Genesis 21:8-21:21

     The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son¹; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac."
     The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son². But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring."³
     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.⁴ And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes.⁵ Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Do not let me look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
     And God heard the voice of the boy⁶; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.⁷ Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him." Then God opened her eyes⁸ and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
     God was with the boy⁹, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

^[1] This is considered to be the "Eloist" account of the casting out of Hagar, with the account in chapter 16 being the "Yahwist" account. Once again, Sarah appears to be acting mean-spiritedly against Hagar.
^[2] Abraham loves Ishmael.
^[3] God continues to care for Hagar and Ishmael while maintaining marital harmony between Sarah and Abraham. But should there be more? Shouldn't Sarah learn that what she is telling Abraham to do isn't right?
^[4] Once again, Abraham obeys.
^[5] Sounds heartless, but the options were...?
^[6] God hears the voice of the boy, even though Hagar was weeping too and she is the he addresses. God hears the cry of the weakest and most vulnerable.
^[7] God comforts Hagar.
^[8] God saves Hagar and Ishmael.
^[9] How powerful - not the promised son, but God stays with him.


Take-home:  Once again the multiple-wife model is indirectly critiqued as Sarah shows animosity towards Hagar and her son.  Abraham has compassion, but trusts God.  God hears the cry of the weak and saves Ishmael and Hagar, staying with Ishmael, the son of the slave woman, through his life.