Genesis Chapter 21

Fulfillment of Prophecy

This chapter is filled with exciting Truths for us. Many of these Truth Lessons are quoted in the New Testament just for us! Be prepared for some surprises.

21:1-2

We now see the Miracle of God’s promise being fulfilled, just as He had promised 25 years earlier to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 12:4,7; 17:17; and 18:14 (the exact time appointed) Notice that Adonoi, the Lord Himself, visits Sarah this time, to miraculously cause her body to be rejuvenated and for her to become pregnant with the promised son. It is always exciting to see God fulfilling His promises! This should give us great encouragement and assurance that God always fulfills His promises to us in His perfect time.

21:3-4

The name Isaac means ‘he laughs’. Yet it also is used to mean joyful laughter. Abraham carefully obeys God’s commandment to circumcise Isaac exactly on the eighth day. Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, yet it is also an important contribution to the health of both husband and wife, as medical science now knows. The eight day is the optimum time for performing the operation on the child in terms of safety, as the blood clots quickly at that exact time, and that is the time of the least amount of feeling of pain. Isn’t God fantastic, He takes care of everything!

21:5

The miracle of God’s rejuvenation of Abraham’s body to allow him to father a child at the age of 100 is so important that God’s Word again reminds us of his exact age. The Holy Spirit does not want anyone at that time, or in the future, to miss the importance of the Miracle that God has given to both Abraham at 100 years of age, and Sarah at 90 years of age. This should cause us to rejoice also; since God can do this mighty miracle for those He loves, He can also do whatever miracle you need in your life.

21:6-7

Sarah’s earlier laughter in unbelief is now the laughter of joy and belief in the Lord God. Notice that she now gives her own testimony that God has given her great joy! She is obviously telling everyone about what God has done for her, knowing that others will also be joyful with her. When God works a miracle in others lives are we joyful with them? We should be! Do you share with others what miracles God has worked in your life? You should share the Truth that God alone is responsible for the wonderful blessings of goodness and joy that you have in your life. Everything we are, everyone in our family, all we have, all the talents and abilities, our health, EVERYTHING comes from the hand of God; we can take credit for NOTHING!

21:8

Most children were weaned about the age of two and a half or three years old, as was the custom. This is crucial as the mother’s milk gives the baby the needed antibodies and resistence to diseases and germs, making the survival of the child more certain. The great feast was made to celebrate the baby being healthy and well and being able to eat food on his own without the need of mom’s milk to sustain him.

21:9

Trouble again! Ishmael would have been about 17 at this time, and, like most teenagers, probably made fun of, or teased his younger half-brother. Yet this ‘mocking’ was more serious than simple teasing, as he would have been mocking the miracle child that God had ordained. Surely he also knew that now there was another heir to the ‘kingdom’ God had provided for Abraham. Remember in their culture, the oldest male child was to be the heir.

21:10

Sarah is no dummy, she immediately tells Abraham that he must cast out the bondwoman and her son, as the bondwoman’s son is not to be an heir with their son, Isaac. Sarah realizes that it is the promise of the heir of God’s Promises that is at stake here! God no doubt used this ‘mocking issue’ as the time to have Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael out into the world on their own. In Genesis 16:6 Sarah had mistreated Hagar, now Hagar’s son is mistreating Sarah’s son. Sarah had caused the pregnant Hagar to flee, now she is causing Hagar and her son to be removed from the family group. Keep in mind that is was customary for the Arab chiefs to send out their sons at this age to fend for themselves, usually with only a few days’ provisions in a bag.

21:11-12

Abraham loves Ishmael and was no doubt very upset about Sarah’s insistence; yet he knew she was correct in her assessment of the threat to the child of promise, Isaac. God is so good to step in and assure Abraham that this was the right thing to do. God also reminded Abraham that ONLY through Isaac was the Seed of promise to come. This is a direct reference to the promised Messiah. Galatians 4:22-31, when Jesus Christ, the Seed of promise came, the old was done away with. Believers are only co-heirs with the promised Seed by adoption through God’s Grace of forgiveness and redemption. Just as Ishmael and Isaac were in conflict, so is the flesh and the Spirit, they cannot harmonize or compromise. To go back under the old law, would be to undo the fulfillment of God’s Promise. Believers are set free from the bondage of the Law. Galatians 5:1. This confirms to us that this is the correct and right thing to do. Sometimes doing what is right is not easy. Yet God tells us to “get rid of the slave woman and her son” Galatians 4:30; meaning we are to remove the fleshly desires and “live by the Spirit” Galatians 5:16. These and other verses refer to this incident as an example for us today! For some of us, it may be insisting that an adult child move out; or insisting an adult child, or any relative, be responsible for their own actions; all these things may bring us sorrow because we love them and don’t want to see them ‘suffer’, yet doing anything else would just enable them to continue in their current destructive path. Everyone must learn to trust God and be responsible for their own actions before God. Remember, God has no grandchildren!

21:13-14

God continues to assure Abraham that this is the right thing to do by telling him that He will bless Ishmael by making him a nation, because he is Abraham’s son. This would assure Abraham that God will take care of Hagar and Ishmael. (14.) In prompt obedience, Abraham gets up early and gathers together all the traditional provisions of food, water, etc. that Ishmael and Hagar would need, putting the provisions in appropriate vessels and puts them on the shoulders of both Ishmael and Hagar. As he sends them away, he knows they can reach Egypt, the home of Hagar’s family and relatives, so he is not sending them out to die. Abraham fully expected God to fulfill his promises for Ishmael. Yet, for some unknown reason it appears that Hagar loses her way and begins to wander in the wilderness of Beersheba, which is on the border of Egypt.

