Book of Genesis Chapter 21 Commentary by Pastor
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:1-5
Verse 1. "Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had
said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised.
Sarah's wait had been long and hard for her. It was so
difficult that she had given
up any hope long ago that she would ever have a child. Her heart was
broken every time she thought about the old ache inside, and we should take
note of this verse in Genesis because all of us have unrealized hopes in this life.
What do you want in life? Does it seem like the Lord has not been listening? That He has
forgotten you? Has He placed a promise into your heart that has not become
real in your life?
That's the way it was for Sarah - She thought God had somehow
forgotten her. But He "took note of Sarah (just as He had said)
and the
Lord did for Sarah as He had promised." As we become more-and-more willing
to allow the Lord and His Word to fill our hearts, minds and lives, our prayer
life will become stronger and better. We gradually find that as we reach
out to Him, He is reaching back to us. And just as He had promises for the
lives of Abraham and Sarah, He has promises for your life and mine, which He will bring
to pass.
Verse 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."
It's important to note that Sarah was ninety years old at the
time this son was born to her and Abraham, her husband, was one hundred years on
this earth. The
phrase "in his old age" was literally true for both of them. This was
"old" to have a child, even in those days when the recorded ages of people at
time of death was about twice as long as it is today. God created
everything - life, death, the length of our lives and everything about us -
He created it all.
And He who created all things can set aside the usual order of
things any time He wants. He is God. Years before it had been
observed that "the way of women had ceased to be with Sarah." She referred
to herself as "worn out" and described her husband as too "old" for any of this
(Genesis 18:11-12). But here she was, years later, and it is reported that
she "conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age," just as God said.
It was precisely at the time God had specified it was to happen. The Lord
has miracles in store for His people.
Verse 3. "Abraham called the name of his son who was
born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac."
Our God is full of miracles. When He "speaks" to you,
whether through His Word, in a dream or directly to your waking heart, take the
risk of prayerfully responding to His plan for your life. Abraham did, and
it led to this moment when he actually received the promise of God. You
may think that having a son is not a miracle, but Abraham and Sarah would argue that point
with you. This was their child of the promise and he knew unmistakably that
God had brought this moment, this boy, into Abraham's and Sarah's lives.
Both Abraham and Sarah had at first laughed in disbelief at
the promise of God. In Genesis 17:17, we see that Abraham "fell on his
face and laughed" when God promised him a son. "Sarah laughed to herself"
about this promise, as it can be seen in Genesis 18:12. They did have faith
in God even though their ability to believe that God can and will do ANYTHING
was limited just like the rest of us. As you can see in Genesis 15:6, Abraham
"believed in the Lord..." and so did Sarah, and "it was counted to (them)
as
righteousness."
Verse 4. "Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he
was eight days old, as God had commanded him."
Note that when Abraham KNEW without any doubt what God wanted,
he did his best to carry out the will of God for himself and those around him.
In Verse 3, we saw that Abraham called his newborn son, "Isaac," which means
"laughter," just as the Lord had told him to name the boy
(Genesis 17:19). Both of the child's parents had laughed in disbelief at the
thought of having a son at their advanced ages, but now we will see in Verse 6
that Sarah laughed for joy at the birth of her son.
The second element of Abraham's obedience in this verse is
his willingness to circumcise his eight-day old newborn son. That
was seen in Genesis 17:12 and its context, when God said to him, "He who is
eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your
generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any stranger
who is not your descendant..." Abraham had faith that the Lord intends
good for us and we also should respond to his will.
Verse 5. "Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his
son Isaac was born to him."
