Observations on Genesis: Isaac

Genesis 21:

v.v. 1-7 Isaac's birth: The passage begins with this: "The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised." Think about that! Twenty-five years had passed, and God visited as he said he would and did as he said he would. Time isn't the same to him as it is to us. We so easily become anxious when he seems to have forgotten.

Hebrews 11:11-12: "By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."

v.v. 8-21 Hagar and Ishmael banished

Isaac is weaned. Ishmael laughs at some point during the feasting celebrating this. It can't have been a joyful laugh, as again Sarah wants this pair gone. This time in response to God's command and promise, Abraham agrees. He gives them bread and water, and they leave. After some time in the wilderness, with both the bread and the water gone, Hagar puts Ishmael under a bush, which indicates to me that he was already very weak, and then she withdraws. She expects him to die soon. But again God intervenes.

This time He doesn't send her back, but makes provision so that they can continue. More than that, we are told, "And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt." (21:20-21). God was with Ishmael as he had promised Abraham he would be (21:13) and he did make a great nation of him as God also promised.

v.v. 22-34 Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech

"At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, 'God is with you in all you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.' And Abraham said, 'I will swear.'" It may be that Abimelech had in mind the situation we read about in the previous chapter where Abraham had not been completely honest with him. Whatever motivated this the chapter ends v. 34 "And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines."

Genesis 22

v.v. 1-19 Sacrifice of Isaac

Hebrews 11:17-18: "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back."

v.v.20-24 Extended family

This genealogy is not tacked on but significant in that it mentions the lineage of Isaac's future wife, Rebekah.

Genesis 23

v.v.1-20 Sarah's death and burial

Sarah lived long enough to rear her son, but not to see him married. Abraham negotiates the purchase of property which would become the family burial area for not only his wife and himself, but also for several of his descendants.

Genesis 24

Isaac and Rebekah

Certain things stuck me about this chapter: the fact that Abraham's servant who had at one time been his heir was so agreeable to undertake this task; the fact that Rebekah's family wanted to know if she was willing to go rather than speaking on her behalf; and the fact that Rebekah didn't want to wait but wanted to go as soon as possible. What unusual people! And what interesting developments would follow.

This 67 verse chapter is full of action which takes place over a wide area. Abraham commits his most trusted servant to