But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and about your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac, and I will also make a nation of the slave’s son because he is your offspring” (Genesis 21:12-13, CSB).

In Genesis 15 God made a covenant with a childless and aged Abraham that his offspring would be so numerous they would become a great nation and that he would possess the land of Canaan, “the promised land.”

So, Sarah gave her Egyptian slave Hagar to Abraham to take as his wife as a way to fulfill God’s promise to them. Abraham had a child by Hagar named Ishmael.

Then, fourteen years later God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son named Isaac. While both boys were Abraham’s sons, Isaac was the son of God’s promise while Ismael was the son that Sarah and Abraham contrived to fulfill God’s promise.

In this story Sarah became angry about Ishmael teasing Isaac at a weaning ceremony being held for Isaac. Weaning was the step up from being a baby to becoming a young child. Isaac could have been any age from 3 to 9. Sarah insisted that Abraham send both Hagar and Ismael away as she didn’t want Ismael to be co-heir with Isaac to Abraham’s estate.

Abraham was distressed about sending Ishmael away, but God told him to do as Sarah said because Isaac was the son of God’s promise. Besides, God told Abraham He also planned to make a great nation from Ishmael “because he is your offspring” (vs. 21:13).

Hagar and Ismael were sent away to wander in the desert. When it looked as though they were going to die of thirst in the desert, God led Hagar to a water well and reiterated His promise for Ismael: “Get up, help the boy up, and grasp his hand, for I will make him a great nation” (vs. 21:18)

Genesis 25 states that Ishmael’s descendants settled in the region stretching from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Assyria. Ishmael is traditionally considered to be the ancestor of the Ishmaelites and the Ishmaelites are generally identified with the Arab peoples. So, Ishmael would be the progenitor of the Arab nations.

Although Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Sarah’s plan and not God’s plan, God’s grace toward Abraham still encompassed Ishmael! Because Ishmael was Abraham’s son–though not the son of promise–God would still make a great nation come from him!

God’s grace toward Abraham was so lavish that it had residual effects! Although Hagar and Ishmael were removed from Abraham’s household, the “leftovers” from God’s grace toward Abraham continued to influence the fortunes of Ishmael.

While God’s grace may be focused toward achieving His plans and purposes, the scope of His grace is unrestrained: “See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!” (1 John 3:1, CSB).

God is supremely generous! So, the grace God has lavished on your life He intends to overflow into the lives of others when you show and share God’s love and grace in Christ.

In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, CSB)