We've been observing the life of Abraham now for 25-years of
his long life. If it seems like it has been 25-years since we have started
this study, I apologize, but it's very important that we understand this man of
God. He was later described in Romans 4:11 as "the father of all those who
believe." That is to say we look to him as the "model" of what a faithful
person is all about. As we examine his life, it is like we are in a mine,
digging out nuggets of God's grace from this man in the past. He made mistakes,
he didn't always understand, he wasn't perfect, but "he believed in the Lord,
and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
It wasn't an easy road for him, either. He had been
75-years old at the time he left the community of Haran, as you can see in
Genesis 12:4. He had given up his former life with his father's family to
follow the Lord. Yes he had prospered outwardly, but he walked into
uncertainty and long ago gave up the possibility that he and Sarah would have
the son of God's promise. "Abraham was one hundred years old when his son
Isaac was born to him," and if it seems like God is slow in fulfilling the
promise in your life, remember Abraham and "WAIT on the Lord" (Isaiah 40:31).
Lord, we entrust our hearts and our lives to You.
Please forgive us for our unbelief, our sin, and make us new in Christ Jesus.
Help us to believe, that we might know the righteousness You offer through the
cross. We praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:6-10
Verse 6. "Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me;
everyone who hears will laugh with me.'"
There are certain things in life that we want to do, and many
of them are typical for most people everywhere, in the past, present and future
of what we call "time."
As it is for many women at some point in their lives, Sarah had wanted to have a
child. Especially she wanted a son so that she could please her husband,
Abraham, a wealthy man who desired to have an heir he could train to manage all
the assets involved in his estate and the young man would receive everything through inheritance.
And now she had him. She had a son.
Sarah, at an incredible ninety years old, was truly happy. Her
previous "laughter" had been somewhat scornful, for she had "laughed
within herself" when she
heard that God had promised her a son (Genesis 18:12). She couldn't
believe it. And note in Verse
13 of that Chapter that the Lord heard her laughter, even though it was not done
out loud. As David would observe centuries later, and as Sarah now understood
about the Lord: "You (the Lord)
"understand my thought
afar off" (Psalm 139:2). Just as He understands your thoughts
and mine.
Verse 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 true - A few years before the time of this verse, it was
unlikely that any
human being would have said to Abraham, "You're going to have a son!" for, as
the years went by, it seemed first improbable, then impossible that it could ever
happen. Then came the birth of Ishmael through Hagar the Egyptian
serving-maid, and Abraham thought the miracle had already happened. But
here was the promise of God, in Sarah's arms right at this moment, nursing,
burping, alive with the life that only the Lord God can give.
Most mothers are surprised, awestruck and full of love as they
look into the eyes of their newborn babies, but most happy of all are those who
have previously become convinced that they cannot have a child, though they want
one. That was
Sarah, and note that in Scripture we often see the very thoughts that real,
historical people are having at the time. And see the clarity of the
message here, that God will perform literal miracles in the lives of the people
of this world. People just like - you.
Verse 8. "The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham
made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned."
Notice that God's way of dealing with the passage of time is
not like ours. Moses would observe in Psalm 90:4, that "a thousand years
in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past," and the Apostle Peter had
something very similar to say in 2 Peter 3:8. The phrase indicating that
"the child grew and was weaned" suggests that a couple of years or so had likely
passed since the preceding verse and Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, was now a toddler. For God, a
jump of years or even centuries from one verse to another is not unusual.
This would have been an uproarious time for all in the camp. In a culture that never heard of television or radio or
telephones or anything of the sort, almost any occasion was an opportunity to
get together and celebrate. This was to be a "great feast," with lots of
food, music, singing and dancing. Isaac was to be the heir of Abraham's
fortune, though Hagar, mother of Ishmael might still have hopes at the moment that her
wishes would be smiled upon and her son would survive to get it all.
Verse 9. "Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,
whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking."
Children tease other children all over the world, and
especially it's the older ones who like to poke fun at younger ones. Only
this "mocking" of Isaac by Ishmael had more serious overtones than
it normally does.
This word for "mocking" in the Hebrew language would suggest that the older boy, now a teenager, was,
in a negative, scornful way, imitating
little Isaac, particularly as to how he walked and his attempts to
communicate. Sarah saw this happening to her son, Isaac, and she was
deeply concerned.
It caused Sarah to think that possibly the older boy, Ishmael,
perhaps as prompted by his mother, Hagar, might actually at some unguarded
moment attempt to do harm to the younger boy. Perhaps even kill him.
