In our study of Genesis chapter twenty one, we look at the lasting effects of Avraham's decision to have a son in his own power vs. waiting on the promise of God. As we shall see, this decision has consequences that we live with to this day.
** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.
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ADONAI remembered Sarah as he had said, and ADONAI did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the very time God had said to him.
The Hebrew word "pakad" is translated here as remembered but it literally means "to visit" and it speaks to the fact that God was moving to bring about the fulfillment of his word. God kept his promise to Avraham and Sarah gave birth to his son. The Hebrew word "zaqen" is translated here as "old age" but it refers to more than just the years of Avraham's life. It refers to an elder with much experience walking with God and with much experience comes much wisdom. In this we see that it was only after Avraham matured in his wisdom that God gave him a son. This is a reminder to us that God always keeps His promises and His timing is perfect. Like Avraham and Sarah, we have been promised a new life and are waiting on God's timing. Our struggle is just like theirs was and that is having patience and being content in the moment that we have.
Avraham called his son, born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Yitz'chak. Avraham circumcised his son Yitz'chak when he was eight days old, as God had ordered him to do. Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitz'chak was born to him.
Avraham did as the Lord had said and named and circumcised Yitz-chak (Isaac). The name Yitz'chak means "he will laugh" and it speaks not of humor but of joy and we are reminded that the outcome of the promises of God is joy. We also see the fact that Yitz'chak is Avraham's son repeated over and over again and it is speaking about the key to the promise.
Sarah said, "God has given me good reason to laugh; now everyone who hears about it will laugh with me." And she said, "Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Nevertheless, I have borne him a son in his old age!"
In chapter 18, we saw that Sarah laughed in disbelief when she heard that she would produce a son in her old age but here we see that laughter of disbelief turned to the laughter of joy with the fulfillment of God's promise. Sarah laughs for joy at the wonder of what God has done and says that everyone that hears of this wonder will rejoice with her. We also see Sarah speaking in faith as she speaks of nursing children when she only had one son. In our world today, there is a speaking in faith movement that is basically "name it and claim it" where you say what you want and God is going to give it to you. That is not what we see here as God had told Avraham and Sarah that their descendants were going to be as numerous as the stars in the sky and here we see that Sarah is believing that and speaking as if it has already happened.
The child grew and was weaned, and Avraham gave a great banquet on the day that Yitz'chak was weaned.
The custom was to wean children at two to three years of age. At this time, Avraham threw a big birthday party for Yitz'chak (Isaac) and this speaks of rejoicing as we see the work of God in our lives. Avraham is celebrating the various stages of the fulfillment of God's promise to him.
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom Hagar had borne to Avraham, making fun of Yitz'chak; so Sarah said to Avraham, "Throw this slave-girl out! And her son! I will not have this slave-girl's son as your heir along with my son Yitz'chak!"
At this banquet, we see that, instead of rejoicing with the family, Ishmael is mocking Yitz'chak (Isaac). This is the same spirit that we saw with Hagar in chapter 16 as she showed contempt for Sarah at the birth of Ishmael. At this time, Ishmael would have been a teenager and was picking on Isaac. It seems harsh but Sarah tells Avraham that they must go and that Ishmael will not share in Isaac's inheritance. This reveals the heart of the matter and the problem that continues to this day. Ishmael was a child of man's efforts as it was Avraham & Sarah's plan to have a child through Hagar. God's plan was for them to have a son through Sarah but they had grown impatient and taken matters into their own hands. This struggle between man's efforts and God's plan continues even in the hearts of believers. Sometimes, we find it hard to believe that all we have to do is put our trust in the Lord and not try to work for our salvation.
Avraham became very distressed over this matter of his son. But God said to Avraham, "Don't be distressed because of the boy and your slave-girl. Listen to everything Sarah says to you, because it is your descendants through Yitz'chak who will be counted. But I will also make a nation from the son of the slave-girl, since he is descended from you."
Here we see that Avraham was "distressed" at the thought of sending his own flesh and blood (Ishmael) away but the actual Hebrew word used is "rah" which means evil and speaks of being against the will of God. God showed up to speak to Avraham and it is important to notice that God does not refer to Ishmael as his son but instead calls him "the boy". He was told that what Sarah was saying was true and was in fact God's will. He also comforted Avraham by telling him that Ishmael would be a nation as well and this is the root of the problem between Islam and Jews. Ishmael would become the father of a nation based on man's efforts (Islam) while Yitz'chak (Isaac) would become a nation of promise (Judaism). We also see that this blessing for Ishmael of being a nation was not based on who he was but was because of his relationship with Avraham.
Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child; then he sent her away. After leaving, she wandered in the desert around Be'er-Sheva.
Avraham listened to the Lord and sent Hagar and Ishmael away. We notice that he provided them with food and water and that reminds us that their descendants also have the opportunity of accepting Jesus Christ and returning to the family of God. We see that, when they left, they wandered aimlessly in the desert and we can imagine the feelings of rejection and anger that must have been growing in this teenage boy. This damaged pride is the root of the problem and what the devil has used to great advantage in our world today. Today, it has progressed from mocking to murder but the cause is still pride. The answer is Jesus as He is the Prince of Peace and the only way to reconcile this broken family.
When the water in the skin was gone, she left the child under a bush, and went and sat down, looking the other way, about a bow-shot's distance from him; because she said, "I can't bear to watch my child die." So she sat there, looking the other way, crying out and weeping.
