Genesis 21: God Loves Everyone
At 100 and 90 years of age, respectively, Abraham and Sarah have their first son: Issac. Ishmael is about 17 years old and evidently taunts Issac who is about two or three. This forces Sarah to force Abraham to expel Hagar and Ishmael. They travel south towards Egypt and get lost without any water. Fearing their deaths they cry to God who saves them. They settle in the desert and Ishmael marries a girl from Egypt. And a large nation is born in what becomes… Arabia.
Meanwhile, back in Gerar where Abraham is living, there arises a dispute over a well. Abraham makes a treaty with Abimelech and secures official rights to his own well and calls it Bersheba. The well, nearly 4000 years old, is still there to this day.
God has his own timetable it seems. He promises Abraham and Sarah a child and then 25 years later he fulfills His promise. He promises to come back to Earth and 2000 years later we are still waiting. But He never breaks His promise – so hold on.
It is interesting that just as Ishmael persecutes Issac at a young age, so the Arabs will persecute the Jews throughout history.
I still do not understand why God would allow Ishmael to grow into a large nation who will persecute the Jews and the rest of the world. But He loves all men and has His reasons.