God Protects Hagar and Ishmael

Genesis 21

⁸ And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹ But Sarah _u saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, _v laughing. ₁ ¹⁰ So she said to Abraham, _w "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." ¹¹ And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. ¹² But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for _x through Isaac shall your offspring be named. ¹³ And I will make _y a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." ¹⁴ So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of _z Beersheba.

¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. ¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. ¹⁸ Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation." ¹⁹ Then _a God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰ And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness _b and became an expert with the bow. ²¹ He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

1. Cross References
   Genesis 16:1
   Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.
   Genesis 16:15
   And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
   
2. Cross References
   Galatians 4:29
   But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
   
3. Cross References
   Galatians 4:30
   But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.
   
4. Cross References
   Romans 9:7
   And not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
   Hebrews 11:18
   Of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
   
5. Cross References
   Genesis 21:18
   Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.
   Genesis 16:10
   The angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.
   Genesis 17:20
   As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
   
6. Cross References
   Genesis 21:31
   Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath.
   
7. Cross References
   Numbers 22:31
   Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.
   2 Kings 6:17 - 18
   Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see." So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
   2 Kings 6:20
   As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
   Luke 24:16
   But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
   Luke 24:31
   And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
   
8. Cross References
   Genesis 16:12
   He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.
   

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.