Genesis 21
Abraham 100 years old when Isaac is bornverses 1-5
And the LORD visited Sarah as HE had said
and the LORD did to Sarah as HE had spoken
FOR Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age
at the SET TIME of which God had spoken to him
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him
whom Sarah bore to him – ISAAC
And Abraham CIRCUMCISED his son Isaac being eight days old
as God had commanded him
And Abraham was an hundred years old
when his son – Isaac – was born unto him
Sarah’s comments after birthverses 6-7
And Sarah said – God has made me LAUGH
so that all that hear will LAUGH with me
And she said – Who would have said to Abraham
that Sarah should have nursed children?
for I have born him a son in his old age
Sarah want Hagar and her son goneverses 8-10
And the child grew – and was weaned
and Abraham made a great feast the same day that
Isaac was weaned
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar – the Egyptian
whom she had born unto Abraham – MOCKING
Wherefore she said unto Abraham
Cast out this bondwoman and her son
for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir
with my son – even with Isaac
God told Abraham to listen to Sarahverses 11-14
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight
because of his son
And God said to Abraham
Let it not be grievous in your sight BECAUSE of the lad
and BECAUSE of your bondwoman
In all that Sarah hath said to you
HEARKEN to her voice
FOR in Isaac shall your seed be called
and also of the son of the bondwoman
will I make a nation
BECAUSE he is your seed
And Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread
a skin of water – and gave it to Hagar
putting it on her shoulder – and the child
and sent her away – and she departed
and wandered in the
wilderness of Beer-sheba
Hagar in wilderness in tearsverses 15-16
And the water was spent in the bottle
and she cast the child under one of the shrubs
And she went – and sat down apart from him a good way off
as it were a bowshot – FOR she said
Let me not see the death of the child
And she sat apart from him – and lifted up her voice – and WEPT
God’s promise to Hagar regarding her sonverses 17-18
And God heard the voice of the lad – and 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
Arise – lift up the lad – and hold him in your hand
FOR I will make him a GREAT NATION
Hagar sees a well for waterverse 19
And God opened her eyes – and she saw a well of water
and she went – and filled the bottle with water
and gave the lad drink
God was with Ishmaelverses 20-21
And God was with the lad – and he grew
and dwelt in the wilderness – and became an archer
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran
and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt
Abimelech and Abraham make a covenantverses 22-24
And it came to pass at that time – that Abimelech and Phicol
the chief captain of his host – spoke to Abraham
saying
God is with you in all that you do
now therefore swear to me here by God
that you will not deal falsely with
me – my son – my son’s son
BUT according to the kindness that I have done unto you
you shall do to me – and to the land wherein
you have sojourned
And Abraham said – I will swear
Abraham reproved Abimelechverses 24-25
And Abraham reproved Abimelech BECAUSE of a well of water
which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away
Abimelech said he didn’t know about itverse 26
And Abimelech said – I know not who has done this thing
neither did you tell me – neither yet heard I of it
BUT today
Abraham confirms covenant with Abimelechverses 27-32
And Abraham took sheep and oxen – and gave them unto Abimelech
and both of them made a COVENANT
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves
and Abimelech said unto Abraham
What mean these seven ewe lambs which you have
set by themselves?
And he said – For these seven ewe lambs shall you take of my hand
that they may be a witness to me
that I have digged this well
Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba
BECAUSE there they swore both of them
Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba
then Abimelech rose up
and Phichol the chief captain of his host
and they returned into the land of the Philistines
El Olam = Eternal Godverses 33-34
And Abraham PLANTED a grove in Beer-sheba
and called there on the name of the LORD
the everlasting God
And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 For Sarah conceived, and bar Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. (4150 “set time” [mow’ed] means appointed time, a point of time, space of time, fixed day, or designated time)
DEVOTION: God had come to Abraham and Sarah in the form of flesh which means it was Jesus Christ in HIS pre-incarnate state. Remember that Jesus Christ is eternal without beginning or end. HE came as a baby in Bethlehem at an appointed time. God has a schedule and is keeping HIS schedule. The schedule was set before the world began.
Now God had promised Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age. They both laughed at the thought and therefore their son’s name means “laughter.” They seemed to doubt that God could do the impossible but HE proved that HE was able to do the impossible.
At the exact time that God had predicted the birth of Isaac it happened. Not a day sooner or later. When HE speaks it is going to happen. It happened for Abraham and Sarah and it can happen for us.
Throughout the New Testament we have promises from God regarding what is going to happen in the future. We are promised a mansion in heaven if we are disciples of Jesus Christ. It is going to happen. We are promised the presence of God in our life from the point of our salvation until the day that we die or are raptured into heaven.
Too often we are like Abraham and Sarah when we hear the promises of God. We laugh at the thought that we can trust an invisible God. We think that we have to do everything for ourselves instead of waiting on the LORD. Abraham and Sarah did things on their own and it has caused problems even to today.
The Arabs are fighting the Jews and everyone else for a place to call their own. They want nothing to do with the nation of Israel. They don’t want to think that God is blessing them as HE promised. They want to destroy a nation that God has promised to bless.
God blesses nations that honor HIM. Israel has been set aside for a season and Christians are presently under the blessing of God. This time period will end and the nation of Israel again will face judgment for their neglect of God but will also have a revival with the 144,000 witnesses during the final days of this earth.
Isaac was the child of promise and God has never ended HIS promise to the descendants of Abraham.
CHALLENGE: Understand God’s relationship to the Jewish nation and to the Arab nation. The future is plain as we study the Word of God. The battle is coming. Listen for the trumpet call of believers at the APPOINTED TIME!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptians, which she had born to Abraham, mocking. (6711 “mocking” [tsachaq] means to laugh, to joke, to dally with, to jest, to make sport of, or amuse oneself)
DEVOTION: Today we are fighting bullying in our schools. There are children making fun of other children because they are different or not popular. Many children just watch what is going on instead of getting involved. This is true of parents as well if they let their children bully other children. It is not a laughing matter today as it wasn’t a laughing matter in the days of Abraham and Sarah.
The marriage between Hagar and Abraham was something Sarah thought should happen because she was old and couldn’t possibility have a child when she was that age. So she told Abraham to marry Hagar and have a child by her. Well it happened and it caused many problems then and today.
This is a warning to us that we should not go ahead of God. We are to wait for HIM to do the work and not run ahead of HIM and cause problems. Does God know that we have a tendency to run ahead of HIM? YES!! Do we understand why HE allows us to do things wrong? YES!! HE knows that we are sinners who think we can do things better than HE does at times.
Now that Isaac is born Hagar was making fun of him. This displeased Sarah as it would any mother but especially her because she was the one who recommended the second marriage. God only wants one man to marry one woman for life. That was HIS plan but we like to sidestep HIS plan and it always causes more problems than solutions.
We see here that humans can get themselves in trouble if they don’t go to the LORD and wait for HIM to work out the details of our life. Children can do this and adults as well. Wait on the LORD is a command we need to obey.
CHALLENGE: Lesson that needs to be learned also is that we are not to make fun of others whether we are an adult or a child. It is always wrong!!!
: 17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and 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. (6963 “voice” [qowl] means noise, sound, thunder, message, the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person’s speech, or cry)
DEVOTION: This lad is a teenager. He was thirteen years old when Isaac was born and normally weaning can take five or six years so he was an older teenager when he was crying in the wilderness.
God was watching over this child because he was a descendant of Abraham. HE was going to bless him. HE knows what is happening here on this earth. Nothing happens that HE doesn’t know. Does HE condone sin? NO!! Was it a sin for Abraham and Sarah not to wait for HIM to fulfill HIS promise? YES!! Are there consequences to sin? YES!! Now we see that there was going to be two nations coming out of Abraham. One nation was going to be against God and one nation was going to worship God.
The battle between these two nations is real. God has blessed both the saint and the sinner as HE promised that HE was going to send rain on the just and on the unjust. So while on this earth both groups are going to experience some of the blessings of the LORD.