They were in the desert and their water had ran out. Hagar put Ishmael under a bush and went and sat down and cried. She was waiting for them to die and did not want to watch him go. It is interesting to note that they were at the end of their efforts with nothing else that any man could do for them.
God heard the boy's voice, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What's wrong with you, Hagar? Don't be afraid, because God has heard the voice of the boy in his present situation. Get up, lift the boy up, and hold him tightly in your hand, because I am going to make him a great nation."
There is something very significant here that is easily missed. At the end of the last verse we were told that Hagar was weeping but this verse tells us that God heard Ishmael's voice. We may ask the question of why and it is really simple. Hagar was suffering the consequences of her sin of showing contempt for the will of God while God had made a promise to Avraham concerning Ishmael. Hagar hears the voice of God's messenger and he assures her that God has heard the cries of Ishmael and that God has a plan for them. That must have been a comfort for two people that had been put away and were feeling rejected. It reminds us that God cares for all people.
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went, filled the skin with water and gave the boy water to drink.
Then, she saw God's provision for their physical need and they had water again. This is a reminder to us that God has a plan for each and every one of our lives. We do not have to be discouraged or jealous because His plan for us is different than someone else's.
God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the desert and became an archer. He lived in the Pa'ran Desert, and his mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
The hand of God was upon Ishmael and he lived in the desert of what is known as Saudi Arabia today. He married a woman from Egypt and started his family and is considered to be the father of the Arab peoples which is the great nation that God had promised Avraham. This is good for us to remember that God has opened the door for Arabs to come to Him. As with Isaac's descendants, the door is Jesus Christ and they, too, can accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The problem is that the feelings of rejection got in the way and so the descendants looked for another way to favor with God. The struggle between man's efforts and acceptance of God's provision continues today and is the root of the problem between Islam & Judaism & Christianity. We see that Ishmael became an archer and that speaks of the physical world and not the spiritual. This is a reminder that God did not make a covenant with Hagar and Ishmael; God was honoring the covenant that he had made with Avraham.
At that time Avimelekh and Pikhol the commander of his army spoke to Avraham. They said, "God is with you in everything you do. Therefore, swear to me here by God that you will never deal falsely with me or with my son or grandson; but according to the kindness with which I have treated you, you will treat me and the land in which you have lived as a foreigner. Avraham said, "I swear it."
While the events of the previous passage were happening, the king proposes a treaty with Avraham and Avraham agrees to it. We see that the king does this because he knows that God is with Avraham and he now fears God. This is a reminder to us that there can be no peace without the presence of God. In our world today, man is trying to create a Mideast Peace Plan but we need to remember this example of Avraham and Abimelek.
Now Avraham had complained to Avimelekh about a well which Avimelekh's servants had seized. Avimelekh answered, "I don't know who has done this. You didn't tell me, and I heard about it only today."
As they were making the agreement, Avraham told the king of how some of his land had been seized and we see that, after the agreement, it was possible to settle their differences in a peaceful way. The same is true today, in that, other issues can be settled only after the acknowledgement that God is with Israel. It is also the same with us, as Christians. The persecution of Christians will continue until all men fear God and see that He is with us in all we do.
Avraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelekh, and the two of them made a covenant. Avraham put seven female lambs from the flock by themselves. Avimelekh asked Avraham, "What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have put by themselves?" He answered, "You are to accept these seven female lambs from me as witness that I dug this well."
Avraham provided the animals for the treaty ceremony (see Genesis 15). He also presented Abimelek with a good faith offering concerning the matter of the disputed well.
This is why that place was called Be'er-Sheva - because they both swore an oath there.
The place where they made this covenant became known as Beersheba which roughly means "well of the oath".
When they made the covenant at Be'er-Sheva, Avimelekh departed with Pikhol the commander of his army and returned to the land of the P'lishtim.
The king had given Avraham Beersheba as a part of the treaty and so it was considered to be a separate land and no longer a part of his kingdom.
Avraham planted a tamarisk tree in Be'er-Sheva, and there he called on the name of ADONAI, the everlasting God. Avraham lived for a long time as a foreigner in the land of the P'lishtim.
This small verse may seem somewhat insignificant but it contains a big lesson. The Hebrew word translated as tamarisk tree has two meanings one is a physical tree but the other meaning is a Torah scholar. The tamarisk tree grows in desert areas and uses a lot of water so it has very deep roots. When insects feed off of the leaves and branches, they give off a white residue that covers the ground. This is a somewhat salty residue that prevents other plants from growing and competing for the scarce water resources. Mesopotamian tradition held that the tamarisk tree served as a boundary between the unclean and the holy. Throughout the Bible, water is a symbol (picture) of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit is a boundary which designates us as God's children by its presence in us. Avraham would have been surrounded by Philistine territory but Beersheba would have been sort of an island in the midst of their idolatry. As Christians, we have a tamarisk tree of faith that separates us from the world around us and is fed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us (in John 13:35) that we would be known to be His disciples (Christians) by our love for others. This is a sacrificial love (like His) that puts the needs of the less fortunate above our own. We see that Avraham stayed in the midst of the Philistines and that is probably for the purpose of training up this Torah scholar in the ways of God. Many Christians want to isolate themselves from the evil world around them but that is not what Jesus told us to do. Every day Abraham's neighbors would have seen the tamarisk tree and perhaps they asked about it and the God that Avraham worshiped there. If and when they did, the Torah scholar that he had trained would have been there after he had left to answer their questions. The same thing will happen when people see our love for others. When they ask us why we are doing loving things for the less fortunate, we can explain that the love is from God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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