BACKGROUND
Part I: Isaac is Born!
It had been 25 years since the initial promise, and the baby is born! WOHOOO!
There are Scarlet Thread parallels between Isaac and Jesus:
1) Both Isaac and Jesus were named before their mothers were even pregnant (See Genesis 17:19 and Luke 1:31).
2) Both mothers conceived because of God’s supernatural intervention.
3) Both Isaac and Jesus fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant. They were both “sons of the promise.”
4) There was rejoicing at the birth of a promised newborn baby!!!!!!
Isaac’s name means “laughter” and his promise and birth brought on much of it. Sarah’s first laugh was in temporary disbelief (Genesis 17:17). The next one was out of pure joy. This Michael Card song captures that joy! See a video of him singing at the end of this post.
They Called Him Laughter
A barren land and a barren wife
Made Abraham laugh
At his wandering life
A cruel joke it seemed then
To call him the “father of nations.”
A heavenly prank?
A celestial joke?
’Cause gray hair and babies
Leave no room for hope
But hoping was something
This hopeless old man learned to do.
Chorus
They called him laughter
For he came after
The Father had made an
Impossible promise come true
The birth of a baby
To a hopeless old lady
So they called him laughter
‘Cause no other name would do
A cry in the darkness
And laughter at night
An elderly couple sit
Holding him tight
An improbable infant
A punch line, a promise come true
They laughed 'til they wept
Then they laughed at their tears
This miracle baby they'd wanted for years
Would make a Messiah
Who'd give us impossible joy
Who'd give us impossible joy
CHORUS
Even though Sarah’s first laugh was in temporary disbelief, God is so patient with us. Sarah made it in the “Hall of Faith” with these verses:
By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive (literally, “power to lay down seed”), even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11).
Further Study: Romans 4:13-25 is an excellent cross-reference in connection with this promise and our faith. It is well worth the extra time to really absorb it into your soul bloodstream. It is SO important to understand!
Part 2: Ishmael and Hagar
At Isaac’s weaning feast (age two to three), the teenage (age 16 or 17) half-brother, Ishmael, “mocks.” In Hebrew, this word means “at play,” but Paul later describes it as “persecuted” (Galatians 4:29). Regardless, Sarah saw this mocking as a threat to Isaac’s inheritance, and she wanted Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, out of the house! Interesting that God told Abraham to listen to Sarah this time and not to be distressed because the promise was with Isaac, but there were still blessings for Ishmael. So, Abraham “rose early in the morning” in obedience to the Father’s will (something he will do again in the next chapter with his other son).
Just as God met Hagar in the desert in Genesis 16, he met her again and promised a great nation out of Ishmael. They settled in the Wilderness of Paran which is the northeast portion of the Sinai Peninsula. The descendants of Ishmael are the Arabs of today and, by extension, Muslims.
Now, this whole episode has great significance in the Scarlet Thread. Galatians 4:21-31 uses this story in Genesis 21 to speak allegorically of the Mosaic Law and the New Covenant:
1) MOSAIC LAW: Ishmael was born according to the flesh (man’s intervention) through a “slave woman” representing bondage at Mt. Sinai and the earthly Jerusalem which represents the center of the Law of Moses.
2) NEW COVENANT: Isaac was born according to the Spirit (supernatural intervention) through a “free woman” representing freedom when the promise was finally fulfilled in Christ, the seed, on Mt. Calvary! We, in turn, are “seed” by adoption through God’s grace and are a part of the heavenly Jerusalem.
We, as co-heirs, are free from the bondwoman because of Christ. We just need to “throw the slave woman and her son” out of our lives since the flesh struggles against the Spirit, mocking the Spirit just as Ishmael mocked Isaac! Our inheritance lies in the son of promise and his seed, Jesus. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free," and we never must be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
HALLELUJAH!
HALLELUJAH!
WHEW! I’m glad I got that off my chest!
Part 3: Abraham Makes an Oath to Abimelech
Abimelech only knew of Abraham as a liar. So, he pressed him to deal honestly with him. I can see why! Abraham swore kindness toward Abimelech and his descendants and to the land. They also “cut” covenant over the wells. This treaty allowed Abraham to dwell in peace in this land. As a result, he planted a tamarisk tree that thrives in arid regions. Its leafy branches provide a welcome shade. Dwelling under one’s tree was a sign of peaceful security (Zechariah 3:10).
