Today, I am reading and commenting on  Genesis 21-23.

I always find the account of Hagar and Ishmael being sent away by Abraham interesting.  Reading it out of context makes it seem like Ishmael was a young boy at the time, but, if we read it in context, Ishmael was at least sixteen when this happened.  We know that Ishmael was fourteen when Isaac was born and this account took place when Isaac was weaned, which would have happened when Isaac was between two and five years old.  This completely destroys the idea that children were considered adult at younger ages than today.  Having said that I want to look at one other aspect of this story.  Sarah had felt that Hagar held her in contempt, which had led to Hagar running away in yesterday’s passage.  Only to have God tell her to return and submit to Sarah.  Now, Sarah felt that Ishmael mocked Isaac and would bully him, so she told Abraham to send Hagar and the boy away (I want to note that I am not saying that Sarah was wrong in either case, just that it was her perception of the sleight which led to her actions).  Abraham was hesitant to send Ishmael and Hagar away, but God told him that He would care for the two of them and be with them.  Abraham sent Ishmael and Hagar away at Sarah’s request in order to maintain peace in his household.  God confirmed to him that he was doing the right thing.  Then God provided for Hagar and Ishmael.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.