Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/168

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llie

Book of Genesis

upon Him He satdo His work. Day by day His love watches over us and His providence never fails us. His countless blessings come to us constantly in overflowing measure, if only we open our eyes to see and our minds to understand. Again in the Psalmist's words,

He

liearkens to our voice

isfies

when we

call

our needs and gives us strength

The Lord

upliokleth

that

all



to

fall.

And

raiseth

all

those that are

The

eyes of

all

wait for Thee,

bowed down.

And Thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest Thy hand, And satisifiest every living thing with favor. The Lord

And

righteous in

is

gracious in

all his

His ways,

all

works.

The Lord is nigh unto all them that To all that call upon Him in truth.

He He

And

will

the desire of

fulfil

also will hear their cry,

the

story

suggests

command had come

to

call

upon Him,

them that fear him and will save them.

still

Abraham

one other thought. to

God's

send away Hagar and

His heart was torn, for Hagar was his wife and mother the of Ishmael, and Ishmael was his son, and he Ishmael.

loved them.

Nay more,

he

felt

a

stern

sense of

duty to

provide for them and protect them, just as the true husband

and father always

feels.

But according to the standards and had the right to demand that

practices of those days, Sarah

Hagar, her handmaid, be put away because of her arrogant And (lod had conduct, and her son, Ishmael, with her. bidden Abraham do as Sarah had demanded. He was torn between two duties, the duty to ])rotect and cherish Hagar and Ishmael, and the duty to do as Sarah, his first and chief wife, had the right to demand, and as God Himself had l)idden him do. Which duty should he perform? His own desire and feeling for his ofl:'sj)ring bade him keep Hagar and Ishmael, and care for them at all costs, even in defiance of Sarah's right and of God's liidding.

A

voice within kept