Then, Abraham called on El Olam. This is the first and last time this address will ever be used of God and means “the Everlasting God.”
REFLECTION
What encourages me so much in this chapter is that even though Sarah had her doubts through the process, she still made it in the Hall of Faith. It gives me encouragement that even though we will make three steps forward and two steps back in our journey, He still sees the forward motion of our imperfect lives! Keep on walking brothers and sisters in the Lord!
APPLICATION
Part 1: Are there any areas of your life where you are not “standing on the promises” of God? He always follows through on His promises. Learn to praise God ahead of time in the process of waiting rather than continuing to doubt or try to “make” things happen like Sarah.
Part 2: Is there a “bondwoman” in your life? Are you living under bondage and not under grace in any area of your life?
Part 3: Just as Abraham lived in peace with Abimelech and his descendants, we need to “live in harmony with one another . . . if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:16, 18). I heartily recommend material from Peacemaker Ministries, and the book, The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
to learn about Biblical peacemaking.
to learn about Biblical peacemaking.
PRAYER
Lord, we call on you as El Olam, the everlasting God, the God of Abraham who is the same yesterday, today, and forever! We praise You God that you have adopted us as Children of Promise through Jesus Christ our LORD! Amen
Here is Michael Card performing the song:
11 comments:
Here's my question. It says in the Romans passage that Abraham did not waver in his faith. We've also read throughout the Bible about his great faith. Yet, didn't he waver when he slept with Hagar hoping for a son? He seemed to jump ahead of God. And I don't think I'll ever be able to wrap my head around the fact that Sarah *encouraged* him to do this. Marital intimacy obviously meant very little in this culture. ??
Your thoughts?
Heather
Ooops...forgot one more thing. I've also always been puzzled by the fact that God says He will bless Ishmael and make him into a great nation; yet the Arabs are notorious for violence and their religion (Islam) isn't just another religion; it is a religion and culture that often times HATES anything representing Christendom. Why would God not only allow this, but have His hand so obviously in their beginnings? In my oh-so-human mind, it would have made sense to have Hagar and Ishmael dismissed and never hear about them again.
H.
Carol, That song by Michael Card has been running through my head, too, so I don't need the music!
Heather, I've read the passage in Romans and I've thought about your question since I first read it this morning.
Here's what I think: Sometimes I think we simplify what happened, too much. We can believe God for a promise, for what He says, and yet practically speaking we have to act, or do something (or not do something). It's often VERY difficult to know what to do. Abraham believed God, never questioned that God was able to do what He promised, and yet I'm sure he must have wondered if he was supposed to do something. So he stumbled along, always believing, always having faith, yet often making wrong choices or bad decisions. Having faith doesn't mean we won't make mistakes. At least not in my opinion. Having faith means we believe God is trustworthy and keeps His promises. Working out our faith is to me what is tough. Sometimes it is hard to know when to wait and when to act, but even when we do the wrong thing (or don't do the right thing) that doesn't mean we lack faith or even waver in it. It means we're human and stumble because we don't have perfect vison.
Does that make any sense? I think your question is so good and I did grapple with it this a.m. and wanted to let you know that.
Also about Ishmael and the Arabs and eventual enmity between Islam and Christianity (and Judaism for that matter).
None of us can know for sure God's reason for doing anything unless He himself tells us the reason.
Actions have consequences and so Abraham's fathering of Ishmael is going to result in something. The seeds for hatred are there in the story, the jealousy and envy... the mothers of those boys didn't get along, so how can we expect their descendants to get along? God made Ishmael a great nation, as He promised. Ishmael was a son of Abraham, too, just not in the promised line.
God allowed them to make choices, just like He allows us. I think somehow, us trying to make choices to please Him, or acting in faith, gives Him glory, even when the consequences are bad. We stumble along, not understanding, not sure what to do, sinning sometimes, being selfish sometimes, trying to love sometimes. What we do affects not only us, but those who come behind us, those around us. Not a one of us is going to live perfectly - even with the best intentions and loving God and living in faith we will err. But I love the focus on this study of the thread of redemption. Because we aren't perfect one who is perfect came.
