THE RIVERS – Part 5 – The Second River is Gihon – The Fountain – The Division – Solomon – Hagar – Ishmael –

THE RIVERS
Part 5

THE SECOND RIVER
And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. (Genesis 2:13)

INTRODUCTION

   As most articles begin with the reminder that it is necessary to read all of the previous articles, that appears to be a commonsense thing for the reader to do, however, as in all things, common sense is neither common nor supportable for many individuals. READ ALL of the PREVIOUS ARTICLES . . . please!
    Why are we studying in the second Chapter of the book of Genesis? We are in this section simply because the second Chapter of the book of Genesis through verses 1-9 and verses 15 – 25 is about the finished work of creation and the introduction to the first created man called Adam. God interrupted His introduction of Adam and inserted six verses about a river between verses 9 and 15. I, as most readers probably have done,  have quickly read over these six verses and continued on with the creation scene of the first man formed by God without asking the typical mystery detective like questions . . . What? Who? Where? When? and Why? All these W questions serve a spiritual purpose for the seeker of truth.
    Part 1 is about the WHY . . . Why we are in this particular section of Scripture. Part 2 is about the WHO and the WHY of the River. Part 3 is WHO and WHAT is Pison, and WHO and WHAT is Havilah? Part 4 is about WHO is the river, the strength of the river, the remembrance of the river and the river’s representation of God in the face of Jesus Christ. A lot of WHO’s and WHY’s. What will God the Holy Spirit have for us in the fifth mention of the river?
   For those who have difficulty with reading background or research material, the following sets the theme of A RIVER, and the theme of the RIVERS in Genesis 2:10 thru 2:14.

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. (Genesis 2:10)
The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; (Genesis 2:11)
And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. (Genesis 2:12)

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And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. (Genesis 2:13)

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And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. (Genesis 2:14)
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And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. (Genesis 2:13)

   Gihon means ‘the breaking forth,’ and/or ‘a fountain;’ and through the six mentions of Gihon in Scripture there are three kings of Israel connected or associated with Gihon. Solomon in 1st Kings Chapter 1:33, 38 and verse 45. Hezekiah in 2nd Chronicles 32:30, and Manasseh in 2nd Chronicles 33:14.
1. And the name of the second river [is] Gihon: the same [is] it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. (Genesis 2:13)
2. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: (1st Kings 1:33)
3. So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. (1st Kings 1:38)
4. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This [is] the noise that ye have heard. (1st Kings 1:45)
5. This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. (2nd Chronicles 32:30)
6. Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. (2nd Chronicles 33:14)
   Right from the get-go, I can already tell you that this will probably be a very long article or even many articles to come. I can also predict another tag along theme in the address of the first mention of Gihon in Genesis 2:13 . . . the witness (2) of the sin of rebellion and the judgment of God against that sin in the number 13. Also, through the six documentations of Gihon, you just KNOW that sin and rebellion will play a major role throughout the history of mankind. God the Holy Spirit presents KEY elements into the narrative even before He supplies the narrative . . . the numbers 6 and 13. Adam had barely just been placed into the garden and then through Genesis 2:10 – 14 God the Holy Spirit presents an epic report on what will happen to Adam’s descendants in the future specifically to the nation of Israel.
    Let’s try to reap more from the word Gihon, ‘the breaking forth.’ What is the Holy Spirit teaching us about what lies before mankind between Genesis 2:8, 9 and Genesis 2:15?
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (Genesis 2:8) And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

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Genesis 2:10, 11, 12, 13, 14

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis 2:15)

    God planned and prepared a safe and ideal location (a garden) for the first man created and formed to dwell in. Every pleasant tree that was good for food; the tree of life (life eternal); the tree of knowledge . . . the knowledge of GOOD and evil. All that would sustain and maintain man in an environment of pleasure, in health, and in intellectual peace with nature and in spiritual peace with his Creator God. BUT, before the LORD God took the man (Adam) and put him into the garden of Eden guess what the Holy Spirit of God did? First, He presented the knowledge and understanding of the PERFECTION, the HOLINESS, the RIGHTEOUSNESS and the SOVEREIGNTY of God. Then He unveiled the future to man. God divulged what lay ahead for mankind through five verses saturated with the mystery of the history of man in sin and in rebellion and intermingled throughout these five verses God also disclosed that His GRACE, His MERCY and His TRUTH would be rejected, refused and rebuffed again and again though centuries and through millenniums. The five verses in Genesis 2:10,11,12,13 and 14 is ALL about man’s history yet to happen before it happened. God has kept nothing from the those who venture into His word: His book, His testimony, His manuscript, and God’s history of pre-creation and timelessness.
   You and I are about to enter into the world of history: past, present and future through five verses. Allow me to state it in this manner: through GRACE and through TRUTH, we are about to enter into the world of the UNSEEN through the SEEN world. There is no end to the majestic magnificence of God’s manuscript written by the finger of God. (Mini-thought: Four times the phrase the finger of God is documented in Scripture. Why the number four (4)? It is the number four simply because His manuscript is for the world, four being the number of the world. The finger of God: Exodus 8:19; 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10 and Luke 11:20. The last mention of the finger of God in Luke 11:20 discloses that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who stated, But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. End of mini-thought.)

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God’s Chain of Command

   Adam never rebuked or challenged Eve in her great sin and trespass against God. As many men since Adam, they chose to follow instead of lead. Adam was made the Federal Head over the earth, that was a leadership role. Eve had neither right nor role to play as a leader. (So sorry ladies, but that is God’s proper order in the marriage relationship. A leader appreciates advice, a leader seeks advice, but what occurred between Adam and Eve forever tainted mankind. Men became tyrannical or oppressive or meek or compliant. Women became tyrannical or oppressive or meek or compliant. Do you see that what God had structured in a male /female relationship had become structurally unsound? God’s order for a male/female relationship depended totally on each knowing their role and their purpose and the proper chain of command. Yes, I wrote chain of command. As there is a chain of command in the mountain of God and in the stones of fire, there is also a chain of command given to the male/female joined together as one unit.

● Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:21)
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22)
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (Ephesians 5:23)
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (Ephesians 5:24)
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 25)
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27)
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (Ephesians 5:28)
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:29)
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30)
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Ephesians 5:31)
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32)
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5:33)
● Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18)
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (Colossians 3:9)

   First, God was/is the GODHEAD over all the heavens and the earth, then Adam was the Federal Head over the earth following all of God’s precepts and laws, then Eve was the deputy and the aid to the Federal Head in fulfilling and complying with all of God’s precepts and laws. Yes, God has a chain of command. Eve’s failure was based on her belief that she was capable of replacing Adam, and that she could make an earth-shattering decision in direct opposition to God her Creator. Adam failed because although he knew the truth that Eve was deadly wrong, he chose to remain silent rather than confront Eve with the truth.
   The following quote is, of course, from a politician, To get along go along. It has been twisted to mean nice and pleasant things. I really detest that quote as I see in it the absence of discernment. How about this quote in Amos 3:3, Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Unity in marriage requires that both walk together in love, in purpose and complying with God’s chain of command. It is the unscrupulous politician who goes along to get along. It is the unprincipled and opportunistic Nicolaitan person of religion who goes along to get along. It is the spiritual weakling that goes along to get along. The lack of discernment is one of the great failures of the church, But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14) To discern correctly between good and evil, one cannot Go along to get along. Go along to get along only plays well with those who have no scruples in compromising, so it becomes a political and religious art form. The United States Congress also known as the United Seditious Chamber of communistic ideology has achieved what many previous Congressmen and women could not accomplish: the establishment of moral lies, evil truths, ungodly laws, righteous perversions and united discord all while in the historical setting of governmental authority. All this exists because of SIN and SILENCE. Being silent about sin only leads to more sin and more silence. Being silent about sin is approval of sin. Being silent about sin is also being united as one with sin. He who is silent against sin will share in the judgment of that sin. How did silence work out for Adam? Eve wasn’t silent, she had no problem in loudly voicing her opinion that God was a liar. Scripture does not document the words of Eve to her husband when she passed him the fruit of evil. But, being a woman, I KNOW WOMEN, they definitely do not go QUIETLY into the night, nor do they go quietly into the light whenever they are pushing their power agenda. When Eve took of the evil fruit of the tree, she was actually demonstrating that she agreed with the serpent Ye shall not surely die, and in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil and that she would be as wise as God. I would say that her reaction in taking the evil fruit was a very loud statement AGAINST her Creator God. Satan approached Eve first NOT Adam. That alone speaks volumes of what Satan saw in Eve. Satan had seen in Eve what was IN Satan himself: pride, vanity, the desire to rule over others, that those who serve in authority mostly serve themselves first. Satan saw Eve as a skillful manipulator with a narcissistic personality. Satan saw himself in Eve as another cunning narcissistic sociopathic villain. As it takes a used car salesman to sell a used car to another used car salesman, (my apologies to used car salesmen) and as it takes a corrupt preacher to fool another corrupt preacher, and as it takes a depraved politician to honor another depraved politician, so also it takes a villainous narcissistic sociopath to outmaneuver another narcissistic sociopath . . . birds of the same feathers.
    What occurred at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was probably NOT the first time that Eve had manipulated Adam. She had toned her manipulative skills previously with Adam. Adam did not even attempt to set Eve straight because he had already capitulated many times to a stronger personality. It takes a SPIRITUALLY STRONG MAN to take control of his domain. Man places a lot of emphasis on physical strength, but physical strength is NOT where strength comes from. ALL strength comes from OBEYING the WORD of God and from the reverent FEAR of God, and from upholding the GOD of LOVES. A spiritually strong man is as strong as His LOVE for his Creator God. To be a helpmate to a spiritually strong man requires that the helpmate understand that they are only strong together as they agree together, and as they suffer together, and as they tread the same dangerous paths together, and as they pray together. One mind, one heart, one together in Spirit, one together in purpose, one together in goals, in labor, in failures, in tears, in sorrows, in rejections, and one together in service to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords . . . that is where spiritual strength becomes spiritual joy.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1)
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (Genesis 3:2)
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (Genesis 3:3)
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (Genesis 3:4)
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5)
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:6)
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Genesis 3:7)

  In Genesis 3:17, Eve’s voice was noted by God. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Therefore, I stand behind what I have written that Eve wasn’t silent, and that she had no problem in loudly voicing her opinion that God was a liar and that the serpent spoke words of truth and wisdom.

◆ SIDE NOTE: Lucifer, Angels in Hell, the Devil, devils, spirits, and the DEEP.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)    To speak lies is to also murder the truth. The serpent’s lies led to the death of Adam and Eve, therefore, by causing their deaths the devil was a murderer. Lucifer attempted to murder GOODNESS, Holiness and Righteousness. Even before Adam and Eve, the devil in the heavenly realm under the name of the created anointed cherub Lucifer, became a murderer. How did Lucifer become a murderer? What did he murder, or kill? Lucifer drew a third part of the angelic hosts into his failed coup d’état to overthrow God. (Revelation 12:4) Consequently, these entities created by God to serve Him and to perform various functions and governmental operations throughout God’s massive realm of the SEEN and the UNSEEN were in essence murdered, removed from their position of power and from their assigned place of service. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6) Their first estate was not a location, it was a position of power, their own habitation was their righteous and holy service to a Righteous and Holy God.
● Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:36)
● But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)
● For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2nd Peter 2:4)
● And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6)
● And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)
  We often confuse angels with spirits, and spirits with demons, and demons with devils. Christians are careless who they listen to, and who they follow, and for many Christians they carelessly read Scripture. It is not how fast that one can read Scripture it is how faithfully it is read. Line upon line, precept upon precept, line upon line . . . that takes TIME and repetition. Although angels cannot die, the angels who fought alongside of Lucifer have been chained in hell and are reserved for judgment.
   It is here that many speed readers get lost in the weeds of words erroneously believing that ‘fallen angels’ sexually mixed with humans. They were NOT fallen angels; they were human GIANTS. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4) CLICK here for more about giants in the earth.
    In Luke 8:31, the devils begged the Lord Jesus Christ not to be sent into THE DEEP. THEY FEARED THE DEEP. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. Twice Scripture records the phrase the face of the deep. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2) The waters are hid as [with] a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. (Genesis 38:30) These devils no longer had the unction of the POWER of God, they had been removed from the POWER and the PRESENCE of God, held in chains, powerless and waiting for their eternal and never-ending judgment.
● Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. (Psalm 103:20)
● And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (2nd Thessalonians 1:7)
● For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2nd Peter 2:4)
● Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)
● And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6)
   The book of Job is rich with spiritual gems from the Holy Spirit about God’s creatorial powers. It is not only considered the oldest book in Scripture, but it overflows with God’s works in time and in timelessness. Want to know about ancient times, read Job. Want to know more about the ages before the creation of man, read Job. The following verses disclose more about THE DEEP.
● The waters are hid as [with] a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. (Job 38:30) In Luke 16:26, we have the face of the deep seen as a great gulf fixed. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. To the spirits of devils, the deep represents a formless void that is a frozen, fixed and an unmovable state of being where they are eternally trapped unable to freely act and although they had once been creatures mighty in strength and able to move through time and space, (as described in the first Chapter of the book of Ezekiel) they are no longer relevant nor with purpose.
● He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. (Job 41:31) Do you recognize this boiling like a pot, as a sea like a pot of curative ointment? What is the lake of fire? It is like a pot boiling as an endless sea curing as a remedy and solution for sin and death and for all those who rejected the SAVING POWER of a Righteous and Holy God.

