For what reasons might Sarah have demanded that Abraham banish Hagar and Ishmael?13
Banishment of Hagar and Ishmael
Lectio
Read the Scripture slowly while considering the sorrowful scene and the painful emotions of Sarah and Hagar.
GENESIS 21:8–21
8The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. 10So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” 11The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. 12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. 13As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.” 14So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
15When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” 19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. 20God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. 21He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
After reading this passage with your mind and your heart, continue searching for its meaning through this commentary.
The joyful laughter of Isaac’s birth is soon overshadowed by the sad family discord that began on the feast of Isaac’s weaning. Because infant mortality was so high in Canaanite culture, families celebrated a child’s survival of infancy and the beginning of childhood’s next stage by throwing a feast at the child’s weaning, usually around the age of two or three (v. 8). The conflict began when Sarah saw the son of Hagar “playing” with her son, Isaac (v. 9). The word translated here as “playing” can also mean “mocking,” “making fun of,” or “fooling around.” Considering that Ishmael was the older brother of Isaac, such conduct should not be surprising.
Sarah became protective when she saw Ishmael’s behavior, and she pleaded with Abraham to banish “this slave woman with her son” (v. 10). Legally it seems that Ishmael held the inheritance rights as Abraham’s firstborn son. The key to understanding Sarah’s demand is the legal clause that allows a father to grant freedom to a slave woman and the children she has borne him, in which case they give up their share of inherited property (see Judg. 11:1–3). Sarah was insisting that Abraham release Hagar and Ishmael so that they forfeit any inheritance.
Abraham was in great distress over the emotional conflict between fatherly love for his firstborn and loyalty to his beloved wife (v. 11). Yet God prompted Abraham to agree to Sarah’s demands based on two assurances: first, God tells Abraham that his line will continue through Isaac, and second, God has other plans in mind for Ishmael, plans that will give him a great future (vv. 12–13). So reluctantly Abraham packed food and water for Hagar and sent her away with Ishmael the next day (v. 14).
Though Hagar and Ishmael were presumably heading in the direction of Hagar’s native Egypt, she lost her way and began to wander frantically in the wilderness. When the water was consumed and they were in danger of death in the desert, Hagar and her son cried out to God in desperation. God heard their cry and sent a word of hope through the voice of a divine messenger. The angel instructed her to lift up the boy because God was going to make him into “a great nation” (v. 18).
The stories of the two sons are juxtaposed. As in the parable of the prodigal son told by Jesus, the older son pleases his father, obeys the rules, and deserves honor, but the younger son is celebrated. God honors both sons of Abraham, and the text does not force us to choose one or the other. God remembers both of Abraham’s children. While Isaac is celebrated, God remembers Ishmael, offering him water in the wilderness and assurances of a noble future.
Now that you have read the stories of Isaac and Ishmael, answer these questions about the text:
For what reasons might Sarah have demanded that Abraham banish Hagar and Ishmael?
What reassurance does God offer to Hagar in her anguish?
Meditatio
Reflect on how the inspired text speaks God’s Word to the circumstances of your own life.
What are some of the emotional conflicts adults feel between love for their children and love for their spouse? In what ways are these emotions intensified and complicated in blended families that include children, stepchildren, spouses, and ex-spouses?
In what ways does this account reflect the emotional struggles involved in blended families. What dos and don’ts can I learn from this episode for achieving the sensitive balance required in blended families today?
What parallels do I see between this narrative of Abraham’s two sons and the parable of the two sons told by Jesus (Luke 15:11–32)?
Oratio
Speak to God in response to the words, ideas, and images from the reading. Use these or similar words.
God of our fathers and mothers, you called Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah to be the patriarch and matriarchs of great peoples and nations. Help me to live a life worthy of the great legacy I have been given by my ancestors, and help me to pass on my faith to the next generation.
Continue to respond to God, who has first spoken to you . . .
Contemplatio
When God’s people lift up their voices and call out to God, he listens and comes to them. In wordless silence, receptively allow God to fill your heart with his divine presence.
Write a few words about your experience of God in silence.
Operatio
The angel of God tells Hagar, “Do not be afraid” (v. 17). What fears does God wish to alleviate from my life? How could fearlessness affect the way I live today?