Genesis 21
The Birth of Isaac
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.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 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.”
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
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, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
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 slave woman. 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 slave 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.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.
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.”
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.
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.
The Treaty at Beersheba
22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”
24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”
25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized. 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”
27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”
30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.”
31 So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there.
32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
Genesis 21 (NIV)
God’s promise comes to pass and Abraham and Sarah finally have their baby Isaac. Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 when this happened, finally the physical manifestation of their answered prayer was here, what a celebration!
In the midst of their jubilation however, Sarah got upset because of something Ishmael did and had Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away so that they will not partake in Isaac’s inheritance. Hagar and Ishmael find themselves in the desert about to die of thirst but God saves them, even though Abraham seemed done with Ishmael, God was not.
Lessons from Genesis 21
Part 1: The Birth of Isaac
God keeps His promises
Sarah became pregnant just as the Lord had said and bore a son at the very time God had it was going to happen, thus fulfilling the promises God had made to Abraham and Sarah previously (Genesis 17, Genesis 18). This came many many years after God had first given Abraham the word about his offspring (in Genesis 13). Sarah and Abraham had waited for God’s promise to be fulfilled and had even at some point attempted to take matters into their hands by getting Abraham to have a baby with Sarah’s slave Hagar (Genesis 16). Now here they were, holding the promised heir in their arms: baby Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. It took time but the promise of God came to pass.
Whatever it is that God has promised you, don’t lose hope just because it has not come to pass yet, He who promises is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
On the day of manifestation there will be rejoicing
Just like Sarah rejoiced when she birthed Isaac, you will rejoice on your day of manifestation. As you look forward to that moment, even now may your heart be filled with joy.
Part 2: Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
In your times of jubilation, don’t forget those who held your hand while you were in tears
When Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking (Ishmael was the son Hagar had borne to Abraham when Sarah made her sleep with Abraham in an attempt to force God’s promise to come to pass on her timing – Genesis 16). Something about seeing Ishmael mocking Isaac got Sarah so upset that she had Abraham get rid of Hagar and her son. Sarah seemed to forget that the only reason Ishmael was there in the first place was because Hagar tried to do her a favor, Hagar was one of those who held Sarah’s hand in her days of crying but now that Sarah was celebrating, Hagar was about to be sent away.
In your days of celebration, don’t forget those who held your hand while you were crying. Anyone can stand close to you when all is well but only the loyal ones will stick with you through the hard times cheering you on.
Don’t show favoritism with your children
Ishmael’s mockery of Isaac could have been the result of him feeling less loved now that Isaac was here. He watched as a great feast was held to celebrate his little brother being weaned and then later got sent away from his father’s house because Sarah did not want him to share the inheritance of her son Isaac.
This is an all-too-familiar story: a miracle baby is born and immediately becomes the center of everyone’s attention. Parents usually find excuses to justify the favoristic treatment of one child over the other(s) but it simply is unacceptable behavior. Every child needs love and attention.
While it is true that babies require a lot of attention, if you are a parent with more than one child, do your best to not let the other kids feel less loved and appreciated. Showing favoritism to one child over another can lead to resentment, reduced self-esteem and other things that can follow a person right into their adulthood.
Generational blessings
God promised Abraham that He will increase Ishmael also because he is an offspring of Abraham. Ishmael was not the “promised one” but he was Abraham’s child nonetheless. Just as God can curse people down to a thousand generations, He can also bless a whole lineage because of one faithful ancestor.
I am an heir of Abraham and so are you! We are empowered to prosper and expand, highly favored of the Lord!
It is important to not only enjoy the blessings that you are due because of your ancestors, but to also strive to be that person through whom generations will be blessed.
Consequences
Think before you act or speak, actions and words have consequences that could last for many years.
After Isaac’s great feast, Abraham had to send his son Ishmael away at Sarah’s request. Ishmael was the result of a mistake Abraham had made years ago when he listened to Sarah and slept with Hagar in an attempt to make God’s promises come to pass on their own time. It was a distressing thing for Abraham to do, but to appease Sarah he did it anyway. The heartbreak of having to send his son away was a consequence Abraham had to deal with for not entirely trusting God. Now he was put in a place where he had to choose one son over another.
Fortunately, God did not see Ishmael as a mistake to be ashamed of. Ishmael wasn’t just a shameful consequence to be discarded, in God’s eyes he was a great nation and God took care of him and his mother Hagar.
If you have ever felt like you were a mistake, please know that God does not see you that way. You may have been a surprise to your parents or you may have been conceived in not-so-great circumstances but even if the world shoos you away, God never will. He sees the greatness in you.
A cry for help and a well in the desert
Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the Desert of Beersheba and soon had no more water to drink. Hagar thought her son was going to die but God heard their cries and showed them a well in the desert so that they could quench their thirst.
If your life feels like a desert right now, call on God. He brings forth springs even in the middle of the wilderness and makes a way where there seems to be none.
Part 3: The Treaty at Beersheba
God’s glory on you will be made apparent to everyone everywhere you go
Abimelek and Phicol were able to recognize that God was with Abraham in everything and they wanted to make sure to maintain a good rapport with him and his descendants.
When God’s glory is upon you, you cannot hide it, it is made apparent to everyone everywhere you go. The glory of God has an attractive property which makes people drawn to you and makes them want to associate with you.
Never be afraid to shine the banner of the Most High everywhere you go, be blessed and be a blessing to others too. Be that lamp that stands on the table and brings light to a dark room, not the lamp that hides under a bowl to conceal its light (Luke 8:16).
Do your best to live at peace with everyone
In response to Abimelek’s servants seizing Abraham’s well he brought sheep and cattle to Abimelek and they made a treaty so that the well would be recognized as Abraham’s. He found a peaceful way to resolve the matter, not resorting to quarreling and violence.
When you are faced with different situations, carefully consider your course of action. Don’t let anger, pride and other negative emotions direct your responses, instead, choose peace. If you need to take a few steps back to gain some clarity, do so. Definitely don’t be the one inciting trouble.
Reflection
- What lessons did you learn from Genesis 21?
- How can you apply them to your life?
Further reading
- Isaiah 55:11 NIV [so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.]
- Isaiah 43:19 NIV [See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.]
- Isaiah 41:18 NIV [I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.]
- Psalms 107:35 [He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs]
- Isaiah 35: 6 NLT [The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.]
- Romans 12:18 NIV [If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.]
Prayer
Thank you Lord for being with me even through the difficult seasons of life. Thank you also for everyone who’s stood by me when things were not always ideal, I pray you bless them all and watch over them. Teach me to show them appreciation and be there for them when they need someone too. Help me to live at peace with everyone and to exercise patience and extend grace. Everywhere I go, may I be a perfect representation of who you are, let people see you at work in me and give you glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
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