Have you ever wondered if you were born into the wrong family? Little is known about how Ismael viewed life, but this question must have haunted him at times. His life, name and position were bound up in two jealous woman. Sarah (Sarai), who was impatient with God's timetable, had decided to take matters into her own hands, deciding to have a child through another woman named Hagar her servant. Hagar servant that she was submitted to being used this way. But her pregnancy and birth of Abraham's son gave Hagar strong feelings of superiority towards Sarah. Into this tense atmosphere Ishmael was born.
For 13 years Abraham thought Ishmael's birth had fulfilled God's promise of a son. He was surprised to hear God say that the promised child would be Abraham and Sarah's very own. Sarah's pregnancy and birth of Isaac must have had a devastating impact on Ishmael. Up until that time he had been treated as a son and heir, but Isaac's birth made his future uncertain. During Isaac's weaning celebration, Sarah caught Ishmael teasing Isaac his half brother. As a result, Hagar and Ishmael were permanently expelled from Abraham's family.
Mush of what happened to Ishmael throughout his life can't be blamed on Ishmael. He was caught up in a process much bigger than himself. However, his own actions showed that he decided to become part of the problem instead of the solution. He chose to live under his circumstances and not above them.
The choice he made is one we must all make. There are circumstances over which we have no control in our lives like who our parents are or whether we grew up in a rich family or a poor one. But there are other circumstances that we can control like the decisions we make. At the heart of the matter is the sin-oriented nature we have all inherited through Adam's downfall. It can be partly controlled although not overcome by our human effort. Ishmael's life represents the mess we make when we don't try to change the things we can change. The God of the Bible offers us a solution. His answer is not control, but a changed life. To have a changed life turn to God, trust in Him to forgive your past and begin to change your attitude towards Him and others.
God has promised us that, if you believe in your heart that Jesus was the Son of God and died on the cross to forgive your sins and then rose on the third day from the dead in His resurrection and you profess this with your mouth you will be saved. (John 3:16) says "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Do you believe in Jesus? If so, have you professed this with your mouth? Are you certain that you are going to heaven? If the answer is no or your not really sure and there is something stirring inside you at this very moment to do this, then all you have to do is say a small prayer and you can be assured of your name being added to the Book of Life. Go to the prayer of salvation and pray the words out loud and believe in your heart and you will be saved.
Ishmael's story is told in Genesis 16, 17; 25:12 - 18; 28:8, 9; 36:1 - 3. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 1:28 - 31; Romans 9:7 - 9 and Galatians 4:21 - 31.
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