Abimilek returns and this time is more direct. What he couldn't do through marriage, he asks for - "Abraham, you are blessed by God, be my ally.". Abraham and Abimilek don't exactly shake hands, but conduct a contractual ceremony that appears strange today "OK, but here are some sheep from herd."
I don't remember seeing what exactly is Abimilek king of. Presumably, he must have considerably larger wealth and power than Abraham for Abraham to offer his wife to placate this man's wrath. He only did that once before and that was with the Pharaoh of Egypt. So, in that regard, Abimilek and the king of Egypt are similar.
Isaac is born and immediately the favoritism begins as Abraham has a massive banquet after his nursing. We don't hear about a similar banquet for Ishmael, but we know that Abraham loves him as a son.
Abimelek's dream in the prior chapter makes polygamy seem morally ambiguous, however, the events that follow make it clear that it is not a good idea. Sara, in a bid to protect Isaac's inheritance, sends Ishmael and Hagar away. Yet, it was her decision to bring about Ishmael's existence. So, what exactly motivated her to do this? Would she have done this if Isaac had never been born? There appears to be no affection between Abraham and Hagar, just between Abraham and Ishmael, which you would expect.
Was Hagar's presence a reminder of the shame of Abraham sending her to be part of Pharaoh's harem? For after, Hagar is Egyptian and only appears on the scene after their voyage to Egypt.
Or, perhaps protecting the inheritance of Isaac was indeed the reason. Ishmael is the firstborn son of a man, but through his second wife while Isaac is the same man's second born son, but through his first wife. Ah, polygamy.
Regardless, her feelings are intense enough that she wants Ishmael and Hagar gone. She wants them off in the desert, knowing full well what might happen to a woman and child traveling alone in the desert. The dangers of the desert actually do overwhelm them and they would have died, but for miraculous intervention.
After Abraham has lost his first kid, God tells him to go kill his second. In a world of rampant human sacrifice to appease the gods, this directive might have been expected. We know what happened, but as the story plays out, there is no one but him and daddy, daddy puts Isaac on the altar, and daddy picks up a knife - woah!!! Isaac survives, but he will need therapy for daddy issues.
Sara dies and Abraham goes venturing around Canaan to buy a tomb. It appears that her body is rotting above ground while he does this. Hopefully, it is wrapped but I find this gross. He ends up negotiating with people who have have heard of him and want Abraham's blessing in exchange for a tomb. Abraham gives them money which they reluctantly agree to.
I wonder what part of Abraham's life story proved to them that he was blessed. His wife having a kid in her 80s? The military campaigns of his youth? That his God does not allow human sacrifice? It is not clear, but something about him they want, something beyond money. Yet, Abraham does not want to be a part of it. Despite all that's happened, he is still a stranger in a strange land.
After Sara dies, it occurs to Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. But Isaac should not marry any of the ugly Canaanite women. No, we need to choose one from the family clan we left years ago. This again is strange, but I suppose it is explainable if he still feels like a stranger in a strange land.
Abraham sends his servant to do the job after an even more bizarre vow ritual. He finds Rebecca and ends up telling her family how he miraculously found her. The family agrees to send her off to Isaac. In all this time, they talk as if Rebecca is not even there. They do finally ask her if she wants to even go, which fortunately for everyone, she says yes. Otherwise - awkward!!
Finally Rebecca and Isaac meet and marry and we find that Isaac still is not over losing his mom. Perhaps he was closer to his mom than his dad, because after all, "daddy tried to kill me".
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