Who was Ishmael in the Bible?

Son of Abraham and Hagar the bondmaid of Sarah. Before he was born, when Hagar ran away because of the severity of her mistress, the angel of the Lord appeared to her, and told her to return to her mistress: her seed should be numberless, and she was to call her son's name Ishmael, which signifies 'El shall hear.' He would be a wild man, his hand would be against every man, and every man's hand against him. Abraham prayed that Ishmael might live before God, but typically he represents the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, hence though God answered that He would bless Ishmael, and multiply him exceedingly, he should also beget twelve princes, and God would make him a great nation; yet the covenant should be established with Isaac. When Ishmael was thirteen years old Abraham circumcised him, and all the men of his house. In this act Abraham acknowledged in faith that the blessing asked for his natural seed could not be had through the strength of the flesh: all the mercies of God are secured in resurrection.

At the 'great feast' when Isaac, the child born after the Spirit, was weaned, Ishmael mocked, and Sarah besought Abraham to cast out both mother and son. This was grievous to Abraham, but God, having approved the suggestion, he rose early in the morning, and providing them with some bread and a bottle of water he sent them away. The water was soon consumed, and Hagar in despair placed Ishmael under a shrub, and departed so as not to see him die. The angel of God called to her, showed her a well, and the child was saved. God was with the lad, for he was the seed of Abraham; he dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer. At first he was located in the wilderness of Beer-sheba and afterwards at Paran, a region between Canaan and mount Sinai. His mother chose a woman of Egypt for his wife. His twelve sons are recorded, and their 'towns ' and 'castles,' or encampments, according to their nations, are spoken of. Ishmael was present at the burial of his father and lived 137 years. Gen. 16:11-16; Gen. 17:18-26; Gen. 25:9-17; Gen. 28:9; Gen. 36:3; 1 Chr. 1:28-31.

The Bedouin Arabs are doubtless the descendants of Ishmael. They are wild men in the sense of their love of freedom, dwelling in tents, and riding over the desert, spear in hand. They truly are 'against every man,' robbing every one when they can do so with safety to themselves. The Bedouins will not admit their descent from Ishmael; they refer his descendants to the Most (or mixed) Arabians, because Ishmael's mother was an Egyptian. The Bedouins claim to have descended from Joktan, son of Eber. Gen. 10:25.

Ishmael was for about fourteen years the only son of Abraham. His mother’s name was Hagar, a bond-woman. His father, Abraham, had been blessed by God with “great riches. He was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” He had also a very great household, for, on one occasion, we read of his marching to rescue his nephew Lot, with no less than three hundred and eighteen of his own trained servants; all armed, and all of them being members of his own household. The inhabitants of Canaan addressed Abraham as “my lord,” and spake of him, as being “a mighty prince” among them (See Gen. 23).

And all the while that Ishmael was Abraham’s only son, he was doubtless made a good deal of, because he was the only son of so great a man. And Abraham evidently loved Ishmael very much; for, when God made a promise to Abraham that in process of time, his wife, Sarah, should bare him a son, Abraham said, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee.” The desire of Abraham’s heart was at that time contented with Ishmael, but Isaac, and not Ishmael, was the son that God had promised to Abraham.

As the result of Abraham’s marriage with Hagar, Ishmael was born, his birth stigmatized as being “after the flesh.” The law is given to man in the flesh, and the flesh resents the law. The Lord said of Ishmael, “He shall be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him” (Gen. 16:12).

Though Hagar was not to be the mother of God's promised child to Abram, yet the Lord is interested in her and concerned about her and her expected child. He tells her that she is to name the child "Ishmael," meaning "God will hear" (v.11). However, the character of the boy would be consistent with the fact of his being born from a union of contrary parents, the father a free man but the mother a slave. Ishmael would be figuratively "a wild donkey of a man," self-willed and rebellious (v.12). He would be contentious, his hand against all other men, and of course they would therefore be against him. This had been one of the characteristics of the Arabs from that time, and their animosity will culminate in the violent attack of the king of the north against Israel in the tribulation period (Dan.11:40). But it will be God's sovereign way of teaching Israel a lesson they sorely need (Isa.10:5-6). Consider also verse 12 of the same chapter. Abram learned by experience, and all this history teaches us that a wrong union leads to trouble and sorrow.

