Genesis 21.8-11-Crisis in the Home of Abraham and Sarah
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 21:8-11-Crisis in the Home of Abraham and Sarah
Lesson # 108
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 21:1.
Last Thursday evening, we studied the birth and circumcision of Isaac, which is recorded in Genesis 21:1-4.
Then, on Sunday morning, we presented seven ways in which the birth of Isaac foreshadows, typifies or parallels the birth of Christ.
On Tuesday evening we studied Genesis 21:5-7, which records the joy, the laughter of Sarah upon finally receiving the fulfillment of God’s promise and bearing a son for Abraham who was named Isaac.
But this joy would be short lived for later on this joy turned to anger and a crisis in the home of Abraham and Sarah as we will see this evening in Genesis 21:8-11.
This crisis is the result of Hagar and Abraham’s son, Ishmael persecuting Sarah and Abraham’s son, Isaac, the son of promise who would carry on the line of Christ.
The old animosity between Sarah and Hagar erupts again in the home of Abraham, eventually leading to a parting of the ways.
Genesis 21:1, “Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised.”
Genesis 21:2, “So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.”
The birth of Isaac was not only designed to bring joy to Sarah and Abraham but also to all mankind since Isaac would be in the line of the human nature of Jesus Christ, the Promised Seed who would redeem mankind and destroy the works of the devil (See Genesis 3:15).
Therefore, the birth of Isaac was essential for God to accomplish His purposes through Jesus Christ of redeeming and reconciling man to Himself as well as propitiating His holiness, which demanded that the sins of the world be judged.
Genesis 21:3, “Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.”
Genesis 21:4, “Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.”
Genesis 21:5, “Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”
Genesis 21:6, “Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’”
Genesis 21:7, “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.’”
Genesis 21:8, “The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.”
Mothers usually nursed children for three years or longer in those days, which of course is unlike the West (see 1 Samuel 22-25; 2 Chronicles 31:16; 2 Maccabees 2:27).
Because Isaac was the son of promise, the heir of the covenant, the one would carry on the line of the human nature of Christ who would provide salvation for all mankind, Abraham made a big feast to honor him.
Abraham recognized the importance of Isaac in the plan of God.
Also, it was traditional in Abraham’s day to throw such a party since infant mortality was very high and to reach the age of two or three would be regarded as a significant accomplishment.
Genesis 21:9, “Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.”
The phrase “Sarah saw” indicates to the reader that he is going to see things from Sarah’s perspective.
“The son of Hagar the Egyptian” is Ishmael who was seventeen years old at this time.
The fact that Ishmael is seventeen at this point in the narrative is indicated in that Genesis 16:16 records that Abraham was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born and was one hundred when Isaac was born according to Genesis 21:5.
This would make Ishmael fourteen when Isaac was born.
Genesis 21:8 records that Isaac was weaned and we know that a child was weaned at three years of age.
Therefore, we can conclude that Ishmael was seventeen at this point in the narrative.
Ishmael legally had the right to a double portion of the inheritance because he was Abraham’s first-born son.
However, a son by a slave woman, which Ishmael was, could forego his inheritance claim in exchange for freedom.
Now that Abraham had a son by his wife, Sarah did not want Ishmael to share Isaac's inheritance.
In fact, the Lord stated that He would not make His covenant with Ishmael but rather with Isaac.
Therefore, Sarah wants to give Hagar and Ishmael their freedom in order that Ishmael cannot receive a portion of the inheritance and the Lord agrees since it was according to the covenant He made with Abraham (see Gen. 15:1-6; 17:15-22).
“Mocking” is the verb tsachaq (qj^x*) (tsaw-khak), which in the piel stem means, “to mock” indicating that Ishmael mocked Isaac.
Galatians 4:29 confirms this interpretation of the verb tsachaq.
Galatians 4:29, “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.”
Therefore, a comparison of Genesis 21:9 and Galatians 4:29 indicates that Ishmael was not only “mocking” Isaac but also “persecuting” him.
Ishmael mocked and persecuted Isaac more than likely out of envy and jealousy since prior to the birth of Isaac, Ishmael was the center of attention in the home.
He must have heard of the miraculous birth of Isaac and that the Lord stated that Isaac was the son of promise and not Ishmael.
This most surely led to resentment on the part of Ishmael towards Isaac.
To envy is to feel resentful, spiteful, and unhappy because someone else possesses or has achieved, what one wishes oneself to possess, or to have achieved.
Ishmael was resentful, spiteful towards Isaac since Isaac possessed something that he could never attain or achieve, namely, being the son of promise who would carry on the line of Christ and from whom the nation of Israel would originate.
Jealousy is a mental attitude sin directed toward another, which is resentful, intolerant and suspicious of another’s success, possessions or relationships and is vigilant in maintaining or guarding something.
Ishmael was resentful and intolerant and suspicious of his half-brother Isaac’s relationship to Abraham and the covenant promises given to Isaac.
He was also guarded in his relationship with his father Abraham and did not tolerate Isaac and considered Isaac a rival for the affections of his father.