However, God is going to bless HIS people more than any other people. HE did it for Israel at the beginning. HE is presently doing it for those who are followers of Jesus Christ.
God keeps HIS promises. We need to learn to wait on HIM at all times. HIS timing is always perfect timing in our life and in the lives of all those who are HIS followers. The command is “to wait on the LORD.”
Also God hears the cries of all those in this world. HE knows what is going on in the lives of Christians in every nation and cares about them.
CHALLENGE: HE even hears the cries of repentance from all those who turn to HIM in belief.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. (5769 “everlasting” [olam] means concealed, eternity, always, continuance, perpetual, or without end.
DEVOTION: Here we have Abraham making a covenant with Abimelech of the Philistines for three generations. Abraham had his second son, Isaac, and celebrated his birth. During the celebration Ishmael was making fun of Isaac. He was mocking him. Sarah didn’t like it and asked Abraham to send him away. Abraham was told of the LORD to do this. The LORD met with Hagar and promised to make a great nation of Ishmael as he was the son of Abraham. Now we have the background for the relationship between the Philistines, the Israelites and the descendants of Ishmael. These three nations will be followed throughout the Bible. Two of the nations will be fighting all of the time.
However, the LORD has a special relationship with Abraham and his descendants. This continues to this day. They are involved in the future in the book of Revelation after the church is taken out of the picture.
In this chapter we have another name given to God. Each name that is given to God helps us understand a little more of who HE is and what HE does. God had promised Abraham a son and here was Isaac. Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac came into the world. Sarah was a little younger but still past the time she should have children. God preformed a miracle of birth. God had made a covenant with Abraham and HE was going to make the descendants of Abraham a great nation. If God was going to make his descendants a great nation, HE must be a God who was going to live a long time.
We measure in time. HE doesn’t measure in time. HE is eternal. HE is perpetual. HE is without beginning and without end. HE is continual. It is hard for us to understand this concept of God. There is no time with God. HE has a plan and is working HIS plan in time.
We think that everything has to have a beginning. God had no beginning and is going to have no end. If the God we serve has this attribute then we know that HE can keep HIS promises to us. If he keeps his promises to Abraham, HE will keep HIS promises to us. Abraham worshiped an eternal God. HE is the same God we are worshipping today!!!
One of those promises is that HE will never leave us or forsake us. That is a great promise. We need to remember that promise when we are going through hard times. Many who receive these devotionals are going through deep waters. One wrote regarding having a sick mother and mother-in-law at the same time. Each is going through times where life was not sure to continue. What is this daughter and daughter-in-law to do? Think that God has forsaken her? NO!! HE is right there by her side to give her a hug and the assurance of HIS love. Life is hard. God is good. God can get us through the hard times. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: If you are going through hard times, count on the prayers of the saints and the hugs of the saints to get you through these times. If you try to do it without the LORD and HIS servants you are not being true to the promises of the Bible. God works through HIS servants to encourage others. Are you encouraged? If not let us know.
: 34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days. (1481 “sojourned” [guwr] means 1 to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to sojourn, dwell for a time. 1a2 to abide, stay, temporarily dwell. 1b (Hithpolel). 1b1 to seek hospitality with. 1b2 to assemble oneself. 2 to stir up trouble, strife, quarrel, gather together. 2a (Qal). 2a1 to stir up strife. 2a2 to quarrel. 2b (Hithpolel) to excite oneself. 3 to dread, fear, stand in awe, be afraid. 3a (Qal). 3a1 to fear, be afraid. 3a2 to be in awe, stand in awe. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: God had made a promise to Abraham about the land of Israel that was to become his. He had left the land of his origins and familiarity (Haran) to come into the promised land. Yet at this point, it is clear that (aside from a plot he had purchased to bury his wife) he owned nothing in this land. He was a nomad who traveled in search of a place to call home and to raise his family and flocks.