Abraham's thoughts revert to his son born after the flesh and pleads with God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee” (v. 18). This is the same lingering hope that engages the thoughts of many people, that the flesh might be brought to please God. But scripture declares the opposite, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8).

God answers Abraham's suggestion by a decisive “No,” and affirms “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac” (v. 19). With this one son God would establish His covenant, and with his descendants. This refers particularly to the nation Israel, the sons of Jacob, though Esau was also a descendant of Abraham through Isaac, and other nations may claim descent from Abraham also (Gen. 25:1-6), for we are told that Abraham would be a father of many nations (v. 5).

As for Ishmael, God heard Abraham's plea, and would bless him and make him fruitful, multiplying him greatly. He would beget twelve princes and become in measure prominent, a great nation. It is no doubt today not easy to distinguish true Ishmaelites from other Arab peoples, but their character is evidently established as being nomadic. They spread over some area to the south of Israel, specifically “the wilderness of Paran” (Gen. 21:21). Being the son of a bondwoman, Ishmael typifies those under the bondage of law (Gal. 4:22-25), wild and rebellious. Living in the desert, he reminds us that the law is not a fruitful principle of living, but barren, producing no fruit for God. Yet he has many descendants, and this is true spiritually today also. Many prefer the bondage of law to the liberty of the pure grace of God.

Abraham's heart yearned over Ishmael. His cry was, "Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!" And not only so, but Ishmael was circumcised, and thus outwardly was the mark of the Covenant put upon him (Gen. 17:18, 25). All was, however, unavailing. It had been said of Ishmael, "He will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him." A wild, intractable and quarrelsome fellow he remained — fit type of the flesh, for as James says, "From whence come wars and lightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" (James 4:1). Ishmael's term of probation ended, however, when he proved himself to be not only wild, but a despiser and a mocker in regard to the promised seed, Isaac, who was a type of Christ. Then came that word which is so illuminatingly commented on in the New Testament, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac" (Gen. 21:10; Gal. 4:21-31).

But he that had obtained such favour was moved for the child of the bondwoman and said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before thee!" If Sarai was to be thenceforward Sarah, to become nations, and kings to be of her, though he and she were no better than dead, why should not Ishmael share the covenant? But nay: the child of promise and of the free-woman is the one with whom God establishes His covenant, though Ishmael for Abraham's sake goes not without His blessing, begets twelve princes, and becomes a great nation. And the selfsame day Abraham is circumcised, Ishmael and every male born in his house or bought with his money (vers. 25-27). Thus fall the reasonings of a saint, and God's will alone stands, even in blessing outside the covenant of promise. Even there no flesh shall glory in His presence. In no case is it improved but passes under sentence of death.

Genesis contains in germ every elementary principle afterward developed in God's ways with man. It has fitly been called "The seed plot of the whole Bible." We are not surprised, therefore, to find in Galatians 4. that Sarah and Hagar are taken as representing the two great principles of law and grace. It is important to understand that the law applies to man in the flesh, and produces a condition of bondage. Ishmael is a type of the natural man, "born after the flesh," who for a time dwelt in the house of Abraham, until Isaac, the true heir, was born. Ishmael speaks of our condition by nature, when the flesh has undisputed possession, and we live to gratify self; while Isaac typifies that which is born of God — the new man: as the apostle wrote: "That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; afterward that which is spiritual" (1. Cor. 15.). It was not an improved Ishmael, that was to become the depository of God's promises, but Isaac, the new man, child of Sarah and child of faith (Gen. 17:15-17). But, the birth of Isaac brought conflict, it soon manifested the character of the bondwoman's son. New birth is not a change of the old nature, and does not in the least alter the character of the flesh. The flesh "is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). The cultured natural man remains man still. Ishmael might become "a great nation," the father of twelve princes, but he was the son of the bondwoman still. Ishmael and Isaac in Abraham's house were a striking illustration of the two natures in the believer. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other" (Gal 5:17). There was a struggle in the house of Abraham as to who was to have first place. He that was born of the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit (Gal. 4:29); even so it is now, there is a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit in the children of God, until "He that is born after the flesh" is cast out — disowned as heir. Of Ishmael, God had said: "He shall be a wild man." Could fitter words be used to describe what the flesh is? So we must learn — as the apostle said: "I know that in me — that is in my flesh — good does not dwell" (Rom. 7:18, N.T.). Therefore, to walk according to the mind of God, the flesh (the Ishmael in us) must be disowned. "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh and the affections and lusts" (Gal. 5:24). Shrined with the blessed truth of what God has made us "in Christ" we are enabled to "put off the old man with his lusts and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:22-24). Isaac's place in the house of Abraham as the heir, was manifested on the day he was weaned. It was a day of rejoicing for all in the house. Henceforth Isaac was supreme, and Ishmael was cast out (Gen. 21:8-12). All this is full of salutary instruction for the people of God. The flesh cannot be allowed to hold sway in our lives, and our Lord Jesus Christ has His rightful place, and while such a state may exist there can be no fruit for God. What a day of gladness dawns, when the soul is able to say: "For me to live is Christ," and the flesh with its lusts is disowned. Worldly associations and desires (everything that savours of "Ishmael") lose their hold then, and the soul seeks "those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). May we be true to all this, not striving to see how much "Ishmael" can be tolerated in the presence of Isaac but absolutely refusing the flesh a place. Alas! how often we apologize for the bad conduct of our "Ishmael," instead of casting him out! While dallying with the flesh, what blessing we alas forfeit! The day of feasting and gladness in the house of Abraham only came when Isaac was weaned; not until Christ has His rightful place in our hearts and lives, can we know full liberty and blessing. It is one thing to be "sealed by the Spirit" (Rom. 5.) and quite another to be in the liberty of the Spirit, as developed in Romans 8.