Jealousy originated in eternity past with Satan since he was resentful and intolerant suspicious of the preincarnate Christ’s relationship with the angels and was vigilant in maintaining or guarding his influence over the angels, therefore, jealousy is demonic (James 3:14-16) since it is Satanic viewpoint.
Ishmael is under Satanic influence as indicated in that he entered into jealousy towards his half-brother Isaac.
James 3:14, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.”
James 3:15, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”
James 3:16, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”
Isaac was the object of Satanic attack at a young age since he was to carry on the line of Christ and was to be the progenitor of the nation of Israel from whom Christ would come and bring blessing to the entire world and destroy the works of the devil.
Therefore, it was according to the will of God that Ishmael be removed from the home of Abraham otherwise the same situation with Cain and Abel would have taken place.
In Genesis 15:4 and 17:19-20, the Lord clearly stated that His covenant with Abraham would be continued forward with Isaac and not Ishmael.
Genesis 15:4, “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.’”
Genesis 17:19, “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.’”
Genesis 17:20, “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.”
In Genesis 17:20, the Lord promises Abraham that Ishmael would be the father of twelve princes, which would comprise a great nation corresponding to Isaac who would be the father of the twelve tribes, which would comprise the nation of Israel.
Genesis 25:12-16 records the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham concerning Ishmael and his descendants.
Genesis 21:10, “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.’”
Sarah’s demand that “the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac” is consistent with what the Lord stipulated in His covenant with Abraham as recorded in Genesis 17:19-20 and Genesis 15:4.
Sarah’s demand is to disinherit Ishmael so he will never share in the inheritance and Genesis 25:5-6 indicates that this took place.
Even though Sarah was sinning by harboring this bitterness and antagonism towards Hagar and Ishmael, it was God’s will that Hagar and Ishmael be removed from the home of Abraham.
This conflict between Sarah and Hagar, between Isaac and Ishmael, has been used by the apostle Paul as an illustration or allegory of the continuing conflict between law and grace, between the old Adamic sin nature received at physical birth and the new Christ nature received at the spiritual birth.
In Galatians 4:22-31, the apostle Paul speaks “figuratively” of the relationship between Abraham and his sons, Ishmael, Isaac, and his wives, Hagar and Sarah.
Paul teaches that Hagar represents the Mosaic Law, and Ishmael is its fruit (slaves) whereas Sarah is a picture of God’s grace, and Isaac is its fruit (free sons).
Paul teaches the Galatians that prior to salvation they were under bondage to the Law but that through faith alone in Christ alone who redeemed them from the curse of the Law, they have been set free from the Law.
Therefore, the apostle Paul teaches that in an allegorical sense Hagar who was a slave girl is a picture of the believer prior to salvation under bondage to the Law whereas Sarah is a picture of the believer after salvation free from the Law.
Galatians 4:22, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.”
Galatians 4:23, “But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.”
Galatians 4:24, “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.”
Galatians 4:25, “Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.”
Galatians 4:26, “But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.”
Galatians 4:27, “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.’”
Galatians 4:28, “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.”
Galatians 4:29, “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.”
Galatians 4:30, “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.’”
Galatians 4:31, “So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.”
Paul states that Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac illustrate our two births: (1) Physical birth that makes us sinners with an old Adamic sin nature (2) Spiritual birth that makes us children of God with the nature of Christ.
Isaac illustrates the believer in that he was born according to the power of God since Galatians 4:29 says that Isaac was born “according to the Spirit” whereas Ishmael illustrates the unbeliever in that he was born “according to the flesh.”
The fact that Ishmael, who was born according to the flesh, persecuted Isaac who was born according to the Spirit illustrates the problems that our old sin nature, which we received at physical birth, causes for our new nature, which we received at the spiritual birth.
Just as Ishmael was a “wild donkey of a man” and a slave that nobody could control, not even his mother so the indwelling old Adamic sin nature is at war with God and others and the Law cannot change or control it.
Hagar was cast out according to Genesis 21:9-10 and God subsequently approved of it according to Genesis 21:12 illustrating that the Law and grace are not compatible and at odds with each other (see Romans 11:6).
Just as Ishmael had to go once Isaac was born so the Law had to go once Christ had come.
Genesis 21:11, “The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.”
Abraham’s great distress reflects his strong paternal affection for his son Ishmael.
Abraham is an old man and would be a terrible heartbreak to him to have to send Ishmael whom he loved away.
He is emotional and could care less about the legal or spiritual ramifications of having Ishmael remain in his home.
Isaac was to receive the full inheritance and Ishmael could not receive any of it since this was according to God’s will.
Sarah was not looking at the spiritual ramifications but only that she wanted Hagar and her son out of her home.
Bruce K. Waltke, “In the Lipit-Ishtar law code (ca. 1875 B.C.) a clause stipulates that if a slave bears children and the father then grants freedom to her and her children, “the children of the slave shall not divide the estate with the children of their (former) master. Sarah’s demand to expel Hagar and Ishmael from any share in the inheritance appears to be based on moral and legal grounds” (Genesis, A Commentary, Bruce K. Waltke, page 294, Zondervan).