QT 9/23/2025 Gen 21:14–21, Seeking the true God

Genesis 21:14–21 (ESV) —

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

 

NOTE: It is hard to "explain" the actions here. Abraham is commanded by God to give up his son. But God has other plans for Ishmael, and while there is a lot of pain and rejection, ultimately God takes care of Ishmael. Sometimes it is hard to believe, given the animosity between Israel and the Arabs, but God loves Ishmael too. God did not speak to Mohammed in a cave, and Ishmael was not the son taken up on Mount Moriah, Isaac was. But, Jesus offers salvation to the Arab as to any other Gentile. Some of the Arab nations will wake up to that truth in the end days and turn to the real God and the real savior of the world.

 

Israel is as blind as the Arabs today to their true salvation. They fight each other (Jew and Arab) but do not have to fight, they need to repent and turn to Jesus for true life.

 

One last thought, when life seems at the worst point it can be, one is never forgotten by God. He is not unaware to our cries. The problem is not that God is not there, the problem is that we have removed ourselves from God. There is hope if we would turn back to him, repent, and seek Jesus. God provides redemption for the worst of sinners.

 

In the Muslim world, God is transcendent and not affected by individual cries of pain. That is not how God reveals himself in the bible. He is knowable by men and women.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I know Jesus, really know Jesus, or am I playing religious games?
2. Am I moving closer to God each day or further away from God?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for your word and your truth. I pray for you to make it clear to many others who are fighting the wrong enemy. The evil one has deceived many young people today. They don't know what their real hope is. Redeem your people, open our eyes, allows us one last great awakening.