Men in the Bible: A Man of Considerable Goodwill Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen…
Men in the Bible: A Man of Considerable Goodwill – How leadership trust made obedience possible for an entire household
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. – Genesis 17:24-27
Our meditation today shall center on the character of Abraham. He was a man of great and considerable goodwill. Why was this so?
When God told Abraham to circumcise himself and all males in his household as a sign of the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, Abraham was already 99 years old at this time. Imagine the kind of pain he must have endured for days, if not weeks, after cutting his foreskin. His whole body must have been shaking in pain, seeing that there were no pain relievers and anesthesia in those days.
As if that was not bad enough, God also asked Abraham to circumcise all the male members of his household as well. Imagine how easy it was for Abraham to inform his 13-year-old son, Ishmael, and the other male adults and youths in his house about what he was going to do to them. Circumstance them all by cutting off the foreskin of their penises. Even the most loyal of the men in his household must have been alarmed at the announcement.
On a good day, such an announcement was enough for all the males in the house to conspire to kill their master for what he was about to do to them, or, less extreme, they might have run away from the house and town to go settle down somewhere else.
However, interestingly, we did not find any account of such an occurrence. From the young Ishmael to all the male servants, everyone calmly waited their turn to be administered the painful cutting of circumcision. There was no complaint, no cursing, no revolt. Everyone cooperated and calmly endured the pain.
Let’s bear in mind that the circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his children. There was no talk of the slaves and servants being partakers. So what might Abraham have told his staff to make them cooperate? That no one rebelled and rallied the others to resist the inhuman treatment Abraham was about to subject them all to.
If there is anything, this shows that Abraham had a considerable goodwill with his staff and members of his household, such that no one refuted him or rejected his overtures for them to be circumcised, but they all bore the pain with grace. If he did not enjoy goodwill in their eyes, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for him to get them all to participate.
The esteem with which they all regarded him helped to make the exercise bearable and the experience less stressful for everyone, Abraham more than anyone, as he would be grappling with his own pain whilst trying to rally them for their own circumcision.
Women in the Bible: An Innovative Wife Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to…
Women in the Bible: An Innovative Wife – What Sarah’s unconventional solution teaches about initiative, sacrifice, and follow-through
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. – Genesis 16:1-4
Our second learning point from Sarah, Abraham’s wife, shall dwell mostly on her innovative mindset. She was a selfless woman and an innovative wife who sought inventive ways to solve her family’s problems, even when such solutions might not work out in her favor.
Our reference passage today starts with the problem of barrenness in Abraham’s household. After decades of marriage, the union produced no child despite God’s firm promise otherwise. Meanwhile, as the couple continued to age and advance in years, Sarah could no longer bear it, and what she did next taught us three important lessons.
Firstly, Sarah demonstrated an unusual selflessness in the idea she brought forward. Seeing that her own childlessness might harm her husband by depriving him of the privilege of having an heir(ess) to inherit his vast estate, Sarah thought it best that Abraham take up another woman and have a child by her.
This is not an easy proposal for anyone to make, let alone to execute. But Sarah was looking beyond herself and focusing more on her husband’s needs when she broached it. She was also genuine enough to make the move good and was not just saying it to look good. She was sincere and earnest. She brought the maidservant to Abraham to have a child by her.
The second lesson we can learn from Sarah is her innovative mindset and approach to tackling a problem. Seeing that she was past her prime, she felt it best to propose that her husband marry someone younger and have a child through her. By so doing, she initiated the idea of surrogacy to the world, as the child to be born would be in her and her husband’s name, even though born by another. In an era not renowned for its innovations, Sarah proved that genius was not restricted to gender, age or place. She practically bequeathed the idea of surrogacy to us.
Another lesson we can learn from Sarah is the ability to follow through and back her words with action. She did not just say it to look good or sound politically correct; she meant it and went ahead and handed over her maid to her husband to father a child through her. Even though this later backfired on her, it was a move worth it in the daring she demonstrated by pushing it, and the result that it fetched them.
The world needs more doers than talkers, more proactive people than reactive ones, and more innovative thinkers-cum-performers than manufacturers of excuses. Sarah, through her actions, proved to us that she was all of these and more. Many of us can learn a lot from her.
Employees in the Bible: Hagar and the Cost of Losing Emotional Intelligence – A leadership and workplace lesson from Genesis 16 on status, favour, and self-control
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. – Genesis 16:1-4
We are opening our staffers or employees in the Bible subseries in this digest by considering the example of Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah, the wife of Abraham. From the passage above, we can see that Hagar lacked emotional intelligence, judging by her reaction to her mistress, Sarah, after she became pregnant as a surrogate for the couple.
From the scriptural excerpt above, we can see how Hagar came to have her status upgraded from a servant in Abraham’s household to an important member of the household through surrogacy. Before the idea of her being a surrogate mother for her master and mistress was mooted, Hagar was a maidservant whose only pleasure was to do the bidding of her lords. By the norms of that time, she arguably had no right, and her owners probably had the power of life and death over her.
Therefore, it was surprising that after Abraham and Sarah made her a surrogate for their child, and she became pregnant, a feat her mistress, Sarah, could not achieve, Hagar started despising her mistress and became ungovernable. Her reason? She was now pregnant; therefore, she was a better woman than her madam. She started behaving rudely and showed no regard for her benefactress.