God used this analogy of Abraham being a nomad and sojourner in his description of God’s people in the book of 1 Peter. We are called strangers and aliens, even though we may feel as though we are at home in the place where we are currently living. The idea is that we should not get too attached to anything in this life, because our real home lies ahead in heaven with Jesus. With this hope, we will be able to persevere through any persecution and suffering that we endure in this life, especially for the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus promised His disciples in John 14 that He was going to prepare a place for them in heaven. He promised that it would be infinitely better than anything that we could imagine on this earth. We need to realize that we are here on this earth for only a short period of time, and then at our death we are taken to our real home. That is one of the things which distinguishes us from all the people around us who are trying to get ahead in this life.
CHALLENGE: Just as Abraham was simply dwelling temporarily in the Promised Land, so we are only on this earth temporarily. Live today in the light of your future home in heaven! (MW)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 33
LORD keeps promise to Sarahverse 1
God (Elohim)verses 2, 4, 6, 12, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 33
God set time of birth of Isaacverse 2
God heard voice of Ishmaelverse 17
Everlasting Godverse 33
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angelverse 17
Angel of Godverse 17
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sarahverses 1-7, 9
She conceived a son (Isaac)
God has made me laugh
Told Abraham to cast out
Isaac (means laughter)verses 3-7, 10, 12
Circumcised
By him seed of Abraham will be called
Abraham verses 3-14, 22-34
Circumcised Isaac
100 years old at birth of Isaac
Feast when Isaac was weaned
Cast out Hagar and Ishmael
Reproved Abimelech
Covenant with Abimelech
Planted a grove in Beer-sheba
Called on name of LORD
Hagar the Egyptianverses 9, 10, 14
Wandered in Beer-sheba
Cast Ishmael
Ishmaelverses 9, 10, 13-21
Mocking Isaac
Nation come out of him
God heard him crying
God going to make him a great nation
Archer
Dwelt in wilderness of Paran
Wife out of land of Egypt
Abimelechverses 22-32
Covenant with Abraham
Phicholverse 22
Philistinesverses 32-34
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Mockingverse 9
Fearverse 17
Deal falselyverse 23
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Obey commandsverse 4
Calledverse 12
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Circumcisionverse 4
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
22–34 The reoccurrence of Abimelech in v.22, though something of a surprise in the narrative, shows that the setting of these narratives had not changed and that Abraham was still living with the Philistines. This judgment is confirmed at the conclusion of the narrative where it explicitly says that Abraham continued to sojourn with the Philistines “for a long time” (v.34). The reader is forced to ask why his attention is constantly being drawn to the fact that Abraham was dwelling with the Philistines during this time. Perhaps it was to present a picture of Abraham as someone who had yet to experience the fulfillment of God’s promises. Without the continuing accounts of Abraham’s dealings with Abimelech, the other events in these narratives might easily have been read within the context of the Promised Land. Thus what we are forced to see is a picture of Abraham who did not live out all his days in the Land of Promise but spent many of his days in exile. Even Isaac, the son of the promise, was not born in the Land of Promise. He was, rather, born in exile and had to sojourn there with his father who “wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another” (Ps 105:13). The intention of the narrative seems very close to that which the writer of the Book of Hebrews saw in these narratives. In Hebrews 11:8–13, where it is recalled that though Abraham had left his father’s land and had come to the Land of Promise, he lived there “like a stranger in a foreign country.… they were aliens and strangers on earth.”
The picture of Abraham in exile is exemplary of God’s caring for the righteous who must suffer while waiting to enter the land. The servants of Abimelech had stolen Abraham’s wells. But because God was with Abraham in all that he did (v.22), he made a covenant with their king (v.27); and all was restored to him (v.32). (Sailhamer, J. H. (1990). Genesis. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, pp. 166–167). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
The striking feature about this passage is the explanation of the name of Beersheba, the home of Abraham. This name will always reflect the covenant the patriarch made with the residents of the land, which enabled him to dwell there in peace and prosperity.
