"Greetings Everyone in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
Today's Blog Title: "The Departure of Hagar and Ishmael"
Today's Scripture: Genesis 21:8-21
Today's Key Verse: Genesis 21:10 "Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwomen shall not be heir with my son, namely Isaac."
Today is part 2 of Chapter 21. Yesterday, we read that after many years of waiting for God's promise of a son, and Abraham and Sarah being advanced in age, that God has know fulfilled His promise according to His time plan, and Sarah bore Abraham a son, and he was given the name of Isaac, Meaning "Laughter".
Today we see starting in verse 8 we read that Isaac was now growing, and that when Isaac was weaned, that Abraham had a celebration feast for Isaac. As parents, Abraham and Sarah rejoiced in each major step of his life.
During this celebration Sarah saw Ishmael "scoffing". He was mocking the the joy of Abraham and Sarah in their young son. Sarah then approaches Abraham and tells him, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of a bondwoman shall not be heir with my son......" We see that with this verse, that Sarah, who had not waited upon the Lord for the promise of a son some 17 years or so earlier, and who had sent Hagar into Abraham so to be a surrogate mother and have son through her, now wants Abraham to expel Hagar and Ishmael from the family altogether.
Abraham, with this demand from Sarah was heart broken. Abraham loved Ishmael, and in that time the custom was that the rights of any child born to a man by a slave woman was protected. Even though Isaac was Abraham's legal heir, Ishmael was guaranteed an inheritance. Abraham also believed that Sarah's demand to sent Ishmael away was morally wrong.
We see that Abraham now for the the sixth time, since being in the land of Canaan, received direct word from the Lord. It was only because of God's direct intervention, and His promise to guarantee Ishmael's future, that finally moved Abraham to banish Hagar and his son. Abraham would truly understand in our society today, the pain of those who lose there children through divorce. How we need to remember that God cares for our loved ones, even when we cannot.
We see that Abraham, gives Hagar some meager provisions, of some bread and a skin of water. As you can imagine, being in the desert it would not take long to use up these meager supplies. Hagar, even though she had a mean spirit toward Sarah, loved her son very much, and the thought that she was going to lose her son in the desert heat, was just to much for her to bear.
We see in verse 17, we see that God heard Hagar's cry in the desert. "God heard", what wonderful words those are. There is no pain that our God, does not see or hear about. We see that God's promise to Abraham concerning Ishmael was being fulfilled. God was near to deliver, and the child would not die.
God now renews His promise to Hagar, that He would make Ishmael into a great nation. God did not create a spring when Hagar and Ishmael seemed about to die. Is was because Hagar was so overcome by grief that she was unaware of the provision of water right before her. There are times in the Old Testament, that a spring or a well of water, would be a sign of spiritual salvation, as well as physical deliverance. Jesus in John 4:13-14 says, "Whosoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give them will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" and also in John 7:37-38, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of the heart will flow rivers of living water".
We see in the closing of part two of this Chapter, that God's promise was realized in Ishmael life, and that he became an archer, and he learned to hunt. Hagar took a wife for Ishmael, from among her people the Egyptians, just as will will see in a later study, how Abraham's servants searched for a wife for Isaac, from among his parents people.
Closing Question and Comment: In your times of trouble are your eyes closed to God's deliverance? We, in this study today saw how, even though it pained Abraham to do it, and after the Lord told him that He would Ishmael a great nation, that Abraham gave Hagar a "meager" portion of bread and water, and sent her and Ishmael away into the desert. We are not told in this section of reading, but perhaps because of God's promise to him, Abraham knew that the meager supplies would make due, until God would provide for Hagar and Ishmael. In hard times you and I, simply need to ask God to show us the solution that He has already provided.
King of all days, Oh, Highly exalted, glorious in heaven above, humbly you came
To the world that You created, all for loves sake, became poor
I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross
I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross
Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You are my God, Your altogether Lovely,
Altogether Worthy, altogether wonderful to me
Heavenly Father, How wonderful it is for us as believers, to know that all we need to do is but ask you, and you will show us the solution to our prayers. How thankful that unlike us, You are faithful and just, to always keep the promises made to those that have trusted in You.
Amen
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day and "Go In Peace and Serve the Lord"
Yours In Christ,
Cindi
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