1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: And it came to pass at that time that a 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: bimelech and Phi call, the chief captain of his host, 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: spake unto Abraham, saying God is with thee in all 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: that thou doest Genesis twenty one, twenty two. Lord, Thank 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: you that through your faithfulness you watch over your word 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: to make sure that no one of your promises falls short. 7 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: Thank you that, even though time passes, your word to 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: me and my family will come to pass. I praise 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: you because even through family dysfunction, you still preserve your 10 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: promise for us all. Even when I experience moments of 11 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: abandonment like Hagar and Ishmael, I know you will provide 12 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: divine miracles and refreshing wells for me to drink from. 13 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: Thank you, Lord that you hear my prayers. Thank you 14 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: for the warrior spirit you've placed in me. Thank you 15 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: for showering me with talent and grace. I will continue 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 1: in my attitude of gratitude by also thanking you for 17 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: your many signs of steadfast love and for making all 18 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: things work together for my good. My future is safe 19 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: and my promise is secure in you. In Jesus' name, Amen, 20 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day. 21 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story, 22 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com. 23 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: A Plan for Ishmael. Before this story, we learned about 24 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 2: Abraham and how he told King Abimelech, Sarah is my 25 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: sister to protect himself. He took, but God warned him 26 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 2: in a dream and restored Abraham and Sarah. Now we 27 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: will learn about how Abraham and Sarah will have a 28 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 2: son named Isaac, just as God promised, inspired by the 29 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: Book of Genesis. 30 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 3: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible and 31 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 3: of your podcast today. The Bible into your podcast is 32 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 3: an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to 33 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 3: you each week through the support of listeners just like you. 34 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 3: Your support today is so important that we want to 35 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 3: thank you for your gift by giving you a copy 36 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 3: of my book called The Jesus Book. It is a 37 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 3: powerful guide that shows how every book of the Bible 38 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 3: points to Jesus and how his living word, the truth 39 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 3: of God's Word, will transform your life. So to get 40 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 3: a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go to Jack 41 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 3: Graham dot org slash Jesus. That's Jack Graham dot org 42 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: slash Jesus, and thank you, thank you for your support. 43 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:06,679 Speaker 3: A long awaited birth. That's where we begin today. Long 44 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 3: awaited seems like an understatement. Abraham and Sarah have waited 45 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 3: and prayed and strayed so many times over these decades, 46 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 3: and now God is giving them a son, Isaac. It's 47 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 3: a joyous celebration of a promise fulfilled, but not everyone 48 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 3: is thrilled. And today we're going to see what happens 49 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 3: with Abraham's first son, Ishmael and his mother Hagar. As 50 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 3: you listen to the story, try to imagine what each 51 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 3: of the characters would have been feeling. Sarah, who finally 52 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 3: has her son and now sees him being mistreated by 53 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 3: the offspring of her servant, Hagar, whom she gave to 54 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 3: Abraham to try to speed up and short circuit God's plan. Ishmael, 55 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 3: the eldest son, who knows he's not the chosen one 56 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 3: he was not received with this kind of fanfare and jubilation. 57 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 3: And Hagar, who is sitting on the sidelines again, knowing 58 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 3: that Sarah holds a deep contempt for her and her son, 59 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 3: even though it was her idea. Sarah's idea in the 60 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 3: very beginning, and think of Abraham caught in the crossfire 61 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 3: trying to handle such a very messy family situation with wisdom, 62 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 3: caring for his new son and his oldest son and 63 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 3: his wife Sarah. Finally, watch how God works in the 64 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: situation to bring good out of such a dysfunctional family dynamic. 65 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 3: How once again he pours grace out on his children, 66 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 3: just as he does for you and me. Now, let's 67 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 3: listen to the passage today and hear Ishmael's story. 68 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety 69 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: years old. At last, the promises of God were realized. 