagar. Hagar flees from Sarai and an angel approaches Hagar.
Verse 8:
“Hagar, maidservant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” Hagar’s position in the household had not changed. The angel addresses her as the maidservant of Sarai. Hagar tells the angel, “I am running away from Sarai my mistress.”
Hagar also recognizes her position in the household as she cals Sarai ‘her mistress’.
Verse 9:
The angel tells Hagar to return to Sarai. “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her domination.”
Further confirmation that her pregnancy did not change her position in the household. She was to submit herself to Sarai’s domination. Dictionary.com dominate, to control, govern, rule over.
Her son is to be called Ishmael.
Verse 12:
“And he shall be a wild-ass of a man; his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; and over all his brothers shall he dwell.”
Hagar calls YHVH the ‘God of Vision’.
Verse 16:
Abram is 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Chapter 17:
Abram is 99 years old. YHVH sets a covenant with Abram to ‘increase you most exceedingly’.
YHVH changes Abram name from Abram to Abraham. “…for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations;”
The sign of the Abrahamic covenant is circumcision.
Verse 12:
“At the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised throughout your generations — he that is born in the household or purchased with money from any stranger who is not of your offspring.”
Verse 14:
“An uncircumcised male who will not circumcise the flesh of his for skin — that souls hall be cut off from its people; he has invalidated My covenant.”
YHVH changes Sarai’s name to Sarah. He tells Abraham that Sarah will bear him (Abraham) a son the following year and they’re to call their son Isaac.
Abraham circumcised his entire household.
Chapter 18:
Three men are standing over Abraham. They ask Abraham where is Sarah. “Behold, in the tent!” (Verse 9). They tell Abraham that by this time next year Sarah will have a son. Sarah laughs, then denies it before YHVH.
YHVH tells Abraham that The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great and because their sin has been very grave. (Verse 20).
Abraham intercedes for Sodom. Asking YHVH to spare the wicked on account of the righteous who may be living in the city. If YHVH finds 10 righteous people he will spare the entire city.