Starting on New Year’s Day (well, technically, on New Year’s Ever), I switched from using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible reading to the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net”.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 21-23.

    God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah gave birth to Isaac at the time He said that she would. However, we see in this passage more of the consequences of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar decision. Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of Ishmael and Hagar. Abraham was hurt by Sarah’s request because he loved his son, Ishmael, but he did as his wife asked. He gave Hagar some supplies and sent her away. It is worth noting that God assured Abraham that He would care for Ishmael and Hagar before Abraham sent them away and that He fulfilled this promise. Nevertheless, I cannot help but feel sympathy for Ishmael who suffered because of Sarah’s jealousy about a situation which she created (Abraham and Hagar share responsibility for this situation as well).

    The passage tells us that Abraham lived among the Philistines for a long time. At some point during that period, he felt compelled to sacrifice Isaac as an offering to God, showing his devotion to God. This would have been similar to practices among the Philistines of sacrifice their children. I do not know in what manner Abraham received the instruction to sacrifice Isaac, but I am convinced that at least part of that message was a product of the practices of the people among whom he lived. However it came to be that Abraham got the message to sacrifice Isaac, God made it clear to Abraham that He is not a God who desires us to kill our children. That message is the point of this whole episode.