Ishmael: The Forgotten Son of Abraham"
What do we know about Ishmael according to the Bible? Ishmael was Abraham's first son, born when Abraham was 86 years old and living near Hebron. In Genesis 15, God promises Abraham, during an apparition, that he will have a son and become the father of many nations. At that time, Abraham had no children. His wife Sarah was unable to conceive, and they questioned how this promise would be fulfilled. Welcome, dear friends, to another captivating journey through the pages of the Bible on our channel, Bible Stories. Today, we delve into the intriguing narrative of Ishmael, the forgotten son of Abraham. This biblical tale is a tapestry of human struggles, divine promises, and the enduring grace of God. If you find inspiration in the timeless stories of faith, heritage, and redemption, you're in for a treat. Before we unravel the depths of Ishmael's story, make sure to subscribe to our channel, Bible Stories, to stay connected with the profound wisdom and teachings of the Scriptures. Don't forget to hit the notification bell, so you never miss a compelling episode. Now, let's embark on this enlightening journey together!
In Genesis 16:3, Sarah, who was still called Sarai, suggests to Abraham, who was still called Abram, to have a child with her Egyptian maidservant Hagar, whom she gives to him as a wife: “Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.” (Genesis 16:3).
This seems to be a common custom of the time since Jacob's wives also resorted to it. The wife offers a servant to her husband, but all children born from this union are considered hers, which could be an early form of surrogacy. In antiquity, it was common for a barren woman to offer her husband a servant who would bear children in her stead; it was the wife, not the servant, who raised the children.
If this solution may have seemed judicious to Abraham and Sarah, it created more problems than it solved. Hagar did indeed have a child with Abraham. When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she began to despise Sarah, and Sarah sought help from Abraham. Genesis 16:4-5 states: “So when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.’” (Genesis 16:4-5).
Abraham allowed Sarah to act as she wished. Sarah then mistreated Hagar, who fled from her. Sarah, being barren, had obtained a son from Hagar, and Ishmael was legally Sarah's child. However, this does not explain how Sarah treated Hagar.
A few years later, God established a covenant with Abraham, requiring circumcision of all male members of his household. God commanded Abraham to circumcise his son Ishmael as well as all other males in his household, including slaves born in his household and those acquired from foreigners. Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised, and Ishmael was 13.
The birth of Isaac, the legitimate son of Sarah and Abraham, exacerbated the already strained relational tensions between Sarah and Hagar. Indeed, these had begun long before Ishmael’s birth, as mentioned previously. It was in the desert that the Angel of the Lord met Hagar and ordered her to return to Abraham. It was also there that the Angel of the Lord told her the son she was carrying was to be named Ishmael. What does Ishmael mean? It means "God has heard." Indeed, the Lord heard Hagar's distress (Genesis, chapter 16, verse 11).
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