Isaac is Born and Ishmael is Sent Away

Today I read Genesis 21 where Isaac is born. Isaac's birth is a testament of the Lord fulfilling what He said He would do. We talked previously that God does some very miraculous things and here He is fulfilling a promise that He made to both Abraham and to Sarah. Sarah was not only able to conceive and give birth to a child, she was also able to nurse the child from what we learn in this chapter. To Sarah, this must have been a miracle more mighty than saving Noah from the flood. I can only imagine the joy and happiness that Sarah must have had at this blessed event.

The scriptures state that after Isaac was weaned that Ishmael was mocking the child and so Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. She was jealous of Ishmael and did not want him to be an heir with Isaac. What a request! I can only imagine how Abraham must have felt at hearing such a thing. I'm sure he loved Ishmael very much, it was his son after all. However, the Lord tells Abraham that Sarah is right and that it is ok to send Ishmael away and that Isaac will be his heir. It still must have been difficult for Abraham though, I cannot imagine what it must be like to have to send away your son like that.

Now, when Ishmael was circumcised he was 13 years old according to the scriptures. And yet in this chapter, Ishmael is talked about as if he is still a very young boy, but at this point since Isaac is weaned he must be at least 15 years old. But they constantly refer to him as a lad. Now granted in a world where people live to be about 200 years old, I will grant you that 15 years old is not as old as we would think of it today. But still I find it odd that he is referred to as the lad and talked about as if he were a toddler in this chapter when he and Hagar run out of water. Very strange.

And so we see that God fulfills His promises. Isaac was born to Sarah in her old age after she had gone through menopause. We really should not doubt the Lord though, because when He speaks, it is going to happen. If it didn't the universe and everything in it would cease to be, because God cannot lie. It is not possible. If He has spoken it, it WILL come to pass in some form or fashion. We would all be wise to remember that. Until tomorrow.