Genesis 21:11

Genesis 21:11 says, And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.  Though Ishmael was not Sarah's son, he was Abraham's, and Abraham was grieved at the thought of sending him away.  Abraham had willingly listened to Sarah about having a child with Hagar, but he was reluctant to listen to her about sending Hagar and Ishmael away.  Like Abraham, sometimes we are more easily lead into sin than we are led to deal with the results of that sin.  Verse twelve states, And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.  God told Abraham to not be grieved and to follow Sarah's wishes, because Isaac would be the one that Abraham would become the father of a great nation through.  As followers of Christ, our actions will never replace God's plan, though they may affect our joy in our salvation.  If we attempt to do things our way and make a mess of it, then we must ask God to forgive us and direct us in the right direction.  Verse thirteen adds, And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.  God told Abraham that Ishmael would not be forgotten, but that a great nation would also come from Ishmael.  It just would not be the nation of the covenant between Abraham and God.  God was not going to destroy Ishmael because of the sin of Abraham, but neither was He going to change His covenant.  As followers of Christ, if we sin, we cannot expect God to totally destroy everything that is a result of that sin, but if we repent and return to obedience to God, we should not continue to be grieved by the sin.  Verse fourteen declares, And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.  Abraham wasted no time in carrying out God's instructions.  He arose early and sent Ishmael and Hager away.  When God directs us to do something, then we must do so as quickly as possible.  Verse fifteen states, And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.  The water that Abraham had given Hagar was gone and she was ready to give up.  We cannot rely on our own provisions or those provided by the world to sustain us forever if we do not look to God for His help.  Verse sixteen adds, And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.  Hagar didn't want to see Ishmael die, so she moved a little distance away from him and lifted up her voice and wept.  It does not say that she was calling on God, but whether she was or not, God heard her.  God will always be there when people are in anguish, and He will provide comfort if they will only acknowledge and listen to Him.  Verse seventeen declares, And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.  God asked what ailed Hagar, and then He gave her assurance that she did not need to despair.  Sho had to listen to and believe God for His words to have any effect, just as we must listen to and believe God for His words to have effect in our lives.  Verse eighteen adds, Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.  God still required Hagar to act on His instructions in faith.  If God provides an answer to our problems, we must always listen to Him and act in faith.  Verse nineteen says, And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.  Like Hagar, we must open our eyes in faith in order to receive His promise.  For Hagar and Ishmael, it was earthly water, but if accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we receive living water.  Verse twenty states, And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.  God was with Ishmael.  Verse twenty-one concludes, And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.  Eventually, Ishmael married an Egyptian woman.  God has never forgotten anyone who has ever lived, even if they never acknowledge Him.