Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
First Page - Now launched! All the stories are true, or based on real events. Unlimited reading for $4.99 / month. No downloads. Read on your phone, tablet or computer.
La verdad puede ser más extraña que la ficción.
First Page - ¡Ya está en marcha! Todas las historias son verídicas, o están basadas en hechos reales. Lectura ilimitada por $4.99 / mes. No hay que descargar nada. Lea en su teléfono, tableta u ordenador.
Manna Minutes Podcast: Eye-opening Bible study in less than five minutes! Access all episodes here.
El podcast Manna Minutes: ¡Estudio bíblico que nos hace abrir los ojos en menos de cinco minutos! Acceda a todos los episodios aquí.
Manna Minutes Podcast Auf Deutsch: Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.
Is The Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Of God? Or Is It Evil?
Did you know the Word of God (the Christian Bible) speaks directly against what governments are doing with Covid-19 vaccine mandates? Get the facts here
¿Viene de Dios el mandato de vacuna contra el Covid-19? O ¿acaso es malo?
¿Sabía que la Palabra de Dios (la Biblia cristiana) condena de manera directa lo que los gobiernos están haciendo a través de los mandatos de vacuna contra el Covid-19? Obtenga los hechos aquí.
Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!
Should A Christian Practice Yoga Or Pilates? The Shocking Truth
Perhaps you practice yoga for health reasons, or to reduce stress. But, do you really know the diabolical goal of any form or style of yoga, including pilates? Get your answers here
La verdad espeluznante sobre el yoga revelada por la Biblia cristiana
Quizás practiques yoga por motivos de salud o para reducir el estrés. Pero, ¿realmente conoces el objetivo diabólico de cualquier forma o estilo de yoga, incluido el pilates? Obten tus respuestas aquí.
Communicating With The Dead: Learn The Shocking Truth
The spirit you think is mom, dad, or some other loved one from beyond the grave is NOT your loved one. But, what about the "proof" that the living can indeed talk to the dead? Let God's Word open your eyes to a deception that is pure evil. Read Spirits Of The Deceased
Comunicarse con los muertos: La impactante verdad
El espíritu que parece ser tu madre, padre o algún otro ser querido tuyo desde el más allá NO es tu ser querido. Pero, ¿qué hay de "la prueba" de que los vivos pueden comunicarse con los muertos? Permite que la Palabra de Dios te abra los ojos para que veas el engaño que es de la maldad pura. Te invitamos a leer ¿Están los muertos entre los vivos?
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Capital Punishment Is Sanctioned By The Bible
Christians and believers in the Bible, the Word of God calls for the death penalty for first degree murder, rape, and other acts of violence. The Bible tells us to behold the goodness AND the severity of God whose Word--including in the New Testament--does NOT speak against capital punishment Read the scriptural proof now.
La Biblia sanciona la pena capital
Cristianos y creyentes en la Biblia, la Palabra de Dios pide la pena de muerte para el asesinato en primer grado, la violación y otros actos de violencia. La Biblia nos dice que contemplemos la bondad Y la severidad de Dios, cuya Palabra -incluso en el Nuevo Testamento- NO habla en contra de la pena capital. Lea ahora la prueba bíblica.
¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Did Abraham and Sarah Try to Rush God?
Many well known Christian leaders teach that Abraham and his wife Sarah attempted to rush God who had told Abraham that He would give him a son, though Sarah was barren. Some even allude to saying that Ishmael's birth was a mistake. And that we make mistakes when we refuse to keep waiting on God. While the Bible definitely lets us know we can make grave mistakes when we try to rush God, are we correct in applying that belief to the case of Abraham, Sarah and Ishmael? If that is what you've been taught, and have always believed, you probably have simply accepted the viewpoint of well-respected Christian leaders who taught that. But we are to be like the Bereans who read the Scriptures for themselves...even behind the great apostle Paul's teachings. (Acts 17:11)
God's Promise to Abraham
In Genesis 15:1-4, we read, "After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed. And lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir."
