1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Let us pray. And it came to pass at that 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: time that a bimelech and Phi call, the chief captain 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: of his host, spake unto Abraham, saying God is with 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: thee in all that thou doest Genesis twenty one, twenty two. Lord, 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: Thank you that through your faithfulness you watch over your 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: word to make sure that no one of your promises 7 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: falls short. Thank you that, even though time passes, your 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: word to me and my family will come to pass. 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: I praise you because even through family dysfunction, you still 10 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: preserve your promise for us all. Even when I experience 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: moments of abandonment like Hagar and Ishmael, I know you 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: will provide divine miracles and refreshing wells for me to 13 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: drink from. Thank you, Lord that you hear my prayers. 14 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: Thank you for the warrior spirit you've placed in me. 15 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: Thank you for showering me with talent and grace. I 16 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: will continue in my attitude of gratitude by also thanking 17 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: you for your many signs of steadfast love and for 18 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: making all things work together for my good. My future 19 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: is safe and my promise is secure in you. In Jesus' name, Amen, 20 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: thank you for making prayer a priority in your day. 21 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story, 22 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: brought to you by Bible in a Year dot. 23 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: Com, A Plan for Ishmael. Before this story, we learned 24 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 2: about Abraham and how he told King Abimelech, Sarah is 25 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: my sister to protect himself. He took her, but God 26 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: warned him in a dream and restored Abraham and Sarah. 27 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: Now we will learn about how Abraham and Sarah will 28 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: have a son named Isaac, just as God promised. Inspired 29 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 2: by the Book of Genesis. 30 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the 31 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast, A long Awaited Birth. That's 32 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 3: where we begin today. Long awaited it seems like an understatement. 33 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 3: Abraham and Sarah have waited and prayed and strayed so 34 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 3: many times over these decades, and now God is giving 35 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 3: them a son, Isaac. It's a joyous celebration of a 36 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 3: promise fulfilled, but not everyone is thrilled. And today we're 37 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 3: going to see what happens with Abraham's first son, Ishmael 38 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 3: and his mother Hagarth. As you listen to the story, 39 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 3: try to imagine what each of the characters would have 40 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 3: been feeling. Sarah, who finally has her son and now 41 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 3: sees him being mistreated by the offspring of her servant, Hagar, 42 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 3: whom she gave to Abraham to try to speed up 43 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: and short circuit God's plan. Ishmael, the eldest son, who 44 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 3: knows he's not the chosen one, he was not received 45 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 3: with this kind of fanfare and jubilation, And Hagar, who 46 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 3: is sitting on the sidelines again, knowing that Sarah holds 47 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 3: a deep contempt for her and her son, even though 48 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: it was her idea, Sarah's idea in the very beginning. 49 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 3: And think of Abraham caught in the crossfire trying to 50 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 3: handle such a very messy family situation with wisdom, caring 51 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 3: for his new son and his oldest son and his 52 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 3: wife Sarah. Finally, watch how God works in the situation 53 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 3: to bring good out of such a dysfunctional family dynamic. 54 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 3: How once again he pours grace out on his children, 55 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 3: just as he does for you and me. Now, let's 56 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 3: listen to the passage today and hear Ishmael's story. 57 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety 58 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 2: years old. At last, the promises of God were realized. 59 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 2: After months of an unexpected pregnancy, Sarah gave birth to 60 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: a son. The promised son of God emerged from the 61 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: once barren womb of Sarah. Abraham named him Isaac, which 62 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: means laughter, a suitable name, since Sarah's old age had 63 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: made it impossible for her to have children. Yet nothing 64 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 2: was impossible for God. Sarah rejoiced, saying, God has made 65 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: laughter for me, and everyone who hears of this will 66 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 2: laugh over me, for I have had a child in 67 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 2: my old age. Isaac grew older, and when he was weaned, 68 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 2: Abraham held a great feast in his honor. During the feast, 69 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 2: Sarah noticed that Ishmael, the the son of her servant Hagar, 70 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 2: was scoffing at Isaac. Ishmael, no doubt, feeling jealous and unloved, 71 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 2: looked upon Isaac with contempt. Sarah irrupted with anger and 72 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 2: once again lashed out at Abraham and Hagar. Banish this 73 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 2: slave woman and her son, for the son of this 74 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 2: slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac. 75 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: Abraham grieved over this. Though Ishmael was a son born 76 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: from disobedience, he was his son. Nonetheless, distressed and frustrated, 77 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 2: Abraham looked to God once again, be not disheartened because 78 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,239 Speaker 2: of the boy and his mother. God said, whatever Sarah 79 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 2: says to you, do as she tells you, for I 80 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 2: have chosen Isaac to be your heir. Yet I will 81 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 2: not forget Ishmael, and I will make a great nation 82 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: out of him as well. So Abraham did as the 83 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 2: Lord and Sarah asked. He packed water and food and 84 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 2: sent Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness alone. Abraham, who 85 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 2: had spent years raising Ishmael, said his final goodbye. The 86 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: two wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba, slowly losing water, food, 87 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 2: and hope. The days grew longer and the nights colder. Thirsty, 88 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 2: starving and alone, Hagar had lost all hope. She let 89 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,679 Speaker 2: Ishmael sleep under a bush and walked several yards away. 90 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: She could not bear to watch him die, so she 91 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 2: would abandon him altogether. Hagar, as she did before, when 92 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 2: in despair, lifted her voice to heaven, and God, as 93 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 2: he did before, heard her fear not, for I have 94 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: heard the voice of the boy where he is up. 95 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 2: Lift up your child and hold him fast with your hand, 96 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: for I will make him into a great nation. Justice 97 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:05,119 Speaker 2: I promised. Soon after, Hagar discovered a well filled with water. 