I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 16-18.

At one point in yesterday’s passage, Abram had complained to God that all of his wealth would be left to his servant because he had no son.  God promised Abram at that point that he would have a son.  In fact, God promised Abram that he would have as many descendants as there were stars in the sky.  Nevertheless, Sarai became convinced that she would never bear Abram a child and had Abram take her servant, Hagar, as a second wife.  I would like to write, “Needless to say, this did not end well.”  Unfortunately, it does need to be said.  This did not end well.  This is one of several passages where the Bible makes the subtle point that marriage is best when it is one man with one woman.  Variations from that may work, but problems usually result.  However, despite the fact that Ishmael was the result of Abram and Sarai’s wavering faith, God blessed Ishmael.  

If the theory I presented yesterday concerning Terah and Abram being the keepers of the stories passed down from Noah is correct, it makes Abram’s concern for an heir more important and less selfish.  It also increases the importance of Abram’s heir being raised by Sarai/Sarah rather than by the Egyptian woman, Hagar because Sarai had been raised in the tradition while Hagar had not.  The other thing we have in today’s passage is the introduction of circumcision which set those who followed Abraham’s tradition, and he is now Abraham and no longer Abram,  apart from others who had versions of the stories going back to Noah.  Circumcision was not so much important to set those following Abraham’s traditions from those following the other related stories, but from those around them.  As time went on, those following the other traditions with stories going back to Noah tended to assimilate ever more into the other cultures around and become less faithful to the stories which had been passed down, while those who practiced circumcision kept being reminded of the importance of their stories and called back to God.