Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the Book of Genesis. Tonight is study #11 of Genesis, chapter 16 and we are going to read Genesis 16:12-16:

And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of JEHOVAH that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

We were looking at verse 12 in our last study, especially the part of the verse that said of Ishmael, “his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” We saw how it identifies with Judgment Day, with this type of in-fighting between one portion of unsaved mankind and another portion of unsaved mankind. We saw this in Zechariah 14 and in 2Chronicles 20.

We are seeing it today in the world, as there is no middle ground – there is one side over here and there is another side over there and they cannot come to terms on anything. We are seeing the outworking of the judgment of God in all the various facets that represent the world. There is the judgment of God against the world’s religions and we see the religion of Islam appearing in a bad light, more and more, as acts of terrorism occur. We see it with the news media that has lost all respect and honor. We see it in various groups and organizations that identify with the world, like the news media identifies as the world’s “mouthpiece,” and so forth. We see this dishonoring and loss of respect taking place with these different groups that would identify with Babylon or the kingdom of Satan. It is in keeping with the idea that every man’s hand would be against one another.

It goes on to say at the end of Genesis 16:12:

… and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

This is speaking of Ishmael. It seems to be an unusual thing for the Lord to say and it is not easy for us to understand why God is saying this. Ishmael shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. We look at this and we say, “Alright,” but we do not think about it as something significant in any way. I do not know if I understand the reason God is saying this, but it has to be significant, because when we turn to Genesis, chapter 25 and we read about Ishmael’s death, it says in Genesis 25:17-18:

And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people. And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

This is the same statement that we saw at the end of Genesis 16:12: “and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” At the end of Ishmael’s life 137 years later, he died “in the presence of all his brethren.” So, from the beginning to the end, Ishmael and all that he did was “in the presence of all his brethren.”

We would tend to think that his brethren are the descendants that came forth from his bowels, the Arabic people, but remember that Ishmael is not a typical child, just like Isaac was not a typical child, because God used them both to picture His covenants. I am going to turn back there, again, even though we have gone there several times, in Galatians 4:22-25:

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Hagar was in bondage. She was an Egyptian bondservant and Egypt is often called “the house of bondage” in the Bible. And not just Ishmael, but all her children are in bondage or all that are born of the covenant that she represents, which is mount Sinai where the law was given. The covenant that Hagar represents are those that attempt to get right with God by keeping the law of God. It is a covenant of works, wherein they attempt to please God and obtain righteousness through the works of the law. And, of course, no one ever does get right with God this way. There is no one righteous of himself and no one can become saved that way; they are children of the flesh. They are not born again and they will not enter into heaven, but they are “children of a sort,” and children that God recognizes as having come forth from that covenant. They number a great many. There are about two billion professed Christians in the world today. So, Ishmael has “brethren.” Hagar is in bondage with her children (plural).

So, when we read that Ishmael will “dwell in the presence of all his brethren,” we can understand that it refers to the brethren of a people that are born of the same mother, spiritually, which was Hagar and her covenant. They are born through performing acts of faith, like accepting Christ or becoming water baptized or whatever work it may be. They come to think they are children of God, but they are really children of Hagar and that covenant, and not born of a covenant that will bring eternal spiritual blessing.

Remember what the Apostle Paul was moved to say in Romans 9:1-2:

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Paul (who was Saul of Tarsus) was speaking of the Jews that were his kinsmen in the flesh because they were all descendants of Abraham. Paul was also a Pharisee that had been zealous in keeping the law of God. He described his past life in Philippians 3:3-6:

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Prior to experiencing salvation when God saved him on the road to Damascus, Saul was hailing men and women and persecuting those of the way. God entered his life, saved him and translated him from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and from a gospel of works to the true Gospel of grace. It had appeared Saul was a child of Hagar and he had many brethren of the flesh in Israel because he had confidence in the flesh and in works of the law, like circumcision. He was zealous of doing good works and he had brethren that he later sorrowed over because they were fellow Jews, but on a religious level he, at one time, was going along with them and he was like-minded in trying to please God through the keeping of the law of God.

It is the same with Ishmael. He was a child of a covenant and he would have many brethren that would be born of that covenant. And, yet, Ishmael himself would never become saved and he would dwell in the presence of all his brethren, the children of flesh. When he died, he also died in the presence of all his brethren.

Sadly, that is how it is with so many conceived and begotten by a gospel of works – they stay right there. They identify with that covenant and those of like mind who believe as they do. Most never venture from it. They never leave it, like Saul of Tarsus was blessed by God in being brought out of that covenant and into the true covenant of promise. For the most part, the people of Israel stayed with the people of Israel. Even when God ended his relationship with national Israel, they continued to worship by trying to keep the law and it is the same thing with the great number of people within the New Testament churches and congregations that have a “grace plus works” gospel. They have perverted the true Gospel of grace by adding a little work (or much work) and they are children of flesh. And when God commanded His people to depart out of the midst of the churches, they could not do it. They continued to dwell in the presence of their brethren. It meant so much to them that they refused to hearken to the commandment of God. They refused to obey and they stayed in the corporate church that was under the wrath of God and they “died” in the presence of their brethren because when Judgment Day came on May 21, 2011 when God, as it were, collectively gathered the vine of the corporate churches of the world and threw them into the spiritual fire to burn them up and destroy them. So, they died in the presence of their brethren.

