Genesis 21:8-21

Sarah is Jealous

Hagar and Ishmael

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21:8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.

 

9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,

 

10 and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."

 

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.

 

12 But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant.

 

Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

 

13 I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring."

 

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.

 

He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

 

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes.

 

16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die."

 

And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob.

 

17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

 

18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

 

19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

 

20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

 

21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

Hagar and Ishmael

Sarah had become very jealous of Hagar and after her son (Isaac) was born, she wanted nothing else to do with Hagar so ordered Abraham to send the woman and Ishmael off into the desert.

Abraham - Father of the Nation?

Would you send off your wife (I know we only have one) and son into the desert only providing a little food and water for them? It seems that Abraham went to the extreme - and maybe so. But, keep in mind that later Abraham is willing to kill his son Isaac to obey the will of God. So, on with the story...

God's Plan

One of the main points of these verses is that God had a plan for both Isaac and Ishmael. Although Hagar and Ishmael were sent off into the desert they survived to fulfill the promise God made that another great nation would come from the line of Ishmael.

This large tribe was called the Ismaelites and they became nomads traveling through the southern part of Israel living in the areas of the Desert of Sinai and Paran. One of Ishmael's daughters wound up marrying Esau (remember him?) who was one of Ishmael's nephews.

According to the Bible this nation of Ishmael becomes very hostile to Israel and became disobedient to God. I guess one life lesson we can pull from these verses is that, when we disobey God, we don't only affect our life but the life of our children / grandchildren as well.

We need to think before we act - this is almost always a good practice.

Love in Christ

- Bob

Genesis 18:1-15 - Three Visitors Come to Abraham