21:15-16

They evidently were distressed to be forced to leave their ‘good life’ with Abraham’s family, and probably feeling sorry for themselves; in any case they had used up all the water, so Hagar makes her son lie down under a shrub, probably to get out of the desert sun. (16.) Hagar sits down, probably under another shade shrub, crying to herself that she doesn’t want to see her son die. Then he begins to cry and wail out loud, and then she begins to cry and wail. God can see that neither one of them think to call on Him, even though He has spoken to Hagar before, and she has seen the faith of Abraham and Sarah and God’s intervention in their lives. It’s interesting that if we do not regularly pray and call on God with faith and trust, then when situations become desperate, we just wail and complain, and fail to seek God in our lives.

21:17

Elohim (God Almighty), as the Angel of the Lord, a theophany of God, (now identified as Elohim, is identified by His Majestic Name rather than His Redemptive Name,) hears Ishmael, yet calls Hagar and says “What’s wrong, Hagar?” It’s almost funny to think that God is saying in effect: “So what’s your problem, Hagar?” Note that while under the Abrahamic household, Hagar was under the Redemptive promise of Abraham’s household. Now she is on her own, thus God Almighty speaks directly to her. He tells her to fear not, for God has heard the voice of your son, where he is. God hears us from where we are in life. Hagar should have trusted God, yet she had not yet learned to trust and obey God. Have you learned to trust and obey God in all areas?

21:18-19

God tells Hagar to get up and help her son with her own hands, for “I intend to make him a great nation.” Then, as she obeys God, He opens her eyes to see a well of water right there, and she fills the water jug and gives water to Ishmael. Notice the progression of commands and obedience by Hagar. After she gets up to help her son, and goes to him, then God opens her eyes to see the well. Remember, God had met Hagar the first time and provided water from a well. So we are seeing God providing again for Hagar and Ishmael in the same manner. Often when we just wail to God to help us get out of our mess, we fail to obey His commands. We need to seek God with all our heart, and then obey Him one step at a time, showing we trust God. As we obey, then God slowly reveals to us the solutions to our difficulties.

21:20-21

The result of Trusting God and obeying Him, is shown as God was with Ishmael; and he develops and lives in the wilderness and becomes an archer. So we see Ishmael becomes a man, develops special skills and ‘lives in the Wilderness of Paran.’ Notice that Paran is Arabia, which Ishmael’s posterity has lived in to this day. Hagar finds a wife for him from Egypt, probably from her own family group.

21:22-24

Now we jump back to Abraham’s household. Abimelech and his Commander of his forces, go to Abraham, telling him they know that God is with him in everything he does! Abimelech seeks from Abraham a covenant, or legal contract agreement, that Abraham will be true and just with him and his posterity; according to the same measure of generosity that he has done with Abraham and his household. What a fulfillment of the promise of God from Genesis 12:2, where all those who bless Abraham and his posterity, will also be blessed by God. It is obvious that all the people, especially Abimelech and his rulers, all see that Abraham is greatly blessed by God continually. Abraham agrees to the covenant as it appeared reasonable and was in fulfillment of God’s promise to him.

21:25-26

A well of water was crucial to being able to occupy the land. Since Abimelech had told Abraham he and his entire household could dwell where ever they pleased, Abraham had no doubt chosen land and had his men dig the necessary wells to sustain their herds, flocks and farming. To seize, or take over, a well, was to steal the land. So Abraham is forced to go to Abimelech because it is his men who did the stealing. Abimelech immediately defends himself by claiming he is ignorant of who did the stealing in his kingdom.

21:27-30

Now Abraham takes his sheep and oxen, and he and Abimelech make a covenant, or legal agreement regarding the land and wells. Abraham takes seven ewe lambs and sets them aside as part of the covenant. Abimelech immediately asks for the meaning of the seven lambs. The Hebrew word sheba means seven, and shaba, means to swear. Beersheba means ‘well of seven’, ‘well of swearing’ or ‘well of the oath’. The use of the words for to swear means to seven oneself, or pledge by seven sacred things. Abraham no doubt wants Abimelech to understand clearly the severity of this covenant. It is thought that there may have been as many as seven wells in the area. In any case, Abraham wants to make a solemn covenant as a witness that these wells were dug and maintained by men of his household.

21:31-32

The area of land was called Beersheba, because of the oath taken by both of them, Abraham and Abimelech. After this Covenant was made, then Abimelech and Phichol, his Commander of his armed forces, all returned to the land of the Philistines. This phrase would probably mean that there was a large armed force with Abimelech.

21:33-34

After this threatening situation was resolved with a firm treaty (covenant) with the ruler of the land, Abimelech; then Abraham planted the grove in Beersheba and called upon, or worshiped the Everlasting God. Abraham and his household then lived in this area for quite some years. This is the first mention of the name of God as the Everlasting God or in Hebrew: Jehovah El Olam, meaning Jehovah is the Eternal God. Abraham realized that even though he had made a covenant with an earthly king, he was really the recipient of the Covenant Promises of an Eternal King. God had allowed Abimelech temporary possession of a portion of the Promised land, which Jehovah El Olam had promised as an eternal possession to the Seed of Abraham.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves, and each other, that the real Promised Land for us is Eternal, not earthly. Certainly we are responsible to take good care of the earthly land and treasures God has given us, but NOT to put our trust in the physical wealth; rather, to seek and Trust God for eternal treasures. So earthly riches really mean nothing! Our most truly valuable inheritance is Eternal; Heavenly riches and Glorious fellowship with Jehovah El Olam, our Eternal Everlasting Creator!