Sarah Turns Against Hagar
9But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, 10and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”
11Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. 12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned. 13But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
14Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.b
17Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies. 18Arise, lift up the boy and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer. 21And while he was dwelling in the wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Ishmael was mocking Isaac, a person of the flesh cannot coexist with a person of the Spirit. Conflict was inevitable and something had to be done. But Ishmael was a child from Abraham so God showed him favor. Abraham had to rely on God to protect and provide for Ishmael. “But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
“Behold the compassion of a mother for her child expiring with thirst, and remember that such a compassion ought all Christians to feel towards souls that are perishing for lack of Christ, perishing eternally, perishing without hope of salvation.” (Spurgeon)
“And God was with the boy”. God can be with you too. When we accept Jesus we become adopted into the family of Christ.
Just as Hagar loved and cried for Ishmael, Jesus loves and cries for the unsaved!
“Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.”
Do you know someone who is wandering in the wilderness with no water to drink?
Jesus supplies a well of living water!
John 4:13Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
It’s our job as Christians to point lost souls towards the well of living water, God will open their eyes.
Blessings, David
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