A story in Genesis jumped out at me the other day.  As it is the beginning of the year, I’m starting over with reading the Bible, and Genesis is the first book.

Hagar, who is first mentioned in chapter 16, is an Egyptian slave to Sarai (Abraham’s wife).  Sarai was childless, and because the Lord had prevented her from having children, she convinces her husband to sleep with her slave, Hagar.  In the custom of the day in the near east, a child born to her slave would be her heir.

So, Sarai gives Hagar to Abraham as his wife, and she becomes pregnant with Ishmael.  In the story, Hagar now considers herself superior to Sarai because she is able to conceive, and begins to treat her contemptuously.  Sarai, in turn, deals harshly with her, and Hagar runs away into the wilderness.

The story does not end there.  For ‘the angel of the Lord’ seeks Hagar in the wilderness and speaks to her.

Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction.  He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.  Genesis 16:11,12

The angel’s words, which are typically interpreted as the words of God, can be seen in two ways.  First, that God looked after, or cared for, Hagar.  He listened to her affliction, and gave her a son.  Hagar recognizes this:

So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”  Genesis 16:13

The other point the angel makes is that this son would be hostile to everyone – a wild donkey of a man – implying that he would have the ‘exemplary qualities’ of being stubborn, uncontrollable, and obstinate, perhaps even violent.

It is at this point in the Bible when it becomes clear that God introduces some unsavory characters into the world – as part of His plan and by His direct design.  In giving Ishmael to Hagar, God started a bloodline that would become a race of people.

The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot  be numbered for multitude.” Genesis 16:10

Hagar’s son – the wild, uncontrollable, hostile one – would be multiplied hundreds of times over.

If I had any input into the creation of Ishmael I might have chosen a less dramatic character, someone who was more benign and definitely not violent.

But (without consulting me!) God set up a dynamic in giving Hagar this particular child, Ishmael, with these particular characteristics.  He purposely (it would seem) created an adversarial dynamic, like throwing fire and water together – a dynamic that anyone can see would result in future conflict.  I’m not completely sure why he brought Ishmael into the world, why the Ishmaelites came to be, or why he made Ishmael’s personality so abrasive.   Was this about God keeping His original promise to Abraham?  I’m sure God knew that Isaac, the son of the promise, would be born.  Yet, He not only allowed, but sanctioned the birth of Ishmael. Is it all because God cared about the distress of an Egyptian slave?

For whatever reason, God made the choice to create Ishmael, to insert him into the world, a man who would clash with everybody and rule with a sword over his kinsmen.  It is in the Bible, it’s in God’s script.

I am going to leave this thought here rather than find an application – that’s up to you.  I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts!