God preserved his life.
I'm not sure you understand the big picture. If Ishmael was the line through which God was going to accomplish His purposes, the history recorded in the Bible would reflect this. Instead, he is juxtaposed with Isaac deliberately by God to reveal the difference between the line of promise and what is characteristic of the 2 lines of humanity...spiritual verses natural.
A good example of this was just mentioned by @ZNP. Ishmael was born of a bondwoman. He is not an heir.
I'm not sure you understand the big picture. If Ishmael was the line through which God was going to accomplish His purposes, the history recorded in the Bible would reflect this. Instead, he is juxtaposed with Isaac deliberately by God to reveal the difference between the line of promise and what is characteristic of the 2 lines of humanity...spiritual verses natural.
A good example of this was just mentioned by @ZNP. Ishmael was born of a bondwoman. He is not an heir.
You done this often because your to kind. People send you friendly gestures and then you decide to take favour with other points of view they have.
Sarah wanted Hagar to have a child to Abraham. How can you call her a bond woman.
Hagar was a slave.
What has she done wrong other than follow her master orders.
This is why i called you a twit.
God heard Hagar cries for help of how Sarah was becoming jealous of her.
You may not see that but I do.
.maybe you will but I don't expect you to agree.
What's annoying me most here is your bringing other people opinions into this who have insinuated lots of things and I'm a bit annoyed because I was having the impression we where friends.
Then on top of this you disagree with something that really you should of not disagreed with. God was a father to Ishmeal.
But you've done this because you've fallen for the victim card from other members here, who have won you over in a very sly way.
God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.