The Lessons We Learn.

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Art 101

19 November 2018

Research Essay: The lessons we learn

In Genesis, the story of Abraham relates the row between his wives in which it is mentioned that Abraham has to cast out Hagar (slave of his wife Sarah) into the wilderness of Beersheba. Abraham is one of the greatest prophets of God and was well known for his depth of faith and obedience to God’s command. He is famous for obeying God’s command in all the circumstances without questioning the reason behind, be it sacrificing his son in the name of God or leaving his son Ismael and his mother in barren land. If we compare the motivation of Abraham for such actions, we find by reading the Bible that there were no other motives and incentives other than obeying God Almighty. Though His wife Sarah had severe differences with Hager because of her son Ishmael, the only motivation for Abraham to leave Hagar and her son in barren land was the promise that god made to him that he will also be made into a great nation. Afterwards, he went on to fulfil the command of god when he was ordered to sacrifice his son and his son, in the last instance was replaced by a ram.

His actions were justifiable under the social circumstances of the time as the communities were not very closely knit and faith played a very important part in people’s lives. The leaving of the wife and the son in an unhabitable land, no matter, how appalling it may sound, has to be taken and understood from the standpoint of faith. Faith has always played a very important part in the life of ancient people. We need to understand that these times were even older than the time of the Egyptian pharaohs and that people did believe in the existence of the unseen world. Even in this day and age, millions around the world dedicate their lives to religion and find solace in the commandments of God.

In this day and age, telling someone that you believe in God can be the emotional equivalent of sending your son and wife into an unhabitable land with no water or food as the type of questions that come up when you make such a proclamation are generally, full of nonsense and derogatory remarks. The hate that has been generated from this world devoid of god can only be replaced with God’s eternal love. People willing to lead a hedonistic lifestyle will one day come to the realization that only god can fulfil their thirst of love. The concept of “You can do what you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone” has transformed human beings into individuals who would do anything to fulfil their own desire. This attitude has resulted in the increase in mental health issues over time which is one of the largest epidemics that the western world is facing right now. The ease of access that people have to the sense of joy has made enjoyment nothing more than a commodity.

Nowadays, finding a place that is as unhabitable as Beersheba is almost impossible. Secondly, the world has become a global village and almost everyone owns a mobile phone which is why leaving someone in the middle of a desert will also be not as big of a challenge as it was back then. With that said, only hypothetical situations will demand that nowadays, for example if your son is kidnapped by a gang and the only way to save him is by killing some innocents. A faithful man, in that scenario will choose to sacrifice his own son for the greater good of the people.