Such things were not unheard of in the time and place of this verse and Sarah was now
watching the two boys with a lot of concern. She was staring at the boys
intently and was wide-eyed with worry.
Verse 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.'"
We saw in the preceding verse that Sarah had seen her son,
Isaac, being teased and made fun of by his older half-brother, Ishmael, son of
his mother, Hagar and of Abraham. And with the considerable forcefulness of a mother
worried about her son, Sarah was now insisting that Abraham, whose word was law in
their large encampment, would force both the "maid," Hagar the Egyptian, and her
son, Ishmael, to leave that place - now!
Sarah would have kept demanding that Abraham banish the older
boy, Ishmael, and his mother, Hagar, ousting them from their nomadic lives.
At the moment she was relentlessly
pursuing Abraham around the campground, and Abraham began to know that Sarah
would not stop making her demands. Not this time. He began to
realize that his son, Ishmael, a son that he loved, was going to have to leave.
Father, the longer we live, the more we run into serious
decisions that are too great for us. We need You, dear God, because more in
life than we realize is greater than our abilities and resources. We trust
in You, Lord, that You can help us. We reach out to You right now, in the
Name of Jesus Christ, asking You to lead us. Show us the way we should go
and what we should do. Help us, dear Father. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:11-15
Verse 11. "The matter distressed Abraham greatly because
of his son."
Most understand the idea of "Cause and Effect." A
"cause" is something that makes something else happen. An "effect" is what
happens as a result of the cause. About fifteen years before the time of this
verse, Sarah, Abraham's wife had talked the man into taking her serving-maid,
Hagar, as his concubine, his second wife, so that Sarah might have a child by
this convoluted method. Abraham's first son, Ishmael, was the result.
Sarah's pressure caused Ishmael to exist from a human perspective and her pressure was the cause of Abraham's
distress at the moment of this verse.
Here was Sarah, years later, relentlessly pressuring Abraham
once more. She was trying to get rid of the very son she had wanted years
in the past. And this time, Abraham was thinking, this time "I will resist her.
I love my son, Ishmael, and I want to keep him with me. Yes I am happy with my
new son, Isaac, but I love Ishmael, too. I will keep both of my sons."
It's clear the man was thinking in such a manner because in the next verse we
find God's intervention - He would tell Abraham to, in this instance, let Sarah
have her way. Ishmael would have to go.
Verse 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.'"
Abraham was VERY "distressed" because of what he was about to
do. He had been pressured incessantly by his wife, Sarah, who wanted him
to force Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maid and Ishmael, son of Abraham through Hagar,
OUT of their lives. Sarah could be very forceful and Abraham knew at the
time of this verse that he would give in to her. Abraham had waited for a
son for many years, and for a long time now, he had rejoiced in Ishmael, who was
his son.
But now Sarah his wife had given birth to another son, Isaac,
and she did not want Hagar and Ishmael to be in their lives - ever again!
When God spoke to Abraham and told him, "Do not be distressed because of the lad
and your maid," it suggests that Abraham DID feel distressed, not only about his
teenaged son, Ishmael, but he had feelings for Hagar as well. Note that
God referred to Hagar as Abraham's "maid," not as his secondary wife. God
was reminding
Abraham that the promise to Abraham extended through Isaac, who would carry his
name and his estate into the future. Sarah wanted Hagar and Ishmael out of
their lives, but God's will also was in operation, expressed directly and through
Sarah's demands. Husbands should listen to to wives for God often speaks
through them.
Verse 13. "And of the son of the maid I will make a
nation also, because he is your descendant."
We saw in Verse 12 that Abraham had deep feelings for his son,
Ishmael, born to him through Sarah's maid servant, Hagar. He cared
for Hagar as well. And now Abraham was faced with his wife, Sarah's
insistence that the mother and son, Hagar and Ishmael, must be banned from their
encampment, from their very lives. Abraham was grief-stricken, and at the
moment of this verse was awake in the night, listening to the voice of God, who
was telling him that all would be well with Ishmael.
