B27-devotions

Genesis 21:9-21

Devotions for Friday 15th August

This amazing story contains the description of the defining moment of Abraham’s life when he had to make up his mind about following God’s will or his own. He had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, and only one of them could be his heir. Abraham had always loved his eldest son Ishmael (17:18,20) because Ishmael was his first-born even though he was the child of Hagar. However, God had made it very clear throughout the stories of Genesis that the Covenant promises for the future of Abraham’s descendants would lie with the younger son of his wife Sarah, who was Isaac. The truth was that Abraham had nobly tried to hold together his extended family, and keep both Ishmael and Isaac in his affections whilst sustaining a personal preference for one child (Ishmael) even though God had told Him that his partiality was not right (see 17:18,19). He showed good intentions, but did not follow the Lord’s instructions fully and therefore demonstrated a weakness which had to be overcome if God’s will was to be done.

In our passage today, circumstances came to a head when his wife, Sarah, challenged Abraham about his attitude towards his inheritance (21:10). Abraham had to put aside his own feelings, and accept God’s will by making Isaac his heir and separating the family from Hagar and Ishmael (21:12f.). Despite the clear call of God through the miraculous birth of Isaac, it was not easy for Abraham to abandon Ishmael, the son he loved, and let him and his mother go as if to die in the wilderness, but he had to trust that God was in control and would look after them both. From Abraham’s point of view, it was a life and death decision, and he had no way of knowing what would happen to the two of them when he let them go into the desert.

The whole story contains snapshots of all the main characters in this part of the story of Abraham’s succession. Isaac is barely mentioned at the beginning of the passage, but the mention of his name set off the whole train of events; Ishmael mocked the younger child’s precious, God-given name, in the hearing of Isaac’s mother Sarah! She was not going to tolerate such behaviour (21:9), and immediately confronted Abraham about it all (21:10f.). In all this, Sarah comes across as the protective mother, and with the Lord’s blessing she forced Abraham to make up his mind about his sons, and God backed her by telling Abraham to do as he was told (21:12)! Abraham appears here as a man still struggling with personal weaknesses of faith; God had to tell him to be obedient to his wife, and his wife had to tell him to be obedient to God! Ishmael is pictured at the beginning of the story laughing at Isaac, but at the end of it he has received his own blessing, reinforcing what we already know (17:18ff) about God’s intent to bless, not curse all the sons of Abraham. He then had to travel his own painful route to find God’s blessing, surviving abandonment in the desert.

There is no doubt that although the story revolves around the blessings of inheritance given to Isaac and Ishmael, together with Abraham’s painful decision to follow the Lord’s will, the story of Hagar in the desert is most powerfully told. After Abraham accepted what he had to do, the narrative is heavy with pathos as it tells us how he sent Ishmael and Hagar away from the security of his nomadic home (21:14). The story then pulls at our heart-strings as we survey the terrible scene in which Hagar left her son to die, when all seemed lost. However, the God who decided to work for the salvation of the whole world through Isaac, the son of Abraham, was big enough to bless Hagar and Ishmael by saving them miraculously and fulfilling His own separate promise for Ishmael’s blessing.

There are a number of important spiritual issues raised by this text, and amongst these are obedience, faith, listening, trusting all to the Lord, and God’s blessing of others through His people. All of them are worthy of our careful attention. However, as far as scripture is concerned, once Abraham has made his decision and followed the Lord’s will, the story can move on to its climax, and ultimate test of faith (see chapter 22).

9 Now Sarah saw that Isaac was being laughed at by Hagar’s son (that child of Hagar the Egyptian, borne to Abraham) 10 "Throw out this slave woman with her son," she said "for the son of this slave should not share your inheritance together with my son Isaac." 11 The whole matter upset Abraham greatly, because of his elder son. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed about the boy and your servant girl. Do whatever Sarah tells you to do, for your descendants will be recorded through Isaac. 13 As for the son of the servant girl, because he is your son I will make a nation of him as well."

14 So Abraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar; then he put these on her shoulder, and sent her and the child away. She left and roamed around in the desert regions of Beer-sheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she abandoned the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she sat down some way off, about a bowshot; for she prayed, "Please don’t let me see the child die." When she sat down at a distance, she called out, and he was crying.

17 Then God heard the boy’s voice; and His angel called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Don’t be afraid! God has heard the boy’s voice coming from where he is. 18 Go over and lift up the boy and hold on to 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. She went over 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 regions, and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother obtained a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Jesus Christ, Lord of all; the world in which we live has darkness as well as light, sorrow as well as joy, and trouble as well as peace. Give us hearts of discernment and courage we pray, which live out the Gospel call to turn darkness into light, sorrow into joy and trouble into peace. We ask this with conviction, because You have prepared us and called us to this task as Your people, Lord Jesus Christ; AMEN

A prayer of dedication, aspiration and hope

In the time you have given me to live on earth and worship You,

May I take my stand for what is right, and against all that is evil.

Help me to show the love of God in everything I say and do,

And put into action the truths of the Gospel given to me.

Remove from me all falsehood, domination, and secrecy;

Establish honesty within my heart, so I may act with integrity.

Give me the patience to wait for the fulfilment of Your Word,

And the courage to persist in faith through all kinds of evil.

Show me when Your judgement is necessary and imminent,

And may Your justice open up a path of righteousness before me.

Help me face the need to forgive my brothers and sisters in faith,

And not stand back from the responsibility to love, like Christ.

Then, bring me to a place of peace where I may find rest.

For having followed Your call, and listened to Your voice,

I trust in Your infinite mercy and grace, to save me completely.

Weekly Theme: Church Conferences

Pray today for those conferences that act as governing bodies for churches or inter-church organisations. When important decisions are taken, may they truly reflect the will of God.

On-going prayers

Give thanks to God for those who enrich your life
Pray about the fighting between Russia and Georgia.
Pray for peace talks in Zimbabwe

For the full Bible study, click link above,

or for a brief review, scroll page down.

Going Deeper: (what you will find on the Bible study page)

We must immediately look at two things in more depth. Firstly, we must look at the relationship between Abraham and Sarah and work out why they reacted as they did to the situation they faced. Secondly, what happened to Hagar and Ishmael as they were cast out into the desert. One strange feature of the story is that although Ishmael is talked of with some sympathy, his name is never mentioned!

To read more about this passage of scripture: go to the Bible study page

To read the questions and discipleship challenges for this text: go to the discipleship page