98 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: The two drank, regained their strength, and found. 99 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: A life for themselves. 100 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 2: God continued with Ishmael as he promised. He showered Ishmael 101 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 2: with grace, giving him talent and a warrior's spirit. Hagar 102 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: would do right by her son, finding him an Egyptian 103 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 2: wife and helping him start a family. This would be 104 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 2: another sign of the steadfast love of God working in 105 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 2: family brokenness, restoring all things to make them better. 106 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 3: The birth of a child is an occasion that calls 107 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 3: for great celebration, as a new life enters the world. 108 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 3: This is true of any birth, So how much more 109 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 3: was this true for the birth of Isaac. For years 110 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 3: and years God had promised the day would come, and 111 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 3: finally it was here. I love how Sarah again turns 112 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 3: to laughter, this time a laughter of joy and astonishment 113 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 3: at what has happened, what God has done. We've seen 114 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 3: her laugh in disbelief before. Now is the laugh of faith. 115 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 3: Now she is experiencing pure joy. And not only that 116 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 3: she knows that she will no longer be laughed at 117 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 3: by others, but laughed with. Look at what it says 118 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 3: in Genesis twenty one six and seven. Sarah said, God 119 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,679 Speaker 3: has made laughter for me. Everyone who hears will laugh 120 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 3: with me. And she said, who would have said to 121 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 3: Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne 122 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 3: him a son in his old age. Once Isaac was weaned, 123 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 3: around the age of two or three, there was a 124 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 3: great feast in his honor. This was, after all, cause 125 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 3: for extravagant celebration. I can just imagine the party that 126 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 3: Abraham and Sarah threw for their son, their pride and joy, 127 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 3: the fulfillment of God's promise. But not everyone was excited. 128 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 3: Someone who was bound to feel left out, rejected and replaced. 129 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 3: His name is Ishmael. Ishmael, No doubt, he wasn't anyone's 130 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 3: first choice other than Hagar, his mother. He probably knew 131 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 3: this day would come, but now that it was here, 132 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 3: the sting of rejection would have been almost too much 133 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: to bear. This child, of course, had done nothing to him, 134 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 3: but his existence alone was a threat and an insult. 135 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 3: So what did he do? Ishmael mocked Isaac. Sarah witnessed 136 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 3: this and understandably burned with anger. She would protect this child, 137 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 3: her child, at all costs, especially from the son of 138 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 3: her servant, Hagar, whom she had resented for years. So 139 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,559 Speaker 3: she tells Abraham to drive them off, send them away 140 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 3: into the wilderness. Abraham is torn. He doesn't know what 141 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 3: to do. He cares deeply for both his sons and 142 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 3: for his wife and for Hagar. There seems to be 143 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 3: no good answer, So what does he do? You and 144 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 3: I often face tough issues, possibly even family strife and separation, 145 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 3: situations that seemingly have no solutions. We can try to 146 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 3: figure it out ourselves and risk making things even worse, 147 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 3: or we can do what Abraham did. He turned to God, 148 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 3: and God told him to remember his first loyalty, his 149 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 3: first commitment, the one to his wife Sarah. Isaac is, 150 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,959 Speaker 3: after all, the one through whom God's promise of a 151 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 3: chosen people, a great nation to rescue all other nations 152 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 3: would be fulfilled. This does not mean that God neglected 153 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 3: Ishmael and Hagar, or that he would abandon them. He 154 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 3: reassures Abraham of this very thing, saying that he will 155 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 3: also make Ishmael into a great nation because he is 156 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 3: Abraham's descendant. Wandering in the wilderness, nearly out of water, 157 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 3: it probably seemed to Hagar and Ishmael that God had 158 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 3: forgotten them, but at the right moment, God comes in 159 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 3: and rescues them, promising Hagar that he would prosper Ishmael 160 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 3: and multiply his descendants as well. One thing this passage 161 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 3: shows us is that God's blessings and promises for one 162 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 3: person in the case of Isaac, do not preclude him 163 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 3: from also blessing others, people like you and me. And 164 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 3: rather than envying and mocking Isaac, Ishmael could rest in 165 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 3: what God has also promised him, knowing God will deliver, 166 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 3: just as he is doing to Isaac, that he would 167 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 3: deliver Ishmael. This is still a very tragic and sad story. 168 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:50,199 Speaker 3: A family has forever been divided, but God's grace abounds, 169 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 3: and even in the messiness of his family, he blesses 170 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 3: and provides according to his purpose and fulfillment of his promises. God, 171 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 3: thank you for the story of Isaac and Ishmael. Thank 172 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 3: you for the hope it gives us, for your ability 173 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 3: to intervene in family conflicts and strife and bring about 174 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 3: blessing for all who are involved. May we trust in 175 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 3: You and the promises that you have given us. In Jesus' name. Amen. 176 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. 177 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot 178 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 3: com app and make prayer a priority in your life. 179 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you know, 180 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 3: someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can 181 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 3: make a difference in their lives. And if you want 182 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 3: more resources as to how you can know and trust 183 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 3: God more and more in your life, be sure and 184 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 3: visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.