Why did Abraham banish Ishmael (Genesis 21:14)?

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   Iamsamposted 12 years ago

   Why did Abraham banish Ishmael (Genesis 21:14)?
   
   Jacob's sons even though they are born through the maid servants of Leah and Rachel got the right to be called Jacob's sons and become the patriarchs.  Then why did Ishmael refused to inherit the blessings promised to Abraham?

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   Peter Fredericksposted 12 years ago

   I think we can find what you're looking for in Genesis 17.  "And Abraham said to God, 'Oh that Ishmael might live before you!'  God said, 'No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.  I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.'"  God then goes on to say that even so Ishmael shall be a 'great nation'.  But God goes on to say, 'But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.'  (Gen. 17:18-21).  Galatians explains that 'these women are two covenants.' (Gal. 4:24).  And that Abraham 'had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.'  (v. 22).  Verse 30 declares, 'the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.'  In each case, literally, God made a covenant with Isaac He did not make with Ishmael.  And so are the elect of God.  Verse 28 declares, 'Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.'  So the elect, those who have put their faith in Christ and repented of their sins are like Isaac who received the covenant Ishmael did not.  It was not up to Abraham or Ishmael but God.

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      celafoeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      excellent answer

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   ronhiposted 12 years ago

   Abraham had no problem in blessing his son Ishmael...but Sarah did...and with good reason- Ishmael had began to disturb Isaac. So she did what her motherly instinct told her to do. Asked Abraham to send Him away. God allowed Abraham to do it too. The next time i read of Ishmael coming in contact with his dad is when he comes to bury him together with Isaac. We also read that Abraham gave Isaac all his inheritance but to the other children (Abraham remarried after Sarah's death and had concubines and had many other children apart from Ishmael and Isaac) Abraham gave gifts. I guess we can call it in modern terms, child support

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   JThomp42posted 12 years ago

   Ishmael was a child of favor, then, like many of us, his life took an unexpected turn.
   
   When Sarah, the wife of Abraham, found herself barren, she encouraged her husband to sleep with her maid servant, Hagar, to produce an heir. This was a pagan custom of the tribes around them, but it was not God's way.
   
   Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born of that union. Ishmael means "God hears," because God heard Hagar's prayers. But 13 years later, Sarah did give birth, through a miracle of God, to Isaac. Suddenly, through no fault of his own, Ishmael was no longer the heir. During the time Sarah had been barren, Hagar flaunted her child. When Isaac was weaned, Ishmael mocked his half-brother. Angered, Sarah told Abraham to cast the two out.
   
   God, however, did not abandon Hagar and her child. They were stranded in the desert of Beersheba, dying from thirst. An angel of the Lord came to Hagar, showed her a well, and they were saved.
   
   Hagar later found an Egyptian wife for Ishmael and he fathered 12 sons, just as Isaac's son Jacob would. Two generations later, God used the descendants of Ishmael to save the Jewish nation. Isaac's grandsons sold their brother Joseph into slavery to Ishmaelite traders. They took Joseph to Egypt and sold him again. Joseph eventually rose to become second in command of the entire country and saved his father and brothers during a great famine.

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      celafoeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      ishmael was never a son of favor.   He was always a bastard son.    He born in disobedience  because sarai did not trust God.  and abram trusted his wife instead of God. God only blessed Ish because abram asked

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      JThomp42posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I must say I disagree.

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   renegadetoryposted 12 years ago

   Jacob's sons received the blessings that God bestowed upon Abraham as part of the covenant that God established with Abraham through his son Isaac.  God also blessed Ishmael, but Ishmael was not who God chose to make His covenant with (Gen 17:21).

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   TerryK81posted 12 years ago

   Because (1) in verse 12, God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because  of the lad or because of the bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called."
   Sarah was ticked with Ishmael because he, being older than Isaac, laughed at Sarah weaning ISaac. Sarah looked down on Hagar for she was an Egyptian and Sarah did not want Ishmael to be heir with Isaac (verses 8-10).  But God was considering both Hagar and Sarah; God told Abraham to listen to his wife Sarah, and also for Abraham gave Hagar and her son bread and water; In the wilderness, Ishmael became overheated and God had compassion and showed Hagar a well of water (verse 19).  Apparently also, Sarah knew that with her son and Hagar's son that there would be risk of dispute over who was heir. How men handled being married to 2 or women back then is a mystery, but Abraham did what the Lord told him to do.

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   Cordelia Bayposted 12 years ago

   It is a great example of the sort of thing that can happen when one begins to lose faith and hope and takes matters into one's own hand. God also made Ishmael a great nation.....which should present the grace and mercy of God to those who believe that He is a cruel and unjust God. There are certain things that God has purposed for one's life and the covenant of promise....however, when we take matters into our own hands instead of waiting on the Holy Spirit to perform.....our actions can have a great impact on the life of another. But, perhaps the true answer is in verse nine.....when Sarah saw Ishmael scoffing.....and, the Scripture clearly states that God is not to be mocked.

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