Bible clearly says that Ishmael is a legitimate son of Abraham so why the racism by calling him illegitimate?

Question

What are you afraid of ??????????


1-----After Abraham had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as HIS WIFE. -- GENESIS 16:3

2------So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of HIS SON, whom Hagar bore, ISHMAEL. - GENESIS 16:15

In The Interpreters Bible, we read the following commentary on Deutronomy 21:15-17 :
“However, the law of the first born had ancient sanction, and so long as it was accepted justice demanded that mere favoritism not be allowed to deprive the eldest son of his rights.” (Vol 2 p. 461 Emphasis added)

The fallacy of Ishmael’s inferior status owing to his mother’s “inferior” social status is not only contrary to the Judaic Law (e.g. Deut. 21:15-17) , it is contrary to moral , humanitarian and universal nature of God’s revelation cherished by any believer in Him.


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Answer 1

The Bible clearly points that that Ishmael is the illegitimate son of Abraham because his mother was not the wife of Abraham. That makes him illegitimate. It also renders him as NOT the son of promise.

Answer 2

Many Christians simply refuse to accept that and, in all likelihood, resort to placing guilt trips not only on Muslims, but also on Arabs. Genesis 16:3 confirms Hagar as a wife of Abraham, thus rendering Ishmael legitimate. If they insist that Isaac was the covenant child, accepting Ishmael as legitimate shouldn't pose any problems.

Answer 3

God never disowned Ishmael, he was the son of Abraham but he was born by a Sarah's hand servant. The blood line would be through Sarah his wife. Wife and maid big difference. The legitimate heir is Issac the son of Sarah and Abraham.
Back then Men had numerous children by other women, by their concubines or maids. But the child that would succeed was that of the wife of that blood line.
Also Ishmael's mother was not a Jew. That is also a big deal right there. You are not considered a Jew unless your mother is a Jew.
Sarah was very jealous of Hagar for bearing Abraham a son. God was upset with her for this and that is why God protected Hagar and her son while they wondered through the dessert.
But Ismael would never be the one to get the inheritance from Abraham it would only be Issac.
There is nothing to be afraid of you just have not read the whole text. I'm sure Abraham loved him very much that was his child. He never denied it. But he would not be the one to be the legtiamate heir to Abraham.

Answer 4

There is no "racism" when he is called illegitimate. The definition of illegitimate is being born of parents who are not married to each other. God blessed Ishmael. He didn't punish Hagar or Ishmael. Sarah and Abraham were in the wrong for not waiting for the son He promised, which was Issac. The "eldest son" was only a legitimate son.

Answer 5

Hagar was not the wife of Abraham. She was a handmaid of Abraham's wife Sarah. Ishmael was a illegitimate son in God's eyes because they had done this thing without God Direction or Blessing.

Genesis 17:19
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Genesis 17:18-20 (in Context) Genesis 17 (Whole Chapter)
Genesis 17:21
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Genesis 17:20-22 (in Context) Genesis 17 (Whole Chapter)

De 21:15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
De 21:16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
De 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Answer 6

How the heck is that racism???

There are many examples in the Bible of the firstborn not getting his birthright. Esau, Joseph's sons, Isaac, Jacob's oldest son screwed up and lost his....

The problem is that God promised Abraham and Sarah's son would be the son of the promise. They didn't trust God and wait for the miracle, they tried to "help" God out and ended up causing a fight that has continued for all of time since their blunder. The promise was specifically to the son of Abraham and Sarah.

Genesis 17
15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

There is God's promise, and it is given in this context after Ishmael's birth. Ishmael was given a blessing, but Isaac was the intended son of the promise.

Answer 7

I agree with you. The Bible clearly states that Ismail is the first born son of Abraham.


Inheritance Rights of the Firstborn
15"If a man has two wives,(C) the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,[a] 16then on the day when(D) he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, 17but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is(E) the firstfruits of his strength.(F) The right of the firstborn is his.

Answer 8

You forget, very conveniently, that his first wife rejected both Hagar and Ishmael and it is Judaic law that the child is illegitimate unless the first wife accepts the child.

Cherry picking your proof won't work here.

Answer 9

It is because Isaac was the "Son of the Promise" while Ishmael was the "Son of the Flesh". That is, God had promised Abraham that he and Sarah would bear a son in their old age, and they had to just wait and trust Him. Abraham got tired of waiting and took matters into his own hands. He impregnated a slave girl, Hagar, and her son was born. This was the "Son of the Flesh", that is, according to Abraham's own Works. Later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. This was the son who was born miraculously, born "of the Promise". He was the one that God had promised Abraham's heritage to, not Ishmael. He was born of God's Works, not Abraham's.
If only Abraham hadn't made that selfish mistake, we would not today have the problem with terrorism that we do, and Islam would not exist.

Answer 10

No son is illegitimate, that BS....

What is not true is that Islam was founded by Ishmael, because history proves that Muslims were pagans until the Prophet Muhammad founded Islam, in 620 CE, so how could Islam be the true religion when Muslims ignored it for so many centuries until the Prophet Muhammad. In that case, Muslims have a lot to explain to Allah.