Issac and Ishmael's backstory:

Ishmael means “God will hear” or “God has heard”

Ishmael is described in four ways:
- Wild donkey of a man
- Hostility toward “everyone”
- It’s reciprocated, “everyone’s hand will be against him”
- Hostility toward all his brothers

The above is a picture of indiscriminate unrestrained conflict.

Isaac means he will laugh or he will rejoice. It’s an appropriate name for the joy a newborn brings parents.

Unresolved issues can culminate into larger incidents:

Sin wrecks familial relationships and it’s painful for all involved.

Observational learning can be good or bad so it’s important that parents model their ideals and limit the exposure to negative influences.

Sarah’s reaction is swift and stern, seems to be in response to concerning and harmful behaviour. “Get rid” is the same sentiment used for the expulsion of Adam (3:24) and Cain (4:14)

Abraham would have taught Isaac and Ishmael to pursue God and both do.

Isaac and Ishmael are archetypes of religious persons (a very typical person or thing).

Isaac is very passive (The binding of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19)

Ishmael is religiously fervent…but unrestrained. He’s a warrior (Genesis 16:12, 21:20)

Religious fervour combined with a lack of control is very dangerous – it can be a breeding ground for extremism and radicalization.

We’re called to live in way that already reflect God’s Kingdom values; namely love, justice, mercy and humility with God. (Micah 6:6-8)

Death has the potential to either relieve or exacerbate tensions in families.

Jesus on Family:

“Doing the will of God” is how you know you belong to the family of God.

Jesus honours the natural family:
- He affirms marriage as between one man and woman (Mark 10:1-9),
- He submits to his parents as a youth (Luke 2:41-52),
- He speaks of honouring your parents (Mark 10:19)
- He provides for His mother in His last moments (John 19:26-27)

Jesus prioritizes spiritual family and widens the circle (Luke 11:27-28, Mark 3:32-35)

Minimizing Sibling Rivalry
- Love your family deeply but don’t idolize it
- Teach your children to become enamoured with God and his widening family…the global family from all the nations is more captivating than our immediate family.
- Don’t pretend your children are all the same or equal in every way.
- Your children want to know they are loved for who they are.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
1. In what ways do the conflicts between Sarah, Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael mirror family conflicts today? Can you relate to some of these dynamics in your family? Explain.

2. Read Genesis 21:1-20. What do you think was the nature of Ishmael’s “mocking” of Isaac? Why do you think it upset Sarah so much?

3. How do you think Abraham felt during this situation, having to send away his son Ishmael? Why do you think God told Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar and Ishmael away even though it was so distressing to Abraham?

4. Read Genesis 25:1-18. What do you think it was like for Isaac and Ishmael to bury their father? What do you think they said to each other? Have you ever tried to reconcile with family after the death of a loved one? What was that like?

5.What do you think of the Idea of Isaac and Ishmael as archetypes of religious people? Neither are perfect nor evil, but how do they cause us to look at ourselves?