Abraham felt that he might never see his son, Ishmael, ever
again. It's not clear that he did, though Ishmael did see Abraham on at
least one sad future occasion. Genesis 25:8-9 reports that "Abraham
breathed his last and died... and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him..."
Right at this moment, Abraham was reassured by the Word of the Lord that Ishmael
would live and prosper. The Lord promised that not only out of Isaac would
nations arise, but out of Ishmael it would happen as well.
Verse 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."
Abraham awoke early the next morning, though he likely had
little sleep during the previous night. He had grudgingly become satisfied during the
long night that it was the Lord's will for Hagar and Ishmael to be banished from
their lives, and that it was not merely the will of Sarah, Abraham's wife. But he was
still troubled by all that was happening as he went through the motions of readying them
for their journey into the unknown; sent away from his younger son, Isaac. Abraham would have
wanted to stare at his son, Ishmael, commit the young man's face to memory and hold his son
in his arms, but he must have looked away and kept his distance, troubled by
what he felt he had to do.
He gave them mere sustenance, consisting of bread and a cured
animal skin that was full of water. He would have wanted to give them more,
but his wife, Sarah, was likely watching, and he remembered the words of Verse
12 and other places that it was Isaac, not Ishmael, who was to inherit Abraham's name,
his goods and his estate. Hagar left with her son, and she simply
"wandered about," not knowing where to go in the wilderness. As we will
see, Hagar had no hope, for she felt that the both of them were about to die
from exposure to the harsh desert sun.
Verse 15. "When the water in the skin was used up, she
left the boy under one of the bushes."
Hagar was deeply distressed at the turn of events which had
led her out of safety and into what felt like impending death for both her and
her son, Ishmael. They had been thrust into a parched desert and there was
nowhere else for them to go. Their water was now
gone and so was her hope. The boy, now a teenager, about 15- or 16-years old and
considered a man in the culture of the time, fell asleep under the scarce shade
of a desert bush.
She walked away from the boy, stunned that her beloved son was
about to die and she was helpless to do anything about it. Have you been (or
are you right now?) in such a place? Did you or do you think that all
is lost and you are helpless? We will see that God did not forget Hagar
and He will not forget you, no matter how insurmountable your problems may seem
to be at the moment.
Father, I am thankful that You have not forgotten me.
I give my circumstances and my life to You, knowing that You have a good plan
for me and for those I love. I confess that unbelief has been part of my
life, right up to this moment. Help me, dear Lord, for I need You today, for the rest of my life,
and for all eternity. I love You and trust in You now. I am Yours. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:16-20
Verse 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."
Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, walked away from her sleeping son, for she was grieving, convinced that he would soon die. A bowshot was some distance and she went because she was helpless to do anything for him. At that time she was experiencing what is called "anticipatory grief," for all that she held dear now seemed to be lost. But we also see here the beginning of a prayer to the Lord. When she said, "Do not let me see the boy die," she was calling out to God. She had no hope at the moment, but did manage to gasp out a request for His mercy.
You have to wonder: If there was no death, no weakness in us, and we had no needs whatsoever, would any of us ever turn to the Lord? The sad answer is - probably not. We turn to Him because we need Him and if we needed nothing, few, if any, would come to Him. That's why Paul could advise us: "In everything give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) because God has good for us within even the worst of circumstances. The best in life is not merely to keep on living but to trust in God. This is an unhappy world but by trusting in Him we enter a path that leads to the joy of the Lord.
Verse 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.'"
"God heard the lad crying," and those are words hoped for by every concerned, good parent, when their child is lost, sick, near death or merely crying in the night. God hears you and hears your child. He knows about your need and the need of a child. He cares for you and will dispatch His holy angels faster than a thought. In this case we see that the boy Ishmael's life would be prolonged, which is observably not always the case for God sometimes will bring that child through death to be with Him.
But whatever the outcome, the advice of this angel is directed to us all: "Do not fear, for God has heard..." he said to this grieving mother. Scripture calls out to us: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer... let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). The answer to prayer may be "yes" or "no" or "wait," but the promise is that God's "peace" will be yours when you prayerfully reach out to Him in your need.
