The Life of Abraham XIX: The Sending Away of Hagar and Ishmael by Abraham

Genesis 21:14-21

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The Lord saw Ishmael in his helpless condition in the desolate wilderness. And the angel commanded Hagar to lift Ishmael up and hold him in her hand. Literally it means: bind fast thy hand to him, that is, “Give him thy support now and take care of him till he reaches manhood.” The Lord had promised to make him a great nation (16:10; 17:20). This means that God did not withdraw His common goodness from Ishmael. From the Bible we know how the Lord provided for Ishmael.

Also some connection remained between Abraham and his son. We are told that, at the funeral of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac stood together around the grave of their father, indicating that Ishmael did not live too far away from the tent of Abraham at that time. It is a blessing when children may yet bury their parents together and pay their last respects to those who have shown them so much care.

When the Lord spoke to Hagar, then He repeated the former promise, that she might be ashamed. She should have realized that God is a faithful God and that her son could not die, according to the promise (16:10). The Lord Himself had given the name of the child to Hagar before he was born: Ishmael, which means “God shall hear.” Did the Lord not fulfill this promise? The Lord heard the voice of Ishmael, even though he did not possess grace. Young people, when you bow your knees to pray to the Lord, then you should not say, “Am I a child of God?” And when you must deny it, then the consequence may not be, “Now I do not have to pray.” Think of this history and seek the Lord in your needs, whatever they may be, but do not forget to ask also for grace in your life. The Lord cannot hear us for anything in us, but out of grace He can give what we ask of Him.

The Lord heard the groaning of the boy, and then the Lord opened the eyes of Hagar that she might see the well of water. She filled the bottle with water, and Ishmael could drink, which revived him. There was plenty of water there in the desert, but Hagar did not see it, for her eyes were closed for it. There are many people who perish in the wilderness of this world while there is a Fountain of salvation, which is opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Lord must open our eyes, for otherwise we do not see it. When we begin to realize that nothing in the world can really make us happy, but only the service of the Lord, then we will begin to ask for Him. Young people, do not delay this, because the time of grace passes by so quickly. Before we know it, our time will be gone, as we hear time and again, also of young people who are taken away, often suddenly. In this history you have also seen how that, humanly speaking, Ishmael was close to death at a young age.

It is possible that someone will ask, “How is it possible that Hagar did not see the well?” You should remember that those wells often were covered by a stone on their mouth. Sand blown by the wind would often make them difficult to distinguish, and thus they would be invisible to an untrained eye. However, often they were intentionally hidden so that sufficient water would be available for the shepherds who had dug it.

Ishmael lived in the desert with his mother under God’s caring hand and became a hunter, or an archer, which was a necessity in such an environment. Nimrod was the first hunter recorded in Scripture. He was called a mighty hunter before the Lord (Genesis 10:9). Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran, which is at the southern border of the land of Canaan. It is the wide district between Palestine and Mount Horeb, or between the Bay of Akaba and the Bay of Suez. To this day it is the undisputed dominion of Ishmael’s descendants.

What impressions of his upbringing and his experience under the bush in the wilderness remained with Ishmael? Gradually they faded away. It is not without reason that God’s Word adds that his mother took for him an Egyptian woman to be his wife. The heathen influence became even stronger. His descendants became bitter enemies of Israel and are so until this day, as history tells us, and this was already foretold by the Lord before his birth (16:12). By his marriage he became more and more bound to Egypt, and he forsook the God of his father Abraham. For our young people the warning of this history is that often already in our youth the principle of the path of life is laid. We can be drawn away from the truth especially by marriage, as we see so often even in our circles.

Even though we may be blessed in our temporal life, as was Ishmael, this does not mean it is well for eternity. There were two children in Abraham’s family, but they went in opposite directions. To be with or without the Lord is a matter of life and death for all of us.

QUESTIONS:

1. Try to find all the promises which the Lord gave to Hagar (Chapter 16) and also to Abraham regarding Ishmael.

2. How would you describe Hagar’s attitude in this history?

3. Mention a few consequences for Ishmael in departing from his father.

4. Ishmael became a hunter. Mention different methods which were used by hunters to catch their prey.

5. Because of his marriage to an Egyptian woman, Ishmael wandered further away from the institutions of the Lord. Give more examples from God’s Word of other persons who did the same and also went the same way as Ishmael.

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