Note: When doing a study on a book in the Bible you use a lot of resources. The major influence for me on this study of Genesis is The Genesis Record by Henry Morris.
Genesis 21
1. And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did
unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age,
at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Who else do we know of that was born at a set time? A time set aside by God?
Jesus, John the Baptist,
Let us compare these births
(1) both had been promised Issacc-to Abraham 25 yrs earlier Jesus-Is 7:14
(2) long interval of time between promise and actual birth
Issac-25 yrs Jesus 1000's yrs
(3) both miraclous and seemed Sarah barren Mary virgin
(4) both named before their birth
(5) both occured at Gods apointed time
(6) both miraclous
(7) both obedient to father
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
God prepared us for the birth of His son through the lives of others.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto
him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old,
as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was
born unto him.
How many years ago did God first promise to Abraham to have a son?
Genesis 12:4. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot
went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he
departed out of Haran.
Lamentations 3:25 The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul
[that] seeketh him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that
hear will laugh with me.
Isaac-"he laughs"
Abraham laughed in 17:17 at the birth of a son at his age
Sarah laughed in 18:12 in disbelief
Isaac was laughed at or mocked by Ishmael as we will see
All rejoice when Christ came even Mary the mother
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah
should have given children suck? for I have born [him] a son in
his old age.
Was this birth a miraclous birth?
Paul said of Abaraham in
. Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body
now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the
deadness of Sara's womb:
God wanted to use a miracle in the lives of Abraham and Sarah to make sure that they understood that they had no part in this birth. This was a miraclous birth only done by the power of God. God used death to bring life into the world. God also works in our lives through miracles. Mainly to let us know that he is working.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great
feast the [same] day that Isaac was weaned.
What is so important to a father when his son in weaned? Is there any spiritual signifcance here?
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that
ye may grow thereby:
Hebrews 5:13 For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by
reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
9. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had
born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and
her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my
son, [even] with Isaac.
Here we have a prime example of the two natures of man. Up until now Ishmael seemed to be a sweet little boy but now we see that his true colors have shown. Now we see the two natures. The old sinful nature always mocking and making fun of you as a Christian and the new nature one to come and follow God.
Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I
would not, that I do.
In the seventh chapter of Romans we see a struggle. Between man and his will. He wills to do right but he cannot because the old nature will not let him. Only through the casting out of the old self will we be allowed to follow God and his commandments. As long as the old nature stays with us then we will be in sin and do wrong.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because
of his son.
Ishmael was 17 years old. He was 14 when Issac was born. How tough it must have been when Abraham knew that he must give up his first born son. Is it ever easy to let lose of the old sin nature? We have been attached to it for many years.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy
sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all
that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in
Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation,
because he [is] thy seed.
14. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread,
and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on
her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed,
and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the
child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat her down over against [him] a good way
off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death
of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lift up her
voice, and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God
called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth
thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad
where he [is].
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I
will make him a great nation.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and
she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad
drink.
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the
wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took
him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Here is the last we hear of Hagar and Ishmael. As they were leaving they ran out of provisions. So now they must depend on the Lord and the Lord delivers them. He shows them a place to drink. He shows them provision. God said he would provide for Ishamael and he does. God always keeps his promise.
22. And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol
the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God
[is] with thee in all that thou doest:
Why do you think Abimelech came to Abraham?
Have you ever noticed that people try to be kind and do right to those that they know loves the Lord? Maybe not everyone but alot of people. This is what Abimelech was doing. He knew who Abraham was so he wanted to make a treaty with him.
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not
deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son:
[but] according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou
shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
Abimelech is remembering that Abraham dealt falsely with him earlier. When you do wrong it will follow you. I believe that Abimelech wanted to be friends with Abraham because he feared the Lord.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water,
which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing:
neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I [of it], but to
day.
Wells were important back in the time of Abraham. Espically living in the wilderness. The Bible does not give us the details of this accusation of Abraham but it does show the kindness and justness of Abimelech. It may have even been a test of Abrahams to see the reaction of Abaraham.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto
Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Here we see a token of the approval and sealing of the covenant with Abimelech. The giving of Seven lambs. The perfect number seven.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What [mean] these seven ewe
lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30 And he said, For [these] seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of
my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged
this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they
sware both of them.
Beersheba means "well of the sevenfold oath"
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose
up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned
into the land of the Philistines.
33. And [Abraham] planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there
on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
The name Lord is Jehovah " the existing One" and not just any God but the everlasting God. The same God that is today.
Genesis 12: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
less them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
