Genesis 17:17-21

2007.May.15 02:43

Why not Ishmael?

Read Genesis 17:17-21 | Full Chapter

Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?” And Abraham said unto God, “O that Ishmael might live before Thee!” 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. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”
(Genesis 17:17-21, 21st century kjv)

God has changed Abram’s name to Abraham, Sarai’s to Sarah. They’ve received many blessings from Jehovah, but they long for one more, a child. This has been complicated about fourteen years prior by Sarai’s suggestion, and Abram’s acceptance, that he sleep with Hagar, who has had a son, Ishmael. When Jehovah ends this name changing with an explanation that Sarah will give birth, the newly named Abraham laughs. This is a guy that the author of Hebrews goes on about for his faith, and he’s laughing at God’s promise. Of course, as he points out, he is one hundred, his wife ninety. Not really child bearing age.

Jehovah does not turn his back on Abraham for this questioning, but affirms his promise, naming the as-yet-unconceived child Isaac, for whom he has a very specific and long-ranging plan. God has chosen to establish an everlasting covenant with Isaac and his descendants. What this covenant contains, Jehovah does not here elaborate, though we may assume that it includes God’s previous covenant with Abraham to give to his descendants the land of Canaan.

There is an additional thread to this discussion, beyond the promise of Isaac and the forthcoming covenant. The CEV translates Abraham as asking, "Why not let Ishmael inherit what you have promised me" (Genesis 17:18, CEV) ? Abraham’s logic here is pretty simple: he already has a son. Jehovah does not really answer the question, but he does respond to Abraham’s desires for his first-born. Ishmael, God promises, will be blessed. He will father twelve princes, and have many descendants. Indeed, the promises for Ishmael are not so different than those for Isaac.

But I must pause on one very important difference. It is with Isaac, not Ishmael, that Jehovah will establish his particular covenant. The burning question of why, then. Well, God does not explain here. In fact, I’m not sure it’s ever explained in the Bible. A few ideas come to mind, but I only want to ponder one just now: Isaac is the child of God’s promise (Genesis 15). Ishmael is the child of an attempt to rush God’s promise. Abram and Sarai tried to take over the process. Jehovah has not punished Ishmael for this, although he has had some rough times do to dissension between Sarai and Hagar. Neither does Jehovah switch his promises over to Ishmael, but instead stays his course, bringing Isaac to birth in his timing. Now, maybe that’s the reason and maybe it’s crazy talk. But sometimes when we ask “Why not”, it’s because we’re not seeing the promise.