Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Genesis 21 – Isaac is born. According to Bible scholars, the events of the Genesis 21 took place approximately betweem 2066 B.C. – 2057 B.C.
I encourage you to turn to Genesis 21 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Genesis 21 with me. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scriptures that you find highlighted in purple in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Genesis 20, we read about what transpired between Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech at Gerar. Well, in this Bible study on Genesis 21, we will read about Isaac’s birth in 2066 B.C, Hagar and Ishmael’s exile in 2064 B.C. and the treaty of Beersheba in 2057 B.C.
Without any further delay, let us study together Genesis Chapter 21, shall we?
Isaac’s Birth – 2066 B.C
1And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Verses 1-7 of Genesis 21, show how the Lord fulfilled His promise and visited Sarah as a result of which she conceived a child at the time set by the Lord. She and Abraham had a son whom Abraham called Isaac and he was circumcised when he was 8 days old according to the covenant of circumcision.
Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born and Sarah was 90. Sarah was overjoyed in becoming a mother and proclaimed that God had made her laugh with the joy of motherhood and that all those who hear her laughter will laugh with her. She further said, that no one would believe or would have even thought that she would nurse children because she had been barren throughout her marriage to Abraham. However, God did what was seemingly impossible.
Ishmael Mocked Isaac
8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.
Verses 8-9 of Genesis 21, record that Isaac grew and was weaned (able to eat on his own). That very day when he was weaned Abraham made a great feast for Isaac. However, Sarah caught Ishmael mocking and ridiculing Isaac.
Observation
If Abraham, hadn’t listened to Sarah when she gave him Hagar, he wouldn’t have to deal with strife between his owns sons. When we step out of God’s design (in this case, monogamy), strife and problems ensue.
Sarah Turns Against Hagar And Ishmael
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
Verses 10-11 of Genesis 21, Sarah told Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael from their household. She did not want Ishmael to be Abraham’s heir along with Isaac. This whole situation displeased Abraham for Isaac’s sake because Isaac was the promised son.
God Speaks To Abraham
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”
In Verses 12-13 of Genesis 21, God spoke to Abraham. He told Abraham to not be displeased because of Hagar and Ishmael’s behaviour and He counseled Abraham to listen to Sarah. The Lord confirmed once again to Abraham that Isaac was his promised heir. He also promised to make a nation out of Ishmael because he was also Abraham’s son.
Abraham Sends Hagar And Ishmael Away – 2064 B.C.
14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
In Verse 14 of Genesis 21, we see that after Abraham had listened to God, he rose up early in the morning and prepared bread and a skin (container) carrying water. He gave them along with Ishmael to Hagar and sent them away from his household according to Sarah’s desire. Therefore, Hagar and Ishmael wandered into the wilderness of Beersheba, a desert.
Note: Beersheba or Be’er Sheva is the largest desert of the Negev desert situatued in the south of Israel.
Hagar Weeps At Beersheba
15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.
Verse 15 shows Hagar and Ishmael had finished the water that Abraham had given them, probably because of the harsh heat of the desert. Having no more water or food she placed Ishmael who was fourteen years old under one of the shrubs and went and sat across him at a bowshots’ distance. She did this because she couldn’t bear to see her son’s fast approaching death due to the harsh weather and lack of food or sustenance. Therefore, sitting across him she wept loudly mourning for him and their situation in the wilderness of the desert.
The Angel Of The Lord Consoles Hagar
17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
Verse 17 explains that God heard the voice of Ishmael. Then the angel of God called Hagar from heaven and asked her about her ailing, because God showed mercy to Hagar and Ishmael. The angel consoled Hagar saying that God had heard the voice of Ishmael. In Verse 18 of Genesis 21, the angel of God, instructed Hagar to get up from her place and go to Ishmael and lift him up by hand because God would make Ishmael a great nation. Even though the harsh wilderness circumstances led him to death, God had a greater plan for Ishmael.
