Gênesis 21
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 21
Morris writes that "Even though it was on land claimed by the Philistines, it was commonly understood at the time that the man who dug a well was its owner." Abraham had a claim to at least one well in the land of Canaan. Beersheba (Beer Sheba) all uses in the Bible - 34x/33v - Gen. 21:14; Gen. 21:31; Gen. 21:32; Gen. 21:33; Gen. 22:19; Gen. 26:23; Gen. 26:33; Gen. 28:10; Gen. 46:1; Gen. 46:5; Jos. 15:28; Jos. 19:2; Jdg. 20:1; 1 Sam. 3:20; 1 Sam. 8:2; 2 Sam. 3:10; 2 Sam. 17:11; 2 Sam. 24:2; 2 Sam. 24:7; 2 Sam. 24:15; 1 Ki. 4:25; 1 Ki. 19:3; 2 Ki. 12:1; 2 Ki. 23:8; 1 Chr. 4:28; 1 Chr. 21:2; 2 Chr. 19:4; 2 Chr. 24:1; 2 Chr. 30:5; Neh. 11:27; Neh. 11:30; Amos 5:5; Amos 8:14 Genesis 21:32 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. Ge 21:27 14:13 31:53 1Sa 18:3 the Philistines: Ge 10:14 26:8,14 Ex 13:17 Judges 13:1 Genesis 21 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries See Land later given to Simeon with Beersheba Centally Located ABIMELECH AND ABRAHAM'S COVENANT AT BEERSHEBA So they made (karath - cut) a covenant (beriyth) at Beersheba (Beer Sheba-see note); and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines - Notice that Moses repeats the fact that they made (karath - cut) a covenant (beriyth), so clearly everything that transpired in those 6 verses is related to this covenant. It is notable that this is the first covenant in the Bible between men, the previous two covenants (Noah, Abraham) being between Yahweh and man. If you click this map (Philistia - land of the Philistines), you can locate Beersheba and then just to the west is Philistia which, while not having that name at this time in the Biblical narrative, is clearly the general location of the destination of Abimelech and Phicol as they returned to their homeland. Ray Pritchard - The Path to Peace Genesis 21:22-34 From this small and often-overlooked story we may find five steps that will lead us on the path of peace. A. Humility Someone has to take the first step. In our text, the pagan king Abimelech makes the first move. Think about the strained relationships in your own life. Someone has to make the first move. –Will you be the one to pick up the phone? –Will you take the time to write a letter? –Will you stop making excuses? –Will you make the first move? Jesus made the first move when he “humbled himself” by leaving heaven to be born as a tiny baby. He showed us what it means to take the initiative to heal a broken relationship. As long as you sit where you are, things will never change. But you say, “It’s not my fault things.” Maybe it’s not but Jesus said, “If you brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar, go and be reconciled, then come back and offer your gift to God.” (See Matthew 5:23-24). Someone has to make the first move. Why not you? Let me put it this way. Is there someone in your life you really don’t want to see right now? That’s probably the first person you need to talk to. B. Courage Peacemaking also takes courage because you never know how the other person is going to respond. There aren’t any guarantees. Sometimes your best efforts will be rejected. In our case, Abimelech didn’t know how Abraham would respond. If he got angry, it might lead to war. The same is true for you. If you make that phone call, or if you go see your boss, or if you write a letter to your mother, you’re taking a big chance. The other person might not understand, or they might take it as a sign of weakness, or they may try to twist your motives. Peacemaking is risky business. That’s why so few people try to do it. And that’s why it often fails. But it you have a broken relationship in your life, it’s not going to get better by itself. If you do nothing, things will only get worse. C. Honesty Peacemaking also requires honesty. In our text Abraham brought up the matter of the well that Abimelech’s servants that seized from Abraham. They made peace and immediately Abraham starts complaining. But he’s perfectly justified because if he lets that issue fester, pretty soon the whole peace treaty will go up in smoke. So he has to mention it even though it might have been easier to overlook it. Many of us shy away from this kind of open confrontation. We’d rather just look the other way when problems come. But I learned years ago that the first price you pay is always the cheapest. When you don’t deal with relational problems, the price for solving those problems always goes up. It never goes down. That’s why Proverbs 24:26 says “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” The truth may hurt but it is always more satisfying in the end. Without honesty in relationships, peace is impossible. D. Patience Peacemaking requires patience because attitudes don’t change overnight. You can’t overcome years of hostility and mistrust