Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 21 before reading the devotional below.
I’m not sure exactly how much time has passed from the last chapter to this one, but it’s a good thing God protected Sarah from sleeping with Abimelech or there might have been confusion about whose baby Isaac actually was… God’s making good on his promises to Abraham and Sarah and they are finally having a son. Eventually this leads to some tension between Sarah and Hagar, and God tells Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. We see here how much Abraham was upset by the situation and loved Ishmael as a son. Many Muslims believe that the Arab people are descended from Ishmael just as the Jewish people are descended from Isaac.
We have to remember that Abraham was a leader of a whole lot of people, just as others like Abimelech. Their agreements are like treaties between nations, and their alliance has far-reaching effects in history. If you have read the Bible before, you’ll notice the significance of the mention of Philistines at the end of the chapter. They aren’t an enemy of Abraham, but they will become a significant enemy of his descendants later on.
Here’s your freedom for today:
God sees your need and provides.
Remember how Abraham took matters into his own hands when he slept with Hagar to have a son? Hagar was driven away early on, even though she was a victim in the whole thing. God saw that and made her the same promise that he made to Abraham about blessing her with many descendants. This time God himself tells Abraham to send her away again, and she feels forgotten as she and Ishmael are dying of thirst in the desert. God’s there, and he sees their need. He keeps his promises, and he provides a well just when they need it most. The Bible doesn’t tell us any more about what happens to them, and perhaps the Islamic people are the descendants that came out of that union (although this is not considered biblical or historical fact). Either way, God took care of them and kept his promise which once again reveals just how good he is.