Thx. I got a little more rambly than I meant to. Kinda can't help it though because most modern Christians can't understand scripture in a historical or cultural way. So they always ascribe something nonsensical to it like that one person who said it was God's way of showing that He would provide in difficult circumstances.

My eyebrow shot up like Spock and I thought, the one that he created by the command? How does that make sense?

It doesn't. Ishmael's existence in conjunction with Abraham claiming him as his son put God in a quandary between the rite of inheritance command and the promise he made to Abraham that his descendents through Sarah would outnumber the stars and His blessing would follow them through the ages.