There are two ways to look at the birth of Ishmael. He was the product of Abraham and Sarah’s lack of faith in God’s power, their certainty that God could not let them bear children because they were too old. As a fallback plan, Sarah told Abraham to have a child with her servant, Hagar. But God doesn’t need fallback plans, because nothing is too hard for God. Sarah and Abraham’s disobedience led to great suffering for Hagar and Ishmael, as they were sent away, and as Ishmael had difficult relationships with his relatives all his life.
But at the same time, Ishmael had a long life, and he had a large family – like Abraham, he still has people today who claim him as their ancestor. So, the other way to look at this situation is God’s ability to bring great blessing even out of our worst disobediences. That should be a great comfort to us.
So, let’s do the best we can to obey God today, to trust God even in the most difficult of our circumstances. But if we fall short, we can be sure that God can pick up the pieces of our worst failures, and bring blessing out of them for ourselves and for others.
8 And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”
11 And the matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.
13 “And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” (Gen. 21:8-13 NAS)
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.
18 And they settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives. (Gen. 25:17-18 NAS)