over one quick lunch at Denney’s. In this case, both Abimelech and Abraham had to learn to live together despite their differences in background and religion. Patience is the willingness to wait for God to solve my problems. Would you like a definition of patience? Here’s one that works for me. Patience is the willingness to wait for God to solve my problems. So many times we get frustrated with other people because they aren’t changing fast enough to suit us. Parents get angry at their children, husbands at wives and wives at husbands, adult children get frustrated with their elderly parents, workers with their bosses, bosses with their employees, students with their teachers, friends with friends, relatives with relatives, and church members get frustrated with each other all the time. We throw up our hands and say, “What’s wrong with those people?” That’s the wrong question because it focuses all the attention on others when we really ought to throw the spotlight our own sinful impatience. What we ought to ask is, “Am I willing to wait for God for solve my problems?” Proverbs 21:1 reminds us that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. If that’s true, and if we have committed the people who frustrate us to the Lord, then we can simply sit back and wait for God to do His work. Sooner or later, even the hardest heart must bend to His will. E. Kindness The final aspect of peacemaking is kindness. We see a glimpse of that when Abimelech reminds Abraham of the kindness he has already shown him. We see a much greater glimpse in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Romans 2:4 tells us that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. Ephesians 2:7 says that God showed kindness to us in Jesus Christ. Titus 3:4 declares that Jesus Christ is the ultimate demonstration of the kindness of God. Go with me to bloody Calvary. Gaze on the disfigured body of the Jesus of Nazareth. Listen! Can you hear the howling mob? They scream for his blood, they cheer his pain, they laugh at his suffering. Chanting, laughing, jeering, mocking, the mob enjoys every moment of this tragedy. A man dies and the world cheers. The Son of God offers Himself and humanity mocks his pain. And from the Cross come the words that have echoed across the ages, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Now we know. If we never knew before, now we know. We know the price, we know the pain, we know the agony. The Prince of Peace came to the earth and was murdered for his trouble. If you want to see the real face of love, look to the Cross. If you want to see kindness, gaze on the contorted face of the crucified Redeemer. Jesus said, “Love you enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). First he said it, then he showed us how to do it when he died on the Cross. Would you like to make peace with your enemies? You can, but it won’t be easy. If you would rather live in anger and bitterness, that option is always open to you. Or you can follow Jesus to the Cross and die there. The choice is yours. (Genesis 21:22-34 How to Make Peace with Your Enemies) QUESTION - What is the significance of Beersheba in the Bible? (SEE also Wikipedia) ANSWER - Beersheba was a city in ancient Israel in the southern part of the land. To the south of Beersheba was the Negev Desert, so Beersheba marked the southernmost boundary of cultivated land in Israel. The proverbial phrase from Dan to Beersheba is used nine times in the Old Testament to describe whole of the Promised Land—Dan being in the north, and Beersheba in the south (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20; 2 Samuel 3:10; 17:11; 24:2, 15; 1 Kings 4:25; 1 Chronicles 21:2; 2 Chronicles 30:5). The distance from Dan to Beersheba was approximately 270 miles. Beersheba is mentioned in Genesis 21:31 as the place where Abraham made a treaty with Abimelech, king of the Philistines in Gerar. Abraham had moved his family to the “region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a time he stayed at Gerar” (Genesis 20:1). Abimelech saw that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was beautiful and took her into his harem, not knowing that she was married to Abraham. Because of this, God put a curse on Abimelech’s household and warned him in a dream that Sarah was married (Genesis 20:3, 17–18). Abimelech quickly returned Sarah to her husband along with bountiful peace offerings (Genesis 20:14–15). Abimelech and Abraham eventually formed an alliance wherein Abimelech said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you” (Genesis 21:22–23). Abraham agreed. A short time later, Abraham complained to Abimelech that the king’s servants had taken over a well in Beersheba that belonged to Abraham’s people. So Abimelech gave the well back to Abraham, who gave the king seven ewe lambs as a seal of their covenant. This