I see comnents here drawn from the tales in the bible which are tailored to make us accept servitude and slavery. Any keen person should be able to tell that the writer has drawn her content elsewhere other than from the bible. I am also aware that Abraham did later on go to seek Ishmael once he had grown up to around 16 years of age. Iam glad the writer has asked questions that i have always asked myself and more. What god is this that condones slavery of fellow human beings?
Forgot to mention... Hagar provoked Sarai. Gen 16:4 she despised Sarai because she conceived yet Sarai had not after many many years of marriage. Jacob's #2 (Rachel) was not able to concieve for a while yet Bilhah (her maidservant who bore Naphtali and Dan) did not vilify her.
Abraham did not sneak into Hagar's tent. He did not rape Hagar. She was given to him by Sarah, which is how they practiced surrogacy - now that there were no labs to facilitate the process. You will recall that Jacob's wives also presented their handmaids at the time they were competing on who would bear him more children. Wives were also inherited to continue the lineage of the deceased - where he left no children of his own. It is (or was) the culture just the same way in Africa we have practices unique to us.
Genesis 16: 1- 4... 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 [a]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.
Secondly, slaves were a part of the household - in as much they were traded - and those found mistreating slaves were punished. There is the misconception that slavery at the time was akin to the savagery that met those carried off to the Americas. Note that you could not keep a slave forever. There is a point you had to free the slave and the slave had the option to go or stay.
That the bible sanctioned slavery, does not mean that the slaves were happy. (Is there a verse from a happy slave? Enjoying bondage? Not able to have a family of their own? I would like to read it.) The slaves were not allowed to give their account of their experiences ...... 'Until the lion learns to speak, the tales of hunt will always favor the hunter....'
I did not say Abraham 'sneaked' into Hagar's ten, he appeared. Sarai told him to sleep with Hagar, no one asked Hagar her opinion, because, it did not matter. She was a slave. He raped her and Sarah pimped her.
'Her mistress became despised in her eyes'- That is the bible's version of things and you know which side it leans on.
'and those found mistreating slaves were punished' yet Sarah was never punished. "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her" (This bible!)
I do not think the bible can be used to give a fair account or justify anything in this story because we know the bible's stand on slavery.
Slavery might have been legal, but does not mean it was right. And it is because of bible tales like these that slavery flourished for years after. Some people thinking they are God's chosen and so lord over others, others are convinced by the chosen that "slaves were a part of the household - in as much they were traded - and those found mistreating slaves were punished" and accept slavery, abuse as the order of things and the gospel.
I see comnents here drawn from the tales in the bible which are tailored to make us accept servitude and slavery. Any keen person should be able to tell that the writer has drawn her content elsewhere other than from the bible. I am also aware that Abraham did later on go to seek Ishmael once he had grown up to around 16 years of age. Iam glad the writer has asked questions that i have always asked myself and more. What god is this that condones slavery of fellow human beings?
Forgot to mention... Hagar provoked Sarai. Gen 16:4 she despised Sarai because she conceived yet Sarai had not after many many years of marriage. Jacob's #2 (Rachel) was not able to concieve for a while yet Bilhah (her maidservant who bore Naphtali and Dan) did not vilify her.
Abraham did not sneak into Hagar's tent. He did not rape Hagar. She was given to him by Sarah, which is how they practiced surrogacy - now that there were no labs to facilitate the process. You will recall that Jacob's wives also presented their handmaids at the time they were competing on who would bear him more children. Wives were also inherited to continue the lineage of the deceased - where he left no children of his own. It is (or was) the culture just the same way in Africa we have practices unique to us.
Genesis 16: 1- 4... 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 [a]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.
Secondly, slaves were a part of the household - in as much they were traded - and those found mistreating slaves were punished. There is the misconception that slavery at the time was akin to the savagery that met those carried off to the Americas. Note that you could not keep a slave forever. There is a point you had to free the slave and the slave had the option to go or stay.
That the bible sanctioned slavery, does not mean that the slaves were happy. (Is there a verse from a happy slave? Enjoying bondage? Not able to have a family of their own? I would like to read it.) The slaves were not allowed to give their account of their experiences ...... 'Until the lion learns to speak, the tales of hunt will always favor the hunter....'
I did not say Abraham 'sneaked' into Hagar's ten, he appeared. Sarai told him to sleep with Hagar, no one asked Hagar her opinion, because, it did not matter. She was a slave. He raped her and Sarah pimped her.
'Her mistress became despised in her eyes'- That is the bible's version of things and you know which side it leans on.
'and those found mistreating slaves were punished' yet Sarah was never punished. "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her" (This bible!)
I do not think the bible can be used to give a fair account or justify anything in this story because we know the bible's stand on slavery.
Slavery might have been legal, but does not mean it was right. And it is because of bible tales like these that slavery flourished for years after. Some people thinking they are God's chosen and so lord over others, others are convinced by the chosen that "slaves were a part of the household - in as much they were traded - and those found mistreating slaves were punished" and accept slavery, abuse as the order of things and the gospel.
Slavery is an abomination.