Trouble in Paradise

Here is Isaac, just a few years old and there is already trouble in paradise. Well, it is not really paradise, but you know what I mean. Sarah has been blessed by God with her own child, and a rift between Isaac and Ishmael is already quite evident.

8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”
(Genesis 21:8-13, New King James Version)

Trouble in Paradise

Here is Isaac, just a few years old and there is already trouble in paradise. Well, its not really paradise, but you know what I mean. Sarah has been blessed by God with her own child, and a rift between Isaac and Ishmael is already quite evident. Sarah heard Ishmael scoffing at Isaac. Suddenly she could stand it no longer! She ran to Abraham and demanded, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.”

Remember, Ishmael was Abraham's son, even if he was not Sarah's, so Abraham was greatly dismayed by Sarah's words. God spoke to Abraham, however, with these amazing words.

“Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.

”I must admit, I do not understand it, but I know it is true. Here is a perfect example of God working his will through the displeasure of Sarah. God did not intend to have Isaac and Ishmael grow up together, but, because Ishmael was also Abraham's son, God planned to make a great nation of him as well.

How can we apply this passage to our life today? God is God and we are not! We cannot thwart God's plans, for God even works through the bad things in our lives to bring about that great plan of his.

That does not make it any easier to go through the troubles in our lives, but it does help us to know that, as Christians, we can rest completely in Christ. His goals for our life, and our goals for our life are not always the same. It was certainly not Sarah's will that Hagar and Ishmael remain in Abraham's camp, but she did not thwart God's will in her anger. God, instead, used that anger, that trouble in paradise, to bring about his own purposes for Hagar and Ishmael.

Turn to Christ with your troubles. He is kind and compassionate and, he alone, can bring you through them with peace in your heart.

Next: Death of Sarah