happened at Beersheba, and it was the treaty that gave the place its name: Beersheba means “the well of the seven” or “the well of the treaty.” At that time, “ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time” (Genesis 21:33–34). Beersheba also figures into the story of Abraham’s son, Isaac. Following in his father’s footsteps, Isaac moved into the land of the Philistines when there was a famine in Canaan (Genesis 26). When he began to settle there, he found that all the wells his father’s servants had dug had been filled up with dirt by the Philistines. He reopened those wells and dug some new ones (Genesis 26:18–22). After that, Isaac went to Beersheba. There the Lord appeared to him as He had done to his father Abraham and made him the same promise of a multitude of descendants (Genesis 26:23–24). As Abraham had done, Isaac built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord. In a repeat performance, Abimelech arrived and asked for another treaty with Isaac, identical to the one made with Abraham. Isaac agreed. He prepared a feast for the king, and the two swore an oath of peace to each other (Genesis 26:30–31). On the same day, Isaac’s servants discovered water in a new well they were digging (Genesis 26:32), and Isaac called the place Shibah, which means “oath” or “seven” (Genesis 26:33). In this way, Isaac perpetuated the name his father had given the place, and Beersheba became the name of the town that would later be built near the wells that Abraham and Isaac had named. Years later, in the division of the Promised Land, the area around Beersheba was part of the inheritance of the tribes of Simeon (ED: SEE MAP ABOVE) and Judah (Joshua 15:20–28; 19:1–2). Beersheba was a place where several people came into contact with God. Isaac (Genesis 26:24) and Jacob (Genesis 46:2) both heard from God in dreams they had at Beersheba. Hagar (Genesis 21:17) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:5) were in the wilderness of Beersheba when God spoke to them. Beersheba was also the place where Samuel’s two wicked sons served as leaders (1 Samuel 8:1–3). It was this perversion of the judgeship that led Israel to demand a king (1 Samuel 8:6–9). By the time of the prophet Amos, in the reign of King Uzziah, Beersheba seems to have become a center of false worship, and the prophet warns those who would truly worship the Lord, “Do not journey to Beersheba” (Amos 5:5). Today, the spot where Beersheba once stood is marked by ancient ruins; several ancient wells have been discovered in the area, and they still produce water. Beersheba can be seen as symbolizing those events in our lives that cause us to call upon the name of the Lord. Tragedy strikes, heartaches happen, and the Lord shows Himself strong on our behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9). The date or place where we experienced a turning point becomes a memorial in our hearts, much as Beersheba’s altar, well, and tamarisk tree were to Abraham and Isaac. When God reveals His will to us or rescues us in some way, we can create a personal “Beersheba” in our hearts. Then, when times of doubt or conflict come, we can return there over and over in our hearts for assurance that God is fulfilling His plan. GotQuestions.org Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask - GENESIS 21:32, 34—Did the Bible mistakenly place the Philistines in Palestine at the time of Abraham? PROBLEM: The earliest allusion to Philistines by Palestinian or Egyptian sources is the twelfth century B.C., yet these verses place them in the area some 800 years earlier. SOLUTION: This is not the first time critics have come to false conclusions based on the general lack of historical knowledge concerning this period. Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of cities the Bible mentioned that were supposedly not historical. When the Ebla tablets were discovered, the charge of myth was refuted. These tablets contained references to both cities. It may just be a matter of time before similar evidence turns up to confirm the biblical testimony here regarding the Philistines. Until then, we can rest assured that the biblical record is accurate in this case, having confidence in the Scriptures based on its past record of trustworthiness. Furthermore, the critics’ argument is the traditional fallacious argument from ignorance. Simply because we lack evidence from extrabiblical sources of the earlier date for the Philistines does not mean they didn’t exist then. It simply means we lack the information. Related Resource: New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties - see page 98 Were there Philistines in Palestine by Abraham’s time? Genesis 21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree, Am 8:14 Beersheba: De 16:21 Judges 3:7 called: Ge 4:26 12:8 26:23,25,33 El Olam: Everlasting God: De 33:27 Ps 90:2 Isa 40:28 57:15 Jer 10:10 Ro 1:20 16:26 1Ti 1:17 Genesis 21 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Tamarix aphylla ABRAHAM WORSHIPS EL OLAM Abraham planted a tamarisk tree (Tamarix aphylla) at Beersheba The original word {eshel,} has been variously translated a grove, a plantation, an orchard, a cultivated field, and an oak; but it may denote a kind of tamarisk, as it is rendered by Gesenius, the same with the Arabic {athl.