Genesis 21
The Miracle Child

Genesis 21

Isaac Is Born

Genesis 21 "1 Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Sarah Turns against Hagar

9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. 13 “And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept. 17 God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 “Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.

20 God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Covenant with Abimelech

22 Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do; 23 now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.” 24 Abraham said, “I swear it.” 25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”

27 Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?” 30 He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Unpacking Genesis 21

My wife and I have six kids and a grandchild. Each one is special and unique. I’m grateful for all of them. Still, I can only imagine how grateful Abraham and Sarah would have been when Sarah gave birth to Isaac in her 90s, and Abraham was 100! Even more, I can’t imagine the impact this would have on the community around them as word got out that a 90-ish-year-old woman gave birth to a healthy boy!

Today, we are looking at Genesis 21, which covers four key events: The birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, Abraham’s covenant with Abimelech, and Abraham’s worship in Beersheba. We will cover each of these events quickly, starting with the first event, Isaac's birth, found in verses 1 to 8.

Verse 1 starts with the word “then.” The word “then” reminds us that the Book of Genesis is unfolding a long, protracted point. Specifically, that man is bent on doing things his own way, so God is establishing a nation of people who will obey Him. However, even those people are sinners who need a Savior.

That’s the plan, but there’s a problem: There is no one in this covenant community yet, except for Abraham and Sarah, because they don’t have any children. It’s hard to start a dynasty without begats to beget! That situation changes in Genesis 21.

Verse 1 tells us the Lord has taken note of Sarah and will bring about what He has promised. What did God promise?

To Abraham, God promised that he would be the father of a great nation that would live in the Promised Land and through them would come a blessing to all nations. Regarding Sarah, the Lord promised in Genesis 17:15-19 and 18:10 that Sarah herself would bear Abraham a son in her old age. That’s quite a promise, given that in Genesis 17:17, Sarah was 90 years old, and this was a year or two later. This baby’s conception, birth, and nursing will be a series of miracles that can only come by the hand of God!

Sure enough, in verse 2, Sarah conceives and gives birth to a son. In verse 3, they call him Isaac, which means “laughter.” The Lord Himself named Isaac back in Genesis 19:19. Isaac’s name of “laughter” ties back to Genesis 17:17 and 18:12 when Abraham and Sarah laughed at the idea that she would give birth at her age. I mean, it is kind of funny, right? Come on, tell me you didn’t smile the first time you put two and two together that an elderly woman was going to give birth to a baby boy!

So, here we are in Genesis 21. Abraham and Sarah are the delighted parents of baby Isaac. In verse 4, they have him circumcised on the eighth day according to their covenant to obey God. Verse 5 reminds us of the miraculous nature of all this when it says that Abraham was 100 years old. In verse 7, Sarah herself can’t believe that she could conceive and deliver a healthy boy at her age, and now she’s nursing him too! Another miracle! You can just envision this couple happily pattering around with the joy of being new parents, except these two are senior citizens caring for a newborn!

Then, we come to verse 8. Verse 8 fast-forwards a year or two to a huge feast celebrating Isaac being weaned. This was supposed to be a time of joy, but a storm was brewing on the horizon. In fact, there is serious tension going on in Abraham’s home.

You probably remember that Isaac was not Abraham’s first son, even though he was Sarah’s first son. Back in Genesis 16, about 11 years had passed since God first gave Abraham the promise that his descendants would form a great nation. In Genesis 16, Abraham and Sarah were slightly impatient about when God would fulfill His promises. Sarah herself suggested maybe God’s promise should be fulfilled through her servant Hagar! Abraham consented and had an intimate relationship with Hagar, and she gave birth to Ishmael. We don’t know how Hagar felt about all of this, but it is clear that her life would not be easy from here on out.

Now, Abraham loved Ishmael from the get-go, but things in the household soured quickly. Even in Genesis 16, Sarah tried to throw Hagar and Ishmael out of the home. At first, she succeeded, but the Lord sent Hagar back to Abraham’s home, and somehow the two women worked out a chilly truce.

This truce was not long-lived. Now that Isaac has arrived, Sarah does not want Hagar around. To make matters worse, in Genesis 21:9, Sarah came across Ishmael “mocking.” Verse 9 does not say who was being mocked, but Galatians 4:29 tells us Ishmael was mocking Isaac. That was not good, especially since Ishmael was 14 or 15 years older than Isaac.

Interestingly, Paul cited this event in Galatians 4:30 to illustrate that just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, those still bound to the law will persecute those who live by freedom. Therefore, the church needs to cast out those people who still seek to be bound by the law.

Going back to Genesis 21, this is not a great situation. What happens next is even more unsettling. After the “mocking” incident in verse 9, in verse 10, Sarah demands Abraham drive Hagar and Ishmael from the house! To his credit, Abraham does not like this suggestion, and, in verse 11, he was greatly “distressed” by this matter.

To clear up the confusion, in verse 12, the Lord authorizes Abraham to send out Hagar and Ishmael. Part of the Lord’s purpose is found in verse 13, where He reiterated His promise that Ishmael will be a great nation! The Lord made a similar promise back in Genesis 17:20 when He said Ishmael would be the father of 12 princes and would be a great nation. If there is a silver lining to being sent from Abraham’s home, Ishmael’s impact on the world won’t be on his father's coattails. He will be a man who stands on his own.

