In Genesis 21:11, Abraham is deeply distressed about his wife’s demand to have Ishmael forcibly removed from the family home. He loves Ishmael, who by now is around sixteen years old, with the exciting years of his adult development ahead. But the grumpy old step mother wants rid of him, as though the boy’s future and his life are of no concern to her. Only her own son counts.
How deep the stab was to Abraham’s heart can be measured by the depth of tenderness shown him by God in verse 12. It’s as if God is saying to him, “Abraham, Abraham, don’t distress yourself so, I’ll take care of him, you’ll see.” In fact, verse 13, “I’ll make your son by the maidservant into a nation too, because he is your offspring.”
I Imagine it was still a heartsick Abraham, though, who “Early next morning gave food and water to Hagar,” and off she and Ishmael went into “the desert of Beersheba” (14) – which on its western edge, near Gerar where Abraham had been (20:1), was close to Egypt Hagar’s homeland, so the food and water Abraham supplied would likely have been enough to get her safely there. Abraham himself had travelled to Egypt, so he would have known the route and how long it would have taken, and the supplies needed.
But instead she ended up wandering around and getting lost (21:14). In the heat of the desert the water ran out, and Hager knew – even with her son tucked away in the shade (15) – the situation was hopeless. She couldn’t bear to watch him die, so she walked away, sagged onto the desert sand and wept (16) – which got the teenage Ishmael crying too.
But “God heard the boy crying” (17) – such tender words in Scripture – and from Elohim too, the covenant keeping God, because this was a covenant keeping situation, having just promised Abraham that he’d make Ishmael a great nation. He assures Hagar, therefore, that he will fulfill his promise to Ishmael, so go back and take her son by the hand (18), at which point Elohim opened her eyes to a well of water nearby (19), and from that point on he “was with the boy as he grew up” (20).
None of this Abraham would have known about. But the tender God had assured him that all would be well, and here we get to see the tender God doing just that for Ishmael. Which led to “The softening of Abraham” too….(next blog)
Buck To Basics 