} Kenneth Matthews - Abraham memorialized God as the source of his prosperity. And there he called on the name of the LORD (Jehovah), the Everlasting (olam) God - To call on the Name was to worship the One behind the name, in this case El Olam the Everlasting God. Abraham already knew God as El Elyon and EL Shaddai, but now God reveals He is El Olam. Abraham's response to this new revelation was to worship. THOUGHT: When God's Spirit illuminates the Scripture showing us something about God we heretofore did not know or understand, the proper response is to worship! Indeed, progressive revelation (more accurately "progressive illumination" for Biblical revelation is complete in Genesis to Revelation) should be the saints desire and experience - as we go through life (and grow in spiritual maturity) we, like Abraham, should learn more and more about God, so that we might worship Him with a greater awareness and awe even as did the Psalmist David.... (A Psalm of Praise, of David.) I will extol Thee, my God, O King; And I will bless Thy Name forever and ever. Every day I will bless Thee, And I will praise Thy Name forever and ever. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD... And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever. Psalm 145:1-2, 21+
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Morris - The act of circumcision was not only the sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Ge 17:11) but was also a significant contribution to the health of both husband and wife, as modern medical knowledge confirms. It is also well established that as far as the health of the infant is concerned, the eighth day is the optimum time for performing the operation. Bob
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Morris - When God heals miraculously, he does it instantly and completely. Sarah's body was so rejuvenated that although she was 90 years old, she was able both to bear a child and to nurse him. Abraham was so "young" again that even at 100 years of age, he could father six more sons of Keturah many years later, after Sarah's death (Ge 25:1-2). (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) (See also How many wives did Abraham have? | GotQuestions.org; How many sons did Abraham have? | GotQuestions.org) Charles Swindoll - UNANSWERED PRAYERS (Faith for the Journey) The doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans. GEORGE MACDONALD [Sarah said,] “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!” Ge 21:7 LONG AFTER Abraham and Sarah had given up hope of experiencing this joy, they held their very own son in their arms. It would have been easy for them to lose hope when the fulfillment of the promise didn’t come about in the way or the timing they expected. But their trust in the Lord went deeper than their human perspective, deeper than their doubts. As I look back on my life, I recall many prayers I’m thankful the Lord chose to set aside. He gave me instead what I needed. And what He gave brought me even greater long-term happiness and more deep-down joy. But when we’re in the midst of a trial or a time of waiting, it can be difficult to have that perspective. What can we do when we find ourselves in such a season? First, we can ask the Lord for sustaining strength and divine wisdom. I know that sounds elementary, but we often forget that we can’t do life on our own. We need divine help from one day to the next. In addition, we need supernatural strength and divine wisdom to wait for God’s plan to unfold. Good things come to those who wait. Second, we can forgive yourself for being shortsighted and for missing the big picture. Forgive yourself for clinging when you should have released. Forgive yourself for failing to be excited about what’s ahead when God’s plan doesn’t include your plans. Repent of your failings, receive God’s forgiveness, and then forgive yourself. I’ve learned this in my lifetime: the last one we forgive on this earth is ourselves. God forgives you, so why don’t you? In time, you will come to realize, as Abraham did, that in God’s appointed plan, the best is yet to come. REFLECT Are there any areas in your life where you’ve given up hope? Ask the Lord for His strength and seek His perspective on the situation. The LORD will work out his plans for my life —for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Ps 138:8 Genesis 21:8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. and was: 1Sa 1:22 Ps 131:2 Ho 1:8 feast: Ge 19:3 26:30 29:22 40:20 Judges 14:10,12 1Sa 25:36 2Sa 3:20 1Ki 3:15 Es 1:3 Genesis 21 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ISAAC GROWS TO A YOUNG BOY The child grew (gadal) and was weaned (gamal), and Abraham made a great feast (mishteh) on the day that Isaac was weaned (gamal), - Weaning according to Eastern custom occurred generally at a much later date than in Western lands. So Isaac was probably weaned in his second or third year (or even later) and his weaning was marked by a day of celebration. The idea of weaned is of bringing to an end which describes a child who comes to the end of need for nursing, because they have matured or "ripened" so to speak. Weaned (gamal) in the Septuagint is the verb apogalaktizo which conveys the picture of to remove from milk. Weaning also means that the child leaves the immediate area around its mother and is set free to play with other children, which would prove to be disastrous for Hagar and Ishmael. One reason for celebrating is the well known fact that there was a high rate of infant mortality in the ancient world. The following article suggests that up to 30% of infants did not live to maturity. (See Infant Mortality in The Land of Israel) ISBE adds this note on Wean - Gamal has a much wider force than merely “to wean,” signifying “to deal fully with,” as in Ps 13:6, etc. Hence, as applied to a child, [gamal] covers the whole period of nursing and care until the weaning is complete (1 Ki 11:20). This period in ancient Israel extended to about 3 years, and when it was finished the child was mature enough to be entrusted to strangers (1 Sam 1:24). And, as the completion of the period marked the end of the most critical stage of the child’s life, it was celebrated with a feast (Gen 21:8), a custom still observed in the Orient. The weaned child, no longer fretting for the breast and satisfied with its mother’s affection, is used in Ps 131:2 as a figure for Israel’s contentment with God’s care, despite the smallness of earthly possessions. In Isa 28:9 there is an ironical question, `Is God to teach you knowledge as if you were children? You should have learned His will long ago!’ Wean (01580) gamal basically means to render either good or evil to someone. Gamal means to deal fully or adequately with, deal out to, to recompense another, to wean, to bring to completion or to ripen. Meaning of wean appears five times in the Qal stem (1Sa 1:23-24; Hos. 1:8; 1Ki. 11:20; Isa. 28:9), and in all three of its Niphal (passive) occurrences, it means "to be weaned" (Ge 21:8; 1 Sa 1:22). The idea of bringing to an end is demonstrated in verses that describe a child who is weaned (Ge 21:8). Gamal meaning to wean - Ge 21:8; 1Sa 1:22 ff.; 1Ki 11:20; Ps 131:2; Isa 11:8; 28:9; Hos. 1: 8 QUESTION - What was the significance of weaning a child in the Bible (Genesis 21:8)? ANSWER - According to Jewish custom, the time when a child is weaned is cause for celebration. A weaned child has survived the fragile stage of infancy and can now eat solid food rather than breastfeed from his or her mother. In Genesis 21:8, we read, “And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.” Though Ishmael laughed at the celebration (Genesis 21:9), Isaac’s parents considered this event an important occasion. They had a son who had survived the most difficult stage of childhood and could now eat on his own. According to Jewish rabbinical traditions, weaning could take place anywhere between 18 months and 5 years of age. In one important biblical parallel, Samuel was weaned prior to being taken to Eli the priest to serve the Lord. First Samuel 1:24 says, “And when she had weaned him . . . she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young.” No exact age is given, but the weaning is mentioned, and Samuel’s youth is emphasized, so he was likely between 2 and 4 years old. High infant mortality rates existed in ancient cultures. One reason for large families was the fact that many young children did not live to adulthood. Because of the risks that infants faced, the celebration of a child’s weaning was a natural and important part of the culture. If a child had developed past the need for the physical support of a mother, then he or she had reached a new stage of life that greatly increased the likelihood of good health. Today, Jewish tradition continues the practice of celebrating the weaning of a child. Psalm 104 is often read during this time; part of that psalm says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire” (Psalm 104:1–4).GotQuestions.org Ray Pritchard on lessons Abraham learned in Genesis 21 (Genesis 21:1-21 God's Good vs. God's Best) What Abraham Learned From the Dismissal of Ishmael Ge 21:8-21 This is one the strangest and saddest portions of the Bible.....Of all the things that Abraham learned