70 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: After months of an unexpected pregnancy, Sarah gave birth to 71 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: a son. The promised son of God emerged from the 72 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 2: once barren womb of Sarah. Abraham named him Isaac, which 73 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 2: means laughter, a suitable name since Sarah's old age had 74 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 2: made it impossible for her to have children. Yet nothing 75 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 2: was impossible for God. Sarah rejoiced, saying, God has made 76 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: laughter for me, and every one who hears of this 77 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 2: will laugh over me, for I have had a child 78 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 2: in my old age. Isaac grew older, and when he 79 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 2: was weaned, Abraham held a great feast in his honor. 80 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 2: During the feast, Sarah noticed that Ishmael, the son of 81 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 2: her servant Hagar, was scoffing at Isaac. Ishmael, no doubt, 82 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 2: feeling jealous and unloved, looked upon Isaac with contempt. Sarah 83 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 2: irrupted with anger and once again lashed out at Abraham 84 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 2: and Hagar. Banish this slave woman and her son, for 85 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: the son of this slave woman shall not be heir 86 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 2: with my son Isaac. Abraham grieved over this. Though Ishmael 87 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 2: was a son born from disobedience, he was his son 88 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 2: none the less. Distressed and frustrated, Abraham looked to God 89 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 2: once again, be not disheartened because of the boy and 90 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 2: his mother. God said, whatever Sarah says to you, do 91 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: as she tells you, for I have chosen Isaac to 92 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 2: be your heir. Yet I will not forget Ishmael, and 93 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 2: I will make a great nation out of him as well. 94 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 2: So Abraham did as the Lord and Sarah had asked. 95 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 2: He packed water and food and sent Hagar and Ishmael 96 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 2: into the wilderness alone. Abraham, who had spent years raising Ishmael, 97 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: said his final goodbye. The two wandered in the wilderness 98 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 2: of Beersheba, slowly losing water, food, and hope. The days 99 00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: grew longer and the night's colder. Thirsty and alone, Hagar 100 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 2: had lost all hope. She let Ishmael sleep under a 101 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 2: bush and walked several yards away. She could not bear 102 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 2: to watch him die, so she would abandon him altogether. Hagar, 103 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: as she did before, when in despair, lifted her voice 104 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 2: to heaven, and God, as he did before, heard her 105 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 2: fear not, for I have heard the voice of the 106 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 2: boy where he is up. Lift up your child and 107 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 2: hold him fast with your hand, for I will make 108 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: him into a great nation, just as I promised. Soon after, 109 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 2: Hagar discovered a well filled with water. The two drank, 110 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 2: regained their strength, and found a life for themselves. God 111 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 2: continued with Ishmael as he promised. He showered Ishmael with grace, 112 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 2: giving him talent and a warrior's spirit. Hagar would do 113 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: right by her son, finding him an Egyptian wife and 114 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 2: helping him start a family. This would be another sign 115 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 2: of the steadfast love of God working in family brokenness, 116 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 2: restoring all things to make them better. 117 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 3: The birth of a child is an occasion that calls 118 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 3: for great celebration as a new life enters the world. 119 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 3: This is true of any birth, So how much more 120 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 3: was this true for the birth of Isaac. For years 121 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 3: and years God had promised the day would come, and 122 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 3: finally it was here. I love how Sarah again turns 123 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 3: to laughter, this time a laughter of joy and astonishment 124 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 3: at what has happened, what God has done. We've seen 125 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 3: her laugh in disbelief before. Now is the laugh of faith. 126 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 3: Now she is experiencing pure joy. And not only that 127 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 3: she knows that she will no longer be laughed at 128 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 3: by others, but laughed with Look at what it says 129 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 3: in Genesis twenty one one six and seven. Sarah said, 130 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 3: God has made laughter for me. Everyone who hears will 131 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 3: laugh with me. And she said, who would have said 132 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,599 Speaker 3: to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have 133 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 3: borne him a son in his old age. Once Isaac 134 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 3: was weaned, around the age of two or three, there 135 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 3: was a great feast in his honor. This was, after all, 136 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 3: cause for extravagant celebration. I can just imagine the party 137 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 3: that Abraham and Sarah threw for their son, their pride 138 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 3: and joy, the fulfillment of God's promise but not everyone 139 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 3: was excited. Someone who was bound to feel left out, 140 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 3: rejected and replaced. His name is Ishmael. Ishmael, no doubt, 141 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 3: he wasn't anyone's first choice other than Hagar, his mother. 