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ISAAC IS BORN

Chapter 21

In some respects, the birth of Isaac resembles that of Christ:

1. It was a supernatural birth: Sarah, around ninety years old, sterile, and well past her menopause, could not have children; but for God nothing is impossible, and by her faith Sarah received power to be a mother, despite her advanced age (Hebrews 11:11). Jesus also, by the Holy Spirit was born to a virgin, without the intervention of man, which is impossible according to nature.

2. Born at the time God determined: in His sovereignty He set the right date for Isaac (Genesis 17:21). So the Son also came into the world at the time predetermined by God (Galatians 4:4).

3. There was great expectation as to his birth, particularly by his parents because the child had been promised by the LORD to Abraham - he had to wait 25 years. Also, the promised Messiah was being eagerly awaited by the people of Israel to fulfil the promises of God. The wait was for many generations, the promise having been made millennia before it took place.

4. From Isaac would come a great nation, that the LORD would call "my people" (Exodus 3:10), a nation on earth. From Christ, not physically but through faith comes the "church of God," a people and nation not of this world but belonging to a heavenly kingdom (Ephesians 2:6, 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 11:16, 12:22).

5. Both mothers initially had difficulty accepting the news that they would get pregnant: Sarah laughed, and Mary exclaimed: "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (Luke 1:34).

6. Both Isaac and Jesus received their names before they were born, in the first case it was given by God (Genesis 17:19), and in the second by an angel of the LORD (Matthew 1:21).

7. Both were obedient to their parents until they died: when 33 years old Isaac agreed to be killed in sacrifice, but God intervened at the last moment, preventing this from happening (Genesis 22:12). The Lord Jesus, also at 33 years old, indeed, gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28).

Like any newborn, Isaac needed milk, and Sarah was able to nurse him. So Sarah laughed and expected all who knew about it would also laugh with her: it seemed so absurd! The name given to his son (as the LORD had determined) was Isaac (he laughs).

In fulfilment of his covenant with the LORD (Genesis 17:12) Abraham circumcised his son at eight days of age.

It is estimated that weaning occurred on the second birthday of the child, celebrated by Abraham with a banquet. This reminds us that, although we should fervently wish, as newborn children, the pure spiritual milk, so that through it we may be given spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2), everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the word of justice, because he is a babe. But solid food is for the adults, for those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good but also evil (Hebrews 5:13-14).

During his fourteen years, Ishmael had enjoyed all the attention and affection of his father. But his jealousy ignites with the attention given to little Isaac, and he reacts by scoffing of his brother.

This reminds us of the two natures of the believer: before being born again, we all have a carnal nature, by which we are controlled; at the time of conversion there is a new birth in Christ, when we receive another, spiritual, nature, and then the old carnal nature struggles against it. It is then necessary to disable, or mitigate, the old nature so the new one can direct us in everything. They are the old man and new man. (Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:20-24 and Colossians 3:5-10).

Sarah, always vigilant, watching what was happening, told Abraham that he had to expel the slave Hagar and her son Ishmael from their family, because Ishmael was not entitled to inheritance.

It was a difficult decision to Abraham as a father, because he loved his son Ishmael. Mercifully, God spoke again to Abraham, ordering him to do what Sarah had said, because the promised seed would come through Isaac; but He still would make a great nation of Ishmael because he was also his offspring.

Comforted, Abraham rose up early and immediately sent away Hagar and the boy, giving them bread and water for their journey.

Hagar departed and wandered in the desert called Wilderness of Beersheba. When she ran out of water, she placed Ishmael under one of the shrubs, walked away for a distance of a bowshot, sat down and wept, not wanting to see him die. God heard the voice of the lad, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, assuring her that God knew what was happening, and that He would make him a great nation. Then God showed her a well where they could drink water. God was with Ishmael, who eventually became an archer, married an Egyptian and lived in the wilderness of Paran in the North of the Sinai. Some of the Arabs, his descendants, still roam there.

We also find reported in this passage the treaty that Abimelech and his commander made with Abraham. It was Abimelech who asked Abraham to make such a treaty with him, saying "God is with you in all that you do". The covenant has only two clauses, in which Abraham swore by God:

• Not to lie to Abimelech, neither to his son nor to his grandson (Abimelech wanted to make sure not to be tricked again.)

• To do with Abimelech and the land where he had lived according to the same kindness that he had been treated by them (it was fair - kindness should be repaid with kindness).

Abraham did not see any problems in being bound in this way, though we may criticise him for having taken an oath - but remember that the law forbidding such a thing only appeared a few centuries later.

Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech´s servants had seized, but Abimelech denied any knowledge of the fact. After taking and giving sheep and oxen to Abimelech, and making a covenant with him, Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves: by accepting them as a gift, Abimelech acknowledged that this was Abraham’s well  (a well was of great value in that semi-arid region, particularly for the owner of a large herd).

That place was then called Beersheba (well of the seven, or well of the oath) - the name and the well are still there today.

Abraham planted a tamarisk in Beersheba - a sort of demarcation of the site - and praised God for the blessings received. He stayed there for a long time, in this land of the Philistines.

 

R David Jones

 

 

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.
4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me."
7 She also said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."
8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac."
11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.
13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed."
14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.
16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation."
19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.
20 So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

 

22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.
23 Now therefore, swear 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 to me and to the land in which you have dwelt."
24 And Abraham said, "I will swear."
25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized.
26 And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today."
27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?"
30 And he said, "You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well."
31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

Genesis chapter 21