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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 120

"Cease from anger, and forsake wrath… Do not fret - it only causes harm." Psalm 37:8

Text: Genesis 21:1-34

HARMONY IN THE FAMILY

For a little while, some harmony appeared to settle in the family. Sarah did not appear to be ruffled by Hagar’s presence anymore. Looking after Isaac demanded much time and energy. Sarah devoted herself to breast-feeding Isaac till he was weaned. In those days, weaning does not take place till the child was two or even three years old.

“So the child grew and was weaned.
And Abraham made a great feast on the same day
that Isaac was weaned.”

GENESIS 21:8

Abraham did his part in trying to keep peace and harmony in the family. Thus on the occasion of Isaac’s weaning, he even give “a great feast” to celebrate the occasion!


TROUBLE IN THE FAMILY – AGAIN

The harmony that seemed to prevail was soon threatened. The old anger that lay inside Sarah’s heart soon flared up.

“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,
whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.
Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman
and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir
with my son, namely with Isaac.’ And the matter was very
displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.”

GENESIS 21:9-11

1. A deep-seated resentment

If Abraham had thought that just because Sarah did not fight with Hagar, therefore the problem between them was resolved, he would have been greatly mistaken! Sarah nursed a deep-seated resentment against Hagar. It would take only the slightest provocation to cause her ire to rise up against Hagar. The problem of her anger was never fully resolved!

2. A prejudiced spirit

To Sarah, Hagar would always be nothing more than “a bondwoman”. She was her more glaring colossal mistake! Her prejudiced spirit caused her to look askance at Hagar all this while.

3. An overly protective spirit

Ishmael was by now a young lad. More than a dozen years separated the two half-brothers. The older boy was a young man. Isaac was just weaned. At that age, Ishmael probably did not know how to relate to his younger brother. He “scoffed” at Isaac. Sarah caught the drift and became greatly incensed against the presence of Hagar and Ishmael in the family. Full of anger, and an overly protective spirit, Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be thrown out of the family!