The Sons of Abraham

Genesis 21A Chapter Full of Emotions

Genesis 21 covers the birth of the promised child Isaac. 1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.' And she added, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.'" (21:1-7)

“God has been gracious to Sarah. "Gracious" (NIV), "visited" (KJV), and "dealt with" (NRSV) translate the Hebrew verb pāqad in verse 1. The basic meaning is "to exercise oversight over a subordinate,

either in the form of inspecting or of taking action to cause a considerable change in the circumstances of the subordinate either for the better or for the worse.”http://www.jesuswalk.com/abraham/9_birth.htm

God really does have a sense of humor. Sarah recognized God’s ability to fulfill His Word even when the situation seemed totally impossible!

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

1. Isaac means laughter.

2. Abraham was 100 years old at Isaac’s birth.

3. Isaac was circumcised at 8 days.

Facts to Remember

Genesis 17:11 was a year ago. Abram had received the command to circumcise, and he had his name changed to Abraham. He was 99 years old.17:15 Sari became Sarah.17:17 Sari was 89.

17:23 and 17:26 Abraham and Ishmael were both circumcised that same day.

Ishmael was 13 years old.

Abraham held a great feast when Isaac was weaned. There is apparently a tradition of weaning at age 5, but this would have made Ishmael 19 when he and Hagar were sent away. In my opinion that would not add up to the Bible referring to Ishmael as a child in the desert.

 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,

It is likely that Isaac was between 1 and 3 years. This would have put Ishmael at age 15 to 17.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Mocking or Playing

“This is the word used for laughter in verse 6 and the root of Isaac's name, yishāq, "he laughs." But in the Piel stem, it can mean "to mock, to play”

“The word is used of Lot's sons-in-law thinking that Lot was mocking them when he warned them of Sodom's imminent destruction (19:14).

Later in his life, Isaac was observed "sporting with Rebekah his wife" (26:8), that is caressing or fondling her. When Joseph rejected her, Potiphar's wife complains that her husband brought the Hebrew slave into their house "to insult us"

(NRSV), "to mock us" (KJV), "to make sport of us" (NIV). This verb can refer to children playing (Zechariah 8:5), tambourines and dancing (1 Samuel 18:6-7) or to celebrate (2 Samuel 6:5, 21).[3] In our passage there seem to be two possibilities:

First Sarah could have seen Ishmael “playing with her son and become angry that he thought he had a right to inherit along with Isaac. She may have felt he had overstepped his boundaries as the son of a slave girl.

Remember though that Ishmael would have been considered Sarah’s and Abraham’s son by law. How different this whole world might have been had Sarah’s heart of love been open to Ishmael instead of open to hatred, vengeance, and jealousy.

Second, Sarah could have seen Ishmael actually making fun of Isaac. She could have been so angry with him that she let herself believe that he would endanger Isaac in some way.

It should also be remembered that Ishmael was raised knowing his place as heir to Abraham. It is understandable that he would need to be taught the importance of loving and nurturing his new little brother.

In any case, Sarah was more than willing to give “the boy” back to Hagar and get rid of them.She did not want Ishmael sharing an inheritance with Isaac. Abraham was naturally grieved.

Didn’t God provide plenty to go around?NO land or material item is more important than family. Never attach that much value to ANYTHING of this earth. Your witness is more valuable than carnal possessions.

 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you,

because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring."

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

The Desert of Beersheba

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Hagar and Ishmael got lost in the desert. Finally, out of water and in a desperate situation, Hagar left Ishmael under a tree and went a ways off. She could not bear to see him die. Remember, God had already told her that he would be a great nation.

It is very easy to forget God’s “truth” when faced with earthly facts.

 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.

18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

I find it interesting that they were both crying, but God heard Ishmael. He went to Hagar and said, “Pick him up, and take him by the hand.”Hagar KNEW the promise. She had heard God when she was pregnant with Ishmael.

Sometimes our dreams “cry out.”Sometimes the “little ones, the children” cry out around us.Are we just going to sob with them, or are we mature enough to say, “Get up! The Lord is faithful. He Will Provide!

 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

That is the mature believer’s Job!! Be led by the Spirit so that God can open our eyes and see the well of survival.

20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

Ishmael’s descendants are today’s Arabs.This is where he settled. This is where Israel wandered around for 40 years.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.