Genesis 21:9 – 20 “But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!” Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned. But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept. Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies. Arise, lift up the boy and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.“
This time Ishmael is the one who has mouthed off. Quite possibly, Hagar was muttering things to herself, making fun of Sarah. “Huh! Who does she think she is? She acts as if nobody has ever had a baby before! And that Isaac is the homeliest infant I have ever seen! Stupid old woman!” Anyway, Ishmael makes fun of nonagenarian Sarah and her son – bad move! Abraham has treated Hagar and Ishmael well, but Sarah is the chief wife and has the final say, as head wives do around the world. Abraham loves Ishmael, but there’s nothing he can do. God advises Abraham to let Hagar and Ishmael go; however, the promises God made Abraham will still be working in Ishmael and Ishmael will also become a nation.
As the story goes on, Hagar and Ishmael wind up wandering around in the Wilderness of Beersheba. Even today, that area is extremely bleak. But God does a miracle and creates a well, perhaps a spring of water, to save Hagar and Ishmael. Ishmael does go on to found not one, but several nations.
Why did God help Hagar and Ishmael? Isaac was the son God had promised. By mocking Isaac and Sarah, Ishmael was actually mocking God. Interestingly enough, the name “Ishmael” means “God will hear.” Even though God heard Ishmael’s taunts, He also heard Hagar’s anguish and Ishmael’s cries when he was about to die of thirst and saved them.
This story brings out an important aspect of God’s forgiveness: God forgives us even when we have created problems for ourselves by the things we have said. One veteran missionary in India had a saying that bears repeating. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of the disciples, possibly Peter, took a sword and cut off an ear from one of the high priest’s servants, a man named Malchus. Poor Malchus! Peter had just made a bad situation worse by his impetuosity. But Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and healed that ear, reattaching it miraculously. Working in a large mission hospital with a number of health workers from different countries can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings. When this missionary doctor would realize that she had put her foot in her mouth and created problems, she would ask God to “do a Malchus’ ear on this situation,” in effect, praying that God would miraculously heal the bad situation she had just created by speaking foolishly. And God would heal that relationship.
What a great prayer! And how many times a day do most of us need God to step in and salvage situations after we have said the wrong thing! Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Christ Jesus came not just to free us from our sins but also to help us so that we can live holy and righteous lives. If we follow Jesus, we will sin because we are human and fallible. But we have a wonderful promise. 1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is a forgiving God, even when we create problems for ourselves, IF we face our sins and confess them. Malchus got his ear reattached. Hagar and Ishmael found a spring of water that saved their lives. Whatever problems you have created by things that you have said, God can deliver you if you will turn to Him.
APPLICATION: Chopped off anybody’s ear recently? Offended someone by the way you have spoken? Tell God about it and ask Him to help heal those broken relationships.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and for forgiving us. Help us to turn to you quickly and to seek your guidance so that we will speak wisely and kindly. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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