Let us go on to Genesis 16:13-14:

And she called the name of JEHOVAH that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

The name “Beerlahairoi” literally means, “the well of the living, seeing One,” or God. This is the emphasis that is being placed on verses 13 and 14. God had chased her down and told her these things and it was divine revelation. It is in the Bible and part of the Word of God that came forth from His mouth and He revealed some very important things to her. This would be another occasion where God uses an unsaved individual (as there is no evidence in the Bible that Hagar was saved), to deliver His revelation, as he did with Pharaohs that had dreams or Cyrus, whom He called His servant, or King Ahasuerus and others. I am not sure why God moved Hagar to make these statements and call the name of JEHOVAH who spoke unto her, “Thou God seest me.” We can understand why she would say this because she had just experienced it – God had seen her and knew her situation. It must have been very incredible for her to experience these things.

We also know the Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:13:

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

God saw Hagar. He knew all about her circumstances and this is true for everyone and everything, for each human being whether they are saved or unsaved. God knows everything about everyone and everyone’s personal situation. He knows all there is to know and there is recognition of that: “And she called the name of JEHOVAH that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?” Then she called the well “Beerlahairoi,” the well of the living, seeing One. I am not sure of the spiritual, underlying reason for it, but we can see why Hagar would name the well this way, historically.

Then we are told in Genesis 16:14:

… behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

The word “Kadesh” is a word that means “unclean” and “Bered” is a word that means “hail.” Again, why is the Lord telling us this? We know that this was happening in the wilderness by the fountain on the way to Shur and Shur was over against Egypt. The way to Shur would be the way to Egypt. The covenant that Hagar represents is a covenant that bring people into bondage or returns people to Egypt and the house of bondage. Spiritually, this would be an “unclean” direction, as all unsaved people are “unclean.” The only ones that are clean are those God has saved and washed from their sins.

The word “Bered” is “hail” and hail identifies at times with God’s judgment. He can use hail as an instrument of judgment, but I am not sure of the significance of the Lord telling us this here.

It says in Genesis 16:15:

And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

Of course, Abram would have called his name “Ishmael” because he would have spoken to Hagar and Hagar would have told him of her experience when she ran away and came back. She may have told him or she may have told everyone, “The Lord met with me and told me that I would have a son and his name would be Ismael.” Being a child of God, Abram would have sensed the truthfulness of this because the people of God hear His voice and we know her experience was truthful because God has placed it in the Bible. Abram would have recognized that God was the One who wanted this son to be called “Ishmael” and he would have named him Ishmael. Again, the name “Ishmael” means “God will hear.”

Then it says in Genesis 16:16:

And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

We know that Abram was born in the year 2167BC and if we subtract 86 years, we know that Ishmael was born in the year 2081BC, which was 8,932 years from the creation. Again, it does not seem to break down to any significant numbers from a creation standpoint or to other key dates like 1994 or 2033. It does not seem to break down that way, but we are given the age of Abram as 86 and this number breaks down to “2 x 43.” The number “2” is a number we understand to relate to the caretakers of the Word of God or those that have a relationship to being caretakers of the Word of God in some way.

As far as I know, I cannot remember any spiritual significance assigned to the number “43,” but I think we can assign a spiritual significance to it now. Ishmael was born to Hagar the Egyptian and was a “child of the flesh.” Hagar is representative of the covenant of works because she is an Egyptian and Egypt is the “house of bondage.” We also know that in the future Jacob would enter into Egypt in the year 1877 and Israel would remain in Egypt for 430 years. That is also a Biblical number because God said it was 430 years to the selfsame day before they would come out (of Egypt). The number “430” breaks down to “10 x 43” and the number “10” would mean completeness. But what about the number “43”? We see a connection to Egypt with the mother who has given birth, Hagar the Egyptian, when Abram was 86 (2 x 43) and to Israel’s coming out of Egypt after 430 years (10 x 43). So, I think when we see the number 43, as we do with the 430 years, I think we can assign a meaning of “bondage” to sin, depending on the context. In the case of “10 x 43” it can be the completion of bondage to sin, which would mean being delivered as Israel was delivered. Here, Ishmael was born of an Egyptian bondmaid and he is a child of the flesh or a child of bondage and this happened when Abram was 86 years old. I think it is pretty solid for us to understand that this number has to do with “bondage.”