21:22–34. The word šāḇa‘ (“to swear or take an oath”) occurs three times in the passage (vv. 23–24 [swear], 31 [swore]); the numerical adjective šeba‘ (seven) occurs three times as well (vv. 28–30); the name be’ēr šāḇa‘ (“well of seven” or “well of the oath”) also occurs three times (vv. 31–33). Certainly the stress is on the significance of the oath (v. 31) between Abraham and Abimelech, a fact commemorated by Beersheba’s naming. Šāḇa‘ is clearly the key to the passage. Later Israel would learn about the solemnity of oaths and treaties.
The story fits well in the context that builds up to the sacrifice of Isaac in chapter 22. The birth of Isaac was clearly promised (18:1–15), and in Abraham’s deception (chap. 20) Abimelech learned that God’s hand was on this man (cf. 21:22). Then the promised seed was born and the rival was expelled (vv. 1–18). Now (vv. 22–34) a covenant was made that allowed Abraham to settle in the land in peace and Abimelech to share in the blessing. All this built slowly to the test in chapter 22, each chapter showing the completion of different phases of the promises.
The story in 21:22–34 reveals that the patriarch was blessed of God, and that some pagans recognized God’s blessings. The motif of the well appears again (cf. 16:14; 21:19). God provided water—a symbol of blessing—out of the wilderness, out of the barren land, out of the rock. Abimelech realized this, and after the controversy over his servants’ seizure of the well (v. 25), the two men made a treaty so that the pagan king could share in the blessing (cf. 12:1–3).
In making the treaty (covenant) Abraham gave Abimelech both sheep and cattle (21:27; cf. the reverse in 20:14), including seven ewe lambs (21:29–30). These secured Abraham’s legal right to dwell in the land in peace, and legally forced Abimelech to recognize that this well at Beersheba belonged to Abraham (vv. 30–31). The patriarch thus secured by treaty his right to the well, that is, God’s provision of blessing.
Significant is the fact that Abraham planted a … tree there and sojourned there many days (vv. 33–34), indicating his faith and security. To plant a tree in Beersheba presupposed a constant supply of water, and indicated a determination to stay in the region. God would bless with well water, and Abraham would stay settled in the land. Dwelling under one’s tree was a sign of peaceful security (Zech. 3:10).
The passage certainly anticipated Israel’s future peaceful coexistence in the land with other tribes who would respond to the message of peace and desire to share in the blessing.
A subtle rebuke, however, is found in the story (cf. Abimelech’s rebuke in Gen. 20:9–10). Abimelech pressed for the treaty so that Abraham would not deal falsely with him (21:23). All Abimelech knew of this man was that (a) God blessed him (v. 22) and (b) he was deceptive (v. 23). This tragic contradiction called for a binding treaty.
Likewise, Israel was to keep her oaths and avoid falsehood. Today believers should speak the truth without using oaths (Matt. 5:37; James 5:12). Truthful and faithful dealings that preserve such peaceful relations enhance the work of God.
The Philistines (Gen. 21:32) settled in Palestine en masse around 1200 b.c. However, some sea traders settled on the coast of Palestine as early as Abraham, who lived 2166–1991 b.c.; see the chart “Chronology of the Patriarchs,” near 47:28–31. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Genesis. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 63–64). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
21:22–34 A parity treaty formally struck between Abimelech and Abraham guaranteed the proper control and sharing of the region’s limited water resources and also assured the king of the patriarch’s fair and equitable treatment for years to come. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 21:22–34). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 24. And Abraham said, I will swear.] Sensible of the many favours he had received from Abimelech in times past, and was still indulged with, he very readily agreed to his proposal; and the rather, as he knew by the vision between the pieces, that it would be 400 years before his posterity should be put into the possession of the land of Canaan; and therefore could take an oath that neither he, nor his son, nor his grandson, should be injured or dispossessed. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 150). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
Abimelech now seems to have had second thoughts about his cavalier treatment of Abraham. The words “he is a prophet” stuck in his mind and haunted him. He comes back into the story now with a plea (21:22–24). He saw to it that his path crossed that of Abraham and made sure too that he had his military adviser with him. Thus prepared, Abimelech accosted the patriarch. “God is with thee,” he said, “in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son.”
