SEND OFF

“Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child; then he sent her away. After leaving, she wandered in the desert around Be’er-Sheva.”
Genesis 21:14

Finally Yitz’chak, the son of promise, had been born. Along with his birth, however, came the mockery. During a great banquet to celebrate Yitz’chak’s growth and weaning, Sarah caught a glimpse of Hagar and Yishma’el making fun of her son. This behavior angered Sarah and caused her to take her concerns to her husband. Distressed, Avraham took the concerns before Adonai and received the instruction to not take this lightly, but rather to send Hagar and her son on their way.
I sometimes wonder how Avraham felt in that moment. In reality, Yishma’el was his son. For fourteen years prior to Yitz’chak being born, Avraham must have taken pride in Yishma’el, spoiling him and such. But now he was being asked to send him off. Early in the morning he awoke, gave bread and water to Hagar, and said his goodbyes. Watching them travel till they were no longer in sight, what was Avraham thinking?
We have a better understanding of what Hagar was thinking. Traveling through the desert she came to a point where she could take no more. Placing her son under a bush, she walked a little further so that she could cry out to Adonai. He heard her pray in regards to her son and comforted her, giving her promise concerning his future as well. Yet even though she was all alone in the desert, she was not alone at all. She was still within Adonai’s hands, still within His reach, and still within His love.
The point I want to make today is that we are never outside of Adonai’s reach. We are never too far gone, too far displaced, or too deep in the desert that Adonai cannot speak to us and comfort us. It was after her crying out that it is recorded that Adonai opened her eyes to allow her to see a well of water. In some ways this seems like the capping of a promise made to Hagar concerning her son. And as such, perhaps in some ways it is a capping of what Adonai has told us. Perhaps we too are in the desert and find ourselves crying out only to hear His voice of comfort speak to us of our future, opening our eyes. If so, then take in the view, approach the well, and fill your skins with the water as you drink deep.

Genesis 21:5-21