God’s promise to Abraham is one of the central moments in the Book of Genesis. It provides an overview of what was before and what will come after. Abraham, however, is not the only person to whom God made an address. Hagar, upon leaving home after giving birth to Abraham’s son, Ishmael, receives God’s order to return and a promise that she “will have many descendants through her son” (The Bible, Gen. 21.9). God makes a similar promise to Abraham, telling that he will become “the father to great people” if he follows God’s orders (Gen. 17.11). This line creates a narrative linkage between the stories of Abraham and Hagar. The connection suggests that both individuals receive the same challenges along with promised benefits. For instance, Ishmael’s struggle when his mother took him to the wilderness is comparable to the story of Isaac when God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his second son (Gen. 22.5).
Work Cited
Ridling, Zaine, editor. The Bible. New Revised Standard Version. Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, 1989.