When the Lord established a covenant with Abraham he also gave him a special rite that would serve as the sign and seal of His everlasting covenant with the Hebrew people.
I’m talking about circumcision.
What’s interesting is that male circumcision was not an unusual or uncommon thing during these times.
However, this was the first time it became connected to covenant making.
Onward a few years later, Abraham’s wife Sarah who is now 90 years old becomes pregnant and shocks everyone by giving birth to her first child.
The child is named Isaac.
Again, keep in mind that even though people lived many more years longer than they do now, the fact that Sarah was even able to give birth to a child was a bonafide miracle.
She was way, way past her child bearing years.
As great a news as the birth of Isaac was to Sarah and Abraham, this spelled bad news for Hagar and her child Ishmael.
Now that Sarah had her own child that came from her own womb, she didn’t want any competition and told Abraham to get rid of Hagar and her son Ishmael who was now 13 years old.
As heartbreaking as this was for Abraham because he still greatly loved Ishmael, he ends up listening to Sarah…
…and as a result Hagar and Ishmael are cast out into the desert.
However, this did not spell the end for Hagar and Ishmael.
While out in the desert and on the verge of death, the Lord comes to the rescue and assures Hagar that Ishmael will become the father of a great nation that will produce 12 princes.
Moving forward in history, Ishmael would not only go on to become the forefather of the Arab world but today is also considered by Muslims to be the father of Islam.
And there you have it folks.
The conflict between Ishmael and Isaac that originated with Abraham and Sarah’s disbelief and lack of patience to hold on to God’s promises is the cause of the all crazy Middle East tension and terrorism we are witnessing every time we read the news or turn on our TV sets.
However, we recall that Yah is outside of time, knows the end from the beginning. Nothing that occurs
on earth takes HIM by surprise. He is (remember) Creator of darkness and light (Isaiah 45:7) It sometimes seems that way, but man cannot, in the final analysis, thwart the plans of our Father.
Richoka, why would you write a explanation of something as exceptional and ungodly as a man forsaking the mother of his son, and even his son by forgetting to mention that he took the matter to God who confirmed what he should do? That is the most important aspect of Abraham’s dilemma, and all the problems that continue to arise from his initial disobedience to God that came about through the evil influence of his wife which Abraham followed, even as Adam rejected his role and listened to Eve with disastrous results!
This “crime of omission” of that key fact in this scenario will most certainly be used by ungodly women who read it in the shallow way in which you have portrayed the issue, as ammunition against their husbands to relinquish their role and follow their wives and experience similar results as the thorn that Ishmatl and even Islam has proven to be!
This follows the same general path as the verses that describe the Heavenly council and the Angel offering YHWH to go and be a lying spirit to help God accomplish his desired results of killing King Ahab!
Fear the LORD, and recognize the curses of Dt28 are promised and just as sure to come as the BLESSINGS of that chapter are for those who love YHWH and obey His Word! ❤️🕎✝️❤️