GENESIS 25
12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel,
Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.)
18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settledover against all his kinsmen. – Genesis 25:12-18
GENESIS 25 GOD’S FULFILLMENT OF HIS PROMISE FOR ISHMAEL
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
Despite Ishmael’s not growing up in Abraham’s sight as they were banished
God continued to fulfill his promise to Hagar that he will also be blessed
Ishmael bore twelve children namely Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Ketur, Naphish and Kedemah
Ishmael also lived long years of one hundred and thirty-seven years
He lived and died amongst his people in Havilah and Shur.
There were only a few accounts in the bible on Ishmael. In Genesis 16, we hear that Hagar bore Ishmael when Abraham was 86 years old. In Genesis 17 God promised Abraham that Ishmael will be blessed and fruitful and will multiply exceedingly and become the father of twelve princes and become a great nation. In Genesis 21, Hagar, Ishmael’s mother was banished by her mistress Sarah in the wilderness but God reassured Hagar that Ishmael will also be blessed. He grew up and lived there and became an archer. Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Although Ishmael was blessed, he was not part of the covenant promise between Abraham and the Lord. It was in Isaac that God’s promise was to be fulfilled where kings will come from and the lineage of his only begotten Son would come from.
REFLECTION
- How was it that even though Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham, the covenant promise wasn’t fulfilled in him?
