Isaac and Ishmael

Maybe you have been thinking, “I remember God promised Abraham that he would have a son, but did he ever have one besides Ishmael?”

Yes, he did, just as God had promised. Sarah did have a baby when she was very old. Abraham called his name Isaac. Do you remember that the names of people in Bible days had special meanings? Perhaps you remember that Adam’s name meant “red earth,” and Abraham’s name meant “father of many nations.” Isaac’s name also had a meaning; it meant “laughter.” It was the name which God had told Abraham to give to his son. Abraham and Sarah really loved their son Isaac. He was a happy, sweet little boy, and he feared the Lord.

One day Abraham made a feast for Isaac. While everyone was together, Sarah noted that Ishmael was poking fun of Isaac. This upset Sarah very much. Isaac was probably only three or four years old at that time, and Ishmael was much older. He was enjoying himself by being mean to his little brother. Sarah became angry, and she told Abraham that she did not want Ishmael and his mother Hagar living in their home any more. She wanted them to leave. Abraham was very unhappy, for he did not want his son and his mother to leave, but the Lord told Abraham to listen to Sarah. God said to Abraham, “Do as Sarah has told you because I will certainly bless Isaac, but I will also make a nation of Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman.”

Early in the morning, Abraham arose, took some bread and a bottle of water, and gave them to Hagar. Then he told her to leave the house with Ishmael. Hagar and her son walked into the desert away from Abraham and Sarah. A desert is a very hot place where there is seldom any shade. We can sometimes feel very hot in the summer time when we are outside in an area where there is no shade. When we are so hot, our bodies start to sweat to try to cool off.

We can go into our homes to get a drink of water, but just imagine if you were in a place where there was no shade or water. That was the way it was for Ishmael and his mother. There was no water to be found. All the water which Abraham had given them was gone, and Ishmael was very thirsty. Ishmael would beg his mother for some water, but she would have to tell her son that it was all gone.

As a result of not having any water to drink, Ishmael became sick and very quiet. Hagar could see that without water he was going to die, so she carefully placed him under a small bush while she walked away from him, for she did not want to watch him die. She sat down and cried very bitterly.

God is a holy and a just God, but He is also a merciful God. He will help people when they cry and call upon Him in true need. God heard Hagar’s crying, and He sent His angel to help her.

“Do not be afraid,” the angel said unto her. “The Lord has heard your cry and the cry of your son. Go and pick him up, for God will heal him. He will be a great man one day.”

Upon hearing this voice, Hagar looked up, and what do you think she saw? She saw water—cold clear, refreshing water. The water was in a well, which is a deep hole in the earth. In those places where people did not have faucets, they took water out of a well, using a bucket or a jug. Hagar hurried over, filled her bottle with water, and gave it to Ishmael.

Maybe you are asking, “Why didn’t Hagar see that water before?” That is a good question. The answer is that God had closed her eyes so that she did not see the well. You may remember that something similar happened when the men of Sodom could not find the door to Lot’s house. God also closed their eyes. The Lord had a purpose in closing Hagar’s eyes. He wanted her to give the Lord the praise for providing and helping her find the water.

There is a lesson for us in this history, also. We often forget to thank and praise the Lord when He helps us. We like to think that we did it all by ourselves We should never forget that it is the Lord who gives us the ability to do things.

Ishmael drank of the water that his mother gave him. I am sure it tasted delicious, don’t you think so? He soon felt much better and stronger again. Hagar and Ishmael then made their home in the desert. Ishmael became a hunter, and his mother found him a wife in the land of Egypt.

Just as the Lord had promised, Ishmael also received many children, and his descendants became a great nation. Even though Isaac and Ishmael had the same father, there was never any true love between them. The children of Isaac were called “Jews” or “Israelites,” and the children of Ishmael were called “Arabs.” Even today we often see that the two are at war with one another.

This hatred is a very sad thing. I hope you love your brothers and sisters. It hurts your parents when they see that you fight and you do not get along. Pray to the Lord that there may be love and understanding between you.

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