Genesis 21:22-34 & 22:20-24
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Background
Last week we saw Abraham journey and settle in the Negev, the south country, in Gerar. He continues to wander as a stranger within the land that has been promised to him and his descendants. He interacted with the king, Abimelech, who took Sarah for his own after Abraham said she was his sister. While Abraham acted in fear, God protected His promise to Abraham and rescued Sarah.
We’re going to do things a little differently for the next 3 weeks. Ordinarily, I go verse by verse, chapter by chapter, in order. For the next 3 weeks, though, we’ll be jumping around a little bit and observing things in chunks, based on what’s taking place. Today, we’ll be looking at the last portions of chapters 21 and 22.
22 Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do;
23 now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.”
24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”
25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized.
26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”
Remember what we saw take place last week: Abimelech took Sarah because he was told that Abraham was her brother, but was in fact misled by an omission of the truth.
The truth was revealed by God in a dream, and Abimelech returned Sarah, but only after confronting Abraham about the truth.
The timing of this event corresponds with what took place earlier in the chapter (which we will talk about next week), but no more than one year has passed since the events of chapter 20.
In this instance, we see that there is some distrust on Abimelech’s part, since Abraham was not completely honest the first time they interacted.
It is noted that he brought with him Phicol, a fighting man and commander of his army, who would’ve been protected by a small band of warriors.
However, Abimelech also acknowledges the blessings and success that Abraham has received from his God. This is the same God who revealed Himself to Abimelech in a dream, so he takes this God, and therefore Abraham, very seriously.
"God is with you” is a repeated idea in this section.
"God is with you” is a repeated idea in this section.
There is no hostility in this interaction. He asks Abraham to swear by his God, and reminds him of the kindness that he showed him by letting him settle within the borders of Gerar, even after the subterfuge.
Whether he knows it or not, Abimelech is living out an earlier promise God made to Abraham:
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Abraham gave his assent by swearing, showing goodwill, but followed up with a grievance - his well was seized by Abimelech’s servants.
This act counters Abimelech’s earlier hospitality and kindness of allowing Abraham to sojourn within his borders.
The idea here is robbery, and once again something that belongs to Abraham is taken by Abimelech.
Abimelech’s answer to this grievance is ignorance, which is important because had he known of the offense, it would have revealed his duplicity with Abraham. This whole exchange would’ve been for nothing.
Interestingly, he notes that Abraham never told him, putting at least that much blame on Abraham himself.
27 Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?”
30 He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well.”
31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath.
32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.
Abraham produces the animals necessary to “cut” the covenant (recall chapter 15), and they enter into covenant with one another, with the terms being that they will treat each other and their households with honesty and kindness.
Curiously, Abraham leaves apart 7 young lambs from his flock, which were not a part of the cutting of the covenant. Abimelech inquires about this.
Abraham gives them to Abimelech as a witness that the well belongs to him.
This is reminiscent of Abimelech giving possessions and silver to Abraham and Sarah, as a witness to her honor.
This was quite the gift to give, taking very generous number of valuable lambs from the herd. Not only does it show his wealth, but also his sincerity.
It’s possible Abimelech was on guard with this gift, having just ratified their covenant, and now accepting a gift that may be binding to him (remember those lambs...?).
After having made a covenant with Abimelech, the well became known as Beersheba, the “well of an (sevenfold) oath.”
This well would be in the northern area of the Negev.
The Philistines returned to their land, and Abraham planted a tamarisk tree.
This tree would also act as a memorial.
He once again called upon the name of the LORD, but this time he used El Olam.
This word is often translated “everlasting.”
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
“Everlasting to everlasting”
God has, at this point, fulfilled His promises to Abraham, and he is declaring his devotion in this pagan land.
God’s plans for our lives move outside of our timeline.
God’s plans for our lives move outside of our timeline.
Abraham stayed in this land for quite some time, as we’ll see as the story progresses.
As Abraham continues to live his days out in this land, we see information come to him from his relatives.
20 Now it came about after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
21 Uz his firstborn and Buz his brother and Kemuel the father of Aram
22 and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel.”
23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah; these eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.
The timing of this section will be after the events of chapter 22, which we will see in a couple of weeks. The importance of this information may seem trivial, but it’s not.
Recall in chapter 11:
29 Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.
The importance of this information will play out in the following chapters, but it reestablishes Abraham within his familial bonds.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
"God is with you” is a repeated idea in this section.
God’s plans for our lives move outside of our timeline.
Next week, we will continue the story of Abraham and see the birth of Isaac.