Verse 18. "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him."
God's ways are certainly not like ours. His Word reveals that "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord, 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways'" (Isaiah 55:8-9). Ishmael, son of Hagar and Abraham, "the lad" of these verses, would grow up to be a rival of his younger brother, Isaac, son of Sarah and Abraham. And Ishmael's descendents, the "great nation" mentioned here, have been rivals of the descendants of Isaac to this day.
But God, in His wisdom, chose to let these events become historical realities and His ways are indeed higher and have better outcomes than anything we could imagine on this earth. Many of those who would be born into the families of both sons would place their trust in the Lord and influence others to do the same. We need not fear or reject any group or nation, for hidden everywhere among all the peoples of this earth are representatives of the people of God.
Verse 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."
Do you get the impression that this "well of water" was right in front of Hagar, all the time? I do. This verse does not say that God dug anything like a well at that moment, but instead it is stated that "God opened her eyes" to the well that had been in that desolate place all the time. It's the same way for us all. Often the solution to seemingly insurmountable problems is right in front of us, but we simply do not see it.
Notice the progression in these verses, which is the way it often happens in your life and mine. First, Hagar and her son, Ishmael, were suddenly thrust out of their place of safety and forced into one of life's "deserts." Second, Hagar gave up all hope, as many tend to do, but the third event is what separated her from so many others - She uttered a weak prayer to the Lord, as seen in Verse 16. And God ANSWERED her prayer. She and her son were delivered after God opened her eyes to a solution she had not previously seen. When you are in trouble, pray, for God is aware of your need and He will respond to even a tiny bit of faithful prayer.
Verse 20. "God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer."
"God was with" Ishmael. Based on all the context of these verses, it would be easy to decide that God would be with the younger son, Isaac, and therefore the Lord would be against Ishmael, but it was not the case. God is not simply with one person or group and against others. The reverse is true, for He reasonably expects that WE will choose to ally ourselves with HIM. That concept can be seen in places like Joshua 5:13-15. In that Scripture, we find Joshua, the former secretary and assistant who had been given the leadership of Israel after the death of Moses, just as they entered the land of Canaan, the place of the promised land.
It was then, as he "looked... a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand." Brave Joshua asked Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" And the response of this Being, who was either a key angel of God or God Himself, was, "No..." We would expect Him to be on Israel's side, but that was not the case. He was not on either side. It is up to us to be on God's side; not the other way around. Ishmael, by the way, became an "archer," probably a very good one. In that time and place where there were no markets nearby, to be able to get your own food through archery was a real plus. Also Ishmael would have had a budding career as a mercenary. His mother would be safe with him.
Father, open our eyes that we may see. Especially, Lord, help us to understand that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He was not given to just one group but He lived, died and rose again for us all. We confess our sins to You right now. Help us to trust in the Lord, receive Your Holy Spirit, and to love one another. We praise You, dear Father. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:21-25
Verse 21. "He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his
mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt."
Ishmael, the "he" of this verse, will mostly disappear from this account in Scripture,
but he will be mentioned from time-to-time. God would take care of this
young man and his mother, but the historical record now returns to Abraham and his other son,
Isaac, the child of the promise of God. Ishmael was watched over, prepared
and protected by God, but Isaac was in the human line that eventually would lead
to the birth of the Messiah, the Christ, hundreds of years in the future. The whole of human history centers around the Lord Jesus, who was sent by God to save us. Isaac would be the next step toward His birth.
"Paran" (which literally meant "ornamental") was a wilderness
area south of what would later be called Judah. It was west of Edom, and north of the
Sinai desert. There are other mentions of the place in Scripture, often in
relation to border disputes or warfare. Ishmael was partly Sumerian, the
likely nationality of his father, and he was half-Egyptian, the nationality of his
mother. His mother, Hagar, obtained a wife for him from Egypt, a place and people
that was familiar to her. She and her new daughter-in-law would have much to talk about.