● He maketh a path to shine after him; [one] would think the deep [to be] hoary. (Job 41:32) Here is another truth about THE DEEP . . . it is hoary. As you follow the word hoary in Scripture it is linked to AGE.
● Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I [am] the LORD. (Leviticus 19:32)
● Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? (Job 38:29)
● He maketh a path to shine after him; [one] would think the deep [to be] hoary. (Job 41:32)
● The hoary head [is] a crown of glory, [if] it be found in the way of righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31)
  What have we learned about THE DEEP? 1 . . It is FIXED, FROZEN in a state of perpetual existence. 2 . . . THE DEEP is the lake of fire. 3 . . . THE DEEP is AGELESS, it is forever and forever, from everlasting to everlasting. It is introduced to us in Genesis 1:2, as the FACE of THE DEEP. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Notice that DARKNESS was upon the face of THE DEEP and when the Spirit of God moved, it is SEPARATE from the FACE of THE DEEP as He moved across the FACE of the waters. There are two separate elements here: THE FACE OF THE DEEP and THE FACE OF THE WATERS. And in the last book of the Bible THE DEEP is seen as the LAKE of FIRE. There are only four mentions of a LAKE OF FIRE and ALL are documented in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  
● And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
● And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 19:10)
● And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 19:14)
● And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:15)
   The devils in Matthew 8, unclean spirits, begged to remain relevant. Consequently, they begged the Lord Jesus in Matthew, Mark and in the gospel of Luke to send them into the UNCLEAN swine. Demons, unclean spirits need positive active matter to remain relevant. From glory to swine was quite a state to be found in . . . an irreversible and unredeemable state of being. As unclean evil seducing spirits of devils required relevancy during their physical existence as ungodly rebellious haters of God, their wicked spirits continue to traverse the domain of man searching out those who are willing to house their unclean spirits for a price: the price of fame, the price of wealth, the price of beauty, the price of power, and the price of false relevancy. Many a writer, many a musical genius, many religious entities, and many political men and women have sold their souls for a brief moment in the fading spotlight of popularity in bodies of swine. It is easy to spot the women of popularity by the clothes that they are almost wearing. 

● And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. (Matthew 8:30) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. (Matthew 8:31) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. (Matthew 8:32)
● Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (Mark 5:11) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (Mark 5:12) And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (Mark 5:13)
● And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. (Luke 8:32) Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. (Luke 8:33)
  Rebellious angels who fought in the First Battle of the Universe, have been chained waiting for their sentence. The words demon and demons are not in Scripture. However, the words devils, spirits, familiar spirits, unclean spirits, evil spirits, seducing spirits and spirits of devils are documented throughout Scripture. God has purposely kept the spiritual realm of these entities separate from the physical realm of mankind with just a few documentations because it is BEYOND our comprehension level of understanding. This article is not a treatise on the spirit world. In summarizing the fear of the DEEP it is ONLY written about evil spirits. Many have speculated the origin of these evil spirit entities. Think along the lines of those who perished in the universal flood of Noah. Those who rejected the message of Noah of salvation numbered into the millions. Those who followed Nimrod and hunted the souls of men numbered into millions. Throughout biblical history, millions have been born, lived and died rejecting God’s redemptive plan. These people were NOT angels, nor did they have the substance of angelic matter. Men NEVER mixed and mingled sexually with angels. THAT is a TRAGIC theory. Let me rephrase that, that theory is a LIE. That LIE cannot be validated by Scripture. The offspring of the line of Cain were GIANTS, the line of Cain corrupted the line of Seth until there was only ONE person who remained on earth who was called righteous, and that was NOAH. That is a brief summary tying millions of individuals together perishing under the waters of the deep. 
 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1st Peter 3:18)
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (1st Peter 3:19)
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1st Peter 3:20)
Scripture clearly states that the spirits in prison whom Christ preached to were from the time span during the age of Noah. However, Scripture also clearly states the spirits of evil men and women have been active throughout the history of mankind. For instance, the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria . . . the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians . . . the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia . . . the spirit of Egypt . . . the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes . . . the spirit of whoredoms . . .
  The DEEP that the unclean spirits and evil devils feared was their judgment, not death. Their judgment is eternal darkness, from everlasting to everlasting. These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. (Psalm 107:24) Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. (Psalm 69:15) God’s wonders IN THE DEEP is much more than wonders of the deep in the seas of the earth. There are many wonders of God IN THE DEEP of timelessness. God’s wonders that created the universe that can be SEEN is certainly beyond words. But, beyond God’s wonders in the SEEN there are the wonders of God in the UNSEEN, in the DEEP where His treasures of wisdom, and understanding founded the earth and established the heavens. As Christ told Nicodemus in John 3:12, If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? Therefore, God’s treasures within the DEEP are not meant for mortal beings to comprehend. Yet, within His written treasures of Scripture He allows man to briefly glimpse spiritual gems from His LIGHT of perfection to see into the absolute glorious PERFECTION of His Divine Being through the Living WORD and through the written word. Above all things, we, the children of God, are blessed upon blessings with the words of God from the mouth of God breathed by the Spirit of God. Yes, I LOVE THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD because it reflects the beauty within THE LIVING WORD OF GOD: the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. (Proverbs 3:19)
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Proverbs 136:5)
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.(Jeremiah 51:15) ◆ End of Side Note: Lucifer, Angels in Hell, the Devil, devils, spirits, and the DEEP.

   Back to the sin of Adam and Eve and their sin of rejecting the word of God . . . . . . In 1st Samuel 15:23, to reject the word of the LORD is rebellion, and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Both Adam and Eve rebelled against God by rejecting His words, And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Genesis 2:16) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17) However, Adam and Eve added stubbornness to their rebellion, thus iniquity and idolatry also became added to their guilt. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1st Samuel 15:23 was God’s charge against Saul.
   God’s condemnation against Adam was no light charge and thus, ADAM was rejected from his position of Federal Head of his domain, as Saul was rejected as king of Israel. What began with a seemingly innocent conversation between the serpent and Eve led to THE GREAT SIN: REJECTION OF THE WORD OF GOD. From rejection came rebellion, the sin of witchcraft, stubbornness, iniquity, and idolatry. How the lofty have fallen, how mankind has fallen, how the world has fallen, how Israel has fallen, how the church has fallen! Chapter 24 of Isaiah, verses 5 and 6 simply states the cause and the curse. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (Isaiah 24:5) Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:6)
   Rejecting the word of God caused SIN and DEATH. Encouraging man to reject the word of God has always been Satan’s main weapon in achieving victory over God’s creation, for man was created in the image of the invisible God. Satan’s hatred of created mankind is based on God forming man from the dust of the earth and making dust Federal Head over the earth. While Lucifer was created with beauty and wisdom and made an anointed Cherub, this angelic specimen of beauty and wisdom was NEVER created to rise beyond his first estate (serving God as God required) and was NEVER formed to be the Federal or Universal Head of anything. What a contrast between Lucifer/Satan and man. It is no surprise that mankind became a target for annihilation. The tragedy in this scene is that most of mankind NEVER ever realize that they are in the cross hairs of the greatest physical and spiritual WAR ever to exist in both the SEEN and the UNSEEN world. Mankind as well as Lucifer and his rogue angel warriors have a difficult time understanding what constitutes their true place and position in God’s chain of command. Yes, man is made from dust. Yes, God created man to rise above dust. Yes, God’s plan for mankind was to create man in the image of the invisible God. Man’s odyssey from dust to glory was determined by the counsels of God BEFORE creation, however, God placed one thing in the way of man’s realization to the fulfillment of his spiritual end. It was The Law of Sin and Death . . . OBEY GOD OR DIE.

