In Genesis 21 the birth of Issac is mentioned, which his name means laughter in Hebrew. The main interpretation of who is doing the laughter is Sarah in verse 6. This is because she was 90 years old at the time when Issac was born, and Abraham was 100. The birth of Issac in itself is a miracle unto Sarah according to Hebrews 11:11 in the King James Version of the bible. In the N.I.V. bible (New International Version) (which I call the Non-Inspired Version), states that the miracle was unto Abraham in a footnote of the same verse. It's interesting that they attribute the miracle to Abraham when its common for men to have children latter in life than women. Also the miracle cannot be attributed to Abraham because he had 6 other children with his next wife Keturah after the death of Sarah.
Notice Ishmael with the bow on the left, and Keturah on the right with her 6 children.
The next major event is in Verse 9 is when the bible simply says that Ishmael was "mocking" and was sent away. This "mocking" according to Jasher 21:14, was that Ishmael was drawing the bow on Issac to kill him. Most bible scholars agree that Ishmael was around 15 years old then and Issac was about 4 years old. The motive for Ishmael to do this was because Abraham's wealth. Issac was to receive the inheritance where Ishmael was not according to Verse 10.
The descendants of Ishmael at this point become vague, in Genesis 25 it mentions he had 12 sons and their heredity today is difficult to follow. The Arabs, (which means black, or mixed) claim to be descended from Ishmael and Abraham, in which they very well may be. Today they are dark skinned people and we know that Abraham was fair skinned according to the bible. This is because the Muslims imported slaves into the region of Arabia and the Middle East during the 6th to 8th Century A.D. from Africa, then they eventually became racially mixed as a result.
Not all Arabs today are dark and some are actually fair. The most famous example I can use is the Iraqi Kurds that came under great discrimination, persecution, and were eventually gassed by Saddam Hussein's government. One reason there has been very little race mixing by the Kurds is because they live in the mountainous regions of Iraq, whereas the lower lands and cities are where the darker Sunni and Shiite Iraqi citizens live.
Iraqi Kurdish children play with a puppy.
Anyway, at the end of Genesis 21 Abraham and his Captain of the Host (because Abraham had a Captain of the Host further demonstrates his wealth) who's men had taken a well by force make a covenant with Abraham which shows the faithfulness and levelheadedness of Abraham in trying times.
I thank the lord for his living word, as he is the King of Kings!
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