Verse 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;'"
Have you ever met someone and after being with them for a
time, you conclude that God is certainly with them. And you don't always
know why - it's just a fact that life for them is different, you might say,
better than it is for others. The world would call them "lucky" in one way
or another. King Abimelech lived in a time when most people believed in
God, at least to some extent, and he had been able to closely observe
Abraham for a number of years because the man and his many followers lived in and
roamed freely within the borders of Abimelech's kingdom.
Abimelech now paid a formal visit to Abraham's encampment and
he was accompanied this time by "Phicol" ("Mighty One"). Phicol was the general in charge
of Abimelech's armies. They did not come alone for they would have been
surrounded by guards and soldiers. It must have been an impressive and
somewhat scary sight for those in Abraham's camp. Sarah, Abraham's wife,
must have stayed out of sight, for it was the custom of the time, but even more
so in this case, for she had once lived in Abimelech's harem. This was not
a social visit, by the way, for Abimelech had important state business to
conduct.
Verse 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."
King Abimelech would have been more inclined to trust
Abraham's words if Abraham had been honest with the king in the past.
We saw in Chapter 20 that Abraham had told a lie, pretending that Sarah, his
wife (who was also his half-sister) was merely his sister, not his wife.
This half-truth caused a lot of problems, one of them being that men like
Abimelech could not believe what Abraham said, even though the Lord had revealed to him that the man was a "prophet" of God (Genesis
20:7). Abimelech felt he could not trust in the man's word and he had great reservations about him.
However, Abimelech did have some belief in God, to the extent
that he felt deeply that if Abraham would "swear... by God," he would keep his
word. How do people feel about YOUR word, YOUR reputation? Do you
always tell the truth no matter what? As the Apostle Paul would urge in
a later century, we are to "be speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). How does one
reveal the naked truth, and yet at the same time tell it in a loving, caring, giving manner?
Look to God and pray, for His Holy Spirit in us can do what we cannot do by
ourselves.
Verse 24. "Abraham said, 'I swear it.'"
Abraham was in a very good position at the moment. He
knew that King Abimelech would not believe his words because of his lies told to the
man in the past, but he also was aware that Abimelech had been told by the Lord
in a dream that Abraham was a "prophet" of God (Genesis 20:7). Abimelech
was now forcing Abraham to swear before God, for if he did, Abimelech felt it was likely that Abraham would tell the truth.
Jesus encouraged us to keep life simple through the simple mechanism of always telling the
truth. He said, "Let your 'Yes be 'Yes' and your 'No'
be "No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." God
would still bless Abraham even though he had lied more than once, but life would
have been less stressful if he had been honest with this king named Abimelech.
And so will life be less stressful for all those who choose to not embellish the
simple truth with exaggerations and outright lies.
Verse 25. "But Abraham complained to Abimelech because
of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized."
Abraham saw this unexpected moment with King Abimelech as an
opportunity to correct a problem that had emerged in his life. He now "complained"
to the king that some of Abimelech's subjects had taken a "well of
water" away from the people and herds of Abraham. Notice that the
man, Abraham, often spoke right up when the opportunity was there. There
is a saying in the English language: "The squeaky wheel gets oiled," intimating
that the one who asks is the one most likely to receive.
And this is especially true when we are speaking to the Lord
in what we call, "prayer." Paul the Apostle,
who was a man of prayer, saw the need and taught us: "Be
anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God..." (Philippians
4:6). God's answer may be "yes" or "no" or "wait," but every moment of each day is our opportunity to present our needs to
the Lord. He is the One who will hear you and He is the One who will
give what is needed for your life.
Father, to the extent that we have not been truthful in the past, we confess our sins and ask Your help, that we might become truly honest men and women who speak the truth in love. We ask You to fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit and help us to live clean lives, trusting in the Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:26-30
Verse 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.'"
King Abimelech was afraid of Abraham because he feared
God, and he regarded Abraham as a man of God. The Lord had spoken to
Abimelech in a dream that "he (Abraham) is a prophet..." and God further said, "he will
pray for you and you shall live" (Genesis 20:7). Abimelech wanted to live
and so he treated Abraham as kindly and as gently as he possibly could.
