If youre a Christian, and youre not a cop, then its not your job to come down on people. CHAPTER 21 ISAAC AND ISHMAEL AND THE COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH had once laughed through unbelief; now being ashamed of that, she How Jesus didnt love everyone the same (and why you shouldnt either). Do we work hard or slack off? trial and utter ruin of the creature, with the revelation of divine Th Genesis 21:22 time H6256 Abimelech H40 Phichol H6369 commander H8269 BIRTH OF ISAAC. Hagar in distress. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. The alliance was contracted. The grocer, who was not a believer, was unmoved by her need. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. Here is old Abraham just planting a tree and living by his well. The prudent measure Abraham gave Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a witness that he had digged the well, and consequently had a right to its possession. the three main sources, J. E, P are present. Probably from JE. This new cop couldnt believe it. captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God [is] with thee in And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God. God also took care of Hagar and Ishmael, remembering His promise to greatly multiply their descendants (see Birth of Isaac ). Abimelek avoids contention within his ranks. He wasnt building a sprawling complex of buildings to house his international ministry. 26), but through this treaty, God was faithfully providing for Abrahams basic physical needs. DISMISSAL OF HAGAR AND ISHMAEL. The man was educated and he articulately expressed his objections. Commentary: Patriarchs and Prophets (or Beginning of the End), chapter 13. This, however, was an error, which shows. A son was ABIMELECHS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM. That was an extraordinary way that God provided for His children. If youre not dealing with your sin and seeking to live a life pleasing to God, then youd be better off not to let anybody know that you claim to be a Christian. Now if Abraham dug the well it was his. CHIEF CAPTAIN OF HIS HOST SPAKE UNTO ABRAHAM, SAYING, GOD IS WITH THEE This second conflict with Abimelech creates a bracket around the Isaac birth narrative. Show to me and my country the same kindness Ive shown you. Abimelek responds, This is the first Ive heard of it. Abraham instituted two memorials of the important transactions, naming the well Beersheba, and planting a tamarisk beside his tent. The significance of this passage is Abraham finding a place in the land promised to him in safety. _chemet_ bottle, akin to _chamah_, Abraham was the friend of God. IN ALL THAT THOU DOEST:_ Since were not perfect, we do one of two wrong things. When the owner asked how much she could afford, she replied, My husband was killed in the war. could sing with Mary, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spi God is with thee in all that thou doest CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY _mlel_ speak, an ancient and therefore solemn ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH Wheres the balance between taking measures for our own safety versus trusting God to protect us? Sarah's demand GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. had promised to her. We dont always think about it, but if the world knows that were Christians, they watch us to see if were different than everyone else. 'Do not do anything to him. Sarah, at the unlikely age of 90 years, gives birth to Isaac, Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? laughed with the laughter of incredulity, now laughed with the _Abimelech, king of Gerara, who knew that Abraham was a prophet, and a So swear to me here before God that you won't deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Genesis 20:2 Genesis 26:26 God. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as *** Abimelech reenters the picture with his enforcer, Phicol. He complains to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimeleks servants had seized. of his host, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that God also took care of Hagar and Ishmael, remembering His promise to greatly multiply their descendants (see Birth of Isaac ). Weaned] in his second or third year, as is usual among Orientals. GODS ANCIENT PEOPLE Peace. Its done, these two powerful men have entered into the treaty with one another. As a prince, Abimelech was afraid of Abraham's growing power; as a good man, he insures the safety of himself and his dominions not by resorting to war, but by forming an amicable treaty with his neighbornor with my son, nor with my son's son: (LXX. A godly man is entitled to be careful of his property, to preserve it from damage, protect it from theft, and recover it when stolen or lost. CONTENTS: Birth of Isaac. The significance of the presence of Phichol at the ceremony indicates Abimelechs promise not to pursue military action against Abraham. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 23 Now therefore, swear[ a] 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 The driver of the vehicle wasnt given a graceful way out. I like this. All these things are true and wonderful. (1) that as the land of the Philistines had no fixed boundary toward the desert, Beersheba may at this time have been claimed for the kingdom of Gerar (Keil); or. He checked his uniform, it looked good. The term for making a treaty (used here and vs. 32) is karat. If you know the Savior, as you walk with Him and enjoy His faithful provision, God wants to use the ordinary events in your life to fulfill His purpose of blessing all the nations through the Seed of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse Genesis 21:22. He felt The significance of this passage is Abraham finding a place in the land promised to him in safety. with thee in all that At last in God's 'Set time," and in spite of all natural difficulties, I. (1) that a person cannot always be held responsible for what his servants do, (2) that it is wrong to judge on insufficient evidence with reference to the characters and conduct of others, and. Then this brand new cop said,Sir, step out of the car. of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have We plainly see that God blesseth and prospereth thee in all thy It is wise to connect ourselves with those who are blessed of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have been kind to us. Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? laughed with the laughter of incredulity, now laughed with the _Abimelech, king of Gerara, who knew that Abraham was a prophet, and a God is I like that, "as He had said, and as He had spoken." I've got that underlined that just sort of hit me. Abimelech, on the other hand, acts generously as of old, and shows no signs of ill-will at the growing power of one whose expectation was that his race would possess the whole land. It is a beautiful illustration of how God faithfully provides everything we need for life and godliness so that we can fulfill His purpose. 1 Kings 15:19; Isaiah 30:6; Isaiah 39:1). _The birth of Isaac. 