142 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 3: He probably knew this day would come, but now that 143 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 3: it was here, the sting of rejection would have been 144 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 3: almost too much to bear. This child, of course, had 145 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 3: done nothing to him, but his existence alone was a 146 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 3: threat and an insult. So what did he do? Ishmael 147 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 3: mocked Isaac. Sarah witnessed this and understandably burned with anger. 148 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 3: She would protect this child, her child, at all costs, 149 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 3: especially from the son of her servant, Hagar, whom she 150 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 3: had resented for years. So she tells Abraham to drive 151 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 3: them off, send them away into the wilderness. Abraham is torn. 152 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 3: He doesn't know what to do. He cares deeply for 153 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 3: both his sons and for his wife and for Hagar. 154 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 3: There seems to be no good answer, So what does 155 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 3: he do? You and I often face tough issues, possibly 156 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 3: even family strife and separation, situations that seemingly have no solutions. 157 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 3: We can try to figure it out ourselves and risk 158 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 3: making things even worse, or we can do what Abraham did. 159 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 3: He turned to God, and God told him to remember 160 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 3: his first loyalty, his first commitment, the one to his 161 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 3: wife Sarah. Isaac is, after all, the one through whom 162 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 3: God's promise of a chosen people, a great nation to 163 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 3: rescue all other nations would be fulfilled. This does not 164 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 3: mean that God neglected Ishmael and Hagar, or that he 165 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 3: would abandon them. He reassures Abraham of this very thing, 166 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 3: saying that he will also make Ishmael into a great 167 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 3: nation because he is Abraham's descendant. Wandering in the wilderness 168 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 3: nearly out of water, it probably seemed to Hagar and 169 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 3: Ishmael that God had forgotten them, But at the right moment, 170 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 3: God comes in and rescues them, promising Hagar that he 171 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 3: would prosper Ishmael and multiply his descendants as well. One 172 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 3: thing this passage shows us is that God's blessings and 173 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 3: promises for one person in the case of Isaac, do 174 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 3: not him from also blessing others, people like you and me. 175 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 3: And rather than envying and mocking Isaac, Ishmael could rest 176 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 3: in what God has also promised him, knowing God will 177 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 3: deliver just as he is doing to Isaac that he 178 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 3: would deliver Ishmael. This is still a very tragic and 179 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 3: sad story. A family has forever been divided. But God's 180 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 3: grace abounds, and even in the messiness of his family, 181 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 3: he blesses and provides according to his purpose and fulfillment 182 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 3: of his promises. God, thank you for the story of 183 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 3: Isaac and Ishmael. Thank you for the hope it gives us, 184 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 3: for your ability to intervene in family conflicts and strife 185 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 3: and bring about blessing for all who are involved. May 186 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 3: we trust in you and the promises that you have 187 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 3: given us in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening 188 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast, And before we go, 189 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 3: I wanted to let you know that the Bible into 190 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 3: your podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can 191 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 3: only come to you each week through the support of 192 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 3: listeners like you. Your support today is so important that 193 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 3: we want to thank you for your gift by giving 194 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 3: you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. 195 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 3: This book is a powerful guide that shows how every 196 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 3: book in the Bible points to Christ, and how you 197 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 3: can better read and understand the Bible, and how God's 198 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 3: word transforms our lives. So to get your copy of 199 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 3: the Jesus Book, simply go to jaggraham dot org slash Jesus. 200 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 3: That's jaggraham dot org slash Jesus and thank you for 201 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 3: your support