2007-05-28 17:04:48 · 7 answers · asked by andrian c 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Begging the question. Sarah did not persuade Abraham to cast Ishmael out at all, "God" had to do it.
"But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." (Genesis 21:12-13 RSV)
To answer your question in essence though, Sarah was displeased with Ishmael due to his insulting attitude towards Isaac, as well as the fact that his existence threatened Isaac's position as heir.
2007-05-28 17:13:55 · answer #1 · answered by fonzieisme 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Genesis 21:8-11
What happened in Abraham's family was this: Abraham threw a great feast for Isaac when he was weaned from his mother's breast. Note the word great: it was a great feast. This was apparently a Near East custom of that day when a child reached 2-3 years old. At some point during the feast, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac: ridiculing, poking fun, being mean-spirited and bitter toward him. Remember, Isaac was just a baby, two or three years old, and Ishmael was sixteen or seventeen years old (cp. Genesis 16:16; Genesis 21:5). Just imagine a young man that old mocking and ridiculing a baby. Moreover, note the word "mocking" (metsachcheq). The Hebrew has the idea of "always mocking." Ishmael always displayed bitterness and anger toward Isaac; he was always mocking and being mean-spirited to the baby. (H.C. Leupold. Genesis, Vol.2, p.599.) Why? What would cause Ishmael to be so mean to Isaac? Because Abraham was always heaping attention upon Isaac, the attention that Ishmael had once received before Isaac's birth. Abraham's attention was now split two ways, and he was more focused upon the baby, Isaac, than upon Ishmael. Ishmael should have understood: he was old enough to know that the baby was bound to become the focus of attention. He was old enough to understand...
· that the baby needed more attention.
· that the baby was bound to be a special joy to Abraham because he was born in Abraham's old age.
· that the baby was the promised child, miraculously given by God.
But Ishmael refused to accept the baby's presence within the family, refused to accept Isaac as the promised child. He continuously mocked, adopting a mean-spirited attitude toward the child who was appointed by God to be the promised son. And Sarah saw the mockery time and again.
Apparently, the ridicule reached a peak at the great feast celebrating Isaac's weaning, and Sarah witnessed the ugly scene. It was all she could take, enough was enough, and she boiled over. She demanded that Abraham send away (cast out, drive out, get rid of) the slavewoman and her son, Ishmael.
Ishmael had sinned through his mockery and jealousy and his failure to trust the will and care of God. Now Sarah was sinning by over-reacting. She was demanding a cruel solution to the conflict. She took matters into her own hands instead of seeking God for an answer to the conflict. She was overtaken by a spirit of distrust toward God and of cruelty toward Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. Remember, Hagar had been Sarah's personal servant for decades. But Sarah was apparently so overtaken with anger that she just ignored God and reacted against Ishmael and Hagar. The effect upon Abraham was devastating, for he loved Ishmael, loved him with all his heart. Abraham was stricken with a heavy heart; he was distressed, not knowing what to do.
2007-05-29 00:18:40 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, he whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. And she said to Abraham, Drive away this slave-girl and her son, for the son of this slave-girl shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac."
Gen 21:9-10 LITV
Mocking Israel and being a potential rival to Israel's inheritance.
2007-05-29 00:12:14 · answer #3 · answered by Deof Movestofca 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The second son of Abram is Isaac.
2007-05-30 14:48:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first line in the novel Moby Dick. Call me ishmael. I love that name when I have a son he will be Ishmeal. Kisses BB
2007-05-29 00:10:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
He mocked Israel
He teased the youngest son, Israel.
Much of this is symbolic to me.
2007-05-29 00:07:28 · answer #6 · answered by pinkstealth 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He was mocking Isaac...Israel (Jacob) was Isaac's son he had not been born yet
2007-05-29 00:18:44 · answer #7 · answered by Tommiecat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