from this sad event, two stand out above the rest: A. He Learned That Choices Have Consequences. No one made him sleep with Hagar 15 years earlier. True, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but his motivation was wrong. He wanted to please Sarah and he wanted to “help God out.” But Sarah was wrong to suggest the idea and Abraham was doubly wrong to act on it. If he had been the proper kind of spiritual leader, so much heartache would have been avoided. Here is a lesson that our children must learn early in life. Choices have consequences. You can’t turn left and right at the same time. You can’t get married and also stay single. You can’t move away and also stay where you are. You can’t take Algebra and French during the same class period. I’m sure that Abraham never dreamed that sleeping with Hagar would lead to so much heartache and confusion. In fact, I’m sure he justified it in his own mind as the best way to make his wife happy and also to “help” God keep his promise. But it didn’t work out that way. When we compromise our standards, lower our convictions, or when we try to take a moral or ethical shortcut, it never works out in the end. Choices have consequences. Abraham learned that the hard way as he watched his son Ishmael walk down the lonely road toward the desert. B. He Learned That the Good Must Go in Order That the Best May Come. Many people reading this story have wondered about the fairness of God. On one level, it’s easy to understand why Sarah and Hagar didn’t get along and it’s also easy to see why Ishmael and Isaac probably wouldn’t grow up to be best friends. But why would God literally order to Abraham to cast off Ishmael and Hagar in such a seemingly cold way? There are two answers to that question. One is that God knew something Abraham didn’t know. He knew he (God) was going to take special care of Ishmael out in the desert. God never intended to see Hagar and Ishmael die in the hot sun. The other answer is that God wanted to protect Isaac because he was the promised seed of Abraham. That’s the reason God gives in Ge 21:12. As long as Ishmael remained in the house, he would be a threat to God’s plan. He had to go, even though it meant hardship and deep sorrow and even though he and Hagar probably never understood why it happened. They felt rejected by Sarah and Abraham—as indeed they were..... Giving Up the Good To accomplish anything in life you’ve got to give up the good in order to achieve the best. That means that some good things have to go in order that better things may come. This touches so many areas of life—how we spend our time, especially our leisure hours. It ought to cause us to examine our habits and the friends we hang around with. Some things may not be wrong, but they just aren’t good for us. And some friendships may not be bad, but they keep pulling us in the wrong direction or they us from going where we want to go. This principle certainly applies to the “hidden” area of life, the part of your life that no one else ever sees. If you want to grow as a Christian, the good must go in order that the best may come. Sometimes God says, “I want that thing to go, because I have something better in mind for you.” Often times when God says that we won’t understand the reason and God won’t always explain it to us in advance. We simply have to obey without having full understanding. That’s what trusting God is all about...... Ishamael Must Go! Ishmael must go! The good must go in order that the best may come. Think about my words. What is God saying to you in these moments? What is the “good” in your life—your habits, your dreams, your cherished friendships, your secret thoughts—that must go? I do not know the answer, but God does. And by his Spirit he speaks the truth to your heart. One final word. What if we give up the “good"? How can we be sure that we will then receive God’s “best"? Our Lord did not leave us to wonder about that question. Hear his words in Mark 10:29-30, “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them persecutions)—and in the age to come, eternal life.” God will be no one’s debtor. You’ll never regret anything you give up for Jesus. Not in this life or in the life to come. But the saddest people in the all the world are those who cling stubbornly to what they have because they dare not give it up for God. I do not know exactly how God wants to apply this message to your heart, but if you are open and honest I believe he has something to say to you. Just remember this: God never takes away anything we hold dear without giving us something better in return. He never takes away Ishmael without also giving us Isaac. I challenge you to choose God’s best. Theodore Epp - GOING ON TO MATURITY Genesis 21:8; 1 Samuel 1:22-28 The Scriptures say that after Isaac was born, he "grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned" (Gen. 