Ishmael Cast Out

Twenty five years after Abraham had moved to Canaan, God gave them a son, in Genesis 21:1-5.  “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.”  Abraham immediately circumcised his son, fulfilling the terms of his covenant with God. 

Sarah was ninety years old when Isaac was born and had given up hope of ever having a baby.  As a result, fourteen or fifteen years before they had used her maid, Hagar as a surrogate mother to have a child.  Genesis 21:6-7 tells us She was thrilled to have a baby of her own.  “And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.”  When Isaac was old enough to be weaned, they made a great feast of celebration in Genesis 21:8.  “And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.” 

There had been a great deal of jealousy between Hagar and Sarah after Hagar got pregnant.  Ishmael was fourteen, and like most big brothers, he began to tease the smaller boy.  When Sarah saw him teasing Isaac, it just added to the conflict between her and Hagar, according to Genesis 21:9-10.  “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”  Every time she saw Ishmael, Sarah was reminded of Abraham’s affair with Hagar, and the teasing made it unbearable.  She demanded that Abraham send Ishmael away because she didn’t want an illegitimate son to share with her son, even though the affair had been her idea. 

Abraham loved both his sons, and being forced to choose between them was very painful, as Genesis 21:11-13 tells us.  “And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. After fourteen years of conflict it was obvious the problem wasn’t going to go away.  Sarah was legally Abraham’s wife and his first responsibility was to her and her children.  God commanded him to accede to her demands and send Ishmael and Hagar away.   While polygamy was not forbidden, Exodus 12:10 makes it clear the primary responsibility is to the first wife.  “If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.” 

While it may seem unimportant, this story teaches a very important point as Paul describes in Galatians 4:21-5:4.  “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Ga 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Ishmael’s birth was completely natural, but unfortunately Abraham and Sarah had tried to use the natural process for something it was not designed for.  In the same way, the Old Testament Law was something god had designed to make man aware of their sinfuol nature.  Unfortunately people try to use it as a way to get to heaven.  By doing so, they make themselves slaves to the Law, rather than receiving God’s gift of forgiveness.  Unfortunately that will never get them right with God, because Romans 3:20 tells us, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”  The law only points out what is wrong, but does nothing to fix the problems.  Romans 9:31-32 tells us, “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.   Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law…”