After reading chapter 16:
*In spite of Abram's talk with God, Sarai believes God is keeping her from having children. So, she demands that Abram impregnate her Egyptian slave Hagar. Abram has no problem with this and does as he is told. Of course no one asks Hagar if it is ok.
*The slave becomes pregnant and despises Sarai. Who can blame her? Sarai turns the tables and gets mad at Abram for doing exactly what she told him to do. Abram tells Sarai to do whatever she wants to Hagar. So, Sarai mistreats Hagar badly enough for her to want to run away to the desert while pregnant, and Abram couldn't care less. Great guy.
*Here we have the first appearance of an angel of the lord. An angel is basically a messenger. Notice the lack of wings, halo, and white robe.
*The angel tells Hagar to go back and submit to Sarai, and promises to personally make her descendants numerous. Can angels do that? There appears to be some confusion about this angel, because he is also said to be the lord (Yahweh). Plus, Hagar claims to have seen God (El). How can that be when other verses in the bible say no one has seen God? John 1:18
*The angel says Hagar is to name her son Ishma-el. Verse 15 says Abram named the boy.
*Abram was 86, which would have made Sarai about 76. She still expected to have a child? The year was approximately 1970 B.C.E., if we follow Ussher's chronology.
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