Genesis 21 - The Promise Fulfilled
"God brings blessing into the life of the Christian in spite of what he
has done more than because of anything good he has done."
~ Bob Deffinbaugh
Review
We have been following a number of themes in the Genesis narrative. Some of the most significant relate God's holy and sovereign nature. The human response to these aspects of God's nature are often shown to be faith and obedience. Faith in God means nothing, however, until it is tested. One way God tests faith is through covenants in which He makes promises for blessings and demands for obedience.
In a foreshadowing of Christ's work on the cross, God imputes righteousness to humans who have faith in His promises and demonstrate that faith though obedience (Gen 6:9; 7:1; 15:6; ). God does not look for perfect obedience, as is clearly demonstrated through Abraham's life, but rather for growing faith.
God chooses particular individuals, families and even nations with whom He makes covenants and through whom He brings His blessings. The ultimate blessing is the "seed" or offspring of Eve, whom God promised would "crush" Satan's "seed" (Gen 3:19). Most commentators take this to be a reference to Christ. Seth, Noah and Abraham were all chosen to be part of God's plan to bless the world through Christ by carrying that "seed" forward through the generations toward the cross (Gen 12:1-3).
In the Abrahamic covenant, God promised Abraham land, descendants and blessings. God also promised that Abraham would be a blessing to others, and eventually to "all the peoples of the earth." (Gen 12:3) By chapter 21, Abraham has received many material blessings and, at 100, he's become a wealthy and powerful man. When his wife Sarah had no children, Abraham tried to make the blessing of descendants happen through Sarah's servant Hagar, and this resulted in Ishmael being born when Abraham was 86. But God would not bless Abraham's efforts, and now, in chapter 21, God brings about the birth of Isaac through a miracle.
God will always fulfill His promises, but in His own way. Speaking of Abraham, God said, "For I have chosen him , so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." (Gen 18:19)
Sarah was barren, but gave birth to Isaac, the father of Jacob, who had 12 sons who represent the nation of Israel. In almost exactly the same way, Elizabeth was barren, but gave birth to John, who introduced the world to Jesus. Jesus had 12 disciples who began the Church. In a similar way, Hannah was barren, but gave birth to Samuel, who anointed David who became the greatest king of Israel.
Read 21:1-7 Isaac
Verse 1 begins, "Yahweh paqad Sarah," meaning literally "God visited Sarah." The Hebrew word paqad, means to attend to or to visit. This same word also appears when God intervened to save the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Gen 50:24-25; Exod. 4:31), when He ended a famine (Ruth 1:6), when He made Hannah conceive (1 Sam. 2:21) and when He brought the Jewish exiles home from Babylonian captivity (Jer. 29:10).
We have been following a number of themes in the Genesis narrative. Some of the most significant relate God's holy and sovereign nature. The human response to these aspects of God's nature are often shown to be faith and obedience. Faith in God means nothing, however, until it is tested. One way God tests faith is through covenants in which He makes promises for blessings and demands for obedience.
In a foreshadowing of Christ's work on the cross, God imputes righteousness to humans who have faith in His promises and demonstrate that faith though obedience (Gen 6:9; 7:1; 15:6; ). God does not look for perfect obedience, as is clearly demonstrated through Abraham's life, but rather for growing faith.
God chooses particular individuals, families and even nations with whom He makes covenants and through whom He brings His blessings. The ultimate blessing is the "seed" or offspring of Eve, whom God promised would "crush" Satan's "seed" (Gen 3:19). Most commentators take this to be a reference to Christ. Seth, Noah and Abraham were all chosen to be part of God's plan to bless the world through Christ by carrying that "seed" forward through the generations toward the cross (Gen 12:1-3).
In the Abrahamic covenant, God promised Abraham land, descendants and blessings. God also promised that Abraham would be a blessing to others, and eventually to "all the peoples of the earth." (Gen 12:3) By chapter 21, Abraham has received many material blessings and, at 100, he's become a wealthy and powerful man. When his wife Sarah had no children, Abraham tried to make the blessing of descendants happen through Sarah's servant Hagar, and this resulted in Ishmael being born when Abraham was 86. But God would not bless Abraham's efforts, and now, in chapter 21, God brings about the birth of Isaac through a miracle.
God will always fulfill His promises, but in His own way. Speaking of Abraham, God said, "For I have chosen him , so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." (Gen 18:19)
Sarah was barren, but gave birth to Isaac, the father of Jacob, who had 12 sons who represent the nation of Israel. In almost exactly the same way, Elizabeth was barren, but gave birth to John, who introduced the world to Jesus. Jesus had 12 disciples who began the Church. In a similar way, Hannah was barren, but gave birth to Samuel, who anointed David who became the greatest king of Israel.
Read 21:1-7 Isaac
Verse 1 begins, "Yahweh paqad Sarah," meaning literally "God visited Sarah." The Hebrew word paqad, means to attend to or to visit. This same word also appears when God intervened to save the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Gen 50:24-25; Exod. 4:31), when He ended a famine (Ruth 1:6), when He made Hannah conceive (1 Sam. 2:21) and when He brought the Jewish exiles home from Babylonian captivity (Jer. 29:10).
In the story of Abraham and Sarah, there have been several visits from God. These interactions, though unusual and surprising at first, have become a common theme in the narrative. The idea that personal visits from God are becoming commonplace suggests a continuing relationship and a growing faith.