Once Abraham hears from the Lord, he obeys. The next morning, he sends Hagar and Ishmael out of his house. As we read this account, it might seem like Ishmael is really young, but he is not. We can triangulate Ishmael’s age. Genesis 16:16 says Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. Here, Genesis 21:5 says Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Therefore, Ishmael was around 14 or 15 when Isaac was born. Since it’s usually about 1 to 2 years before a child is officially weaned, Ishmael is about 15 or 16 years old. He’s not a little boy. In fact, he might even be able to work and support his mom. While this is not a great situation by any stretch, it is not the same as Abraham abandoning a young woman and her young son in the desert. Still, our heart aches for her.

Going back to Genesis 21, in verse 14, Hagar and Ismael have been cast out. At first, things look bleak. Verse 14 says they wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. Verse 15 says they eventually ran out of water, and things got so bad that Hagar had Ishmael lie down under a bush to die.

She begins to weep in verse 16, and the Angel of God calls out to her in verses 17 - 18, saying, “Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold Him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of Him.” Now, this is pretty cool because we have not seen God speak with many people, let alone women. Not only that, but this is also the second time the Lord has spoken to Hagar!

In Genesis 16:7, the Lord promised Hagar that her son would become a nation that could not be numbered (Genesis 16:10). Likewise, in that passage, the Lord Himself gave her son his name, Ishmael. Even more amazingly, Hagar gave a name to God. She called Him “Elroi,” which means “You are a God who sees me.” These tender exchanges give us a window into God's loving care for people. He sees our pain, hears our cries, cares for us, and will provide what we need.

Going back to this passage, one of the ways God cares for Hagar is to give her clarity about solutions within her reach. Apparently, she was so heartbroken that she couldn’t see the opportunities in front of her. In verse 19, the Lord told her to open her eyes to see what was there all along: a water well and the hope of survival. They were going to be okay. Not just okay, they were going to thrive!

Verse 20 says Ishmael went on to become an archer. In verse 21, his mother found a wife for him from the people of Egypt; after all, she was Egyptian herself. The descendants of Ishmael would be called “Ishmaelites.” We will see them again in Genesis 25 when Joseph’s brothers sell him to some Ishmaelites, who then sell him as a slave in Egypt.

Going on in our study of Genesis 21, in verses 22 to 34, Abraham forms a covenant with a guy called Abimelech so they could coexist in the region of Beersheba. We’ll see the name (or term) Abimelech again in Genesis 26. For what it’s worth, it’s possible that the reason we keep seeing the name “Abimelech” is that it may have been a title for Philistine kings.[1]

So, Abraham forms a covenant with Abimelech over water rights in Beersheba. Beersheba was the southern region halfway between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. This event reminds us that covenants were common in their day. This also provides a written record for future generations that the terms and use of this land were established long ago.

Chapter 21 ends on a high note in verse 33, where Abraham plants a tree and worships the Lord, calling Him “El Olam,” the “Everlasting God,” the God without end. That tree would have reminded future generations that the nation he founded would worship the everlasting God.

Let’s end our study in Genesis 21 on a similar note. We have been seeing that as people learn about God, it changes how they call on Him. Melchizedek called on God as “El Elyon, the “God most High,” in Genesis 14:19. Hagar called upon God as “El Roi,” “the God who sees,” in Genesis 16:13. God calls Himself “El Shaddai,” “God Almighty” in Genesis 17:1. Finally, Abraham calls Him “El Olam,” “The Everlasting God” here in Genesis 21. When God’s people interact with God, how they refer to Him reflects how they know Him.

We will know God like this when we walk with Him as these people did, in covenant with Him and obeying His commands. May you walk with the Lord today and know He is “God Most High,” “The God who sees,” “God Almighty,” and “The Everlasting God.”

Study and Discussion Questions

Listening to the Key Chapters Podcast on this chapter provides further insights into the following questions.

1. Using a Bible atlas or online atlas, locate Beersheba on the map to the right. Also, locate the Wilderness of Paran on the map. What importance does each of these locations have in Genesis 21?

2. What miracle happens in Genesis 21? Why does this miracle help us understand the message of Genesis 22 when God calls Abraham to offer up Isaac?

3. What were God’s promises to Abraham in the preceding chapters, and why was the birth of Isaac a necessary step in fulfilling those promises?

4. How was this miracle fulfilled in Abraham’s and Sarah’s lives? How old were they at the time of Isaac’s birth?

5. How long did it take between God’s first promises to Abraham back in Genesis 12 and their fulfillment here in chapter 21? How do you think Abraham and Sarah felt during that time? What kinds of things do you think they were telling themselves as they waited for the Lord to fulfill His promises? How might you have been working through such a long delay?

6. Back in Genesis 16, Abraham had a son named Ishmael with Hagar. How was Ishmael’s conception different than Isaac’s? What importance does that difference have in the identity and role of the children of Israel?

7. What was Sarah’s response to Ishmael’s mocking in verse 10? What was the impact of her response on Hagar and Ishmael’s life? How old did the study suggest that Ishmael was? Why would this be different than Abraham abandoning a child?

8. After Hagar and Ishmael leave Abraham’s household, the Lord visits her in her distress. The study explained that part of the comfort and encouragement the Lord gave her was by clarifying what resources and solutions were within her reach. What were they? How can this help us in our own prayers when we cry out to the Lord in our own times of distress?

9. The study mentioned that as people grew in their understanding of God, it changed how they referred to Him. Melchizedek called upon God as “El Elyon,” meaning “God most High” in Genesis 14:19. Hagar called upon God as “El Roi,” meaning “the God who sees” in Genesis 16:13. Abraham calls upon Him as “El Olam” meaning “The Everlasting God” here in Genesis 21. Which of these names has the most significance to you and why?

[1] “Abimelech,” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 8.