March 24, 2015

Genesis 21:10 , A house divided


“Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

We almost forgot about Ishmael…but Sarah didn’t. As she adored her own son Isaac she saw the son of Hagar mocking her. That’s all it took.

Abraham was conflicted. Fatherly pride surely gave him a love for Ishmael that Sarah would never share. He didn’t want to send them away. But God said “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned”.  So…away they went into the desert.

Hagar and Ishmael were victims of Abraham and Sarah’s manipulations. It seems God is the champion of victims. So, rather than let them die in the desert God intervened…and promised to make Ishmael the father of a great nation. God surely knew the future headaches.

However, God always does what’s right regardless of the consequences. This, of course, is why we often suffer for our bad behavior. It may not be God punishing us at all. It may be God bringing justice to somebody we have injured.

Interesting…

Live boldly out there today…

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