Topical Bible: The First Born: Superseded: Ishmael

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◄ The First Born: Superseded: Ishmael ►

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Introduction

Ishmael, the firstborn son of Abraham, holds a significant place in biblical history. His account is intertwined with themes of promise, covenant, and divine election. Although Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn, he was superseded by Isaac, the son of promise, in the divine plan for the establishment of God's covenant people.

Birth and Early Life

Ishmael was born to Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maidservant. This event occurred after Sarah, who was barren, suggested that Abraham have a child with Hagar to fulfill God's promise of numerous descendants. Genesis 16:15-16 records, "So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him."

Divine Promises and Prophecies

Despite being Abraham's firstborn, Ishmael was not the child through whom God's covenant would be established. However, God did not overlook Ishmael. In Genesis 16:10-12 , the Angel of the LORD promised Hagar, "I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count... 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."

Supersession by Isaac

The birth of Isaac, the son of Sarah and Abraham, marked a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative. Isaac was the child of promise, through whom God's covenant would be fulfilled. Genesis 17:19-21 states, "Then God said, 'No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.'"

Separation and Legacy

The tension between Sarah and Hagar, and subsequently between Isaac and Ishmael, led to Ishmael's separation from Abraham's household. Genesis 21:9-14 recounts how Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac, prompting her to urge Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. God reassured Abraham, saying, "Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned. But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring."

Ishmael's descendants became a great nation, fulfilling God's promise. He is traditionally considered the ancestor of various Arab tribes, and his legacy is acknowledged in both biblical and extra-biblical traditions.

Conclusion

Ishmael's account is a testament to God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, even when human actions complicate His plans. While Ishmael was superseded by Isaac in the covenantal lineage, he was not forgotten by God, who ensured that Ishmael's descendants would also become a great nation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 17:19-21
And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Israelites
... the town of Sidon is the "first-born" of Canaan ... At first the Canaanites were treated
with merciless ferocity ... the high-priest had similarly been superseded by the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

Order and Argument in Prayer
... It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to ... Now this ritual is all superseded,
but the truth which it ... It is most fitting for us first to feel that we ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/order and argument in prayer.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... to recover from their fatigues; it was their first halting-place ... the banks of the
Nile: the Amu, born of Sokhit ... of the Hebrews, the children of Ishmael and Edom ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm