The Foundation: Study in Genesis Part 22
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Chapter 21 The Birth of Isaac
Chapter 21 The Birth of Isaac
Begin with prayer
Review chapters 19, 20
Chapter 21 is the culmination of everything that God has spoken to Abraham and Sarah up to this time. The promised child is about to be born.
We’ve been waiting for this time all the way back to chapter 12 when God first spoke to Abraham about his family. Let’s review some of these steps along the way...
1 Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
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.”
So it begins with God promising a family to this childless man. Abraham was already an old man of 75. A few verses later God is even clearer:
7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.
God tells Abraham, “You will have descendants and they will inherit the land of Canaan.”
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”
2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.”
4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.”
5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Abraham believed God even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds!
The next time we have recorded God speaks to Abraham is after the birth of Ishmael when Abraham is now 99.
God renews the promise, changes his name from Abram to Abraham and tells him for the first time that it will be through Sarah that they will have the promised child.
15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 “I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!”
19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”
So now he is given a name for the child. He is also told that the child will be born in about a year. Shortly after this happens, both Abraham and Sarah receive a visit from the Lord. As Abraham laughed at the thought of Sarah having a child in her old age, Sarah will also laugh at the absurdity of the idea.
10 He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.
12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’
14 “Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
So now we are ready for chapter 21. The child of promise is about to be born!
1 Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised.
2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
Vs. 1 “took note of” is often translated “visited” Sarah. The Bible is clear that this was a supernatural event. God is faithful to His promise to Abraham and Sarah. God is always faithful to His promises! Remember “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” The answer is a resounding, “NO!”
Notice that verse 2 says that the child was born to Abraham and Sarah “at the appointed time.” You and I also were born “at the appointed time.” The Bible is clear that those who are in Christ have an appointed time to be born and an appointed time to die. God always keeps His appointments!
3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
So they name the child Isaac as God had commanded them. Does anyone remember what Isaac means? “He laughs” One translation that I found is “He (God) is laughing now.” Abraham and Sarah both are laughing now...not at the absurdity of the promise but out of joy for the answer to the promise. God is laughing now. Have you ever thought about God laughing? He is laughing in delight at the birth of Isaac!
David Guzik:
Isaac became a wonderful type or picture of the Messiah to come, Jesus Christ.
· Both were specially promised sons.
· Both conceptions were miraculous.
· Both were born after a period of delay.
· Both mothers were given assurance by truth of God’s omnipotence (Genesis 18:13-14; Luke 1:34, 37).
· Both were given names rich with meaning before they were born.
· Both births occurred at God’s appointed time (Genesis 21:2; Galatians 4:4).
· Both births were accompanied by great joy (Genesis 21:6; Luke 1:46-47; 2:10-11).
So then Abraham obeys God’s command to have Isaac circumcised when he is eight days old. Remember that circumcision is symbolic of a cutting away of the flesh. It is a death to the flesh. This will come into view a little later in the chapter.
5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
It’s important to note that five times in the first seven verses Isaac is identified as the son of Abraham. When we see repetition in the scripture it is for emphasis. The writer wants us to understand that this is Abraham’s son!
Sarah is of course overjoyed. Her doubting laughter from the previous year is now a rejoicing laughter! Not only was Sarah given the ability to conceive and bear a son, but she is also given the ability to nurse him.
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Weaning was a big deal in those days. In fact, it’s only been in modern times that it has taken on less significance.
How old was a child weaned in those days? I’ve read anywhere from 18 months to 5 years, although most sources say between 2 and 3 years old.
Despite the varying practices of weaning, it is clear that this was an important milestone for both mothers and babies. Weaning marked the transition from exclusive breastfeeding to a more varied diet and greater independence for the child. It also allowed mothers to resume their normal activities and contribute to the household economy. (ministryanswers.com)
So it was party time in Abraham’s household. But then something happened to spoil the party...
9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”
11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.
This word “mocking” is actually the same word in Hebrew that is translated “laughing” earlier. But this is a mocking laughter.
Some ancient rabbis noted something more sinister than mere sibling teasing (in the word translated “mocking”), rather identifying a variety of evil actions. The ancient Jewish commentary, called the Midrash) notes that in addition to mockery, the word was associated (in scripture) with sexual immorality, idolatry, and attempted murder. Although no conclusive meaning is offered , the Midrash does accurately demonstrate that Ishmael was likely not engaged in innocent play. The strife between brothers reflects a common theme in Genesis. (Moody Commentary)
Where in Genesis have we seen “strife between brothers” before? Cain and Abel. We will see more examples as we move through Genesis
This really riles Sarah. She demands of Abraham that he drive out Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham is very displeased with this. He loves his son Ishmael. The idea of driving him out...which would have the effect of disinheriting Ishmael...was reprehensible to Abraham. You can see the wheels turning in Abraham’s mind. “There is no way that this could be from God!” Yet, surprisingly, we find out in the next verse quite the opposite!
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.
13 “And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.”
