NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Abraham Committed Adultery Got Divorced

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Was Hagar another woman or another wife?

Marriage Connections
Are Both Legal
And Personal

Some people make the assumption that Abraham’s relationship with Hagar did not constitute adultery because the biblical text refers to her as his wife.

And the presentation of Hagar to Abraham even has an official tone, like a wedding ceremony:

“Sara…gave Hagar to her husband Abraham to be his wife.” Genesis 16:3

So, Sara’s suggesting the arrangement in the first place followed by her official presentation of Hagar makes it sound like a genuine marriage.

But was it really?

A superficial reading might imply this but a thorough consideration of the text suggests otherwise.

There are actually several things to consider: adultery, marriage and divorce.

Adultery

Some suggest that adulterous “do’s and don’ts” were neither defined nor explained to Abraham so we can’t accuse him of adultery. We can’t hold him responsible for information he didn’t have.

But nowhere in the Bible is a technical definition of adultery provided. We have the word and we know the definition but Abraham had the word, and the definition long before we did.

The first biblical mention of the word didn’t occur until the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:14) but it surely was understood long before that. After this it is used no more than 37 times (KJV). Some versions have less.

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That means, of course, that our definition of adultery is insinuated from the text and the primary text is found in Genesis chapter two where the first wedding is recorded. [Read more…] about Abraham Committed Adultery Got Divorced

Abraham’s Adultery

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Abraham faltered but he never quit.

Our Most Frustrating Moments
Produce Our Greatest Vulnerabilities
And Our Deepest Insights

Did Abraham commit adultery?

Yes, sort of. He had conjugal relations with his wife’s handmaid, Hagar, who gave birth to his first child, Ishmael. It isn’t the worst case of adultery but adultery it was. Here are the facts:

Abraham, prompted by God, moved to Canaan from Haran when he was 75 years old. A part of the enticement to move was the promise that Abraham would become, not an average nation, but a great one, a tacit promise of children.

Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael, his first child, was born. This was anything but usual. For the previous eight generations his predecessors began having children in their early 30’s. By normal standards, Abraham’s first child was fifty plus years late.

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That means Abraham’s paternal instincts were already frustrated when he left for Canaan and it was eleven years later before he had his first child, which, unfortunately, was not the child God promised. [Read more…] about Abraham’s Adultery

What The Bible Says About Tithing?

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Abraham Paid Tithes

There are several times in Scripture when tithing was practiced but the most important of all is the first time it is mentioned. 

Abraham was the one who paid the tithe and he paid it to a priest by the name of Melchizedek. The incident is recorded in Genesis 14:20. There are several things which make this situation very interesting. [Read more…] about What The Bible Says About Tithing?

God Speaks To Us – Abraham

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Once established, God neither repeats nor defends His principles.

Abraham Didn’t Find God
He Recognized Him

Abraham is usually recognized as the founding leader of the Jewish religion and he definitely was one of the more prominent contributors. The interesting thing is, much of what he did religiously he received from his ancestors and, other than Abraham’s descendants being selected as the guardians of God’s revelation, there were only two new developments in this religion during his lifetime.

He didn’t wear different clothes or “move his affiliation” or modify his diet. The only additions were:

  • The institution of circumcision and
  • The naming of Canaan as the eventual home of those who followed.

Taken together, these additions don’t add up to massive religious changes but both were an inconvenience to Abraham, especially the land issue. It was a constant source of irritation.

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On a religious level, not much changed during his life but on a personal level, his world was turned upside down. [Read more…] about God Speaks To Us – Abraham