The Justice of Divine Choice
Genesis 21:12–14 (NASB95)
12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. 13“And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” 14So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.
God told Abraham to listen to Sarah and send Hagar and Ishmael away. This moment brings the theme of election back to the forefront, a thread that has run through Genesis since the days of Cain and Abel.
Abraham had his own ideas about who would carry on his mission. He thought Lot might be the one, but God did not choose Lot (and Genesis explains to us why). He considered Eliezer as his heir, but God did not choose Eliezer. Even Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn, was not chosen to carry the covenant. God’s words are clear: “Through Isaac your descendants shall be named.” Isaac is the one God selects to continue the covenant and to be the ancestor of the nation that will bring forth the Messiah.
This choice is not about personal worth or personal salvation. God’s decision does not mean that Lot, Eliezer, or Ishmael are excluded from His love or from their salvation. The Genesis text makes it clear that God continues to care for Ishmael, promising to make him a great nation. The election here concerns God’s specific purpose: to create a people, Israel, through whom Jesus will come to save the world. This distinction will become even more important when we study the story of Jacob and Esau, as the OT makes clear that God richly blesses Esau even though Esau was not chosen to carry on the next generation of the covenant.
God’s plan unfolds through Isaac, not because of human expectation or effort, but because of God’s sovereign will.
Abraham obeys, even though it is painful. He sends Hagar and Ishmael away, trusting God’s promise to care for them. God’s faithfulness to Ishmael shows that His blessings are not limited to the chosen line. He provides for all of Abraham’s descendants, even those not chosen for the covenant. Today, those blessings extend to you because of your faith!
A quick word on Sarah and her ‘plan.’ The Genesis text makes it clear that Sarah’s plan was neither just nor fair to Ishmael. What Sarah did, she did for the wrong reasons, even if it aligned with God’s plan. God's instruction to Abraham to do as Sarah says should not be interpreted as God's endorsement of injustice, as evidenced by the promises He makes to Ishmael.
The Isaac/Ishmael narrative should remind us today that God’s election is about more than personal salvation, a common ‘misunderstanding’ in our modern age. God’s election of you is about His purpose for you on this earth. Salvation is half of that plan; your purpose in life is the other half. God assigns different roles in His plan, but His grace and salvation remain open to all. We are called to trust His wisdom, accept our place in His story, and extend grace to others. God’s faithfulness to both Isaac and Ishmael encourages us to honor His choices and care for all people, knowing that His plan is for all who will believe in the world.