161 Now Sarai , Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar . 2 So Sarai said to Abram , "Now behold , the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid ; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai . 3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan , Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian , her maid , and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife .
4 He went in to Hagar , and she conceived ; and when she saw that she had conceived , her mistress was despised in her sight . 5 And Sarai said to Abram , " May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms , but when she saw that she had conceived , I was despised in her sight . May the Lord judge between you and me." 6 But Abram said to Sarai , "Behold , your maid is in your power ; do to her what is good in your sight ." So Sarai treated her harshly , and she fled from her presence .
7 Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness , by the spring on the way to Shur . 8 He said , "Hagar , Sarai's maid , where e have you come from and where are you going ?" And she said , "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai ." 9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress , and submit yourself to her authority ."
10 Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, " I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count ." 11 The angel of the Lord said to her further, "Behold , you are with child , And you will bear a son ; And you shall call his name Ishmael , Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction . 12 "He will be a wild donkey of a man , His hand will be against everyone , And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers ." 13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees "; for she said , " Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" 14 Therefore e the well was called Beer-lahai-roi ; behold , it is between Kadesh and Bered .
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son ; and Abram called the name of his son , whom Hagar bore , Ishmael . 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.
171 Now when Abram was ninety-nine e years old , the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty ; Walk before Me, and be blameless . 2 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly ." 3 Abram fell on his face , and God talked with him, saying ,
4 "As for Me, behold , My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations . 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram , But your name shall be Abraham ; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations . 6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful , and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.
7 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant , to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 " I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings , all the land of Canaan , for an everlasting possession ; and I will be their God ." 9 God said further to Abraham , "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant , you and your descendants after you throughout their generations . 10 " This is My covenant , which you shall keep , between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised . 11 "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin , and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations , a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner e , who is not of your descendants . 13 "A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised ; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant . 14 "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin , that person shall be cut off from his people ; he has broken My covenant ."
15 Then God said to Abraham , "As for Sarai your wife , you shall not call her name Sarai , but Sarah shall be her name . 16 "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations ; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed , and said in his heart , "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old ? And will Sarah , who is ninety years old , bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God , "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 But God said , "No , but Sarah your wife will bear you a son , and you shall call his name Isaac ; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 "As for Ishmael , I have heard you; behold , I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly . He shall become the father of twelve e princes , and I will make him a great nation . 21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac , whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year ." 22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham .
23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son , and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money , every male among the men of Abraham's household , and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day , as God had said to him. 24 Now Abraham was ninety-nine e years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin . 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen e years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin . 26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised , and Ishmael his son . 27 All the men of his household , who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner e , were circumcised with him.
27 " You have heard that it was said , ' YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY '; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart . 29 " If your right eye makes you stumble , tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than e for your whole body to be thrown into hell . 30 " If your right hand makes you stumble , cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than e for your whole body to go into hell .
31 "It was said , ' WHOEVER e SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY , LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE '; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife , except for the reason of unchastity , makes her commit adultery ; and whoever e marries a divorced woman commits adultery .
33 "Again , you have heard that the ancients were told , ' YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS , BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE Lord .' 34 "But I say to you, make no oath at all , either by heaven , for it is the throne of God , 35 or by the earth , for it is the footstool of His feet , or by Jerusalem , for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING . 36 "Nor shall you make an oath by your head , for you cannot e make one hair white or black . 37 "But let your statement be, 'Yes , yes ' or 'No , no '; anything beyond these is of evil .
38 " You have heard that it was said , ' AN EYE FOR AN EYE , AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH .' 39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek , turn the other to him also . 40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt , let him have your coat also . 41 "Whoever forces you to go one mile , go with him two . 42 " Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
43 " You have heard that it was said , ' YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy .' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven ; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good , and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous . 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have ? Do not even the tax collectors do the same ? 47 "If you greet only your brothers , what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same ? 48 "Therefore you are to be perfect , as your heavenly Father is perfect .
(Read Matthew 5:27-32)
Victory over the desires of the heart, must be attended with painful exertions. But it must be done. Every thing is bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them. All our senses and powers must be kept from those things which lead to transgression. Those who lead others into temptation to sin, by dress or in other ways, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be accountable for it. If painful operations are submitted to, that our lives may be saved, what ought our minds to shrink from, when the salvation of our souls is concerned? There is tender mercy under all the Divine requirements, and the grace and consolations of the Spirit will enable us to attend to them.
(Read Matthew 5:33-37)
There is no reason to consider that solemn oaths in a court of justice, or on other proper occasions, are wrong, provided they are taken with due reverence. But all oaths taken without necessity, or in common conversation, must be sinful, as well as all those expressions which are appeals to God, though persons think thereby to evade the guilt of swearing. The worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less there is need for them. Our Lord does not enjoin the precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, but such a constant regard to truth as would render oaths unnecessary.
(Read Matthew 5:38-42)
The plain instruction is, Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord's keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort.
(Read Matthew 5:43-48)
The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect. It is the duty of Christians to desire, and aim at, and press towards perfection in grace and holiness. And therein we must study to conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father, 1 Peter 1:15,16. Surely more is to be expected from the followers of Christ than from others; surely more will be found in them than in others. Let us beg of God to enable us to prove ourselves his children.
