Ishmael's Profile Have you ever wondered if you were born into the wrong family? We don=
t know much about how Ishmael viewed life, but that question must have haunted
him at times. His life, his name, and his position were bound up in a conflict
between two jealous women. Sarah (Sarai), impatient with God's timetable, had taken matters into her own hands, deciding to have a child
through another woman. Hagar, servant that she was, submitted to being used this
way. But her pregnancy gave birth to strong feelings of superiority toward
Sarah. Into this tense atmosphere, Ishmael was born. Ishmael's Strengths and Accomplishments * One of the first to experience the physical sign of God's covenant, circumcision Ishmael's Weakness and Mistake * Failed to recognize the place of his brother, Isaac, and mocked him Lesson from Ishmael's Life * God's plans incorporate people's mistakes Ishmael's Vital Statistics * Where: Canaan and Egypt Key Verses " God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation" (Genesis 21:17, 18).Ishmael's story is told in Genesis 16-17; 25:12-18; 28:8,9; 36:1-3. He is also mentioned in 1st Chronicles 1:28-31; Romans 9:7-9; Galatians 4:21-31. |