● And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Genesis 2:16) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)
● For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
● But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (Romans 6:22) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

  Satan destroyed man the same way that Lucifer/Satan was removed from the presence of God. Lucifer fought against God’s righteous and holy chain of command. Lucifer erroneously thought that he could acquire GODHOOD and usurp GLORY from the GODHEAD Bodily, thus, he was forcefully removed from God’s presence. Eve erroneously believed that she and Adam could be as God and usurp their Creator’s authority and GLORY, thus, they both were forcefully removed from the presence of God. And thus, ALL became lost to Adam and Eve and to ALL of their descendants: the presence of GOD and everlasting life.

—–◆—–
GIHON
The Downward Spiral

   From the six verses recording the word Gihon, did you notice in the second mention the phrase and bring him down to Gihon. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: (1st Kings 1:33). This downward action should also alert you to what will happen throughout the history of Israel as a nation, and what will happen to man spiritually, physically, emotionally, intellectually and mentally. Man gravitates toward a downward spiral of his evil imaginations into the abyss of sin. (Genesis 6:5) Man’s nature is to follow the basest of men. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2nd Timothy 3:2) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (2nd Timothy 3:3) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (2nd Timothy 3:4)
   Smack-dab in the middle of the 2nd Chapter of Genesis, God the Holy Spirit provides the seeker of truth with a prophetic view of what man (Adam) will become . . . a monstrous defiant traitorous rebel against his Creator God (the Lord Jesus Christ).
   A downward action is twice documented concerning Gihon . . . ‘the breaking forth,‘ and/or ‘a fountain.‘ . . . and bring him down to Gihon . . . went down . . . and brought him to Gihon. The third mention of Gihon relating to Solomon is that he was anointed king in Gihon.

SOLOMON
King in GIHON

2. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: (1st Kings 1:33)
3. So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. (1st Kings 1:38)
4. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This [is] the noise that ye have heard. (1st Kings 1:45)
   David’s son Solomon was chosen by God to be in the line of kingship. For those who do not know what transpired in Solomon’s life, know this, that as Solomon matured, he followed a downward path led by His many wives. CLICK HERE for more about the wisest man every to be born. Although wisdom was Solomon’s strength, nevertheless, he failed as Adam failed when lust and sexual desire preempted wisdom. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father. (1st Kings 11:4)

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. (1st Kings 11:11)
Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. (1st Kings 11:12)
Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen. (1st Kings 11:13)

CLICK HERE for even more about Solomon. 

   King Solomon was a man divided as his connection to Gihon, a place of division, that is why Scripture links Gihon with Solomon. Again, Scripture is true in every aspect. Through the meaning of Gihon, the Holy Spirit of God writes across the pages of life and stamps Gihon with man’s corruption and God’s mercy. Man’s corruption is in the fracturing of a nation through a king (Solomon) and God’s mercy in the ever-flowing fountain sourced from the river of God through a greater King, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Lord Jesus Christ.

—–◆—–
GIHON
The Fracture, The Transgression, The Division
Corruption Came into the Kingly Line through Solomon

   Through Gihon we discovered the first failure of man in ‘the breaking forth,‘ and/or ‘a fountain. The downward behavior of man to seek and to settle into the lowest position began when Adam and Eve preferred to follow the advise of the lowest of all entities, a serpent, rather then to the obey their Creator God.

● And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Genesis 3:14) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)
● They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee. (Micah 7:17)

   This sin and this trespass AGAINST God became in-bred into mankind. As Adam and Eve rejected the KING of the universe, so also, the spiritually blind have followed this same downward rapid trajectory from light to darkness and from truth to error. This same rejection of God is also seen through 1st Samuel 8:6, when the nation of Israel rejected God again when they said, Give us a king to judge us.

● And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. (1st Samuel 8:7)
● O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. (Hosea 13:9)
I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? (Hosea 13:0)
I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath. (Hosea 13:11)
● O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. (Hosea 14:1)

   God gave them a king after their own rebellious hearts in Saul. Then after God took Saul away, God gave them a king after His own heart in David, and then in David’s son Solomon. Although God gave the nation of Israel a dynastic lineage of kings, with each successive king the downward plunge into sin and rebellion against a Holy and Righteous God continued its spiral into the spiritual abyss into the judgment and wrath of God. Through the history of the kings of Israel, Gihon through its dual meaning is clearly seen. As the lineage of kings advanced forward they also broke from God and from His word: each breach resulted in national division, and a fractured society.
   Why was Solomon selected by the Holy Spirit of God to emphasize Gihon as the fracturing, the breach, the transgression and the division and corruption in the kingly line? David sinned and God forgave him. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day. (1st Kings 3:6) Why is Gihon linked to king Solomon? Just think of God appearing to Solomon . . . NOT once, but TWICE. That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. (1st Kings 9:2) Even through the address number we have the witness in the number 2 looking at judgment in the number nine, but this verse does not speak of witness nor of judgment. But, look behind the curtain of God’s appearance, God’s appearance should never be estimated as less than it is. It is NO SMALL thing that God appeared TWICE to Solomon. The greater a man thinks of himself, the less he is. Monarchal pride is not limited only to a monarch. That was the sin of Lucifer, pridefully acting as a monarch when his position and place was far below that of a monarch. Here again we see the rebellion against the perfect order of the chain of command in the realm of the supernatural Supreme Throne realm of The Almighty God. Solomon was an established monarch, he was anointed king IN Gihon. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This [is] the noise that ye have heard. (1st Kings 1:45) Having been anointed by a godly prophet in Nathan, and by a godly priest in Zadok with a horn of oil out of the tabernacle was documented in 1st Kings 1:39. This also was no small nor an unimportant anointing.

—–◆—–
GIHON
A Fountain of Mercy – A Fountain of Life

   Gihon ‘the breaking forth,’ and/or ‘a fountain,’ was the beginning of man’s attempt to break away from God’s Kingly Sovereignty and Authority over the individual and over nations and governmental order. The dual name of Gihon reveals man’s attempt to breach God’s order, to break God’s chain of command, to break away from God’s authority, to violate God’s Laws, commandments and ordinances; and through the second name, a fountain, the Spirit of God discloses God providing a fountain of mercy, a fountain of life, a fountain of living waters not only for Israel but later as the fountain of the water of life freely through Jesus Christ to the world.

● For with thee [is] the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psalm 36:9)
● The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)
● A garden inclosed [is] my sister, [my] spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. (Song 4:12)
● A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. (Song 4:15)
● For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
● And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

    The dual meaning of Gihon opens a massive spiritual principle: the principle is that God’s fountain of mercy always flows with life. When you follow every mention of the word fountain in Scripture you will discover that the word fountain is documented 33 times through 31 verses. Amazing, double threes . . . the witness of the GODHEAD. Twice the witness of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in the mention of the word fountain. Now tell me about how the Bible was written by men and not by God. Go ahead, tell me that Scripture is man made, NOT God made. From the first mention of fountain in Scripture to the last mention of fountain, God’s mercy is written across the waves of time.

● And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (Genesis 16:7)
● In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1)
● Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet [water] and bitter? (James 3:11)
● And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

   The study of God’s mercy seen through the word fountain in Scripture is stunningly supernal. Let us allow or give the Holy Spirit full range to order our thoughts and our steps in selecting from His 33 documentations of the word fountain and follow His leading. The phrase fountain of life appears THREE times in Scripture.

1. For with thee [is] the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psalm 36:9)
2. The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 13:14)
3. The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)

   Coincidental? In don’t think so! Psalm 36:9 is the first documentation of The Fountain of Life and connects to the word LIGHT twice. For with thee [is] the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. I love the first mention of fountain of life in the numerical structure of this first mention . . . 3 – 6 – 9. Now don’t tell me that you do not see this THRICE number of three! If the Spirit of God isn’t writing of the GODHEAD Bodily then He definitely is writing to spiritual dimwits.
    The next two mentions of fountain of life also fits into the construction of how the Holy Spirit builds His framework of words and numbers to form the UNSEEN wisdom and fear of our Great God.

2. The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 13:14)
3. The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)

   Through the second mention of a fountain of life, we have The Law Giver, and through the third mention we have the LORD . . . Jehovah, The Eternal One.
   There is a pattern that the Holy Spirit of God employs to set His thoughts forward that is UNSEEN by too many readers of the written word of God. First, He used the number THREE in the fountain of life. Then He used the number TWO in the words fountain of living waters.

1. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
2. O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, [and] they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. (Jeremiah 17:13)

   As God the Holy Spirit presented the first mention of fountain of life THREE times to readers of truth, so also He presents the fountain of living waters through the number structure of THREE, but this time He leads with the number 2, then follows with the number 1, then concludes in the number 3 in the address location in the book of Jeremiah. (I realize that many readers will not be able to follow this hidden structure of God building blocks. As I have written many times before: chewing is one thing, but swallowing is another.) Scriptural nourishment comes in many different forms . . . God has many ways to supply scriptural nourishment . . . God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (Hebrews 1:1). As many before us and along side of us have chosen broken cisterns to drink from, nevertheless, always allow the Holy Spirit to direct you wherever you are in your Christian journey. This journey, if led by the Holy Spirit of God, is never static, the upward progression of your faith will cause your spiritual vision to see into things that others along their path of faith to faith will not see. But IN ALL THINGS, always prove Scripture with Scripture.
   Even in the study or the quest to venture into the UNSEEN of the unknown spiritual realm of the Holy Spirit of God, do not be afraid of spiritual patterns when you see structures as patterns. Now, let us follow this pattern of how the Holy Spirit of God introduces certain phrases, such as the fountain of living waters. He leads of with 2, then 1 and concludes with 3. Why this pattern of the number 3? As the GODHEAD Bodily is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, the numbers 2, then 1, then 3 does not describe progression or privilege or importance. The GODHEAD is ONE. The number structure in Scripture is built on UNITY, ALL ARE ONE TOGETHER in purpose, in doctrine and in decree. Yet, Christians sometimes fail to see that in purpose, in doctrine and in decree there are also positions of united responsibility even within the GODHEAD. God the Father wills, God the Son obeys and God the Holy Spirit draws and convicts. In the fountain of living waters . . . God the Father is the FOUNTAINHEAD, God the Son is the WELL that contains the FOUNTAINHEAD, and God the Holy Spirit is the REVEALER of the WELL and of the FOUNTAINHEAD.
   God, Jehovah, the Eternal One IS the fountain of living waters in Jeremiah 2:13, and again in Jeremiah 17:13 HE is the LORD and the fountain of living waters. Jehovah, the Eternal One is the source, the FOUNTAINHEAD of the waters of life. Where does the number TWO come in? It comes in through the Lord Jesus Christ when He proclaimed that He was the SOURCE of living water, that within Christ was a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

● Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)
● But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)
● He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)

   Then the fountain of living waters culminates in Revelation 21:6 with the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end in the fountain of the water of life.
   And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. In the Old Testament, God, Jehovah the Eternal One is presented as the fountain of life, and as the fountain of living waters. In the New Testament, God, Jehovah the Eternal One is presented in the Person of I Jesus, (Revelation 22:16) also the BODILY of the GODHEAD, the visible image of the invisible God. For those who have heard that Christ never said that He was and is GOD, always PROVE ALL things through Scripture. The Holy Spirit of God revels in His role as REVEALER because He does it supremely well. The Lord Jesus Christ profoundly claimed to be the well of salvation, the source of living water, the beginning of creation, the fountainhead, and everlasting life.
   Again, I will write what do you think the GODHEAD bodily is? For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9) In CHRIST was the fullness, the completeness of the Godhead. Christ was the BODILY (the visible image of the invisible GOD) of the GODHEAD. All through His ministry, while on earth, everything He did and everything He said was to disclose to His created beings that HE WAS/IS GOD. All through the ministry of the Holy Spirit even BEFORE creation and IN creation everything that He wrote, everything that He revealed, everything that He did was to disclose that the Lord Jesus Christ was Emmanuel, God with us. How much more proof does anyone need? If anyone requires more proof or more evidence, then maybe they should apply for a job as a pretend journalist or a lying reporter. As these particular jobs require very little intelligence and very little comprehension skills.

—–◆—–
A Fountain of Water in the Wilderness
By the Fountain in the Way to Shur

And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (Genesis 16:7)

   Are we there yet? Not quite, for you see, the first mention of any word or phrase is based on The Law of First Mention. Since we are following the word fountain, where is the first mention of the word fountain, and again an astute detective always follows the What? Who? Where? When? and Why? All these W questions serve a spiritual purpose for the seeker of truth. The first documentation of the word fountain is found in Genesis 16:7, And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. Now, did you expect that? Now, on to the Who! Who did the angel of the LORD find?

