The birth of Isaac filled the tents of Abraham and Sarah with gladness, but to Hagar this event was the overthrow of her deeply cherished ambitions. Everyone had thought of Ishmael as the heir of Abraham’s wealth and the inheritor of the blessings promised to his descendants. Now he was suddenly set aside. Mother and son hated the child of Sarah.
The general rejoicing increased their jealousy, until Ishmael dared to openly mock the heir of God’s promise. Sarah saw an unending source of conflict in Ishmael’s stormy disposition, and she appealed to Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.
Abraham was thrown into great distress. How could he banish Ishmael his son, whom he still loved dearly? In his perplexity he pleaded for divine guidance. Through a holy angel the Lord directed him to grant Sarah’s desire; in this way he could restore harmony and happiness to his family. The angel gave him the promise that God would not forsake Ishmael and that he would become the father of a great nation. Abraham obeyed, but not without keen suffering. The father’s heart was heavy as he sent Hagar and his son away.
The sacredness of marriage was to be a lesson for all time. The rights and happiness of this relationship are to be carefully guarded, even at great sacrifice. Sarah was the only true wife of Abraham. No other person was entitled to share her rights. She was unwilling for Abraham to give his affections to another, and the Lord did not reprove her for requiring her rival to be sent away.
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