However, the king was somewhat testy and he still found
Abraham to be rather annoying because the man had lied to him before and trouble had
come to the kingdom as a result. We saw in the preceding verse that "Abraham
complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of
Abimelech had seized," and the king responded in this verse by
essentially saying, "You should have told me sooner." But the truth may be that he already knew.
Verse 27. "Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to
Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant."
In ancient times, as it is today, certain elements must be
present in order for a "covenant," a contract, to be valid. Something of
value must be given. And there must be what is called a "reasonable
consideration" if the contract was to be defensible in a court of law.
Abraham wanted Abimelech's word that the well which had been taken, legally
belonged to Abraham; and further, it was not the property of the men who had taken it from him.
In exchange for King Abimelech's word that the well was once
again the sole property of Abraham, the king was given something of value in
return. The sole right to use an important well was given to Abraham, and
in exchange, he gave certain "sheep and oxen" as full payment for the well.
"The two of them made a covenant" - In other words, they agreed on the terms of
this contract, as witnessed by Phicol, Abimelech's commander, and others from
both sides who agreed that the contract was fair.
Verse 28. "Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock
by themselves."
The contract between King Abimelech and Abraham had been
already accepted by both of these men. And now there was a little "icing
on the cake," an "extra," because Abraham, in the sight of Abimelech and the others,
now "set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves." This was an unusual
act and as we will see in the next verse, Abimelech was curious about what
Abraham meant by doing it.
Some years ago, when we were in Israel, standing on
one of the little round hills next to the small town of Bethlehem, a little Arab girl
came up to us with a tiny lamb in her arms. The lamb was utterly cute and
completely helpless. We each gave her a shekel and she smilingly let us
hold that lamb. These "seven ewe lambs" would have been helpless, just
like the lamb in Bethlehem, who would be born into the line of Abraham, thousands of years in the future from the moment of this verse.
Verse 29. "Abimelech said to Abraham, 'What do these
seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?'"
King Abimelech asked the same question we likely would have
asked, if we were in the same position he was at that time. Actually, we
ARE in a similar position because we note the uniqueness of the gift - This
appears to be the only recorded contractual agreement in the Old Testament in
which a group of "ewe lambs" were added to the terms of what was now already an existing contract.
The two men, Abimelech and Abraham, had already made a
covenant, a contract allowing Abraham to have exclusive use of the well of water that was
in front of them at the moment. It says in Verse 27 that "the two of them
made a covenant." The well was dug by Abraham's men, as stated in
Verse 30, but Abraham was camped within Abimelech's kingdom and permission was
needed because the land and all that was under it ultimately, from a human perspective, belonged to King Abimelech.
Verse 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.'"
Abraham now explained the meaning of the "seven ewe lambs"
(baby female sheep) that he had set apart to give to King Abimelech. If
the king accepted the lambs it would be his public testimony, as witnessed by
all who watched at the moment, that the well could not only be USED by Abraham,
but he had ownership of it. The king was publicly stating by receiving the lambs that the well
would not exist except that Abraham, through his men, had dug it.
Abraham may have had trouble controlling his wife Sarah, as
can be seen in the first verses of this chapter, but he was a good businessman
and an effective leader of men. He had forgotten to pray at some critical
moments, as we saw earlier, and his fear had led him to "bend the truth"
occasionally, but he was a better human being than most and he had honest faith
in the Lord. Right at the moment he was establishing that an important
well of water would be available now and in the future to his descendents, his followers within the encampment and for his
flocks of animals.
Thank You, Father, for Abraham. He was not perfect in all his actions, which is encouraging to us because we are not perfect, either. He had faith in the Lord and he had the wisdom which comes from God. Lord, let our faith in You be acceptable in Your sight and if we lack faith, please help our belief in You to be strong. Give us the wisdom we need in order to live in this world. We trust in You and thank You for all You have given. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 21:31-34
Verse 31. "Therefore he called that place Beersheba,
because there the two of them took an oath."