¶ Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. (Genesis 16:1)
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. (Genesis 16:2)
And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. (Genesis 16:3)
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. (Genesis 16:4)
And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (Genesis 16:5)
But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. (Genesis 16:6)
And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (Genesis 16:7)

  Those who are still reading maybe asking themselves, What has this got to do with the fountain of living waters? Don’t rush me. I hate being rushed. For those who are lost in the weeds of words, remember that Gihon has a dual meaning, ‘the breaking forth,’ and/or ‘a fountain.’ Now do you remember?
   Why is Hagar linked to a fountain, a fountain of water in the wilderness? But this particular fountain of water was at a particular place, by the fountain in the way to Shur. So, we have the Who? and the Where? and we have the When? but the Why? will follow. Genesis Chapter 16 is a sad tale of another man willingly following the bad advice from his wife. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. Hagar is twice recorded as being from Egypt, and an Egyptian. She was acquired when Abram went into the land of Egypt without God’s approval or direction. It is not strange what is carried from one nation to another nation without God’s approval. (Numerous nations today are suffering because many unholy and ungodly things have been carried into nations under Satan’s direction and influence through men and women seeking government advancement willing to compromise the safety of their citizens.) So, there was Hagar, a servant girl, a handmaid to Sarai acquired from a nation of slavery and idolatry in the midst of Abram’s camp. And as it is common among those who have given bad advice, Sarai said, My wrong be upon thee. As Eve’s wrong was placed on Adam since Adam was made the Federal head, so also Sarai’s wrong was placed on Abram since he also was the leader and head of his tribe. See how that works, it is called the chain of command. The man at the top bears the wrongs of not only his decision, but also the decisions of others. That is a principal that those in our age cannot come to grips with: responsibility. Husbands are leaders whether they accept that role and position or not, they are still responsible to God for the spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual condition of their family. It is a difficult and demanding position to be a husband and a father made even more difficult by demanding wives and children. Then to add more upon the shoulders of Abram, Sarai adds the LORD judge between me and thee. Through these words she attempted to step completely away from ALL responsibility. When things go wrong, righting the wrong is sometimes impossible for man, but not for God.
    But Abram was not having any of it. As many husbands have said since Abram, You began it, you end it. You caused the problem, now you solve the problem. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. (Genesis 16:6) However, the loving and godly wise husband will instead take the proper tack and say, Let us solve this problem together. Let us together work to correct this error. The godly man will make a decision and the loyal wife will say, Whatever your decision, I will be with you in that decision.
    Also, through the number structure we see more into the conflict between Abram and Sarai regarding Hagar. God (the number ONE) controls how man (the number SIX) interacts with man (the number SIX). God is over all that man is and what man does. The Sovereignty of God is beyond the comprehension threshold of mankind. Man may unite together in a dual six, but God always leads. This story of Hagar continues on in Genesis Chapter 21 after the birth of Isaac.

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. (Genesis 21:1)
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. (Genesis 21:2
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. (Genesis 21:3)
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. (Genesis 21:4)
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. (Genesis 21:5)
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. (Genesis 21:6)
And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. (Genesis 21:7)
And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. (Genesis 21:8)
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. (Genesis 21:9)
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. (Genesis 21:10)
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. (Genesis 21:11)
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Genesis 21:12)
And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. (Genesis 21:13)
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. (Genesis 21:14)
And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. (Genesis 21:15)
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. (Genesis 21:16)
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. (Genesis 21:17)
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 21:18)
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. (Genesis 21:19)

   In Genesis Chapter 16 God the Holy Spirit brings in the fountain of water in the wilderness, In Genesis Chapter 21 after the birth of Isaac, the Holy Spirit writes of a well of water. Why the difference? A fountain is from a unseen buried stream, a well is dug by man. See the difference. The Spirit of God through Genesis 21 reveals many threads and many spiritual principals. Let us see the importance of why God divided Hagar and Ishmael from the camp of Abram. Do not think of Abram as being callous and heartless. He had erred in listening to his wife, that mistake could not be corrected and consequently Abram had two sons: one of the flesh and one of the Spirit. What is almost impossible for those who drink from a broken cistern to acknowledge is that the Abraham that they regard as their father CHOSE ONLY ONE SON to be the TRUE SEED of sonship and heirship and that was Isaac. And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. (Genesis 25:5) Ishmael was never chosen by God or by Abram to be the seed of promise leading to the Seed of promise. Ishmael was never chosen by God to be in the line of Heirship or Sonship.

And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Genesis 21:12)
And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. (Genesis 21:13)

   Again, the number structure reveals spiritual understanding. Isaac is mentioned SIX times in Chapter 21, but Ishmael is never mentioned once in this Chapter. Why? The sixth and last mention of Isaac in Genesis 21:12 was to enforce the understanding that ONLY Isaac was to be the father of the twelve tribes of Israel through his son Jacob. Isaac and Ishmael were not mentioned together in Chapter 21 to confirm the spiritual distance between Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was to be the seed of promise that would lead and result in the Seed of promise in Christ Jesus. Isaac was called by God Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac . . . thy son, thine only [son] from me . . . and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son].

1. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)
2. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me. (Genesis 22:12)
3. And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son]: (Genesis 22:16)

   In the profoundness of the 22nd Chapter of Genesis, God referred to Isaac as Abraham’s ONLY SON three times. The 22nd Chapter of Genesis is prophetic; it is a spiritual portrait of Calvary. This double witness in Chapter 22, is the witness of God the Father’s heavy heart in the offering of His ONLY SON, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the witness of God the Son and His love for His Father. It is the witness of RESURRECTION. It is the witness of JUDGMENT deferred, and judgment satisfied. It is the witness of God’s foreknowledge and the determinate counsel of the Godhead in REDEMPTION. This 22nd Chapter was the SEEN depicting a future burnt offering through both the SEEN and the UNSEEN on the same mountain of Moriah yet to come, on Golgotha, the place of the skull. The hearts of both son and father depicts the hearts of both The Son and The Father.

    Genesis Chapter 22 unites two worlds, the earthly and the heavenly realms together, walking together, facing death together, facing judgment together, facing resurrection together, facing pain and victory together. Three times the word together is documented in Genesis 22. Coincidence or deliberate?

1. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:6)
2. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)
3. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. (Genesis 22:19)

   Now let us return to the fountain, Ishmael, Isaac and Hagar. Ishmael would remain of Abram’s seed BUT he would never be linked to heirship in any way. God drove a spiritual chasm between these two sons. Those of the line and lineage of Ishmael have chosen to drink from a broken cistern. Wishing and striving for centuries to make Ishmael born from a fountain of waters has been futile and will continue to be futile for God cannot be walked over and His Word ignored. As has been proven over centuries and millenniums, writing a pseudo book erroneously called a holy or divine book, does not make it Divine nor Holy. Reading from dead words does not make it living words. Believing empty and political rhetoric neither makes it true nor exhaustive with wisdom. Those who wish that within Ishmael all their battles will be victorious are not only drinking from broken cisterns, but they are dying from thirst not finding life from the wells of their own digging.
    The first documentation of the word fountain in Genesis 16:7 is twice mentioned. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (Genesis 16:7) This fountain was IN THE WAY TO SHUR, and it was IN THE WILDERNESS, the wilderness of Sin. Shur, the great wall of Egypt was built as both a military defensive wall and also to collect taxes at the entrance into Egypt. This fountain provided traveling caravans an opportunity to refresh themselves in their journey. Hagar was heading home to Egypt. This territory had changed through the ages and through those who had conquered this area. Therefore, it becomes almost meaningless to precisely set the boundaries of this wilderness, as the boundaries of this wilderness and the exactness of Shur was determined by those who lived there and the time when they lived there. Therefore, the only sureness is in the place of the FOUNTAIN in the way to Shur and that it was in the WILDERNESS of man’s spiritual and physical depravity. Shur is what we today call Gaza (at the doorstep to Egypt). Yet depending on the expansion of the territory, the documented boundaries changed, but Shur was always considered before Egypt or over against Egypt, or unto the land of Egypt.