Apparently, Abimelech judged everyone by himself. He was afraid of Abraham (even though Abraham meant him no harm and prayed for him), for he knew only too well how he would treat Abraham if he dared. He imagined Abraham to be waiting only a favorable moment to treat him the same way. Abraham said, “I will swear.” His special relationship with God did not give him the right to trample on the rights of others. He was both a believer and a gentleman, two things that should always go hand in hand. With all his heart Abraham wished Abimelech well. His only regret was that his own shoddy behavior had so tarnished his testimony that he could not witness to him about the true character of God. Still, in a gentlemanly way, Abraham took the oath required of him that he would not trample on Abimelech’s rights.
Next came Abimelech’s pledge (21:25–31). In actual fact the shoe was on the other foot; it was Abimelech who was the potential aggressor, not Abraham, as Abraham pointed out. A while before, Abraham had dug a well, a very good well, a most desirable asset in a dry and thirsty land. Abimelech’s men had violently wrested it from Abraham, and the patriarch had quietly suffered loss. It was the man, mark you, who a few years before had routed the kings of the east and at whose feet the king of Sodom had bowed. Yet he had suffered the loss quietly. Abimelech, tongue in cheek, denied all knowledge of the incident and, in the form and manner of the times, signed a contract with Abraham confirming Abraham’s right to the well. Probably he had no intention of honoring the contract, but at least it looked good.
Finally the narrative records Abimelech’s parting (21:32–34). “Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Philcol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.” No doubt the pair of them congratulated each other on having got the best of Abraham. Their motives were very transparent. What they wanted was Abraham’s friendship; that is, they wanted to make sure he would not launch any attack against them in the foreseeable future. The surrender, in return, of a well that did not really belong to them made an excellent bargain. But they had not the slightest interest in Abraham’s fellowship. Indeed, there was no basis for fellowship at all. Abimelech felt as uncomfortable in Abraham’s presence as Abraham did in his. Their worlds were eternities apart. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary (Ge 21:22–34). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
21:22 Abimelech: It appears from this verse that Abraham and Sarah were still living in the region of Gerar (20:15). Phichol: This commander of the army is also mentioned in the later encounter with Isaac (26:26), unless the name is a hereditary term, as perhaps was that of Abimelech (26:8). God is with you: With these words, Abimelech and Phichol introduced their desire to form a treaty with Abraham.
21:23, 24 swear to me by God: This kind of oath was a complete, binding obligation (22:16). God would be witness to the act and a witness against anyone who might break it. kindness: This exceedingly important term (Heb. hesed) sometimes translated “loyal love” is often used in the Psalms to describe God’s character (Ps. 100:5). Here we see its proper context in a binding relationship. The term basically describes covenant loyalty (24:12).
21:25, 26 It turned out that there was a dispute between the two concerning a well. For those who tended sheep and goats, water rights and wells mattered a great deal. Abimelech agreed to settle the issue promptly.
21:27 This is the first use of the word covenant for a parity treaty (15:18). A parity treaty is a binding agreement between two equals, similar to today’s business contract. At 26:28 there is a parity treaty between Abimelech and Isaac, and at 31:43–55 there is a covenant between Jacob and Laban.
21:28–31 Abraham made the occasion all the more memorable by his presentation of seven ewe lambs to Abimelech. The Hebrew number seven is similar in sound to the verb meaning “to swear” (v. 24). Thus Beersheba would be the well where they swore and the well of the seven ewe lambs. In the next generation the ritual would be repeated with a similar meaning given to the site (26:33).
21:32, 33 The hope was that the tamarisk tree would long mark the spot of this major treaty. called on the name: As in 12:8, Abraham did more than just pray to the Lord; he made proclamation in the Lord’s name, telling everyone about the Lord, the Everlasting God, the Master of eternity. Not only does He live forever, but He meets the needs of His people for all eternity.