(And I'm now lost in my answer... lol... I know this probably isn't a very satisfying one.)
I am posting too late at night and my questions aren't being read and never being answered. Carol, I did clarify what I meant by surrogacy on day 13. Maybe I should have posted it at the beginning of the next day. Also, I asked..."Why salt?" in the case of Lot's wife. Anyone have a thought on that?
I loved that chapter 21 started out with "Then the Lord did exactly what he had promised." Isn't that exciting!? Even though there was disbelief and the sin of His people his plan still went on just as promised! How encouraging that God keeps his promises!
I love the parallels between Christ and Isaac and there are more to come in Chapter 22. I can hardly wait! :-)
Connie
Hi all,
Heather, I haven't read the other comments, but my first thought is that God looks at the overall life, not at the brief moments of our lapses in judgment. That encourages me greatly. For instance, David can be called "a man after God's own heart," but in the course of that life, he slept with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. That encourages me in my three steps forward two steps back life to just keep moving forward. Overall, in his life, he did not waver.
On Arabs/Muslims, what encourages me is that God has a heart for the Muslims too! We will see throughout the Scarlet Thread a phrase over and over again: "that all the nations (people) will know that there is a God in Israel." God chose Israel to be a conduit of the righteousness of God to all peoples, including the Arabs. So, this blessing of Ishmael is that God cares about them JUST as much as he cared for Isaac's line. "That all the world will know" is a bottom line theme of the whole Bible, and it is exciting. God cares. God sees all people.
Hi Connie. Yes, I read your thoughts on surrogacy. Bruce Alexander is very ill right now. So, I am limited in my time. My first thought is that this isn't just about non-sexual surrogacy but the intimacy that happened between Hagar and Abraham. Also, it went against what God had specifically said to Abraham about having a son. So, I don't know if this would be Scripture that could say that this is not OK.
Why salt? I don't know.Sorry!
Keep the comments coming, and I apologize ahead of time if I can not personally answer. Sometimes, I just don't have a good answer, but I am sure someone out there does!
If you are local, please come on the first Monday of the month where we can talk!
Thank you for this lovely study! I am drinking it all in. Chp. 20 blessed me because it ends with the defeat of the serpent. This excerpt is from my Children's Commentary Series on Genesis called "Herein is Love" -- His scheme against the Word of God and his attack against the Promise of God failed. This story ends with a very great victory for God: Isaac! It ends with great joy for God's people: Laughter!
Holly McLane
Central Oregon
Carol,
Thanks for mentioning Bruce. I read their blog not long ago but your note caused me to check back. I weep for them though I know God is in control. :(
Connie
Welcome MOOBEEMA. I am sure there is a story behind that google name! Jan said you might be able to come over from Central Or some time for our face-to-face meeting. It would be fun to meet you.
(Maybe others can come from GA, LA, IL, WI, CA, OH, etc too!!!!)
A commentary had some interesting things to say. The author said that the putting away of Hagar and Ishmael illustrates the contrast between rights and grace. Ishmael and Hagar's "lording it over" Sarah and Isaac was based on a desire to have their rights. Hagar, as the one who had produced the heir, felt herself superior to Sarah, and wished to be treated in a way that acknowledged her rights as the "better woman." Likewise, Ishmael's position as the firstborn would logically accrue to him certain rights; he would, in eastern culture, be superior to any other child born. Hagar and Ishmael signify the way the world works--according to rights and individual merit; you should be treated the way you deserve to be treated. But because God wanted to show that he works in a different way (by grace), the "rights" way of thinking had to be put off, rejected, sent away. So the sending away of Hagar and Ishmael is not a cruel act by Abraham, it's a sign of trust that God's word and God's way (the promise and covenant) are better than the way of the world.
It's a mark of God's grace that, after the way of the world (grasping after one's rights) had been rejected through the sending away of Hagar and Ishmael, he took care of them so wonderfully anyhow. In other words, they weren't going to get safety and provision by demanding their rights, but by the gift of God, which he pours out on all who trust in him (instead of trusting in the world or themselves.)
Sorry I kind of rushed that and maybe didn't explain it as clearly as I should have, but I'm in something of a time crunch lately. That's why I haven't been around here much the past few days.
There is a promise God gave me 31 years ago, and I am reminded that I need to "stand" on that promise today.
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