Isaac and Ishmael

Genesis 17:19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 

Abraham was hesitant in Sarah’s pregnancy and was giving recommendations to God to make Ishmael live before God. But God had a clear plan in mind making Abraham understand that Isaac is the purpose of Abraham’s separation. God says “indeed” she will bear a son and the covenant will be “everlasting”. God has everlasting plans for us but our thoughts are very limited and seek to escape the small trouble we may go to. Abraham wanted to escape fatherhood and Sarah’s pregnancy and was willing to lose the son of covenant. We also seek temporary solutions only from God and do not allow Him to execute his everlasting covenant with us.

The reason for these wrong choices is that we do not value the covenant or the purpose of God but get satisfied with the temporary solutions alone. This attitude has been expensive in the history of mankind starting from Adam, to most kings of Israel and Judah till the couple Ananias and Shappira. As in Joshua 24:14,15, choices are the crucial events in our life which decide where we head towards. Adam’s one choice is the only reason for all our failures and Christ’s one choice is the reason for all our victories. Let us follow Christ by choosing everlasting blessings than temporary materials.

This difference is the one between Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was blessed due to the situation (Gen 16:11,12) but Isaac was blessed because of divine will. Temporary blessings help a person with strength just for survival and control rage. We know that Ishmael took a girl from Egypt (Gen 21:21) because our temporary blessings tend to go and merge with the world. But for Isaac, Abraham had two conditions in 24^th chapter: Isaac would not go back to his forefathers and Isaac would neither get associated with the locals. This is the separation of the covenant where we choose to live among sinners and the world but would not mingle with them. We are people of a larger covenant and purpose than Abraham. (I Peter 2:9) This is the attitude we should have with technology and fashion.

Here Abraham has more priority for Isaac to stay in Canaan than go back to Ur because in Canaan even if he gets associated, there is hope for God to cleanse him and will use them. Abraham was willing to accept failures rather than escape them. Going backwards is a very dangerous and God hated action. Luke 9:62 makes us unworthy of this race we are running if we believe we can go backwards forsaking the will of God. This is the cost of discipleship. In 24:3, Abraham calls God as “God of heaven and God of earth” but in verse 7 Abraham mentions “God of heaven”. This is the priority we need to display. Heaven and progress towards it is very important than surviving here. But in our lives, our survival takes a toll on our spiritual progress. He is the God of earth but sometimes our attitude does not make Him succeed.

The next lesson is when the servant Eliezer of Damascus looks to God while at Nahor’s town. In verse 24:14, he requests for a girl who God has appointed for His servant Isaac. This was an important favor this servant asks God for Isaac. A relationship God has appointed is much higher than our own relationships. This is one kindness which all our young people can ask God for so that we can escape the errors of marriage. This incident is very important because this is the longest chapter in Genesis and is completely recording only this incident. Marriage is not a simple incident that anybody can casually get into and get out whenever we like. We see the seriousness Abraham has in making the servant oath before him to choose a bride properly.

Eliezer mentions “God prospering our way” repeatedly three times in this incident. God prospers particular objects which can be ways, places or even time for His covenant to be executed properly. This did not happen to Ishmael. He was blessed only because Hagar was crying for help in the wilderness. But for Isaac, God had sent His angel before the servant and places the right people at the right time and the right place. For us to fulfill God’s plan our way prospers meaning that people or objects who contribute to our growth will prosper. In you all the nations will be blessed points to this fact. And doing the right actions as and when God is prospering ways is important as well.

In verse 50, Laban says that “This thing has come from the LORD, we cannot speak to you either good or bad.” If God does something, there is no place for anybody to comment or appreciate. To the son of the covenant, all things work together for good. In 1 Samuel 3:11 God explains Samuel that He will do mighty things and People’s ears will tingle. If we are really in the covenant, that will be the experience. But it is important that we obey just like Laban and Bethuel if an opportunity from God comes in. Sometimes we talk and appreciate too much delaying it or still complain. It is important that we understand that we are not allowed to comment.

This separation and a purpose differentiates Isaac from Ishmael who had no destiny at all. Natural instincts always make us long to be Ishmael who is an archer, who had an interesting wife from another country. But when we allow God to make decisions in our life and let Him prosper our way, we will fulfill our actual destiny in life.

Amen.