The God Who Hears

Second Sunday after Pentecost, A

June 22, 2014

Genesis 21:9-21; Matthew 10:26-33

Introduction

Last Sunday, the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, I said that I would be beginning a new sermon series based on this year's Old Testament readings based on the Revised Common Lectionary (according to the usage of The United Methodist Church--the UMC uses an independent lecta continua stream for the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel readings during Ordinary Time while other churches like the Roman Catholic Church uses a lecta selecta approach where the Old Testament reading is related to the Gospel reading). Last Sunday we studied the story of Creation in Genesis chapter 1. Today we continue with an episode in the life of Abraham the Patriarch.

As we can recall, Abraham (formerly Abram or Avram) was a man from Ur of the Chaldees whom God called and made a covenant with (Genesis 12). Among the things that the LORD promised Abra(ha)m was that God would make him into a "great nation" (Genesis 12:2). But we also read that ten years after God called Abra(ha)m to move into the land of Canaan and promised to make him a great nation, Abraham has yet to have a single child (Genesis 16). So Sarah his wife gave him her Egyptian maid Hagar to be his wife so that Hagar can bear a child on Sarah's behalf.

We need to acknowledge that today's Old Testament reading is a difficult text and we need to eliminate certain misconceptions and clarify certain things in order to fully understand the text.

I. Hagar was not an "other woman" and Ishmael was not an "illegitimate child"

I believe that Hagar and her son, Ismael, have suffered much injustice under "Christian" (read: Western) biblical interpretation; viz.: Hagar is Abraham's "other woman" and that Ismael was his "illegitimate child". And that Abraham having a child with Hagar instead of with Sarah is their attempt to make a "shortcut" of God's plan, so God's blessing was not upon him. (It also does not help that St. Paul compared slavery to the Law with Hagar in Galatians 4:24-25.)

In Jewish Law, illegitimate children are called mamzerim (singular, mamzer). Among Christians, children are considered "illegitimate" when they are born outside the bond on marriage (e.g., between unmarried people or a married person with someone not their spouse). But in Jewish Law, the only children considered mamzerim are those born from forbidden relations, which are listed down in Leviticus 18. According to the orthodox Jewish website, Mechon-Mamre,

The offspring of such marriages [those prohibited in the Torah--G] are mamzerim (bastards, illegitimate), and subject to a variety of restrictions; however it is important to note that only the offspring of these incestuous or forbidden marriages are mamzerim. Children born out of wedlock are not mamzerim in Jewish law and bear no stigma, unless the marriage would have been prohibited for the reasons above. Children of a married man and a woman who is not his wife are not mamzerim (because the marriage between the parents would not have been prohibited), although children of a married woman and a man who is not her husband are mamzerim (because she could not have married him).(http://mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/marriage.htm#Forbidden)

Therefore, Hagar is considered a "secondary wife" to Abraham and her son Ishmael is a legitimate son of Abraham! Looking at our text, we can read that God acknowledged Ishmael as a son of Abraham and that God will bless Ishmael and make him into a great nation (Genesis 21:13)!

II. What does it mean that Ishmael was "mocking"? (v. 1)

The Hebrew word translated as "mocking" in verse 1 is a difficult word to understand--even among Jews! The word used here is מְצַחֵק m'tsacheq, which is often translated as "mocking", but also 'to laugh at' (Genesis 17:17) , 'to play' (as in Exodus 32:6) and 'to make sport' (Judges 16:25; but see also Genesis 26:8 where Isaac was probably "making out" with his wife Rebekah). One rabbinical interpretation says that this means that Ishmael was biting Isaac on the neck to suck his blood! But is interesting to note that the word m'tsacheq is related to the name of Isaac: יִצְחָק Yitschaq, which means 'he laughs'. Whether Ishmael was merely playing with or mocking Isaac, this incurred the wrath of his mother Sarah.

III. Could Hagar carry Ishmael on his back? (v. 14)

In this chapter, Ismael appears to be portrayed as still a boy. In some translations of the Bible, Abraham places the skin of water and puts it on Hagar's shoulders together with Ishmael (v. 14). When the water in the skin ran out, the text says that Hagar placed him under a shrub and he was crying because of thirst (vv. 15-16). But Ishmael was around 14 to 15 years old at this time (Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born, Genesis 16:16, and 100 when Isaac was born, Genesis 21:5; plus one year for the time Isaac was weaned).

Perhaps the difficulty can be eliminated when verse 14 is translated as

And Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and strayed in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. (Jewish Publication Society version, emphasis added)

--Meaning, that it was the water skin that was placed on Hagar's shoulder, and she and Ishmael were send away. Ishmael was not placed on his mother's shoulders.

But this does not completely remove the difficultly. In verse 16, Ishmael was called a "child" (יָּלֶד yaled) but a "lad" (נַּעַר na'ar) in verse 17. One rabbinical interpretation is that Ishmael grew up into a young man in the space of one verse!

Hagar and Ishmael represent those who have been cast out, but God's blessing is upon them.

Thus, for me, when Hagar and Ishmael were cast out, they represent 1) the cast-out ones (v. 10); 2) the poor ones, whose resources are limited (only a skin of water, v. 14); and 3) the helpless ones (when the water in the skin ran out, vv. 15-16). And they also represent those whom God hears and delivers (vv. 17-20).

First of all, God heard the voice of the child (v. 17). The name Ishmael means 'God will hear', the name given to him by the Angel of the Lord before he was born (Genesis 16:12) (which proves that the child was not "illegitimate" and therefore not blessed). When the outcast are cast out, God hears them!

Second, God provided a spring of water so that Hagar can refill their water skin and drink (v. 19). When the outcast have their resources exhausted, God provides for their needs!

Third, God was with Ishmael as he grew up (v. 20). When the outcast are cast out, God comforts them with his own Presence!

Conclusion

In today's Gospel reading, the Lord Jesus sent the twelve Apostles to mission "to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 10:6). The Apostles were not cast out by the Lord but in their mission, but they ran into a chance of being rejected ("whosoever shall not receive you", v. 14). They also had very limited resources (they were not to bring money, bags, extra clothes and shoes, not even a walking staff, vv. 9-10). And yet the Lord promised that their needs will be taken care of ("For the workman is worthy of his maintenance", v. 10, John Wesley New Testament). What Jesus said to the Apostles when he sent them out in mission bears repeating:

And be not afraid of them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather be afraid of him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. Yea, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Amen.