Have you ever rejoiced at someone keeping their promise to you? There are people in our lives that we just know we can depend on. But sometimes, through no fault of their own, they may let us down sometimes. It is not that way with God. God always keeps His promises, and we see in verses 1-2 of our passage today, God kept His promise to Abraham and Sarah and they had a son. We see in verse 1 the phrases “as he had said” and “as he had spoken”. God’s word is to be trusted.
A son was delivered even though Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. And what has the Bible told us about Sarah at this time (Gen 16:11)? Yes, she was well past menopause. This was a miracle birth. Not quite the same as Jesus’ miracle birth… Isaac had an earthly father, but a miracle birth none-the-less. The KJV tells us that “God visited Sarah”. The NIV says that “God was gracious” to Sarah. God is able to do amazing things and He made this happen just as He promised He would.
Abraham named his son Isaac, which means laughter (verse 3). In verse 4, we see that Abraham obeyed God and circumcised Isaac just as he had done previously with the rest of his household. Now, I want you to compare verse 5 to Genesis 16:16. Approximately how old was Ishmael, the son Abraham had fathered with Sarah’s handmaid, when Isaac was born? Abraham and Sarah have been waiting a long time for God to fulfill this promise. Read verses 6-7. What do you think these verses tell us about how Sarah was feeling concerning the birth of this child?
Now we see in verse 8 that some time has gone by. Isaac has grown and is being weaned. On the day he is being weaned, Abraham throws a feast. The family is celebrating this milestone. They are just being typical parents, but as sometimes happens, an event occurs to dampen the party. Sarah sees that Ishmael is mocking (verse 9). Again, not unusual teen-aged behavior. Read verse 10 and see Sarah’s reaction. What does she demand of Abraham? What might have motivated this demand? And Abraham’s feelings on the matter (verse 11)?
Have you ever really loved two people who just couldn’t get along and felt caught up in the middle? What do you do when two people you love are at war or are jealous of each other? Abraham, as head of the household, was in a difficult position. Now that she had her own son, Sarah didn’t want Ishmael around anymore, but hadn’t it been Sarah’s own idea for her handmaid to conceive a son for Abraham (Gen 16)?
Read verses 12-13. God tells Abraham to do as Sarah wishes and send Hagar and Ishmael away as He is going to fulfill His promises through Isaac. What previous promise had God already made to Hagar concerning her son (Gen 16:10)? God also promises to make Ishmael’s offspring into a great nation. God has a plan for both sons. So, in verse 14, Abraham gives Hagar provisions and sends her and the boy away. This must have been heartbreaking for Abraham to send the mother of his child and his firstborn son out into the wilderness knowing he would probably not see them again. And, in the very next verse, we see their provisions run out, and she puts the boy under a bush to die.
Verse 16 tells us she sat a way off. Approximately how far away was she? Why was she this far away? As any mother would do, she cried for her son and her situation. She felt hopeless. Sarah had treated them harshly, but God had not forgotten them. Look at verse 17 (Rom 8:26). In verses 17-18, an angel of God calls out to Hagar and tells her to pick up the lad and hold him in her hand. Then what does God do (verse 19)?
Hagar was wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba (verse 14). This was part of Abimelech’s land on which Abraham was living. There were several wells present in the area, which may be why Abraham had decided to settle in the area. God had caused Hagar and the boy to wander near to one and now He revealed one to them. Hagar is able to give her son water to drink and save his life. The Bible then tells us, in verses 20-21, that God cared for the boy as he grew up in that wilderness and he became an archer and his mother found him a wife in Egypt.
The New Testament talks about Isaac’s birth and Ishmael’s relationship with him (Gal 4:21-31). Read this passage and record in your journal your thoughts about what it is telling us and how this relates to us today.
Responding to God: Praise God for the times He has kept promises to you and your family. Thank Him for the precious children He has given you. Ask His forgiveness for any times you may have taken hasty actions and not taken sufficient care for their needs or for any times your thoughtlessness may have put others in danger. Have you always provided sufficiently for your children? Pray for peace within your family. Thank God that He meets your daily needs.
Further Research: On the internet, search for historical information concerning Beersheba.
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