In this chapter, we read that Abraham is now one hundred years old and more importantly, we read about how God fulfilled His promise, which took twenty-five years, Genesis 21:1-4. We must remember that God always keeps His promises, and He is faithful to His promises, Genesis 21:1 / 2 Timothy 2:13.
When Sarah became pregnant, we see that the fulfilment of God’s promise was realised, Genesis 21:2 / Genesis 17:15-17 / Genesis 18:9-15. Despite Sarah and Abraham being old, Genesis 21:2, God did what no man could ever do or ever think possible.
Even though both Abraham and Sarah had laughed, Genesis 17:17 / Genesis 18:12, because they thought it was impossible to have children at their age, God performed a miracle with the birth of Isaac, Genesis 21:3. Remember that the seed promise, the Saviour of the world, would eventually come through their family lineage, Genesis 3:15.
The name Isaac means laughter, Genesis 21:3 / Genesis 17:17-19 / Genesis 19:12-15, and it seems that both Sarah and Abraham would never be allowed to forget what God did for them and through them.
When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him in keeping with God’s covenant command, Genesis 21:4 / Genesis 17:10-12 / Colossians 2:11-12.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Christ also was circumcised the eighth day; and thus, Christians are ‘in Christ’ circumcised with the ‘circumcision not made with hands’, Colossians 2:11-12.’
Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, Genesis 21:5. Sarah says that God has brought her laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with her, Genesis 21:6. She also says who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet she has borne Abraham a son in his old age, Genesis 21:7.
In a sense, every time they called the name Isaac, they would be reminded of when God rebuked them, but also the joy in the fulfilment of God’s promise, Galatians 4:28. When we look at the birth of Isaac, we get an insight into what the Messiah would look like.
1. Both were promised, sons, Genesis 17:19 / Isaiah 7:14 / Isaiah 9:6 / Matthew 1:22-23.
2. Both were born after a period of delay, Genesis 3:15 / Genesis 12:1-4 / Genesis 15:4-5 / Genesis 17:1-8 / Genesis 17:15-16 / Genesis 21:1-5 / Luke 2:1-20.
3. Both mothers were assured by God, Genesis 18:13-14 / Luke 1:34 / Luke 1:37.
4. Both were given names with meaning before they were born, Genesis 17:19 / Matthew 21:20-21.
5. Both births occurred at God’s appointed time, Genesis 21:2 / Galatians 4:4.
6. Both births were miraculous, Genesis 11:30 / Hebrews 11:11 / Matthew 1:18.
7. Both births were accompanied by joy, Genesis 21:6 / Luke 1:46-47 / Luke 2:10-11.
As with most people, even in today’s society, the birth of a child brings a time of celebration. The feast mentioned here seems to have taken place when Isaac was being weaned, Genesis 21:8, which could have been up to three years after the birth, 1 Samuel 1:22-24 / Hosea 1:8.
Notice here that it’s Ishmael, not Hagar, who was the one causing trouble in the family, Genesis 21:9; it was the older son Ishmael who was mocking the small child Isaac, Galatians 4:29-30.
There is a conflict between Isaac and Ishmael, but it all comes from Ishmael. Sarah now tells Abraham to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael, and she is determined that Ishmael will never share in the inheritance of Isaac, Genesis 21:10.
Kline, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There was a legal tradition that stipulated that a son of a slave woman could forego his inheritance claim in exchange for freedom, and that was exactly the option that Sarah determined to force upon Hagar and Ishmael.’
The family feud was now so bad that Abraham was beginning to feel the stress of it all, Genesis 21:11. Originally, the tension in the family was between Sarah and Hagar, Genesis 16:4-6.
God says that Abraham should listen to his wife, and he needs to reassure her that God also has great plans for Ishmael, from him a great nation would come, Genesis 21:12. God tells Abraham that He will make Ishmael into a nation also, because he is Abraham’s offspring, Genesis 21:13.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God’s promise to make Ishmael a nation was likely given as an encouragement for Abraham to carry out the divine instructions.’
The law of Nuzu, a pagan king, said that somebody had the right to throw out any woman slave who had a child to their master if the master had a child naturally.
The custom of the time was that the son of the servant woman was to be cared for by the father of the child, and he was to do this even though the true wife eventually gave birth to a son. It seems that this custom was put aside, and the reason for this was that the posterity of Abraham would be continued through Isaac, not Ishmael.
When Paul addresses the legalizers in Galatia, he reminds them that they were not children of Abraham, but Ishmael and their mother was Hagar. Ishmael was born of flesh, whereas Isaac was born of the promise.
Paul speaks about the Law of Moses and the law of Christ and gives the illustration that Hagar was a slave to the law, but Sarah was a free woman, Galatians 4:22-29.
Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away with some food and a skin of water, Genesis 21:14, because God’s plan is for Isaac, so Abraham sent away the son of flesh, Galatians 5:34. Today, we belong to the free woman, and we must remember that God is looking here at the spiritual bond.
Abraham gave Hagar and Ishmael some food and some water, which seems generous, but how long would they survive in the Desert of Beersheba with such small supplies? Genesis 21:14.