21:34 Although Abraham had been promised the whole of the land for his posterity (Gen. 12:7; 15:18–21), in his own life he lived under agreements with others in their land (Heb. 11:13–16). The name Palestine comes from the word for Philistine. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 42). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
21:22–34 The Abimelech in verse 22 is not necessarily the same one as in chapter 20. This chieftain’s servants had taken a well of water from Abraham’s men. When Abimelech and Abraham made a treaty of friendship, the patriarch told Abimelech about the well that had been seized. The result was a covenant granting the well to Abraham. He promptly named it Beersheba (“well of the oath”). The place later became a city, marking the southernmost boundary of the land. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree as a memorial. (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 58). Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
The Covenant with Abimelech (Gen. 21:22–34)
The passage.—This story illustrates anew the friendly relationship between the Philistines and Abraham. Again Abimelech is presented in a favorable light. He initiated the covenant. Upset over the report of friction between his servants and those of Abraham over the well, he was most desirous of Abraham’s welfare. The patriarch reinforced his claim to the well at Beersheba (“well of the oath”) by presenting Abimelech with seven ewe lambs as an act of good faith. All was at peace between Hebrew and Philistine.
Special point.—Abimelech is portrayed as a most remarkable man. In chapter 20 he returned good for evil. He lived by the Golden Rule, for he did to Abraham what he would have liked Abraham to do to him (21:23). Could these accounts have influenced the teachings of Jesus? Certainly they are advanced ideas, and for these virtues to be found in a Philistine king is even more unusual. (Francisco, C. T. (1972). Genesis. In H. F. Paschall & H. H. Hobbs (Eds.), The teacher’s Bible commentary (pp. 31–32). Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT
It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel’s entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way–but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals. (Quiet Walk)
WHAT HAPPENS IN REVIVAL? PART 2
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4
In a revival the church is given great assurance concerning the truth. It does not have to investigate the truth or set up a commission to look into it. It is given an absolute certainty about it. That is the thing that comes out so clearly in the story in Acts. Take these men, these apostles. You remember how a few weeks before, after the crucifixion, they were very shaken and most uncertain. They had come to a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they had come to see that He was the Messiah; but then He was crucified, and they were shattered and confused in their minds.
You will find, in the last chapter of John’s Gospel, that they were just talking to one another when Peter suddenly said, “I will go fishing. I must do something to relieve this; it is too miserable; it is impossible.” And the others said, “We will go with you.”
You cannot imagine a more dejected picture. They were shaken and uncertain about everything. And then the Lord appeared to them, and He taught them. Ah, yes, this certainly put them in a better condition. But it was only after…the Day of Pentecost that they were filled with assurance and understanding and immediately began to speak to the people about the wonderful works of God. Never again was there any doubt; never again was there any difficulty about understanding. Take Peter himself; look at the sermon that he preached on that occasion. He was absolutely certain and assured. That is something that is absolutely universal in times of revival.
A Thought to Ponder
Never again was there any doubt; never again was there any difficulty about understanding. (From Revival, pp. 204-205, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Signs of the Times
“When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:2-3)
This sharp rebuke by the Lord Jesus was well deserved, for His critics were challenging Him to prove His right to be heard by performing a miracle. But they had already been confronted with a tremendous body of evidence, both in their Scriptures and in the very life and teachings of Jesus (as well as in the miracles already wrought by Him) that He was their Messiah. They paid great attention to weather forecasting and other mundane matters while ignoring or rejecting the evidence that God Himself, in Christ, was in their midst.
Today we are more occupied with daily weather even than they were, with all sorts of forecasting devices in operation. There is also a growing army of doomsday forecasters, loudly concerned about overpopulation, pollution, and a host of other foreboding secular “signs of the times.
Yet they ignore the overwhelming evidences, both in science and Scripture, that our great Creator/Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is still in control and is coming again soon to fulfill His great purposes in creation and redemption. A mere listing of the many real signs of God’s times would take many pages. One such sign, of course, is this very proliferation of science and technology. At “the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). Another is the great following achieved by these false teachers, as multitudes “turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:4). “Hypocrites,” Jesus said, are concerned with secular trends, but spiritual discerners can recognize the true signs.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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