21:8). During Old Testament times, weaning referred to the time in a child's life when he was old enough to be entrusted to strangers. This took place between three and five years of age--and sometimes older. Samuel is a biblical example. The Scriptures say that when Hannah "had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young" (1 Sam. 1:24). Growth is also important to the Christian. The Bible instructs believers: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Pet. 2:2). While the milk of the Word is needed for young Christians, older Christians should be feeding on the meat of the Word. When Isaac had matured enough to be weaned, Abraham made a great feast "the same day that Isaac was weaned" (Gen. 21:8). This significant time in a child's life was celebrated with a feast. So also, it is a time of much rejoicing when a believer passes from the "milk stage" into the "meat stage" in his walk with the Lord. It is at this time that the believer leaves his dependence on others and depends on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation" (Ps. 119:99). Genesis 21:9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Sarah: Ge 16:3-6,15 17:20 Egyptian: Ge 16:1,15 mocking: 2Ki 2:23,24 2Ch 30:10 36:16 Ne 4:1-5 Job 30:1 Ps 22:6 42:10 Ps 44:13,14 Pr 20:11 La 1:7 Ga 4:22,29 Heb 11:36 Genesis 21 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 19:14+ Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting (tsachaq). ISHMAEL THE "PARTY POOPER" Now - When is now? Clearly this was at the celebration of the weaning of Isaac. "Nobody's family can hang out the sign 'Nothing the matter here.'" -- Chinese Proverb Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking (tsachaq) - Sarah's joy over the birth of Isaac would be relatively short-lived! ESV says "laughing" but that rendering misses the sense of this action which was more malicious (as supported by Gal 4:29+ where Ishmael "persecuted" Isaac). Note the play on words for Ishmael is described as mocking, which is the same Hebrew word tsachaq which Sarah had used for laugh in Ge 21:6 and is the root word from which the name Isaac (Yitschaq) is derived. The Septuagint translates tsachaq with the verb paizo which means to make sport of or to mock and is in the present tense, describing Ishmael as continually mocking Isaac. Ishmael's mocking clearly got Sarah's attention, so the sparks were sure to soon to fly! Centuries later Paul gives a commentary on this verse writing "the son (ISHMAEL) by the bondwoman (HAGAR) was born according to the flesh, and the son (ISAAC) by the free woman (SARAH) through the promise (FROM GOD)" adding that "at that time he (ISHMAEL) who was born according to the flesh persecuted him (ISAAC) who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also." (Gal 4:23, 29+) Steven
Gênesis 21
Morris - This provision, considering his sincere concern for Hagar and Ishmael, can best be understood as a sure confidence that God, who had instructed him to send them away, would care for them. Hagar also needed to learn this Larry Richards writes that it was a "Well-established custom in the Patriarchal Age protected the rights of any child born to a man by a slave woman. Though the son of the wife was a man’s legal heir, his child by a concubine was guaranteed an inheritance. Sarah’s demand that Abraham send Ishmael away was doubly distressing. Abraham loved Ishmael. And he believed that sending Ishmael away was morally wrong. Only God’s direct intervention, and God’s promise to guarantee Ishmael’s future, finally moved Abraham to banish Hagar and his son. Abraham would surely understand the pain of those who lose their children through divorce. How desperately we need to remember that God cares for our loved ones, even when we cannot. (BORROW The Bible reader's companion page 38) Matthew Henry Concise - Ge 21:14-21. If Hagar and Ishmael had behaved well in Abraham's family, they might have continued there; but they were justly punished. By abusing privileges, we forfeit them. Those who know not when they are well off, will be made to know the worth of mercies by the want of them. They were brought to distress in the wilderness. It is not said that the provisions were spent, or that Abraham sent them away without money. But the water was spent; and having lost their way, in that hot climate Ishmael was soon overcome with fatigue and thirst. God's readiness to help us when we are in trouble, must not slacken, but quicken our endeavours to help ourselves. The promise concerning her son is repeated, as a reason why Hagar should bestir herself to help him. It should engage our care and pains about children and young people, to consider that we know not what great use God has designed them for, and may make of them. The angel directs her to a present supply. Many who have reason to be comforted, go