In no part of this Genesis 15:1-4 passage do we read that God said Abraham's (Abram's) son would come through his wife Sarah. In no part of this passage does God say He would open Sarah's barren womb. Why then would we automatically jump to the conclusion that Abraham and Sarah lost faith in God by rushing ahead to have a son through the handmaid Hagar? At this point, the Lord has told Abraham that he will have his own son. The Lord, however, has not said at this point that Sarah will have a son. In light of this, it's perfectly logical to think that Sarah, who also wanted a son, would settle for having one through a surrogate mother. There is no biblical justification for saying that Abraham and Sarah tried to rush God's promise.
Some teach that Sarah was anxious to have a baby, because Jewish women were ashamed of being barren. How can we say this considering that there were no Jewish women at the time Sarah lived? Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28), is the father of the Israelites in that his twelve sons and their descendants are the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:1). Jacob was Abraham's and Sarah's grandson. This means that the nation of Israel did not exist in Sarah's life time. If Israel did not exist, Jewish women did not exist. So why speak of attitudes and beliefs of a nation that has not yet come to be?
Getting back to the question, Sarah is informed that God is going to give her husband Abraham a son. Seeing that she remained barren, it makes logical sense to have Abraham have a son with her servant, so she can become a mother in this round-about way. Again, remember, at this point, God has not said that the biological son Abraham is to have will be with his wife Sarah. Let's not forget that back then, even men of God could have more than one wife. So, why would Sarah not reason that her husband's son will be born of another wife?
Abraham Has a Son...But Not With Sarah
In Genesis 16:1-4, we read, "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children. And she had an handmaid, an Egyptian whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egpytian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife."
Ten years have passed at this point. Abraham is still childless. And Sarah is still barren. Waiting ten years before taking action should not be considered rushing God's promise to Abraham. It should not warrant teaching that Abraham and Sarah lost faith in God, and deliberately acted outside His will. We read that Sarah said, "It MAY be that I MAY obtain children by her." Obviously, Sarah doesn't know what's "wrong"...what's taking God so long. Unless...perhaps...Abraham's biological son is to come through a second wife. After all, Abraham, not Sarah--at this point--is the one who's been told he will have a biological child.
In Genesis 16:16, we see the birth of Ishmael, the biological--albeit not the promised--son of Abraham. This son is Ishmael. Further reading in the book of Genesis reveals that, much later, God specifies that the son He promised Abraham will be with his barren wife Sarah (Gen. 17:16). That promised son's name is Isaac. We also see that Ishmael begins to taunt and make trouble for Isaac, which is why some view his birth as a mistake. We've even heard that Ishmael's descendants came to be a thorn in Israel's side, alluding to the trouble in the Middle East between Israelis and Arabs.
However, we do not read anywhere in the Old or New Testaments that Ishmael's birth was a mistake. We do not read that God forbad Abraham from taking a second wife, and having children with her. Lastly, we do not read that God saw the birth of Ishmael as an attempt to rush His promise to Abraham. Nevertheless, some claim that had Ishmael never been born, Israel would not be suffering today. But is that what the Scriptures say about the thorn in Israel's side?
In Numbers 33:51, we see God giving Israel instructions for once they "passed over into Jordan into the land of Canaan." He tells them, "But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell" (Numbers 33:55).
Obviously, the Canaanites, all of whom Israel did not drive out, came to be thorns in Israel's side. We do not read that the Canaanites were Ishmael's descendants. They were Ham's descendants. Genesis, chapter 10, tells us that Ham fathered Canaan. And that Canaan is the father of the Canaanites, not Ishmael. In fact, Ishmael's descendants are listed in Genesis, chapter 25, beginning with verse 12. Ishmael was not a Canaanite, because neither his father Abraham, nor his Egyptian mother Hagar was a Canaanite.
Where then is the biblical support for teaching that Sarah and Abraham attempted to rush God's promise? What biblical proof does anyone have for teaching that Ishmael's birth should never have taken place? None. In fact, we have just expounded on the biblical proof that refutes such teachings.
Recommended Christian Articles:
Was Abraham's Faith Genuine? Did He Really Trust in God?
The Biblical Definition Of Real Faith In God
Out of the Mouth of Babes: Can Children Have Faith in God?
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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