● And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that [is] before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: [and] he died in the presence of all his brethren. (Genesis 25:18)
● And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah [until] thou comest to Shur, that [is] over against Egypt. (1st Samuel 15:7)
● And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those [nations were] of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. (1st Samuel 27:8)

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Hagar and the Two Water Sources

   Hagar is associated with two water sources. The first water source was a fountain. (Genesis 16:7) And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. This occurred when she was pregnant with Ishmael and she made an attempt to leave Abram’s camp. At that time (recorded in Genesis 16) Hagar was told by the angel of the LORD to Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. At that time, her child was named BEFORE his birth: And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. (Genesis 16:11) Also at that time, Ishmael’s character and occupation was also prophesied by the angel of the LORD. Something very interesting is disclosed by the Holy Spirit of God. Notice that in verse 7, Hagar was found . . . by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. This was A FOUNTAIN OF WATER. God is quite clear on this point. Read to verse 13 and 14.

And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (Genesis 16:7)
And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. (Genesis 16:8)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. (Genesis 16:9)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. (Genesis 16:10)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. (Genesis 16:11)
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. (Genesis 16:12)

  Now instead of a fountain, the Holy Spirit of God discloses that this is a well in verse 14, and not a fountain. Why?

And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (Genesis 16:13)
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. (Genesis 16:14)

   Hagar also called the name of the LORD, Thou God seest me . . . Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? The last statement was a question. The question was, Have I seen the One who sees me? Remember that there is a difference between a fountain and a well. A fountain is the UNSEEN underground stream of water SEEN. The source of a fountain is UNSEEN, as the Spirit of God is UNSEEN, as the POWER and SOURCE of ALL life is SEEN in the visible image of the invisible God. Not only is this well called Beerlahairoi which means ‘the fountain of the vision of life,’ and/or ‘the well of the living (one) seeing me.’ But we also see the location, it is between Kadesh and Bered. Beerlahairoi is linked to TWO different water sources . . . the fountain and the well. Why? Why this strange link between two entirely different sources?

And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (Genesis 16:13)
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. (Genesis 16:14)

   Kadesh means ‘apartness,’ (set apart for a purpose), a Sanctuary, a place in the desert, a sacred place. Bered means ‘Hail.’ Bered is a primitive root of the word to hail as in a salutation, a greeting of approval and acceptance. Through the dual meaning of the name of Beerlahairoi we see both a FOUNTAIN AND A WELL. Why? What is the spiritual difference here between a fountain and a well? From God’s point of view, HE IS THE FOUNTAIN OF THE VISION OF LIFE. From Hagar’s point of view, or mankind under the burden of sin, she sees this fountain as a well dug by man, although the well of the living (one) is seen, it sees only one thing ‘seeing me.’ The fountain is GOD. The well is man made. The fountain sees LIFE, the well sees what man has dug. The fountain is the mercy of God towards man. The well is not about the mercy of God; it is about man digging his own way to mercy.
   The location of this source of water was between the spiritual sanctuary, a place set apart from the world for a purpose, a place in a dry and barren land made sacred because of a simple greeting of acceptance . . . Hail, Come unto me, and drink.

● In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)
● And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)

   Through this first mention of fountain in Scripture, we have God’s mercy. God provides MERCY to all those who journey through the wilderness of life. Those who not only travel through the wilderness of sin, but God always administers MERCY to those who seek a refuge in the land of sin, such as Egypt and its idolatry. God’s mercy is metered out to both the just and to the unjust.

● And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! (Genesis 17:18)
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. (Genesis 17:19)
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 17:20)
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. (Genesis 17:21)
And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. (Genesis 17:22)
● And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. (Genesis 21:13)
● And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 17:20)

◆ Side Note: Ishmael, a child or a lad? There has been too much made of the age of Ishmael without any spiritual understanding just because Hagar referred to Ishmael as a child, but God referred to Ishmael as the lad. Big difference, but why this difference? It is from two different viewpoints: a mother and father’s view and God’s view. From a parent’s view, their baby is always their baby even into adulthood, their child is always their child regardless of the age. However, God referred to Ishmael as a lad. In Genesis 37:2, Joseph was called a lad at the age of seventeen. Thus, a lad was not yet still considered to be a child nor a mature adult. Ishmael was NOT a baby, nor a child, he was not yet a mature adult but a lad. So, Ishmael’s age is NOT important to God’s narrative except for one thing,
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. (Genesis 21:14)
And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. (Genesis 21:15)
And she went, and sat her down over against [him] a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lift up her voice, and wept. (Genesis 21:16)
● And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Genesis 21:12)
● And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he [is]. (Genesis 21:17)
Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 21:18)
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. (Genesis 21:19)
For those who are caught into the age dispute, Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born and he was 100 when Isaac was born, thus Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac was born. After Isaac was weaned (in that age and culture that could have been 2 to 3 years) then Hagar and Ishmael were sent away from Abram’s camp. Thus, Ishmael could have been 15 to 17 years old when he and his mother were sent away. Ishmael was no baby nor what we would call a child, but according to the words of God, a LAD. See how simple that was. So, the age factor was never an issue. Age was only seen through the eyes of two parents, but God set the matter straight when He called Ishmael a lad. What is important was God’s prophetic words concerning the character of Ishmael.
● And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (Genesis 21:20)
● And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. (Genesis 16:8)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. (Genesis 16:9)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. (Genesis 16:10)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. (Genesis 16:11)
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. (Genesis 16:12)
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (Genesis 16:13)
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. (Genesis 16:14) ◆ End of Side Note: Ishmael, a child or a lad?

