Genesis 43: Ge. 21:1-14 - Hagar and Ishmael are exiled - now what?

This lesson is a prime example of the difficulty with taking the commentary from the rabbis on the Torah as the truth.  In this study the rabbis comment on these verses ...

The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. (Gen 21:8-11)

The rabbis conclude from these verses that Ishmael, he is now 14 years old, was doing evil to his baby brother.  The rabbis say that Sarah and Abraham saw this and knew that Ishmael had turned into a evil young man.  These conclusions are so far from the historical context and the ancient culture of that time.  It is clear the rabbis, whose commentary we read from the Middle Ages, are making up their own ideas and Christians get the impression they have to be right since it is the rabbis.  WRONG!  

We will go back to Abraham's time and we will consider the culture of that day.  We will focus on the laws of those days like the Code of Lipit-Ishtar.  This law code (see the picture below of the code from Wikimedia)

was in force in ancient Babylon of the area of the Chaldees.  This is where Abraham came from.  This is the law he is familiar with.  When we study this law and what it says about the first born of a concubine (like Hagar) and the first born of the real wife (Sarah), we see some amazing facts.  The laws of Lipit-Ishtar show that Ishmael, even though he was not the son from Abraham and Sarah, nevertheless was the real first born.  This means that Ishmael was the direct heir of Abraham as per the laws from the Chaldees where Abraham came from.  On top of that the English translation that says Ishmael was "mocking" his baby brother has another alternative meaning.  The Hebrew can also mean to play or have fun with in a good way.  It seems that Ishmael may have been playing nicely with his baby brother, Isaac, and Sarah saw that Ishmael was cementing his place in the family.  She just couldn't have this.  Isaac was her son.  She was the wife and not Hagar, the pagan Egyptian.  Hagar and Ishmael had to go.  Sarah could not have Ishmael be the heir - Isaac was the heir as the Lord promised.  But how?  This is where the laws come in.  John Currid in his Torah commentary "A Study Commentary: Genesis Vol.1" helps us with understanding the law and how it probably was applied to this situation.  See the picture below from his commentary.

When one studies this it gives a whole new idea behind these events.  Abraham, the one man chosen by God to be the one whom all nations would be blessed, probably set Hagar and Ishmael free so that Isaac would have the legal right of the first born as per the law so Isaac would be the heir.  This makes so much more sense and provides a more realistic understanding in light of the culture in the 19th and 20th centuries B.C.

But there is something else.  For Christians one verse that is probably a favorite verse is ...

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (Joh 3:16)

Jesus said this when there was NO New Testament. Jesus was only teaching the Bible, His Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures or what Christians call the Old Testament.  John 3:16 is nothing new, it was not some new teaching but what is in the Hebrew Bible.  Consider some verses.

The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked. (Psa 146:9)

The Hebrew of the highlighted phrase is that יהוה‎ Yahvay (when you see the word LORD all in caps it is translating יהוה‎ Yahvay) the LORD is the SHAMAR of the GOYEEM. 

יהוה שׁמר את גרים 

                 GOYEEM  ET  SHAMAR  YAHVAY

This means He is the Keeper of even Gentiles - with no qualifications.  The LORD is the Keeper of all people, the Hebrews and all non-Hebrews, the GOYEEM, the Gentiles, whether pagan or not.  Keeper is the Hebrew word SHAMAR שׁמר which means the LORD acting as a guard, a protector, like a good a father or a good a shepherd.  

Then we read these verses ...

"You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD." (Lev 19:18)

"The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God." (Lev 19:34)

So we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.  And, the next verse we are to love the stranger (Hebrew word is GOYEEM or any Gentile, pagan or not) as ourselves.  But combining the statements this means all non-Hebrews, pagan or not, are our brothers since we are to love the GOYEEM as ourselves; we are love them just as we love our brothers!!  This is John 3:16. 

God loves Hagar.  God loved Ishmael.  He was their SHAMAR שׁמר - their keeper, their guard.  On top of that God loved all those HE sent to their death in the Great Flood.  He was not angry with the human race; HE was sad.  You can read it for yourself.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 
(Gen 6:5-6)

When Jesus taught us John 3:16 HE was only teach Torah!  HE was only telling us from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, what God is really like.  

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

Ferret teaching in an ancient theater in Turkey

What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0