20. THE BIRTH OF THE PROMISED CHILD
Genesis 21
First: 25 years had passed since the promise was given, when it finally came true. The Lord himself determined the name that would be given to this child. In that culture, the son of the main wife, not one of a concubine, was considered firstborn.
Verses 1-7
• What challenges might have been involved in Sarah's pregnancy and childbirth at an advanced age?
• According to verses 3 and 6, what was the significance of Isaac's name (which means «he laughs»)? Read verse 6 in two translations (for example ESV and NIV).
• What do the words about Sarah in verse 7 convey?
• What do you think was most delightful for Abraham and Sarah as they witnessed little Isaac's growth and development? (Did they worry and fuss over their child more than younger parents?)
• What if Abraham and Sarah had had a child immediately after getting married? What might they have missed learning?
• What would you think if you had to wait a quarter of a century for God's promise to be fulfilled?
Verses 8-13. Ishmael was 13 years old, when Isaac was born. Weaning a baby happened in the age of 3-4 years, and that time Ishmael was 16-17 years old. Deportation from home meant also loosing his whole inheritance. Some kind of inheritance would belong to concubine’s son, too.
• How might the relationship between Abraham, Sarah, Ishmael, and Hagar had changed after Isaac's birth?
• Consider what made Ishmael laugh or mock at his younger brother's weaning feast.
• What do you think about Sarah's command in verse 10?
• Why did God make the woman the mediator of his will in this situation (verses 11-13)?
• What might have caused Abraham the most anguish in this situation?
• Paul quotes Sarah's words from verse 10 in Galatians 4:30. He applies them meaning that the son of the slave woman refers to those under the law, and the son of the free woman refers to those born through faith. Those striving for salvation through the law are driven away from God's kingdom and are left without an inheritance in the new creation. Who could be those that are under the law in our time?
Verses 14-16. Locate Beersheba on the map. The wilderness of Beersheba refers to the northern part of Negev.
• What does it show about Abraham that he took action already early in the morning? (What would have happened if Abraham had refused to obey the Lord in this matter?)
• What do you think Abraham might have said to his son when he sent him away from home without money, with only bread and a skin of water?
• What might Hagar have thought about the couple of decades she had lived in Abraham's camp?
• Imagine the emotions of the mother in the situation described in verses 15 and 16. What was the worst part?
• What might Hagar's relationship with God have been like at this point? How about Ishmael's?
Verses 17-19. This is the second conversation Hagar has with the angel of God. The distance of a bowshot is estimated to be 20-60 meters.
• Verse 17 contains a wordplay, as Ishmael's name means «God has heard». What did the angel's words mean to Hagar and her faith?
• Apply verse 17 to your own children, especially to the one you worry about the most. What does it say to you in this context?
• Why do you think Hagar didn't immediately notice the nearby well?
Verses 20-21. The wilderness of Paran is located in the central part of Sinai. See the map. Ishmael had twelve sons, and he is considered the forefather of the Arabs (25:12-18). The Ishmaelites were identified by their golden nose rings, they were skilled camel breeders, and their caravans traded between Egypt and Canaan.
• Imagine Ishmael's life from this point onward, first with his mother, then with an Egyptian wife and a growing number of children.
• What does it mean that God was with Ishmael?
• Hagar apparently never remarried. What do you think about this woman's fate? (What were the good sides to it? And the bad?)
Verses 22-24. Abimelech is one of the kings who took Sarah into their court, thinking she was Abraham's sister.
• Why did king Abimelech insist on making a covenant with Abraham?
• What aspects of Abraham's character and life might have impressed the original inhabitants of Canaan despite his mistakes and fails (also see 20:15)?
Verses 25-34. Beersheba means «well of the seven» or «well of the oath». During the kingdom period, it was the southernmost city of Israel and Judah. Apparently, the person who dug the well also owned it.
• Consider how wells, several meters deep, were dug in that time and what was the significance of wells in a nomadic culture.
• What is the significance of Abraham's planting of a tamarisk tree and his prayer in this context?
Finally: We meet Ishmael once more, burying his father alongside Isaac. The connection between the brothers wasn't completely severed. When Jesus said: Make disciples of all nations, he also meant the descendants of Ishmael. He died on the cross for them too.
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