Genesis 21:14-21

2007.Nov.22 02:03

Exile

Read Genesis 21:14-31 | Full Chapter

I’m going to take a sidestep in modern geopolitics. I’ve heard people say that the “situation” in the middle east can never be understood apart from the situations surrounding the births of Ishmael and Isaac. I bring it up, because this chapter is probably the most relevant Biblical chapter to that. The supposition goes–at least what I’ve heard–that Arabs descended from Ishmael and Israelis from Isaac, and they’re still fighting to this day because, well, I guess because both Ishmael and Isaac were born. I suppose it would be a good lesson on never knowing just how far your decisions may reach.

As best I can tell, both Biblically and historically, it’s hogwash (that is, the concept as a whole; some of the particulars are at least Biblically supported). Now, I’m neither a Biblical scholar or historian, much less one who has explicitly studied this, but I don’t see any evidence for this. The supposition that this is a generational curse strikes me as a bit extreme. I certainly believe that generational curses are real, but God’s intent is to break those, not let them fester for thousands of years. Indeed, what I get from the Bible is that God chose to bless both Ishmael and Isaac. It seems to me, rather, that the short-sightedness of international and specifically British foreign policy and European and US economic policies are mostly responsible for the badness in the Middle East, not helped by the fact that–at least since Roman times–the middle east apparently makes a good launching point for empire building and those living there tend to get the worst of every emerging empire. It doesn’t foster a sense of good will towards the fellow man.

I digress.

So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept. God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
(Genesis 21:14-21, NASB)

…

God told Jeremiah to write a letter to the Jewish people exiled in Babylon. God wanted the people to understand that they should live their lives in Babylon to the fullest. He didn’t want them to wish away these years or waste them in bitterness. Instead he told them to go about their lives, raise kids, let their kids marry; and to "Pray for peace in Babylonia and work hard to make it prosperous" (Jeremiah 29:7, CEV) . Yahweh tells the people, through his prophet, to trust him, to know that’s he’s going to bring them home in due time, and to rejoice in the lives he’s giving them in the mean time. It is this that sets up one of the most oft-quoted verses in the Bible:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
(Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

Okay, I don’t think you got that. Let’s try again.

You’re in EXILE in BABYLON which has just LAID WASTE to your HOME. And Jehovah God says, live your lives and bless this land because–God says–, "I WILL bless you with a future filled with hope–a future of success, not of suffering." (Jeremiah 29:11, CEV) .

You’ve lost your home, probably feel like you’ve lost your identity. When we quote this verse at church, it’s often like “Hey, that’s great.” Find the moments in your life where this verse doesn’t work in the Sunday morning way, but in the somebody’s reading you Jeremiah’s letter way.

For me, it’s the week that we find out Pi wasn’t going to be born. My wife was three months pregnant–and I was really getting used to the idea–with our first child, who we called Pi. And, then, boom, suddenly, there’s no baby in the grainy picture. Early miscarriage, blighted ovum. I couldn’t speak highly enough of most of the medical professionals we encountered over those couple of weeks, but there’s no way to make news like that…well, I don’t know…it just sucks. Somewhere between watching the second ultrasound and walking out after the DNC, that’s my moment. That’s when God says “I know the plans I have for you,” and I’m thinking, do you even see this context? Look at where I’m at right now, I’m in freaking BABYLON!

For Hagar (yeah, I’m actually going to talk about the passage) this is her moment. Go back and read the passage. The context is pretty much there. This is sucks-ville, this is exile, this is Babylon for Hagar. She’s without home and her son is dying of thirst. And God says, “Hagar, I know the plans I have for you and Ishmael. I’m going to bless you and not harm you.”

And Hagar takes that promise at face value. And God fulfills it.