God Provides for Hagar and Ishmael 21 1 Yahweh came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised. 2 So she became pregnant, and at the exact time Elohim had promised, she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. 3 Abraham named his newborn son Isaac. 4 When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as Elohim had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.

6 Sarah said, "Elohim has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have predicted to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet, I have given him a son in his old age."

8 The child grew and was weaned. On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham held a big feast. 9 Sarah saw that Abraham's son by Hagar the Egyptian was laughing at Isaac. 10 She said to Abraham, "Get rid of this slave and her son, because this slave's son must never share the inheritance with my son Isaac." 11 Abraham was upset by this because of his son Ishmael. 12 But Elohim said to Abraham, "Don't be upset about the boy and your slave. Listen to what Sarah says because through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name. 13 Besides, I will make the slave's son into a nation also, because he is your child."

14 Early the next morning Abraham took bread and a container of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. He also gave her the boy and sent her on her way. So she left and wandered around in the desert near Beersheba. 15 When the water in the container was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went about as far away as an arrow can be shot and sat down. She said to herself, "I don't want to watch the boy die." So she sat down and sobbed loudly.

17 Elohim heard the boy crying, and the Messenger of Elohim called to Hagar from heaven. "What's the matter, Hagar?" he asked her. "Don't be afraid! Elohim has heard the boy crying from the bushes. 18 Come on, help the boy up! Take him by the hand, because I'm going to make him into a great nation."

19 Elohim opened her eyes. Then she saw a well. She filled the container with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 Elohim was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became a skilled archer. 21 He lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother got him a wife from Egypt.

Abraham's Agreement with Abimelech 22 At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "Elohim is with you in everything you do. 23 Now, swear an oath to me here in front of Elohim that you will never cheat me, my children, or my descendants. Show me and the land where you've been living the same kindness that I have shown you."

24 Abraham said, "I so swear."

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well which Abimelech's servants had seized. 26 Abimelech replied, "I don't know who did this. You didn't tell me, and I didn't hear about it until today."

27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement. 28 Then Abraham set apart seven female lambs from the flock. 29 Abimelech asked him, "What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have set apart?"

30 Abraham answered, "Accept these lambs from me so that they may be proofa that I dug this well." 31 This is why that place is called Beersheba,b because both of them swore an oath there.

32 After they made the treaty at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and went back to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and worshiped Yahweh , El Olam , there. 34 Abraham lived a long time in the land of the Philistines.

Sarah

Sarah was Abraham's half-sister and his wife. Strong-willed and jealous, she had the fortitude to leave her homeland in order to travel to a land God had promised. Despite her flaws, she is considered one of the greatest of the biblical matriarchs. Her story starts with a promise and ends with laughter. Sarah referred to God as Yahweh (Gen. 16:2) Elohim (Gen. 21:6)

God Tests Abraham 22 1 Later Elohim tested Abraham and called to him, "Abraham!"

"Yes, here I am!" he answered.

2 Elohim said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you."

3 Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place that Elohim had told him about. 4 Two days later Abraham saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his servants, "You stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over there. We'll worship. After that we'll come back to you."

6 Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to his son Isaac. Abraham carried the burning coals and the knife. The two of them went on together.

7 Isaac spoke up and said, "Father?"

"Yes, Son?" Abraham answered.

Isaac asked, "We have the burning coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

8 Abraham answered, "Elohim will provide a lamb for the burnt offering, Son."

The two of them went on together. 9 When they came to the place that Elohim had told him about, Abraham built the altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied up his son Isaac and laid him on top of the wood on the altar. 10 Next, Abraham picked up the knife and took it in his hand to sacrifice his son. 11 But the Messenger of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Yes?" he answered.

12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear Elohim , because you did not refuse to give me your son, your only son."

13 When Abraham looked around, he saw a ram behind him caught by its horns in a bush. So Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named that place Yahweh Yireh. It is still said today, "On the mountain of Yahweh it will be provided."

The LORD'S Seventh Promise to Abraham 15 Then the Messenger of Yahweh called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I am taking an oath on my own name, declares Yahweh , that because you have done this and have not refused to give me your son, your only son, 17 I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of their enemies' cities. 18 Through your descendant all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and together they left for Beersheba. Abraham remained in Beersheba.

Abraham Learns of Nahor's Descendants 20 Later Abraham was told, "Milcah has given birth to these children of your brother Nahor: 21 Uz (the firstborn), Buz (his brother), Kemuel (father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 Bethuel is the father of Rebekah. Milcah had these eight sons by Abraham's brother Nahor. 24 Nahor's concubine,a whose name was Reumah, had the following children: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah."

YAHWEH YIREH.

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE.

The Hebrew word raah (from which yireh is derived) means "to see." In this case, it is translated as "provide." Since God sees the past, present, and future, he is able to anticipate and provide for what is needed. Interestingly the English word provision is made up of two Latin words that mean "to see beforehand." When you pray to Yahweh Yireh, you are praying to the God who sees the situation beforehand and who is able to provide for your needs.

