Blinded By Emotion #4 Series

Spirit of Ishmael

Blinded by Emotion #4

Text:

Gen 21:9-19 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

(KJV)

Intro: I want to look tonight again at this spirit of Ishmael

- This spirit of illegitimacy

We have looked at a mocking spirit

- An improper view of the father

- And a spirit of rebellion

There are two other spirits linked with this and we see the link in

Several scriptures in the word of God

Ezek 12:2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. (KJV)

Here we see the link

- Rebellion

- Blindness

- Deafness

Lets look tonight at the spirit of blindness

I. Emotion

One of the greatest causes of blindness is

- Emotion

You can be blinded by all kinds of emotions

- Anger

- Hatred

- Bitterness

- Resentment

- Love

There are a multitude of emotions that if we are not careful have the power to blind us spiritually

In our text: we have Hagar and Ishmael and they have been cast out

- Ishmael was caught mocking Isaac

- They are forced to leave

- Cast aside by his father

- Sent away

Can you see how this must have affected them?

- They have lived with Abraham for years

- Ishmael has been his son for 14-16 years

- He was once thought to be the promise child

- He was once his fathers pride

Can you feel how they must have felt?

- The anger

- The betrayal

- The hopelessness

- The since of loss

This was a devastating blow

I want you to notice

- Abraham loved this boy

- He did not wish him any harm

- He was not sending them out into the wilderness to die

In vs.14 he provides for them

Gen 21:14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. (KJV)

He gives them water

He gives them food

Abraham was a wise man and I do not believe that he did not give them enough to make it

- He knew how far the next well was

- He new what supplies they would need to get there

So what happened to them?

I believe they were blinded by their emotions

- The tears

- The anger

- The heat of the moment had blinded them and caused them to loose their way

I have dealt over the years with many people who were bound by this spirit

I have dealt with young men who were raised by a single a mom and it has always amazed me how emotional they are