This attitude betrayed a lack of emotional intelligence on the part of Hagar and also depicted her as a not so smart person, because someone wiser and smarter would have continued to honor and respect her bosses, and would not allow success to get into her head as to start to see herself as better and superior to her mistress by whose favor she had her profile elevated in the first place, and whose idea it was that Hagar be their surrogate.
How often do we see this same scenario played out in people we know or hear about? Someone who, before an encounter with a benefactor, had nothing or little to their name. However, by virtue of their encounter or association with a benefactor, which resulted in attaining a higher status than they used to have, they then start to despise or disrespect the person whose influence or contribution was key to their becoming.
That is not a very smart thing to do. We can all learn from the example of Hagar.
Entities in the Bible: The First Surrogate Parent Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said…
Entities in the Bible: The First Surrogate Parent – Understanding surrogate parenting through Hagar’s role in the Abrahamic narrative
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. – Genesis 16:1-4
As we continue to explore personalities and characters in the Bible, our searchlight today will focus on the first surrogate parent in the Bible: Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant.
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines surrogate as “a substitute, especially a person deputizing for another in a specific role or office.” No doubt, the term and practice of surrogate parenting are commonplace today. However, it is interesting to note that this practice did not just start in our modern milieu. Rather, it was as ancient as the society itself, dating back to the BC era, as we can see in the scenario that played out in the bible passage above.
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, had become impatient at her inability to conceive and bear a child for her husband. So, she proposed that her husband sleep with her maidservant so that they could have a child through the process that would bear their name. Being a slave, Hagar, the lady involved, had no say in the matter as her master and mistress had the power of life and death over her. So, even if she did not mind, she could not decline their proposition.
However, by carrying a pregnancy for the couple, she therefore enters the book of record as the first person to be a surrogate parent.
Men in the Bible: Methuselah – A Man of Opposites Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two…
Men in the Bible: Methuselah: A Man of Opposites — Longevity without legacy in the shadow of Enoch
Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died. – Genesis 5:25-27
The man in the Bible we shall be spotlighting today is Methuselah, the son of Enoch.
Methuselah was the typical antithetical man because he was sired by Enoch, who did not live long, considering the average length of years in his days. Enoch lived only 365 years in an era when the average life expectancy was 907.5 years. However, his son, Methuselah, on the other hand, went on to live for 969 years!
Methuselah’s longevity was the first antithesis about him, as he almost tripled his father’s total age. Therefore, if paternal factors were any consideration in the length of years of children, Methuselah defied those odds by going on to live significantly longer than his own father. There was his first antithesis.
Another intriguing thing about Methuselah was that, despite his long life, he seemed to have achieved so little. The major feat the Bible records about him was that “he had sons and daughters.” Surely, there is more to life than having sons and daughters.
Even though the average length of life in his days was more than 900 years, Methuselah had an advantage over all his forbears and his contemporaries in that he had more days, more weeks, more months and more years than everyone else to do whatever he chose to do or become whatever he wanted to become. Therefore, just stopping at having sons and daughters sounds like a poor utilization of his numerical advantage and a pathetic summation of his lifetime.
Someone said, “the beauty of a life is not in its length, but its contribution.” As far as Methuselah goes, that was not the kind of epitaph that would be written on his tomb, as his main contribution to the world was the addition of sons and daughters. While that is not bad in itself, it was a gross underutilization of his longevity and a poor management of the resources of time and whatever else he had at his disposal.
Another, paradoxical note about Methuselah is that, while he had a father who must have been an example of right living and piety to everyone in Enoch, there was no indication that Methuselah himself followed the footsteps of his father. Nothing was said about his lifestyle, actions, choices, decisions and other distinguishing aspects of a man’s life.
The only thing of note written about him was that he lived long and had children. He did not delight the heart of God like his father. There was also no indication that he continued the legacy of intimacy that his father had with God. The chain of intimacy with the divine appeared to end with him and was neither upheld by him nor passed on to his children. That is not a recommended way to be a parent. If we learn anything from Methuselah, it will be how not to live.
Another lesson we can learn from God is His disposition to a balancing act. He is not a God of extremes. Even though some who profess to follow Him go to extremes in His name or make extreme claims on His behalf, extreme is not a label that one can pin on God. He balances the acts.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Understanding God: God of the Beginning
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things.
Women in the Bible: A Paragon of Beauty
What made Sarah’s beauty so compelling that kings and nations took notice? Explore the deeper layers of grace, favour, and mystery surrounding one of Scripture’s most unforgettable women — and discover why her story still provokes wonder today.
Men in the Bible: A Man of Ambition and Adventure
Terah may not have reached Canaan, but his courage to start a life-changing journey laid the foundation for Abraham’s destiny. Discover how ambition and bold steps mark a life of significance.
Men in the Bible: An Impetuous and Impudent Man
A revealing glimpse into a man whose choices exposed deeper issues of character, showing how hastiness and entitlement can quietly shape a destiny, and why his story still speaks to us today.
Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight
Sometimes what looks like a smart choice can hide the seed of a mistake. This reflection from Scripture invites us to think again about how foresight — or the lack of it — shapes a man’s story.
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe
Before laws, temples, or traditions, one man honoured God with his substance. Abraham’s tithe was not commanded, demanded, or enforced. It flowed from reverence.
Fathers in the Bible: A Destiny-Shaping Father
What makes a man a truly aware father? Discover how one man’s prophetic foresight shaped his son’s destiny and changed generations forever.
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