Topical Bible: Children: Wicked: Ishmael

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Topical Encyclopedia

Ishmael, the firstborn son of Abraham, is a significant figure in the Bible, particularly in the context of his relationship with his half-brother Isaac and the subsequent lineage that arises from him. Ishmael's account is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, where his life and actions are detailed.

Birth and Early Life

Ishmael was born to Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Due to Sarah's initial barrenness, she gave Hagar to Abraham as a concubine to bear a child on her behalf. Genesis 16:11-12 records the angel of the LORD speaking to Hagar: "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

Character and Behavior

The description of Ishmael as a "wild donkey of a man" suggests a life marked by conflict and independence. This prophecy foreshadows the contentious nature of Ishmael's descendants and his own interactions with others. The Bible recounts an incident that highlights Ishmael's behavior, particularly in relation to Isaac, the son of promise. In Genesis 21:9-10 , Sarah observed Ishmael mocking Isaac during a feast held in Isaac's honor. This act of mockery led to significant familial strife, prompting Sarah to demand that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away: "But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, 'Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.'"

Separation and God's Promise

Despite the tension and eventual separation from Abraham's household, God did not abandon Ishmael. In Genesis 21:17-18 , God heard the cries of Ishmael and reassured Hagar: "Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies. Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation." This promise indicates that while Ishmael's actions may have been contentious, God's providence and plans for him remained intact.

Legacy

Ishmael's legacy is complex, as he is both a figure of divine promise and a symbol of conflict. His descendants, known as the Ishmaelites, are often depicted in the Bible as living in opposition to the Israelites, fulfilling the prophecy of living "in hostility toward all his brothers." Despite this, Ishmael's role in the biblical narrative serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the unfolding of His plans through both chosen and non-chosen lines.

In summary, Ishmael's life is marked by familial discord and divine intervention. His actions, particularly in relation to Isaac, are seen as wicked in the context of the biblical narrative, yet they also serve to highlight the broader themes of God's faithfulness and the complexity of human relationships within the biblical account.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 21:9
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born to Abraham, mocking.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

How Nebuzaradan Set Gedaliah Over the Jews that were Left in Judea ...
... for him, should be found so wicked and ungrateful ... be seen; but of these fourscore
men Ishmael spared those ... in Mispah, with their wives and children; among whom ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 how nebuzaradan set.htm

The Children's Bible
... <. The Children's Bible Henry A. Sherman. ... THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL.
LOT'S ESCAPE FROM A WICKED CITY. GOD'S CARE FOR THE BOY ISHMAEL. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/

The Story of Hagar and Ishmael
... The people in these cities were very wicked and were nearly ... And Ishmael grew up in
the desert and learned to ... He became a wild man, and his children after him ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of hagar and.htm

Abraham --The Father of the Faithful.
... him, God promised him that his children's children should grow ... rain of fire fell
upon the wicked cities of ... and good wishes, yet the little lad Ishmael, the son ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter iii abrahamthe father of.htm

They Shall be Called the Children of God
... Ishmael was the son of the bond-woman. He had no right to the family. ... The wicked
suck poison from that breast of ordinances where the children of God suck ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/19 they shall be called.htm

Adoption
... Ephesians 2:2. God has no dead children; and not being children, they have ... Many godly
parents have wicked sons; Abraham had an Ishmael; Isaac an Esau. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 adoption.htm

"Who Will Rise up with Me against the Wicked?"
... of some to "rise up against the wicked," and join ... he will find himself just in Ishmael's
situation, " "his ... setting all the children of the devil at defiance? ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 52 who will rise.htm

A Believer's Privilege at Death
... off her mourning; for how can the children of the ... vexed with the unclean conversation
of the wicked.2 Pet 2 ... 120: Kedar was Arabia, where were Ishmael's posterity ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 a believers privilege at.htm

John Chapter iii. 21-Jun
... It is Ishmael playing, let him be cast out. ... The children of bond women, when wicked,
are cast out; and the child of the free woman, when an Esau, is cast ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xii john chapter iii.htm

Persecution Every Christian's Lot
... Thus Ishmael's mocking Isaac, is termed persecuting him. ... is that which expresses
itself in Actions: as when wicked men separate the children of God ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/persecution every christians lot.htm