Hi Chris,
<<The bible says that Hagar was Sarai's Egyptian handmaid and not Abraham's wife. In other words she was an Egyptian bondwoman. As to Abraham leaving Ishmael and Hagar you must read again. In Genesis it says that he sent them away from him because the blessings were meant for Isaac. As to Hagar searching between two mountains 7 times for water is pure myth. It would take days of hard labor to do that task and without water no one would have survived. Besides the bible says she wandered in the wilderness until the water was expended and then she placed Ishmael under a shrub a bowshot away so she wouldn't see him die.>>
Yes the Bible does say this. I know that you are not interested in comparing what Islam states about it at this time.
So, let's consider reasoning together:
1) We know that on this text the Bible can't be directly traced back to its original author. So there may be some latitude for discussion.
2) Hagar's father was the King of Egypt at the time.
3) Egypt was already a great Empire, covering a much larger region than today, including the Arabian peninsula.
4) Abraham and Hagar's father were extremely happy to find each other because of their agreement on worshiping the one true God.
5) It was not forbidden to have more than one wife at the time, in fact it was common.
6) Perhaps the most powerful ruler in the world at the time is giving his favorite daughter to abject servitude??? That always bothered me even before I knew about Islam.
7) The representative chosen by God to stand as the patriarch of his religion for the duration of Earth until judgement day is going to kick things off with adultery?? Again that has always seemed odd to me. God forgive us all for suggesting it.
8) It had to be thus, so that God could teach us a lesson about believing when he wills something it is going to happen? Like, Abraham's son will be the recipient of God's covenant. Islam and Christianity agree that both Ismael and Isaac received Gods covenant.
9) Ismael and Isaac needed to be split up, with one receiving Gods favour and the other becoming a desert nomad? No. Ismael became the King of Kings of nations as promised. No evidence of any strife between the two sons of Abraham.
10) Is it at all possible that since the Bible has been handed down by word of mouth and translated over numerous languages, before finally ending up as the King James Version of today; that it's caretakers, scribes, and narrators (Jews and Christians) who have had many centuries of conflict with the decendants of Ismael (Arabs and other Muslim Nations) could have let the tiniest bit of bias creep in?
11) Is it possible that Hagar and Ismael are who the Muslims say they are? It doesn't really change the message of the Bible. In fact it confirms God's professies and justice. Even if you don't accept the Quran. This makes sense. We go so far in the West as to refer to ugly women as Hags or Hagardly. Doesn't that seem a little like propoganda? |
