Genesis 21

Genesis 21:1-34

Genesis 21:1-34 The Fulfillment of the Promise of a Son (Genesis 21:1-21) At last, after years of waiting, the promise of God to Abraham and Sarah is fulfilled. Isaac, the child of promise, is born. This chapter narrates the story of his early years and also the conflict and jealousy which seems to have arisen between Sarah and Hagar, resulting in Hagar’ s flight, taking her son Ishmael with her. Here we have the beginning of two great nations and two religions, both emanating from Abraham-Muslimism, and Judaism, which found its fulfillment in Christianity. Muhammad and Christ. These are in perpetual conflict one with the other. One cannot but be impressed with the absolute reliability of the word and promise of God. Jehovah will keep His word, even though years elapse between the announcement and fulfillment of the promise. If the vision tarry, wait for it. Unanswered yet? The prayer your lips have pleaded In agony of heart these many years? Does faith begin to fail, is hope departing, And think you all in vain those falling tears? Say not the Father hath not heard your prayer; You shall have your desire, sometime, somewhere. Unanswered yet? Though when you first presented This one petition at the Father’ s throne, It seemed you could not wait the time of asking, So urgent was your heart to make it known. Though years have passed since then, do not despair; The Lord will answer you sometime, somewhere. Unanswered yet? Nay, do not say ungranted; Perhaps your part is not yet wholly done; The work began when first your prayer was uttered, And God will finish what He has begun; If you will keep the incense burning there, His glory you shall see sometime, somewhere. Unanswered yet? Faith cannot be unanswered; Her feet were firmly planted on the Rock; Amid the wildest storm, prayer stands undaunted, Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock. She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer, And cries, ‘ It shall be done,’ sometime, somewhere.

Genesis 21:6

Genesis 17:17-19; Genesis 18:12-13; Genesis 21:61. Isaac’ s Birth and Name (Genesis 17:17-19; Genesis 18:12-13; Genesis 21:6) Like Christ’ s, Isaac’ s birth was miraculous, and his name foretold. His birth occurred in the divine line in which barrenness seemed to be prominent, and consequently miraculous and supernatural intervention was necessary. We should not fail to notice this fact in connection with the promised seed up to and including Christ. Isaac’ s name means “ laughter,” and was, in all probability, a daily reminder, not only of Sarah’ s sin, but also of the faith of Sarah and Abraham. It was also a daily reminder of the power of God. Sarah could say, “ Now you may laugh with me, but you cannot laugh at me.” No doubt the birth of Isaac brought joy and gladness to Abraham and Sarah, just as did the birth of Jesus Christ to His mother and the world (cf. Luke 1:46-56; Luke 2:10).

Genesis 21:33

Genesis 20:1-18; Genesis 21:33 Fourth Episode-Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-18; Genesis 21:1-33) This is the story of a great sin after a great victory. Ofttimes our greatest temptations come after our greatest blessings. It was after Jesus was baptized that He was rushed into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Here is the repetition of a former sin and an illustration of the truth that what I have written I shall write again. Sin is a repeater. Each sin we commit makes the next sin easier, more necessary, and certain. It would be easier to find a perfectly innocent and sinless man than to find one that had sinned but once. One would have thought that the similar experience in Genesis 13:1-18 would have taught Abraham a lesson. Twenty years had passed since the experience in Egypt, and probably the impression of the sinfulness of the act had become deadened. How could Abraham repeat such a sin? The question may be answered by asking ourselves how we can do again the things which we know are wrong. God’ s restraint of sin is emphasized in this narrative in withholding Abimelech from doing wrong. God restrains sin in the wicked when their actions would interfere with His redemptive purposes. It would not do for Sarah’ s child to be the offspring of Abimelech. He must be Abraham’ s seed. God makes the wrath of men to praise Him; the remainder He restrains. Romans 1:21-32 is an illustration of what happens when God withdraws His grace. Pharaoh, also, is a case in point (Romans 9:17-23). God restrains sin in the Christian by His preventing and restraining grace. In the denial of Peter, with his cursing and swearing, we see an illustration of a life from which the hand of God has been temporarily withdrawn. Abraham’ s example was exceedingly bad in its effect. A child of God was chided by a heathen for his disloyalty and lack of trust in God. “ For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you” (Romans 2:24). Think of a professing Christian leading a man of the world into temptation and sin! One wonders whether this incident of Abraham and Abimelech is not another attempt of Satan to neutralize the promise with regard to the coming Messianic seed as set forth in Genesis 3:15 (cf. Exodus 1:16-22; Matthew 2:16-18).