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PAGE 18
Hagar & Ishmael
Sent Into the Wilderness
Abraham had taken some food, and water, and handed the items over to Hagar. Abraham would do this... by placing the food, and water, on her shoulders. And after doing this, he then sent her, and his son Ishmael -- forever out into the wilderness.
(Bible Study Online Article Covers : Genesis 21:8-14)
The Weaning Period?
In the last article, we learned that the "promise seed prophecy" that the Lord had foretold to Abraham and Sarah had finally come to pass. We'd also briefly gone over the doubts that Abraham and Sarah had when it came to having a child, for I'd also pointed out that they both had doubted God in this area, and not just Sarah.
As I mentioned, most Bible teachers would teach about Sarah doubting God, but only a few ever mention the doubt that Abraham had as well. Be that as it may, we've now reached the point from within this recorded account where we find that Abraham and Sarah's promise seed, who was named Isaac, had grown to be a bit older.
And it's at this time that Isaac would begin to go through the process of being weaned from the nursing of his mother. Now, I want to point out that the Sacred Record doesn't mention Isaac's age at this particular stage of his life.
However, note that there are differing viewpoints regarding the actual age of Isaac when all of this occurred. Some seem to think that he was three years old, while others say he was five. But as for me, if the Holy Scriptures don't take the time to discuss it, then honestly, why should I? However, what you should know regarding the events that follow is of the utmost importance, particularly the sequence that immediately occurs after Isaac is weaned.
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The Mocking of Isaac
Know that it's at this point that we're told about the great feast of joy that Abraham had held for his son Isaac. Understand that this feast was in honor of Isaac's weaning event. So yes, it was a big deal from within Abraham's household. Also, it was during this event that Sarah saw Hagar's son, Ishmael, mocking his little half-brother, Isaac.
Now, after Sarah had witnessed this disrespectful behavior from Ishmael, she became highly upset, and she was quick to tell Abraham about how she felt: "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."
Sarah's reaction is very interesting when it comes to Ishmael's behavior towards his younger half-brother, Isaac. After all, this is what kids do, right? Now, the Holy Scriptures don't go into great detail on why Sarah was able to become so easily enraged. But if we went beyond the surface of the text by revisiting the troubling history that existed between Sarah and Hagar, we could come up with a reason as to why Sarah had reacted the way that she did.
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Sarah's Plan Seemed to be Working
First, I would like to point out that Hagar was one of the many gifts that Pharaoh had given to Abraham after the Egyptian ruler had taken Sarah and tried to force her to be his wife. After that entire ordeal in Egypt was over, we next learned that Sarah had become very impatient with waiting on the Lord when it came to being blessed with a child that she could call her own.
And it was because of her impatience that Sarah came up with a plan that dealt with Abraham marrying Hagar, her Egyptian maidservant. Sarah believed that she could build herself and a family through her maidservant. Now, this wasn't God's plan, and this also showed us just how desperate Sarah had become when it came to her having her very own child. And because of this desperation and lack of trust in the Lord, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
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Sarah's Reality Check
And a short while later, we would learn that the plan would have some early success. For it did bring Abraham and Hagar a child, but the events that happened next would become a "reality check" for Sarah. We would find that after Hagar had given birth to Abraham's firstborn son, she would become very prideful of the fact that she was able to get pregnant by Abraham and that Sarah couldn't.
And because of this haughty and prideful attitude that Hagar now held, she began to look down on and be disrespectful towards Sarah. For Hagar teased and mocked Sarah when it came to Sarah's condition of barrenness:
"Then Sarai said to Abram, 'My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid [Hagar] into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.'" -- (Genesis 16:5)
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Sarah & Hagar's Drama
Now, in the meantime, Sarah would get permission from Abraham when it came to her returning the same kind of treatment to Hagar: "So Abram said to Sarai, 'Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.' And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence." -- (Genesis 16:6)
And with Abraham's permission, Sarah began treating Hagar with great disrespect. Also, know that the treatment towards Hagar was so harsh that the Egyptian maidservant ended up fleeing from Abraham's household while she was still pregnant with his child. And because of this, Hagar would receive a divine visitation from the Lord while she rested at a freshwater spring.
And after the angel had reassured Hagar, while she lay resting at that freshwater spring near a road that led to The Wilderness of Shur. Hagar agreed to return to Abraham's house, and soon after, she gave birth to Abraham's firstborn son, Ishmael.
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What's My Point?
Understand that I went through that short history recap so that you could have an idea of why so many (including myself) have adopted this viewpoint that I'm about to share with you. I believe that the reason Sarah became so easily upset with Ishmael was that she believed it was indeed Hagar who was instigating and encouraging her son, Ishmael, to mock his younger half-brother, Isaac.
And even though Sarah had finally had a child to call her own, I believe that the competition between the two women (although subtle at this point) never really ceased. Which, in turn, led to Sarah, once again, pulling rank on Hagar. But this time around, Sarah wouldn't wait for Hagar to leave on her own, for she would pressure her husband, Abraham, to take immediate action, which involved forcing Hagar and her son to leave immediately.
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Abraham Distressed?
And because of this intense pressure that Sarah was putting on him, Abraham had become very distressed about the situation, for you must understand that he'd loved Ishmael very much. Now, after seeing how uneasy Abraham had become, God would come down and visit Abraham to give him some reassurance when it came to the future of his son Ishmael:
"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. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." -- Genesis 21:12,13
So after Abraham had received this reassurance and consent from the Almighty, he would conclude that perhaps Sarah had a right to request the type of drastic action that she was seeking from him, for you must keep in mind that if Hagar and her son Ishmael, had indeed acted well and were being respectful, towards Sarah and Isaac, none of this would have probably happened.
Now, I'm making this statement based on the notion that I can't see God allowing Hagar and Ishmael to be thrown out into the wilderness if they were doing right by Sarah. I mean, after all, it was God who had instructed Hagar to return to Abraham's household when she had first fled. But now we find the Lord giving Abraham the okay to toss her and her son out into the wilderness.
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Hagar & Ishmael
Sent Into The Wilderness
However that may have been, we now find Abraham acting on the instructions of his wife and the confirmation he'd received from the Lord, which is why we see him early the next morning. Abraham had taken some food and water and handed the items over to Hagar. Abraham would do this by placing the food and water on her shoulders. And after doing this, he sent her and his son Ishmael out into the wilderness forever.
In the next Bible Study Online Article:
Now that Abraham had finally sided with his wife Sarah, when it came to throwing out Hagar and Ishmael. We begin to move forward, and it will be at this time, where we'll follow Hagar and Ishmael as they make their way into the wilderness. And we'll also learn if Hagar, and her son, are completely on their own -- or maybe, just maybe, the Lord is still... somewhat watching over them.
May God blessings be upon you, and thank you for your support
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