   The story of Hagar, Ishmael, Sarai, Abram and Isaac flows through a number of Chapters. Genesis 16 and 17, then there is a break in 18 and 19 and Sodom is the subject, then in Genesis 20 Abram is in Gerar (the headquarters of the Philistines) interacting with the king of Gerar, Abimelech. Chapter 21 continues on with the relationships between the characters of Hagar, Ishmael, Sarai, Abram and Isaac. Through these verses, Abram not only faces conflict upon conflict among his own camp through personal problems, but he also becomes involved with the problems over water rights with the Philistines who controlled the land of Abram’s wanderings and encampments.
  As we follow the word fountain, and the principle and theme of God’s mercy, we come across natural fountains, and man-made dug wells of water. In Genesis Chapter 16 Hagar attempted to leave the camp of Abram because of Sarai’s harsh treatment. Hagar’s pregnancy was forged by Sarai in Sarai’s desire for a child, and yet, when Hagar became pregnant Sarai became embittered against Hagar. During this time of bitterness and emotional crisis for both Hagar and Sarai, God’s great mercy for both these women is evidenced through the element of water: a well. God discloses the name of Ishmael before his birth, and his prophetic future as an unreasonable man without restraint, his entire mental and physical makeup is one of war and anger. He is first seen as an archer in Genesis 21:20 and do not miss the place that he is most comfortable in also suits his wild nature: the wilderness. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. As Adam is the father of ALL of mankind, Abram became the father of those of faith, Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (Romans 4:16)

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The Conflict over Water Rights

   Now let us move on to the second time that Hagar was desperate for life saving water in the desert when she saw a WELL OF WATER in Genesis 21:19. This second time was when Hagar and her son’s survival depended on water occurred during her forced exile from Abram’s camp. Read all the way to the end of Chapter 21.

Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 21:18)
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. (Genesis 21:19)
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (Genesis 21:20)
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. (Genesis 21:21)

   The narrative of Hagar and Ishmael’s trial ends in verse 21, and from this point forward, God the Holy Spirit adds another element into the issue of water rights. Abimelech the king of the Philistines in Gerar.

And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: (Genesis 21:22)
Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. (Genesis 21:23)
And Abraham said, I will swear. (Genesis 21:24)
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. (Genesis 21:25)
And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. (Genesis 21:26)
And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. (Genesis 21:27)
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. (Genesis 21:28)
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? (Genesis 21:29)
And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. (Genesis 21:30)
Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. (Genesis 21:31)
Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. (Genesis 21:32)
And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. (Genesis 21:33)

   Consider this conflict over water rights as the conflict ALL children of God have fought. Although Abraham had dug the well at Beersheba, the enemy attempted to claim that well as their property. Compare the enemy (Religion) claiming Christianity as their property, and consequently the water rights (the Spirit of God) become what the enemy defines as the Spirit of God and only those who are approved by the enemy can then approach God. For thousands of years religion has slowly reset the true definition of Christianity that those of our age and time period no longer can distinguish the difference between true Christianity and Religion. CLICK HERE for more about Christianity and Religion.
   The conflict of water rights is not only set as an earthly battle, but there is a spiritual battle over water rights. The two times that Hagar is connected with water was first seen when she was found at a fountain at the end of her first attempt to run from Abram’s camp. (Genesis 16:7) God found her at a fountain of His mercy. The second time, during her forced exile from Abram’s camp, she saw a well. (Genesis 21:19) Although it was the mercy of God and God alone who had allowed her to see the well, the Holy Spirit specifically noted that this water source was under a water dispute. Although Abraham and his men had dug the well, the enemy, the Philistines attempted to take credit for its creation. Hagar had given God the title of Thou God seest me. She understood that God was the ALL seeing God. However, her next recorded words are in a question form, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? That was a sad question. She questioned that although God saw her, had she also here looked after him? It is one thing to acknowledge the greatness and goodness of God, but it is another thing to sincerely LOOK and SEARCH after God. This was not only a failure of Hagar, but this has been the failure of ALL of mankind to hypocritical speak of His goodness, yet, to dismiss His GODNESS. She saw God’s salvation only through the restricted eyes of humanity. Mankind sees His salvation (the fountain of the waters of life) as a manmade salvation, a well dug by man’s hands alone. The water within this manmade well became an storage system, a cistern, holding a water made impure from the contaminates of a corrupted world. This storage system that did not allow the waters to flow freely and purely, religion is very much like this storage system of controlling the waters of life. Hagar will always be remembered as a handmaid born from a corrupt world and system, taken into the camp of the only person in Scripture called the friend of God. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (James 2:23) Since Hagar was wrongly used by Sarai to acquire a child, God did not forget this woman, His mercy goes out to the just and to the unjust. God gave Hagar, a son, Ishmael, Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 21:18). God rights wrongs in many ways, however, many wrongs never become rights because man has his own rebellious ways through his evil desires that wrongs should never be made right. AND Ishmael’s hatred toward Isaac became a generational hatred passed down from century to century, from millennium to millennium. Ishmael and his descendants do not view things as ‘right or wrong,’ they view all things through the eyes of a victim, a victim of hatred, and a victim of a stolen inheritance. When Ishmael was denied sonship and heirship by Abraham and BY GOD, Ishmael and the descendants of Ishmael invented VICTIMHOOD. Followers, and advocates of Ishmaelite wildness of soul, mind and spirit incorporate victimhood as a center piece into their brutal and savage wildness and force the label of RELIGION in their wildness. Ishmaelite traditions began long before the development of Islamic culture. Later in time they partially merged when it become politically beneficial for schisms to unify under the banner of world domination under the guise of holiness using HATRED as their motivation. It is not unusual that hatred uses a form of false holiness to excite turbulent raging minds to incite more wildness into their hatred against GOD and those who follow GOD. DID not Lucifer use a false form of holiness to gain power AGAINST GOD? Hatred and pseudo holiness are natural allies under the banner of religion. That is NOT religion, that is INSANITY. In many ways religion is insanity. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. (Genesis 16:12)
   From Ishmael to the descendants of Ishmael, that takes in ALL of the eastern world who vehemently HATE the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At this very moment in time, this hatred against Israel is ALL about what the haters falsely believe. It is ALL about an INHERITANCE. The battle over land is NOT the total problem. IT IS INHERITANCE: being selected by God to rule IN BLESSING. Ishmael and those of the line of Ishmael HATE GOD and HATE those of God’s inheritance. Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD; [and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)
   We are supposedly studying Gihon and the second river and yet, here we are at an INHERITANCE. I can’t remember how we got here! Do I continue on with the INHERITANCE, or do we continue on with Hagar, or do we continue on with our study verse of Genesis 2:13, And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. There are many balls in the air and I am perplexed on which ball to let fall and which ball to remain in the air or to hold, however, there is one ball that I MUST NOT ALLOW to fall and that is called the Scripture of Truth. The Scripture of truth is a two prong arrow, it is either accepted as knowledge of the holy, or it is rejected and not received as the WORD of God.
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. (Isaiah 28:9)
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isaiah 28:10)
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. (Isaiah 28:11)
To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (Isaiah 28:12)
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:13)
   Also, after much thought and prayerful consideration the thought that I must continue on with the balls in my hand is no longer an issue, for both Hagar and the issue of INHERITANCE are in the same article. CLICK HERE for MUCH more about Hagar and for MORE about INHERITANCE.

 God bless and see you on the other side and the next article.

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Copyright 2026, Mary Haigh
Posted on July 2, 2026 @ 1:40 PM (EST)
This article may be used, but not for gain.
Freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8e)
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJV)

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