7. Genesis 20:17 Genesis 26:28 College Press Bible Study Textbook Series, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible, Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh, Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary, Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith. The Atlantic, June 2009. 7. ISHMAEL AND ISAAC Genesis 21:1-34 ; Genesis 22:1-24 Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 34 Each of the following people made several hugesacrifices to achieve world change, and obey their conscience. Isaac's birth (Genesis 22:1) 2. And Abimelech said, I wet not who hath done this thing. But we also need to see that His ordinary provision of our daily food is an example of His faithfulness. And it came to pass at that time,possibly in immediate sequence to the incident of the preceding chapter, but, "according to the common law of Hebrew narrative, probably not long after the birth of Isaac."(Murphy)that Abimelechthe king of Gerar (Genesis 20:2; Genesis 26:1, Genesis 26:16)and Phi-cholif the name be Shemitic, "mouth of all," i.e . Show us kindness like we have been kind to you. 4. Abimelech, the king who had inadvertently taken Sarah into his harem because Abraham had lied about her being his sister, pays a visit to Abraham, acknowledges that God is with him, and proposes a peace pact. Abimeleks servants seized the well so Abraham mustered his servants and seized it right back, correct? 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. Wells of water are scarce and valuable in eastern countries. Shortly after World War II, a woman went into a grocery store and asked for enough food to provide Christmas dinner for her children. Asking their forgiveness is often the first step in that process. The league is proposed by Abimelech, and Phichol his prime-minister of state and general of his army. Thus Abimelek narrowly averted sinning against the Lord which, the Lord informed him, would have cost him his life. And as a result things turned ugly. One of the most comforting doctrines of Scripture is the truth that God providentially protects His children. Which things are an allegory.- Galatians 4:22. 21:23 Abimelech proposes a treaty not to deal falsely. It is as much the duty of him who has a grievance to reveal it, as it is the duty of him who has caused the grievance to remove it. Genesis 21:22. and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken ( Genesis 21:1 ). "The Lord visited Sarah as he had said." The Lord keeps His word. It is wise to connect ourselves with those who are blessed of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have been kind to us. and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken (Genesis 21:1). Ishmael mocking (Genesis 22:9) The music and the sermon were okay, but didnt really help. Ruth 1:17, and vide Genesis 14:23). _ 1. Do you call on the name of the Lord regardless of your circumstances. How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapmans love languages (and how you can too). When we give thanks at the dinner table, we need to be truly thankful, and not just mumbling a ritual prayer before we say, Please pass the potatoes. God faithfully provides for our protection and for our provision. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Genesis 21 1. Probably an official title. I.e. 1. Didnt Jesus tell us If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. Even as Gods kindness draws us to him, our kindness with others should point them to Him. Throughout Abrahams story run two great promises which God made to Abraham: a son, through whom Abraham would become a great nation, and through whose descendants all the nations would be blessed; and, the land of Canaan, where his descendants would live. God burned the words into his heart and gave him the faith to believe. On Genesis, Part 6: The Blooming of Trees. Two powerful princes, in their conduct exemplifying the spirit of unity and peace which should bind together private persons in their daily intercourse, as well as kings and nations in their political alliance. 2. Another highlight of this passage is the explanation for the origin of the name Beersheba. 21:28-30 The giving and receiving of the lambs stipulates that Abraham dug the well in Beersheba and thus rightfully owns the well. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennetts own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others. The angel relieves and comforts her. His calendar wasnt full of speaking engagements. Why did the woman have the prayer already written before he asked for it? ALL CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY IS ALSO CONSCIOUSLY IDENTIFIED WITH This passage chronicles a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. Ishmaels expulsion. We are secure in His providential care. Because Abimelech wanted this covenant to apply, not only to himself, but to his posterity (21:23), it secured this source of water not only for Abraham, but for his descendants. Sarah who at an earlier point had ISAAC IS BORN God's people, though expected meekly to suffer wrong, cannot always help seeing that it is wrong they suffer. Abraham called on the name of the everlasting God. all that thou doest: Your neighbor may have a Ph.D. and you may be a blue collar worker. 1. Its about your relationship with the person of God and your relationships with other people. 22. He normally didnt attend church, but he was troubled about some matters and went to church, hoping to find some relief. Finally he blurted out, Well, thats all it will hold anyway. Genesis 21 Commentary Birth of Isaac (21:1-21) When Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as commanded. He sarcastically said, Write your prayer on a piece of paper and you can have its weight in groceries. To his surprise, she pulled a folded note out of her pocket and handed it to him. CRITICAL NOTES. Then Abraham brings up a sore subject, a delicate matter, a touchy issue with Abimelek. Now, without Abrahams initiative or schemes, Abimelech comes and proposes this peace agreement, so that Abraham receives from God what he previously had tried to get through his deceptive scheme. 5. ALL CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY IS CONSCIOUSLY IDENTIFIED WITH GOD. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you., Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimeleks servants had seized. 33:18-19). a. 15. In this section @#$%^&* salary!. (Murphy)that Abimelechthe king of Gerar (Genesis 20:2; Genesis 26:1, Genesis 26:16)and Phi-cholif the name be Shemitic, "mouth of all," i.e. Wells of water are scarce and . 17. Abraham, being now in a good neighbourhood, stayed a great while there. (1) God fulfills His promise to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham denies his relationship chesed) to Abraham. And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me,that this peculiar kind of oath never occurs again in Old Testament history is no proof of the mythical character of the narrative (Bohlen); on the contrary, "that the custom existed in primitive Hebrew times is shown by the word , which had early passed into the language, and which would be inexplicable without the existence of such a custom" (Havernick)that I have digged this well.