Q2. Where Is God?

[royk]

Q2. (21:8-10) What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment? Is she righteous in this? Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles? Have you ever been forced yourself

My wife is a Hispanic minister from El Salvador where they might pray for hours to our Savior as a normal daily event. At least once a month they pray all Saturday night into the early morning of Sunday. My wife told me that it was very bad to celebrate Halloween and her pastor brother has been warning all the congregation not to do this 'devil worship."

Frankly, at first I though this was crazy and said it was cultural. She argued it was written in the Bible and such activities should not be done. So after the argument when I prayed about it, in a moment God told me that she was right. She is very very biblical in her way of living, very narrow and strict, e.g. no dancing was allowed by her or her sisters when they were young. They constantly remind me that Americans in general are not Christians or not good worshipers. I come to appreciate how they are, very old fashioned, loving God and the Bible. It is all good and part of His plan for me. Praise the Lord for my deep transformation, and for showing me that I'm a sinner like all the rest and no better than anyone else; saved by grace and not by any works. Amen.

[joy irowa]

because of the mockings and dispute

no she did not portray righteousness

yes when i know that it will not go down well with the family

yes

[Old Jerry]

I think that the motive for Sarah to demand Ishmael’s expulsion from Abraham’s family encampment was that she didn’t want Ishmael to share in the inheritance. I don’t think that she is right in this but God has a plan and maybe this was part of the plan.

I may have tried to force my wife to act against her principles which could have caused the divorce but I definitely have been forced myself.

[Craig]

Q2. (21:8-10) What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment? Is she righteous in this? Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles? Have you ever been forced yourself?          

 

Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of her son Isaac in some way and that angered her and thus she demanded that Abraham get rid of the boy and his mother.  Sarah was not righteous in this act.   In a myriad of ways I have tried to force my spouse to act against her principles and sometimes that was needed and right, sometimes not.  Yes, she has attempted to force me to compromise my principles and sometimes succeeded right or wrong.  It is all about imposing wil and want one is after. 

[Ernie's Son]

What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment?  Gen. 21:10 So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac."

 

Is she righteous in this?  No.

 

Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles?  Probably so.

 

Have you ever been forced yourself?  Probably so.

 

 

[lighthouse2014]

Q2. (21:8-10) What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment? Is she righteous in this? Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles? Have you ever been forced yourself?

The incident that motivates Sarah I believe is that Ishmael is making fun of Isaac and his name translated "he laugh's". She encourages Abraham to send Hagar and her son Ishmael away, for Ishmael will have no inheritance of his father's.

Sarah is righteous in demanding Abraham to send away Ishmael, he was not the child God had promised Sarah. Her child would be from Abraham her husband.

I have never forced my spouse to act against her morals.

I have never been forced to act against my morals.    

[Rosesam]

Q2. (21:8-10) What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment? Is she righteous in this? Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles? Have you ever been forced yourself?

The issue is all about inheritance. Sarah does not want Ishmael to share in the inheritance of the family wealth. Ishmael was the first born in the family and Sarah wanted to ensure that there would be no one to challenge Isaac’s position of honor in the family. God endorses Sarah’s demand of sending the slave woman and her son away. Sarah was asking Abraham to send away a son whom he loved deeply. But he was not the promised son for it was Isaac. When Abraham sent them away, the provisions that he gave to them was very negligible – bread, and a bottle of water (for a desert climate). Probably Abraham knew that God would provide for them. Moreover this entire story is creating a picture which Paul shows forth in the book of Galatians. Ishmael is a picture of the flesh and by sending them away with little provisions, God is teaching us not to make provision for the flesh. So in this story there are many lessons to be learnt. Obviously all these issues wouldn’t have happened if she had not suggested Abraham to marry Hagar.

Neither have I forced my spouse nor has he ever forced to act against our principles.   

[Godswriter]

Q2. (21:8-10) What motivates Sarah to demand Ishmael's expulsion from Abraham's family encampment? Is she righteous in this? Have you ever tried to force your spouse to act against his or her principles? Have you ever been forced yourself?

Her motives are jealousy and the desire for her son to have total inheritance of Abraham's fortune. I believe she was since God even agreed with her in her decision. He alone told Abraham how Ishmael would be. No to both. 

[Irmela]

Sarah is motivated by Ishmael's behaviour to have him and his mother 'banished'.  This could have been underlying fear of what he could do or would be able to do when Abraham was not around. Was Isaac really safe with Ishmael around? I guess these were thoughts that plagued Sarah and she preferred to have the problem removed rather than be sorry about an incident later. 

God promised Abraham that Ishmael too, would become a nation. (Short term, that means, that Ishmael would be taken care of). 

The  question of Sarah being  righteous in her actions is not easy to answer. She felt her actions were right in protecting Isaac and God 'comforted' Abraham, by the promise that He would take care of him, as it were. 

No, I did not try and force anyone to act against his/her principles. 

Yes, I have and I guess one could say it was a horrible experience, akin to rape as that too is being forced to act against your principles. 

 

[Krissi]

 

Sarah rightly was looking at the situation of the two boys, the elder so much larger and stronger than the younger, and worrying that a Cain-and-Abel circumstances would arise: “Let us go out into the field…”

What started as mere mocking, then, would have escalated, in her eyes. After decades of Hagar’s insubordination -- which Ismael absorbed in his own attitude toward Sarah and Abraham -- I rather doubt that this could have been resolved with words, amicably.

Sarah couldn’t watch him all the time. She also couldn’t protect him – she was very, very old and feeble. Frankly, given the situation, I think it makes sense to banish Ishmael and his mother. Abraham concurred because it made sense. He, too, wanted the Isaac protected. Thus,  I don’t see either of their actions as sinful.

He set them free. He was not, knowingly, sending them to their deaths.