Are You Content with an
Ishmael?
Most students of Scripture agree that the current
conflict between Israel and the Arab nations began in the
twenty-first chapter of Genesis. There the Scriptures make us privy
to the mocking of Isaac by his elder half-brother Ishmael. The
immediate solution recommended by Sarah was casting out Hagar the
bondwoman and her son Ishmael—a solution endorsed by the Lord
himself even though it was grievous to Abraham at the time (Genesis
21:11-12).
It has occurred to me that this entire episode might
have been avoided if Abram had sought just one additional piece of
information from the Lord regarding the promises of a land and a
great nation (12:1-2), which were later reaffirmed as thy seed and
this land (12:7). The critical piece of information concerning the
seed that would come from his own bowels (15:4) could have been
obtained by asking just one question—“Which womb?” Failure to nail
this down left him vulnerable to the advice of Sarai to take her
handmaid, Hagar the Egyptian, as a wife for the purpose of obtaining
children (16:1-3). It was so done, and Hagar conceived.
No rocket scientist was needed to predict the
contentious relationship that would ensue between these two
wives—one barren and the other blessed! It is interesting that
Abram, after hearing the complaint of Sarai, more or less washed his
hands of the matter, saying: “Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to
her as it pleaseth thee” (16:6). As a result, Sarai dealt harshly
with Hagar, and she fled from her face into the wilderness (16:6-7).
No mention is made of Abram being bothered by this
first departure of Hagar even though she was carrying his seed in
her womb (16:6-7). He appeared to have been somewhat indifferent!
Perhaps he considered the restoration of harmony to his household a
result he could live with despite the cost! I realize that an
argument for indifference based upon silence has its weaknesses, but
the stark emotional contrast between this first departure and the
final departure some fourteen years later is undeniable! And there
are valid reasons for this emotional difference!
While Hagar had fled from Sarah, she was found by the
angel of the Lord by a fountain of water in the wilderness. I wonder
how many times the grace of God has found those who have fled from
bad situations in life? The Messenger instructed her to return and
submit herself under the authority of Sarah, and gave her a promise,
saying: “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be
numbered for multitude" (16:10). Does that not have a familiar
Abram-like ring to it? He further prophesied the birth of a son, and
directed her to call his name Ishmael, which means God shall hear.
Hagar obeyed the Messenger, with the result that
“Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which
Hagar bare, Ishmael” (16:15). I have no doubt Hagar shared with
Abram all that the Messenger had revealed to her. So Abram, at age
eighty-six, eleven years after departing Haran with the promises,
now had a seed that he reckoned to be the fulfillment of that
promise.
Thirteen years later, at age ninety-nine, God
provided Abram with that one missing piece of information regarding
the womb from which the promised seed would come. It is at this time
that Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, and a son to be
named Isaac is promised as the fruit of Sarah’s womb and the
fulfillment of the covenant promise.
Please do not miss the mindset of Abraham with regard
to Ishmael! He had spent nearly a decade and a half nurturing a boy
into the early stages of manhood. He was content with the notion
that Ishmael fulfilled the promise. Ishmael was destined to be a man
of great influence among his brethren, and would never back down
from a fight (16:12). In other words, he was no sissy, but rather a
man’s man!
I suppose that in some respects Ishmael was every
father’s dream. This would explain Abraham’s cry “O that Ishmael
might live before thee!” when God revealed that the true son of
promise was yet to come from the womb of Sarah (17:18). The point is
that something far greater was on its way for Abraham, but he was
perfectly content to forfeit the greater glory and consider himself
sufficiently blessed in his present situation.
Brethren, how many of us are content with an Ishmael
when God would give us an Isaac? How many pastors are content with
the effectiveness of their ministries? How many parents are
satisfied with the influence they wield upon their children? How
many prayer warriors have received all the help they need from the
throne of grace? How many preachers and evangelists walk from the
pulpit content with the results of the preaching and the power with
which they delivered it?
I would challenge each of
us to consider what greater glory God might have in mind for us
beyond our current experience, and what additional revelation from
the Word of God might be required to propel us to the next spiritual
level. Ishmael was a blessing, but he was no Isaac!
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