January 12th

January 12th -- Genesis 21:8-21 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2021:8-21&version=NLT)

This is a bit about when Ishmael and Hagar are sent away at Sarah's request.

A bit of background info: Even though Sarah was promised a son by God, she and Abraham doubted. So, she convinced Abraham to sleep with her servant, Hagar, by whom he had a son he named Ishmael. Then, however, God kept his promise to Sarah and Abraham and Sarah became pregnant and had a son who they names Isaac (which means "he laughs" and is fitting because he is a boy, so he, but Sarah laughed when the messengers had told her she would become pregnant in her old age).

I think that's all the more important information you need to understand to catch you up to where this starts.

I find it interesting that God tells Abraham it is okay to send them away - why would He not want them to stay so that the lines would not be divided and hostile to eachother in future?

So  Abraham sent them away with water, but Ishmael was crying, and God heard him, so an angel called out to Hagar and told her not to be afraid because God would make a nation from his descendants (he was still in Abraham's line, after all). Then God made a well appear so she could drink. Ishmeal grew up in the wilderness and God was with him as he did. He settled in the wilderness, but his mom arranged for him to get married to a woman from Egypt.

I really don't have many thoughts on this other than the question I put above about why God didn't want them to stay. Also, I wonder a bit why Hagar and Ishmael never went and settled in a town instead of living in wilderness...

That's all!
God bless! :)