To: O'Hara who wrote (9506 ) 11/24/1997 9:13:00 AM From: O'Hara Respond to of 39621
><>...Abraham...><> As we know from recent archaeological discoveries, a common practice of that time among heirless families was to adopt a slave who would inherit the master's goods. Therefore, because Abraham was childless, he proposed to make a slave, ELIEZER of Damascus, his heir <Gen. 15:2>. But God rejected this action and challenged Abraham's faith: "Then He [God] brought him [Abraham] outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them:' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be'" <Gen. 15:5>. Abraham's response is the model of believing faith. "And he [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He [God] accounted it to him for righteousness" <Gen. 15:6>. The rest of chapter 15 consists of a ceremony between Abraham and God that was commonly used in the ancient world to formalize a covenant <Gen. 15:7-21>. According to <Genesis 16>, Sarah, because she had not borne a child, provided Abraham with a handmaiden. This also appears to be a familiar custom of the ancient world. According to this custom, if the wife had not had a child (preferably a male) by a certain time in the marriage, she was obligated to provide a substitute (usually a slavewoman) to bear a child to her husband and thereby insure the leadership of the clan. Thus, Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant, had a son by Abraham and named him ISHMAEL. Although Ishmael was not understood to be the child that would carry on the line promised to Abraham, he was given a favorable blessing <Gen. 16:10-13; 17:20>. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)