To accept this story literally we must first discard our most basic beliefs about right and wrong. We must also ignore any sense we may have that the story is not factual and accept on blind faith what religious leaders say about it. However, what religious leaders say about this story has profound, adverse effects on our relationship with God. Yes, we are told that these stories are the truest of all truths (that the Bible is the infallible word of God) when, in fact, they are foulest of all lies. I compare this betrayal to that experienced by parents who trust that their children are safe at Church only to discover they have been abused by priests. How has generation after generation all over the world been so blind to have believed these lies for thousands of years? Especially when, as in the case of Ismael and Isaac, not only do they not make sense but are not supported by other Bible verses either. Let’s look at some of these verses.
For example, in Genesis 22:2 KJV ‘And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering... ‘ Isaac? How could Isaac be Abraham’s only son when Ismael was oldest and still very much alive? Only son must mean Ismael. Arabs, who supposedly are the product of the union between Abraham and Hagar, being descendants through Ismael, are aggrieved with this false narrative. Lies create trouble and division - what we see in the world today. Isaac gets the credit for willingly offering himself up for sacrifice, a testament to his obedience to Abraham and God, when in fact it is Ismael to whom the credit belongs. Let me add that this is just one instance, among many, from the Bible, where a firstborn’s rights are usurped/stolen. It makes sense to me that if God wanted a person to have the firstborn’s rights, then God would make that person be born first.