God once again speaks directly to Abraham and tells him something that he doesn’t want to hear. Has God ever spoken to you and told you something you didn’t want to hear? He’s done that many times with me!
God tells Abraham, “Listen to your wife!” What she is saying is from me. At the same time, God reiterates his promise to Abraham that God will preserve Ishmael and will make a nation from him. So Abraham knows that Ishmael will live!
14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Can you imagine how difficult this was for Abraham? I have no doubt that this was the most difficult thing that God had ever asked of Abraham up to this time. Of course, in the next chapter, we will see God ask something even more difficult of Abraham.
Abraham could have loaded Hagar and Ishmael down with goods and sent servants with them to protect them. But he does none of those things. He knows that the only way that Hagar and Ishmael will survive is only through supernatural help.
I’d like to make the point here that every time that God has commanded something of Abraham, he has obeyed. Now Abraham has had plenty of mishaps. But when God said to do something, he did it. Remember how that when God said for Abraham to circumcise himself and every male in his household, he did it the very same day? Here, we see that Abraham rose early the next morning and did what God told him to do. I suspect that if you asked Abraham, he would tell you that circumcision was nothing compared to the pain of sending Ishmael away. But the important thing is...He did it!
I’m reminding of what Jesus’ mother said to the servants at the wedding in Cana: “Whatever He says to you, do it!”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
This was of course an act of faith on Abraham’s part. He believed God when He said that Ishmael would be cared for. Let’s see what happens:
15 When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
16 Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept.
17 God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 “Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.”
19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.
20 God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer.
21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
When we talked about Ishmael and his descendants back in chapter 16, we talked about how that God still loves Ishmael and his descendants, the Arab people. This scripture proves this again. God could have let Hagar die in the wilderness when she was pregnant with Ishmael, but he did not. God could have let them both die here, but He was faithful to His promises. God loves the Arab people today. Even in Gaza, He is giving the so-called Palestinians (who really should just be called Arabs) dreams and visions of Jesus!
Before we move on, we want to turn to the NT and look at what Paul said about this event. God revealed to Paul that this was an allegory:
21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.
23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.
24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.
25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
So in Paul’s allegory, he sees Ishmael as born according to the flesh and Isaac as the son born according to the promise. Let’s read on:
27 For it is written,
“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”
28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.
30 But what does the Scripture say?
“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
So Paul quotes from Isaiah 54 in this poem about the barren women who bears children. Then he tells the Galatians that they like Isaac are the children of the promise. They are being persecuted as was Isaac being mocked by Ishmael. He then quotes from Genesis 21 that Abraham was to cast and the bondwoman and her son.
Let’s look at this for a few moments. In Paul’s allegory. Hagar represents the law and Sarah represents grace. Ishmael represents the flesh and Isaac represents the spirit. The context of this writing is that there were those who were coming to these Gentile Christian believers in Galatia telling them that they needed to be circumcised to be saved. Many of the Galatians were buying into this. Paul is saying here that those who are of the law are like Hagar, who was of course a slave. Those who are of grace are like Sarah.
Let’s think about Ishmael and Isaac a minute. Ishmael was born according to natural order. He represents our fleshly birth. But Isaac’s birth was miraculous. He represents our spiritual birth. We all are born of the flesh first, then when we receive Christ we are born of the spirit, right? There were no problems in Abraham’s household (relatively speaking) while Ishmael was the only son, but when Isaac came along, there was conflict. When we are walking according to the flesh, there is no conflict, but when we are born of the spirit, there is now conflict between our two natures. What are we to do? We must cast out the old nature. We must turn aside from the flesh and follow the spirit...uncompromisingly! The Bible teaches that we are to have no discourse with the flesh! Unfortunately, it seems for most Christians there is a co-existence between the spirit and the flesh. Lot represented this kind of Christian. Half in the world and half in the kingdom of God. It really makes for a miserable human being!
Think about circumcision. We’ve talked about this a lot lately, but circumcision is a cutting away of the flesh. When the circumcised part is cut off, it is thrown away. So it is with the spirit and the flesh. We are to have nothing to do with the things of the flesh.
Questions/Comments?
We have an additional story in chapter 21 we’re going to cover briefly. Let’s pick up with verse 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.”
27 Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
So now we have Abimelech on the scene again, this time joined with Phicol, his army commander. Though Abimelech is a king, he recognizes that God is with Abraham. This phrase “God is with you in all that you do” will be said not only of Abraham, but later of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
There is a dispute over water rights here, which was a common problem in those days. Specifically, Abraham tells Abimilech that his servants had seized a well that he had dug at an earlier time. Abimelech says, “I had no idea!” So then they make a covenant. This will be the first time in the Bible that a covenant is recorded between two men. Let’s read on:
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.
So Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a sign of the covenant. Then they took an oath together at Beersheba. Abraham then plants a tamarisk tree there. Most Jewish commentators believe that he did this to provide hospitality for those who would come to the well. In a few chapters, we’re going to see the subject of wells coming up again in Isaac’s day.
Questions/Comments
