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We looked at the birth of Isaac, Abraham’s second son, last time, but what about the first son, what happened to him? Let’s pick up the story of Ishmael in verse 8.

“The child grew and was weaned, and on the day, Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
(Genesis 21: 8-10)

I found this rather interesting that on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. I read that the custom at this time was to breast feed the baby for up to two to three years, which seems a long time by today’s standards. The custom was also to throw a feast to celebrate the child reaching it first stage of self-reliance. That forms the backdrop to what happens in that Sarah who got upset with Hagar’s attitude now feel secure enough to undermine Hagar’s status. We know by following the whole story Ishmael was probably 16 or 17 years old by this time and he sees this new baby and that they are throwing a feast for him, and jealousy sets in So, he scoffs, the  word means actually ridicules. In Galatians chapter 4 Paul quotes this story and actually says that what Ishmael did was persecute Isaac. Ishmael this son of the Egyptian Hagar is looking at Isaac with disdain and he was ridiculing and mocking him. You have Abraham and Sarah delighted because he has been born and you have Ishmael not just angry but jealous and now there is a huge problem between the mother of Isaac and the mother of Hagar. Can you see this is not just a matter of jealousy now, but it's a matter of who's going to get the inheritance now. Can you imagine a mother who has a son then after all years and she sees her son’s inheritance threatened? Neither side want to tolerate that. Isaac’s mother says cast out this bond woman and her son for this child must not be your heir. The whole issue is not just jealousy, it’s much more serious than that. This is a case of “I want my son to have the inheritance and I don't want this other one to get it”. Remember it was originally Sarah who came up with the idea that he should father a son through the slave woman nearly 20 years earlier and now she comes to the conclusion that she doesn’t want any competition about who will be the heir.

This upsets Abraham, and in verse 11 it says,

“The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son”.But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.  I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”
(Genesis 21: 11-13)

Abraham no doubt loved his son, as matter fact if you recall earlier in the book of Genesis Abraham even asked the Lord if Ishmael could be his heir. He loved his son Ishmael, and he probably didn't want to throw him out so he goes to the Lord and God says to him, listen to Sarah and do what she says. Remember I made a promise with you that I'm going to give you the land and I'm going to bless you and I'm going to make you a great nation the whole world is going to be blessed through you and you were going to pass that on to your descendants through your wife  God says’ that additional child, Ishmael, wasn't my idea that was your wife's idea, but now, do what Sarah says send them away.

I don't think that it is God’s plan to punish them, I don't think that's quite what's going on it's a matter of fact I think if anything it might be for their protection from Sarah, but anyway God promises he is going to provide for them. We will continue this fascinating story in the next episode.