We don’t know how long or how far Hagar and Ishmael are in the desert, but they soon ran out of supplies. Hagar then places Ishmael under a bush, Genesis 21:15, and comes to the conclusion that they are both going to die very soon, hence why she sobs, Genesis 21:16.
Notice, though, God hears Ishmael crying, but it is the angel of God who called to Hagar from heaven, Genesis 21:17. Who is this angel of God? This is the same person who appeared to Hagar earlier when she ran away from Sarai, Genesis 16:7-14.
This is a Christophany, which suggests that this is a preincarnate appearance of Christ, Genesis 12:7 / Genesis 16:7 / Genesis 22:15-18. Remember the word ‘angel’ in Hebrew is ‘malak’, and it simply means messenger. Christ is God, not an angel, Genesis 16:13.
Haynes Jr, in his commentary, says the following.
‘A study of these passages reveals that the Angel of the Lord appeared in human form, Genesis 18:2 / Genesis 22:1-18 / Hebrews 13:2, and performed normal human functions, Genesis 32:24 / Numbers 22:23 / Numbers 22:31, yet he was an awe-inspiring figure, Genesis 32:30 / Judges 6:22 / Judges 13:22, exhibiting divine attributes and prerogatives including predicting the future, Genesis 16:10-12, forgiving sin, Exodus 23:21, and receiving worship, Exodus 3:5 / Judges 13:9-20.’
He asks what was troubling Hagar and then tells her not to be afraid because God has heard Ishmael crying, Genesis 21:17. He reminds Hagar that God keeps His promises to her and Ishmael and tells her that they both wouldn’t die because from Ishmael a great nation would come, Genesis 21:18.
Once again, we learn that when we think no one cares and no one notices, God does, Genesis 16:7-14. God then opens hers eyes and she sees a well, she then gets some water and gives it to Ishmael to drink, Genesis 21:19.
God was with Ishmael as he grew up and he lived in the desert and became an archer, Genesis 21:20. The Desert of Para was in the area south of Canaan, and Hagar finds a wife for Ishmael who was from Egypt, Genesis 21:21.
Hastings, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God cares for those outside the pale of the Church, even as for those within. Those without have not taken up their privileges, nor do they see how Christ loves them. They are suffering great loss and are in danger of even greater losses, but God loves them, cares for them, and pities them. ‘He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9.’
The two sons of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, grew into the two nations of Moab and Ammon, Genesis 19:36-38, on the east side of the Jordan, east of Palestine. Now Ishmael would develop a barrier nation to the south of Canaan.
What does all this mean? It means that God was setting up Canaan for the possession of Abraham’s descendants, which would take place about four hundred years from the time these events happened in Abraham’s life.
It seems that Abimelek still remembered how he had been previously deceived by Abraham, Genesis 20:1-18. Abimelek saw that God was with him, Genesis 21:22. In other words, the blessings were obvious. It appears he needed some kind of reassurance, Genesis 21:22-23.
Since he had been kind to Abraham in the past, he was asking the favour in return, Genesis 21:23. The name Abimelek simply means king and a treaty is made between Abraham and Abimelek, Genesis 21:24.
After swearing an agreement with Abimelek, there was conflict between Abraham and Abimelek over a well that was there. Abraham goes on to rebuke him for the behaviour of his servants concerning a water well that had been stolen from Abraham’s servants, Genesis 21:25.
Abraham’s servants had laboured to dig the well, but when it was finished, Abimelek’s servants stole it from them. Abimelek tells Abraham that he had no idea who did this; he wasn’t told by Abraham, and he only heard about that day, Genesis 21:26.
Wenham, in his commentary, says the following.
‘By granting Abraham rights to a well, Abimelek 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 fulfilment.’
Abraham gives sheep and cattle and gives them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty, Genesis 21:27. Abraham now sets apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, Genesis 21:28, and Abimelek asks what the meaning of these seven ewe lambs Abraham has set apart by themselves? Genesis 21:29.
Abraham now asks Abimelek to accept the seven lambs as a witness that he dug the well, Genesis 21:30. In the sacrifice of the animals, everyone involved in making the covenant ate of the sacrificed animals in a great feast.
Such was the custom of Abraham’s culture in making covenants. In this case, Abraham wanted to provide the animals for the sacrifice, though it was customary that both parties provide the offering.
Notice the place where the covenant was made, it was named Beersheba, Genesis 21:31, which means ‘well of seven.’ The name is given because Abraham and Abimelek swore an oath there, Genesis 21:31.
This is the first mention of treaties or covenants in the Old Testament that were commonly made between men during the Old Testament times. Notice the order of this covenant.
1. The terms and conditions for the covenant were first made by both parties, Genesis 21:23-24.
2. Each party then swore by the covenant, Genesis 21:23-24.
3. Then the sacrifice of animals was made in order to seal the covenant, Genesis 21:27-31.
After the treaty had been made, Abimelek and Phicol, the commander of his forces, returned to the land of the Philistines, Genesis 21:32. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called on God, the everlasting God and now seems to be asking God for help, Genesis 21:33.
Beersheba would eventually become the southern extremity of the promised land that would be given to Abraham’s descendants four hundred years from the time of this event. Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time, Genesis 21:34.