THE FAMILIES OF ISHMAEL (vv. 12-18)

Ishmael's genealogy is given in verses 12-16. As we have seen in verses 1-4, God does not forget the Gentile nations because of His interest in the church (Rebekah); now Ishmael's genealogy tells us God does not forget Israel either, for Ishmael typifies Israel under law (Gal. 4:22-25). That nation is yet to receive blessing from God in His own time. Verse 16 mentions 12 princes, a reminder of Israel's 12 tribes. Ishmael then died at the age of 137 years (v. 17). His brother Isaac outlived him by 33 years (Gen. 35:28). Ishmael both lived and died in the presence of his brethren (v. 18). Such is the legal principle. Legality lives as before the eyes of others: faith lives as in the presence of God.

"And these [are] Ishmael's generations, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's bondwoman, bore to Abraham. And these [are] the names of Ishmael's sons by their names according to their generations: Ishmael's firstborn, Nebaioth, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam and Mishma and Dumah and Massa, Hadar and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These [are] Ishmael's sons, and these their names in their villages and in their encampments, twelve princes according to their peoples. And these [are] the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he expired and died, and was gathered to his people. And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur which [is] before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria. He settled (or, died, lit. fell) before all his brethren" (vv. 12-18), or, it may be, "to the east of all his brethren."

Flesh has its privileges speedily. Already was the beginning of what Jehovah's angel prepared Hagar to expect, "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude." Jehovah hearkened to her affliction, and could not forget Abraham. Ishmael was to be a wild-ass man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him and he should dwell before or in face of all his brethren (Gen. 16:10-12). This too, as we may easily find out, has been precisely fulfilled from the beginning till now. But yet more minutely as a proximate fact, the pledge of all to follow, in Genesis 17 had God said, "For Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will very greatly multiply him. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation" (v. 20). So it was now. They are enumerated in their order, as later (Gen. 28:9) we read of Ishmael's daughter Mahalath, Nebaioth's sister, whom Esau took to wife, besides those of Canaan.

Scripture clearly shows us the government of God providentially, and outside His covenant, in the same books which reveal the dealings of His electing grace. Nor is it the Jews only who are prone to overlook it. Unbelief rises up against God in this as in all else. Yet His Word abides worthy of all trust to whatever it applies. No more graphic a sketch was ever drawn than is given of Ishmael's posterity in the words cited. "Who hath sent out the wild-ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the onager? whose house I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place. He scorneth the tumult of the city, neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth for every green thing" (Job 39:5-8). Such exactly are the Bedouins. No sober Christian supposes a perpetual miracle as to Ishmael, but that what God said of that race is as sure as what He said of Israel, no less than of Babylon, Medo-Persia, the Greek power, or the Roman.