Bible Stories to Share with Your Children: The Births of Ishmael and Isaac

by Lisa Kennedy | More from this Blogger

29 May 2006 09:10 PM

This blog is a continuation in the story of Abraham's (Abram's) life. The stories of the births of Isaac and Ishmael can be found in Genesis 16:1 through 17:27 and Genesis 21:1 through 21:8. There are many lessons to be learned from the births of these two sons of Abraham.

Key Lessons

1. God can do what man deems impossible. Abraham and Sarah thought it was impossible for Sarah to have children. However, Isaac was born to Abraham when he was one hundred years old. In fact in Genesis 18:11 the Bible says that, "The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah." Through God Abraham and Sarah were able to have a son in their old age. Genesis 21:2 states, "And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him."
2. God keeps His covenants. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand that God is completely faithful because men are not always faithful. However, God does keep His covenants. In Genesis 12:2-3 God promises Abraham that he will make a great nation from him: "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." This promise is fulfilled in Isaac.
3. Patience. Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands, instead of waiting for the Lord. Sarah gave Hagar to be Abraham's wife so that he might have a child; however, this was not in accordance with God's plan. Abraham and Sarah should have been patient rather than trying to do things in their own time. In Colossians 3:12 Paul wrote that as the chosen ones of the Lord, Christians should put on patience.

Genesis 17:15-21 states: "And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 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. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."

Read Week 5-Bible Stories to Share With Your Children: Abram

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