And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Genesis 21:20 belongs to the history of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael born of the maidservant Hagar and Isaac born of the freewoman Sarah. Ishmael's birth through Hagar followed Abraham and Sarah's human attempt to bring about God's promise by their own plan, a scheme that led to bondage and trouble, in contrast with Isaac who was born through God's promise and represents freedom. Isaac was the miraculous child of promise, the son through whom the promised Seed would come, rather than through Ishmael.
The two sons illustrate the two covenants, testaments, or dispensations, the two systems typical and antitypical, and the two peoples the literal Israel and the true Israel, Jews and Gentiles, as representatives of the Lord and His work in two special periods of its development in the earth. The verse shows God's care for and protection of Ishmael after he left Abraham's household, so he was not without divine care, and it shows God's mercy and care for Hagar after she was sent away. His survival and growth followed God's hearing his distress and promising that he would become a great nation because he was Abraham's seed.
God was with Ishmael as he grew, dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and became an archer, and his mother took an Egyptian wife for him. He became a leader of the wild tribes that gathered to him. He joined the mixed peoples of Arabia and became an early leader among them, and by the time Abraham was buried he was prosperous and had armed retainers.
Genesis 21:20 belongs to the history of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael born of the maidservant Hagar and Isaac born of the freewoman Sarah. Ishmael's birth through Hagar followed Abraham and Sarah's human attempt to bring about God's promise by their own plan, a scheme that led to bondage and trouble, in contrast with Isaac who was born through God's promise and represents freedom. Isaac was the miraculous child of promise, the son through whom the promised Seed would come, rather than through Ishmael.
The two sons illustrate the two covenants, testaments, or dispensations, the two systems typical and antitypical, and the two peoples the literal Israel and the true Israel, Jews and Gentiles, as representatives of the Lord and His work in two special periods of its development in the earth. The verse shows God's care for and protection of Ishmael after he left Abraham's household, so he was not without divine care, and it shows God's mercy and care for Hagar after she was sent away. His survival and growth followed God's hearing his distress and promising that he would become a great nation because he was Abraham's seed.
God was with Ishmael as he grew, dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and became an archer, and his mother took an Egyptian wife for him. He became a leader of the wild tribes that gathered to him. He joined the mixed peoples of Arabia and became an early leader among them, and by the time Abraham was buried he was prosperous and had armed retainers.