Abraham and King Abimelech were surrounded at the moment by a dry, arid region,
a place where a well of water was a considerably valuable asset. Ownership of the
well at the place Abraham and future generations would call "Beersheba" was very
important and all who witnessed the acting out of the contract in these verses
knew it. "Beersheba," by the way, meant "well of the oath" or preferably,
"well of the seven" - the latter was probably the true meaning in the minds
of those who witnessed this oath of ownership. The name was a reference to the "seven ewe lambs" mentioned in Verses 28-30.
Abraham likely named this well right at the moment of these
verses in the presence of all who witnessed this acting out of a contract
because the next verse says "they made a covenant at Beersheba," suggesting that
the name was agreed upon at the moment the contract was "signed." These
two, Abraham and Abimelech, were both God-fearing men and Abraham knew that the
covenant between them was likely to be honored during their lifetimes and he hoped the contract would also be valid for his descendants.
Verse 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."
The fact that King Abimelech brought his commanding general,
"Phicol," with him to meet with Abraham, suggests that he thought there might be
trouble between himself and Abraham. It is also very likely that Phicol brought a
large contingent of soldiers with them for this meeting. It would be rare
that a king would visit a place like Abraham's encampment unless he was well-protected. We know from a previous glimpse in Genesis 14:14 that Abraham had a large
group of armed men of his own.
When it says that "Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his
army, arose and (left)," it implies that a large group of Phicol's men left the
camp at the same time as this king and his general. They "returned to the land of the Philistines,"
which means that Abimelech and his people were of Philistine descent. The
Philistines were called "sea peoples" by those in the region, including the
Egyptians, and they would become arch enemies of Israel in the future. We
will meet this group and Abimelech once more (or possibly a son who had the same
name), in Chapter 26.
Verse 33. "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba,
and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God."
Abraham tended to plant a tree or trees when he was feeling
intense pleasure that the Lord had given him victory in some manner or another, and this
time he planted a "tamarisk tree" at the place where he had just won contractual
rights to a well from a local king named Abimelech. The "tamarisk" was a hardy, shrub-like tree
common to the area, which produced small white or pink flowers.
Abraham had associated the worship of God with special trees
in the past. He especially liked the "Oak(s) of Moreh" for that purpose,
which we saw in places like Genesis 12:6-7. And now, at the place where
the tree was planted, "he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God."
His descendants were forbidden from planting a tree beside an altar of the Lord
(Deuteronomy 16:21) because it might draw them into idolatry, but no such law
was in existence for Abraham. He worshipped the true Lord in simple,
honest faith. He was not, nor would he become, an idolator.
Verse 34. "And Abraham sojourned in the land of the
Philistines for many days."
After Abraham had completed his contractual agreement with
King Abimelech, he felt secure for a time. The king was allowing him to
remain within the borders of his Philistine kingdom and was not threatening him
in any way. Abraham had ample grazing land for his animals and because of
receiving the well at Beersheba by treaty, he had plenty of water for not only the animals, but also for the people he led.
He had everything that was needed and so he stayed there "for many days," which meant
that this nomadic individual remained in that place for a comparatively long time.
Abraham was an outsider in most of the places he had occupied
or visited since his departure from Ur of the Chaldeans, in what is now Iraq.
He was of Semitic descent and the Philistines were not. He had friends and
allies who were part of other groups as well, such as "Mamre the Amorite" and
his brothers (Genesis 14:13). Abraham was a personable man who worked well
with other people and as King Abimelech indicated to the man, "God is with you..."
(Genesis 21:22). Many "doors" were opened for this man who had simple faith and loved the Lord.
Thank You, Lord, for revealing in Scripture, the lives of Abraham and his family. We see from the events surrounding him that he became acceptable to God. Thank You for receiving simple men and women who come to You on the basis of faith rather than some kind of difficult work or works that none of us could perform. Forgive us for making things complicated and difficult in the past. We place our faith in You right now. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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