"The birth of Isaac came without surprise simply because that was what God had promised would happen. Four times in these two short verses the element of fulfillment is stressed ('as He had said,' 'as He had promised,' verse 1; 'at the appointed time,' 'which God had spoken,' verse 2). It was God who promised the child; it was God who accomplished His word. And this was done right on schedule. God's purposes are never delayed, nor are they ever defeated by man's sin. God's purposes are certain. What God has promised, He will accomplish." (Bob Deffinbaugh)
The name Isaac means laughter. God commanded that Abraham give this name to the son He gave to him according to His promise (Gen 17:19, 21). This name is appropriate since Isaac would be a source of joy to his parents as the fulfillment of God's promised seed. And, of course, the very idea of having a son at their age was the cause of laughter for both of them (17:17; 18:12).
It turns out that with Isaac's birth there is some unfinished business in Abraham's family. In God's plan, there is to be only one son, so Abraham must be focused completely on Isaac. If Abraham has a choice of heirs, then God's promise and the test of Abraham's faith that is yet to come, will have no meaning.
Read 21:8-21 Ishmael
Weaning would have normally occurred at age two or three (cf. 1 Sam. 1:22-24; Hos. 1:8).
The Hebrew word tsachaq used to describe Ishmael's behavior in v 9 comes from the same root as Isaac's name and means to laugh, jest or mock.
This brings to the surface a problem that has been festering since before Ishmael's birth (Gen 16:5-6). As far as the narrative goes, it is Sarah who expresses the problem, but the root of the problem is deeper than a rivalry between Sarah and Hagar. Certainly Sarah wants her son to be the heir, but Abraham has an abundance of property and a vast land has been promised to him. There is plenty to go around.
"Sarah, like every Christian I have ever known, had moments she would just as soon forget entirely. This is surely one of those times for her." (Bob Deffinbaugh)
Strangely Sarah's selfish behavior is upheld by God. Her motives are selfish and her intentions are cruel, but what she proposes must be done anyway. There can be only one son of the promise.
Some scholars have found provisions in the common law of Abraham's time that would have allowed a salve and concubine to be set free with her children. So while some see Abraham's act as unlawful divorce, others see it as lawful and even compassionate emancipation.
The narrative really supports neither explanation. Ishmael has come into this family by human sin. He is not part of God's plan for Abraham's family, and therefore it is God's will that he must leave. However, God will make provision for him and allow him to become great and wealthy apart from Abraham.
"The concluding description of Ishmael's experiences (vv. 14-21) provides information essential to understanding and appreciating later references to him and his descendants in the text. Ishmael became the father of 12 sons (25:13-16) as Jacob did. From his sons came the Arab nations that have ever since been the chief antagonists of the Israelites. The term "Arab" (someone from Arabia) came into use for the first time in the ninth century B.C. Hagar chose a wife for her son from her homeland, Egypt." (Constable)
"The picture of Ishmael as the rejected son is complete: he is the son of a slave woman, married to an Egyptian, lives outside normal social bounds, and is remembered for his hostilities." (Kenneth Mathews)
"God not only makes promises but also provision. His provision of what He has promised results in great joy and should lead to separation from whatever might hinder His program of blessing. See Paul's use of this account in Galatians 4:21-31." (Constable)
Read 21:22-34 Abimelech's treaty with Abraham
"Abraham had lied to Abimelech about Sarah because he thought that there would be no fear of God, and thus no protection of himself, in a land of pagans (cf. 20:11). God rebuked the unbelief of Abraham by this testimony from the lips of Abimelech." (Bob Deffinbaugh)
"This second conflict with Abimelech creates a bracket around the Isaac birth narrative. Whereas the first conflict, Scene 5 (20:1-18), concerned jeopardy of the seed, the second conflict, Scene 7 (21:22-34), concerns jeopardy of the land (i.e., well rights)." (Bruce Waltke)
"Since Abraham had become a powerful individual in the land by God's blessing, Abimelech initiated a bilateral treaty with him for his own protection. This was evidently the same Abimelech that Abraham had dealt with previously (ch. 20). They made a parity covenant (i.e., between equals, vv. 31-32). This was a remarkable admission of Abraham's standing and blessing by God and an expression of Abimelech's confidence in the future existence of the patriarch's family. " (Constable)
Beersheba, one of the more important sites throughout Old Testament times, meaning "oath of seven" or "oath-well," became Abraham's possession with the payment of seven ewe lambs (v. 28; cf. 26:33).
Critics of the Bible often point to these references to the Philistines in Genesis (vv. 32, 34; 26:1) as evidence that the Bible contains errors. Scholars contend that the Philistines did not invade Palestine until about 1200 B.C. However the Biblical timeline shows that Abraham lived in the land about 800 years earlier. One explanation is that there may be two groups of people called "Philistines." The Philistines of Genesis were a peaceful people who lived in the land with Abraham. The Philistines of Judges and later were a warlike people.
"I suggest that the Philistines of Genesis represent the first wave of Sea Peoples from the Aegean, and that the later Philistines represent the last wave (cf. 1200 B.C.)." (Victor Hamilton)
"By granting Abraham rights to a well, Abimelek (sic) had made it possible for Abraham to live there permanently and had acknowledged his legal right at least to water. In other words, after so many delays the promises of land and descendants at last seem on their way to fulfillment." (Gordon Wenham)