Moriah, the site of Abraham's thwarted attempt to sacrifice his son, has always been associated with the temple mount in Jerusalem (see 2 Chronicles 3:1). Today Mount Moriah is occupied by a Muslim shrine called the Dome of the Rock. Jesus, whom John the Baptist called "the Lamb of God," is thought to have been crucified just a quarter mile away from Mount Moriah. It was there that Yahweh Yireh (yah-WEH yir-EH) provided the one sacrifice that would make our peace with him.

Praying to Yahweh Yireh Anyone who has ever been a parent knows how satisfying it can be to provide for the needs of their children. To give a child a home, food on the table, love, guidance, a good start in life-these are basic needs we love to provide. But even the best parent can't meet every need-to be accepted by peers, to find a perfect spouse, to be healed of a serious illness. With our limited vision, we cannot see even a millisecond into the future. And even if we could, we would likely misdiagnose many of our children's deepest needs.

Fortunately, Yahweh Yireh sees each of us clearly-past, present, and future. Because of that, he knows what we truly need. Though most of us might love to be matched with a "perfect spouse," for instance, he knows our deeper need to be perfected within the context of the imperfect relationship we have already chosen.

God's methods for providing can be so confusing. Why don't I have enough money to pay the bills? Why doesn't he heal me of diabetes? Perhaps God is simply parenting us "with love and logic," helping us learn from the consequences of our own poor decisions. But there are worse things by far, disasters not of our own making. Why doesn't God provide a way out of these?

For such there are no easy answers, except to look at the life of Abraham, a man who could not have understood why God asked for such a sacrifice but who trusted him anyway. Because of that, Abraham experienced God's provision in a profound way. Today let us pray that God will open our eyes to the way he still wants to provide for us. Let us decide to trust him. And let us thank him for the way he has already provided for our deepest need-our need for a Savior to help us find our way home.

Lord, thank you for providing your Son to take my place, bearing the burden of my sins. Open my eyes today to all the ways you still want to provide for me. Help me to recognize your provision and to grow in understanding that you are the Father who is always good. I trust you to care for me no matter what I need.

Promises Associated with the Name YAHWEH YIREH.

In any case, there shouldn't be any poor people among you, because Yahweh your Elohim will certainly bless you in the land he is giving you as your own possession. He will bless you only if you listen carefully to Yahweh your Elohim and faithfully obey all these commands I'm giving you today. (Deuteronomy 15:4-5) Don't ever worry and say, "What are we going to eat?" or "What are we going to drink?" or "What are we going to wear?" Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you. (Matthew 6:31-33) God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Sarah's Death 23 1 Sarah lived to be 127 years old. This was the length of her life. 2 She died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to cry about her death.

3 Then Abraham left the side of his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites, 4 "I'm a stranger with no permanent home. Let me have some of your property for a tomb so that I can bury my dead wife."

5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 "Listen to us, sir. You are a mighty leader among us. Bury your dead in one of our best tombs. Not one of us will withhold from you his tomb for burying your dead."

7 Abraham got up in front of the Hittites, the people of that region, and bowed with his face touching the ground. 8 He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife, listen to me. Encourage Ephron, son of Zohar, 9 to let me have the cave of Machpelah that he owns at the end of his field. He should sell it to me for its full price as my property to be used as a tomb among you."

10 Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. He answered Abraham so that everyone who was entering the city gate could hear him. He said, 11 "No, sir, listen to me. I'm giving you the field together with the cave that is in it. My people are witnesses that I'm giving it to you. Bury your wife!"

12 Abraham bowed down again in front of the people of that region. 13 He spoke to Ephron so that the people of that region could hear him. He said, "If you would only listen to me. I will pay you the price of the field. Take it from me so that I can bury my wife there."

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 "Sir, listen to me. The land is worth ten pounds of silver. What is that between us? Bury your wife!"

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms. So he weighed out for Ephron the amount stated in front of the Hittites: ten pounds of silver at the current merchants' exchange rate.

17 So Ephron's field at Machpelah, east of Mamre, was sold 18 to Abraham. His property included the field with the cave in it as well as all the trees inside the boundaries of the field.a The Hittites together with all who had entered the city gate were the official witnesses for the agreement.

19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre (that is, Hebron). 20 So the field and its cave were sold by the Hittites to Abraham as his property to be used as a tomb.

Abraham

God called Abraham to strike out into a new land. By accepting that call, Abraham accepted the call to enter into a new kind of relationship with God. Here are some of the names and titles Abraham used for God.

Yahweh El Elyon (Gen. 14:22) Adonay Yahweh (Gen. 15:2) Elohim (Gen. 20:13) Yahweh, El Olam (Gen. 21:33) Yahweh Elohim (Gen. 24:7)

Abraham Instructs His Servant 24 1 By now Abraham was old, and Yahweh had blessed him in every way.

2 So Abraham said to the senior servant of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, "Take a solemn oath. 3 I want you to swear by Yahweh Elohim of heaven and earth that you will not get my son a wife from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I'm living. 4 Instead, you will go to the land of my relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."

5 The servant asked him, "What if the woman doesn't want to come back to this land with me? Should I take your son all the way back to the land you came from?"

6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said to him. 7 "Yahweh Elohim of heaven took me from my father's home and the land of my family. He spoke to me and swore this oath: 'I will give this land to your descendants.'