Hagar first met the angel of the Lord at Beer-Lahai-Roi. This time she heard the angel of God at the wildnerness of Beersheba. God had mercy on Hagar for the sake of Abraham’s son Ishmael. Abraham was the favoured and chosen one here. Ishmael was also favoured by the Lord because he was Abraham’s son.
Ishmael Becomes An Archer
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. 20 So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Verses 19-21 of Genesis 21 tell us that God opened Hagar’s eyes so that she saw a water well. Previously, because of despair and her circumstances she probably couldn’t have been able to spot any water source to revive her son who was on the verge of death. All she needed was a touch from God and for God to open her eyes so that she can see. For those of you who need clarity and vision in your spiritual walk ask the Lord to open your eyes in the same way He did for Hagar.
Now that God had opened her eyes she went to the well and filled the skin that Abraham had given her with water and gave it to Ishmael. God was with Ishmael because he was Abraham’s seed. Hence, Ishmael grew and dwelt in the wildnerness of Paran (located in the Arabian desert) and became an archer. He married a Egyptian woman whom Hagar found for him because she also was an Egyptian.
Notes on the desert of Paran
The desert of Paran is an important place in the Bible history not only because Ishmael made his home here but also this was the place where the Israelites spent some time after the Exodus and it was also the place where King David took refuge. We shall see this as we move further along in our bibe study.
Abimelech And Phichol Speak With Abraham
22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”
Verses 22-23 of Genesis 21 records the meeting between Abimelech the King of Gerar, Phichol his army-commander and Abraham. They spoke with Abraham and asked him to promise to deal truthfully and righteously with the king(Abimelech) and his offspring and posterity because of the kindness that he had shown Abraham regarding Sarah (Refer Genesis 20).
Observation
It was not that Abimelech feared Abraham’s strength or riches per say. Let us not forget that Abimelech was a Philistine king and Abraham was the one living in Abimelech’s land. What made Abimelech go to Abraham and ask for such a promise? The answer is that Abimelech feared the God whom Abraham served. He understood that Abraham was prophet of God and there were severe consequences to be faced if he sinned against Abraham knowingly or unknowingly.
Abraham Rebukes Abimelech
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
Verse 24 of Genesis 21, shows how at first, Abraham said that he would swear an oath to Abimelech. However, in Verse 25, we see Abraham rebuking Abimelech because Abimelech’s servants had seized a well of water. According to Abraham, Abimelech was a hypocrite in trying to ask himfor a promise to deal righteously with him and his offspring and kingdom when his servants had already seized a well of water (which Abraham had dug). In Verse 26 of Genesis 21 we see Abimelech replying that he did not know or hear about the matter until then.
In Verses 27-28 Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech and they made a covenant with each other. A covenant is an oath or a treaty and it is very sacred and unbreakable.
Covenant At Beersheba – 2057 B.C
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.
Verses 28-31 of Genesis 21 record that Abraham set before Abimelech 7 ewe lambs. Seven again here is a symbolic number of completion, biblically speaking. Abimelech didn’t understand why Abraham was setting before him 7 ewe lambs by themselves. Abraham told Abimelech to take the seven ewe lambs and these lambs were Abraham’s witness that he indeed had dug the well (which Abimelech’s servants had wrongfully seized). And Abraham called that place Beersheba – the well of seven (because of the 7 ewe lambs) or well of oath because Abraham and Abimelech swore an oath there to deal righteously with each other and do good to each other.
Verses 32-34 of Genesis 21 show that Abimelech and Phichol returned to the land of the Phislitines after having made the covenant with Abraham. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree (it is a perennial tree) in Beersheba and called on the name of the Lord and he stayed in the land of the Philistines for many days.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Genesis 21. There were many pivotal points and important events that took place in Genesis 21 each in a different time period as per the biblical scholars. I hope you learnt something from this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey. If you liked this bible study kindly subscribe to receive more bible studies like this as and when I release them and be a part of the community. If you have any comments or questions for me, kindly leave them in the comments box below. I highly appreciate it. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until Next Time!