Genesis 21:1-13

The LORD visited Sarah like he had said he would, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.

² And Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.

³ Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah gave birth to for him, Isaac.

⁴ And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me a cause for laughter; everyone who hears will laugh about me.”

⁷ And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to him a son in his old age.”

⁸ And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

⁹ But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.

¹⁰ So she said to Abraham, “Expel this slave woman with her son, because the son of this slave woman will not be heir along with my son Isaac.”

¹¹ And the thing seemed very evil to Abraham because he was thinking of his son.

¹² But God said to Abraham, “Do not consider this an evil thing because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

¹³ And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”

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Disinheriting Ishmael

Isaac had been born, and laughter filled Abraham’s house. But some of the laughter appears to have been mocking from Ishmael, who is about 16 years old by now. Sarah is indignant, and orders that he and his mother be sent away. She has no intention of having both sons raised in the same household. This breaks Abraham’s heart, because he loves Ishmael. Nevertheless, Abraham prays, and God tells him to listen to his wife.

Sometimes the things God calls us to do appear harsh and unloving. We have to trust God, and obey him. No sacrifice is too great to stay in the center of his will.

LORD, keep us faithful to you, even in times when our faithfulness is displeasing to us.