Monday, April 11, 2011

Isaac and Ishmael

Half brothers

Same dad, different mom


Ishmael: son of Abraham and Hagar (Sarah's servant)
Isaac: son of Abraham and Sarah, son of the promise.


Ishmael was 14 years older than Isaac…. A teenager when Isaac was born.

That puts a whole different light on some of the scriptures…

Abe and Sarah were having a weaning party for Isaac. That probably means he was two or three years old which would make Ishmael sixteen or seventeen.  Ishmael is caught mocking his brother during the party. This is not good. Sarah tells Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Abraham doesn't like the idea, but God tells him that it's okay, that God will take care of them and Ishmael too, will be a great nation.


….So I can easily imagine a 16 year old mocking his younger brother, but what I can’t see is why the scriptures talk about Hagar putting “the boy” (Ishmael) under the bush and holding his hand as they are being sent away by Abraham. No seventeen year old that I know would hold his mother's hand...

Genesis 16 and 21

Anyone have any ideas on this?


L

4 comments:

Laura Josephsen said...

Different culture and time? And if they lived longer, maybe it wasn't weird that he was referred to as a boy or that his mother took his hand?

Sheila Siler said...

Perhaps she took his hand because he was giving comfort and strength to her? And I will always call my boys my "boys".

Linda Fischer said...

Could be. It's just that God also called him "the boy". interesting stuff, yes?

I could be any one of you said...

Very interesting.