Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael

Genesis 16
1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid,
an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram,
Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee,
go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.
And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3 And Sarai Abram's wife
took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the
land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that
she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 And Sarai
said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into
thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in
her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. 6 But Abram said unto
Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And
when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the
wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar,
Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said,
I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the LORD
said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed
exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child,
and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD
hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every
man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren.

13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God
seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between
Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which
Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when
Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

* * *

Genesis
Sarah Laughs at the Promise

Genesis 18
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold,
in the tent. 10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to
the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it
in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were
old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner
of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am
waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the LORD
said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety
bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the
time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and
Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not;
for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

* * *

Here we see two sons of Abraham, the father of faith, Ishmael and
Isaac. Ishmael, or Yishma-El, means "God hears". Hagar also called
God El-Roi, "God-Who-Seeth". Compared to this, Isaac means
"laughter".

We also see two wives of Abraham, his legal wife Sarah and her
Egyptian slavegirl Hagar. While Hagar gained the notion that God can
hear her alone in the desert and see her also where there is not a
living soul, Sarah thought that merely being hidden behind the tent door
prevented the LORD Creator of the Universe from seeing that she laughed.

These are two characters, where one thinks constantly in fear of God,
Who Knows All, Sees All and Hears All, and the other thinks she can
get away with stuff and God will never learn about it.

Sarah once again acted cruelly towards Hagar and Ishmael, exposing
them to certain death in the desert, save for God's supernatural
intervention to save Hagar and Ishmael:

Sarah Turns against Hagar

Genesis 21
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born
unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out
this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be
heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous
in Abraham's sight because of his son. 12 And God said unto Abraham,
Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy
bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice;
for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the
bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14 And Abraham
rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and
gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her
away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one
of the shrubs. 16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a
good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death
of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar
out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God
hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and
hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19 And God
opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the
bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness,
and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his
mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Here we see Ishmael saved by direct intervention of the LORD God for the
second time, because God's Promise to multiply Ishmael was irrevocable
(Genesis 16:10).

God's intention was also not to leave Ishmaelites in pagan worship and
without the salvation of their souls, or the saving miracles and multiplication
of Ishmael would profit only Hellfire.

in the name of the LORD God Merciful, Almighty
Amen