mourning from day to day, because they do not see the reason they have for comfort. There is a well of water near them in the covenant of grace, but they are not aware of it, till the same God that opened their eyes to see their wound, opens them to see their remedy. Paran was a wild place, fit for a wild man; such as Ishmael. Those who are born after the flesh, take up with the wilderness of this world, while the children of the promise aim at the heavenly Canaan, and cannot be at rest till they are there. Yet God was with the lad; his outward welfare was owing to this. James Smith - THE LORD WILL PROVIDE Genesis 21:14 (margin) I. The Provider. The Lord. 1. In Him is infinite WISDOM to know our need. 2. In Him are infinite RICHES to meet all our need. 3. In Him is infinite GRACE to give us all we need. II. The Provision. “The Lord will provide.” He has provided— 1. REDEMPTION in His Son. 2. SANCTIFICATION in His Spirit. 3. SUSTENTATION in His Word. James Smith - HAGAR THE HELPLESS Genesis 21:14–19 “What aileth thee, Hagar?” Human ailments are very many, and may overtake us, as they did Hagar, in a very unexpected way. Who could be happier than she while nursing the son of Abraham? But the birth of Isaac (type of that which is born of the Spirit) brings trouble and separation to Ishmael (that which is born of the flesh). Poor Hagar, crushed in spirit, wanders forth into the wilderness, where, like the weary dove outside the ark, she is ready to perish, but the merciful hand of God is stretched out, and she is received into the favour of Him who seeks to save the lost. Notice— I. Divine Question. God called, and said, “What aileth thee, Hagar?” (Ge 21:17). How timely and tender is the sympathy of God! This is no formal question of curiosity, but the loving inquiry of One whose heart yearns to help the needy. When Jesus said, “What will thou that I shall do unto thee?” (Luke 18:41) He was opening the door into His own divine fulness. Hagar’s ailment, in a typical sense, is a very common one. 1. SHE WAS AN OUTCAST. “Cast out this bondwoman” (Ge 21:10). “Abraham sent her away” (Ge 21:14). She was shut out from the Master’s house and presence. Why? Because her son mocked at Isaac—the gift of God. Those who were found sneering at the Word of Christ were all put outside, “And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise” (Luke 8:54). Sin always separates and leads from the house of blessing to the desert of sorrow and misery. 2. SHE WAS DESTITUTE. “The water was spent in the bottle” (Ge 21:15). The resources of an outcast are speedily exhausted. The prodigal’s fortune was soon spent (Luke 15). When the sinner gets to an end of himself he has nothing left but prayer. His wit’s end is often his best end. It is when all self-created streams are dried that the longing eye seeks the Living Fountain. 3. SHE WAS HELPLESS AND HOPELESS. “She went a good way off, and said, Let me not see the death of the child” (Ge 21:16). She now sees nothing but the grim face of death before her. Her parting with the lad must have been like wringing the last drop of blood out of her agonising heart. It is possible to see and feel the greatness of our needs, so that we are afraid to listen to their voice. Stifling their cry does not improve our condition. She is a true and painful picture of one who is “without strength.” “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6). II. Divine Word of Comfort. “The angel of God said, Fear not, for God hath heard.” What a beautiful fulfilment of “He knows how to speak a word in season to them that are weary” (Isa. 50:4). Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. It was “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The divine “Fear not” is always accompanied with the divine fulness (Isa. 41:10). 1. THE PROVISION. “She saw a well of water” (Ge 21:19). She was sitting perishing in an agony of thirst while a well of salvation was close at hand. Spiritually this is the state and condition of many perishing for lack of knowledge while the Word of Truth is lying at their side, and even ringing in their ears. 2. THE PREPARATION. “God opened her eyes.” It was not enough that the well was there; her eyes must be opened to see it. The great provision of the Gospel is twofold: 1, The outward work of Christ on the Cross; 2, the inward work of the Holy Spirit in the heart. The well of atonement cannot satisfy without the eye-opening power of the Spirit of God. “Open Thou mine eyes” (Psa. 119:18). 3. THE ACCEPTANCE. “She went and filled the bottle with water.” She could not make the well, but she could take the water freely offered to her. We are not asked to make salvation, but to take it (Rev. 22:17). What a revelation this was to Hagar: 1, Of her own blindness. It was only when her eyes were opened that she discovered how blind she had been. 2, Of the goodness of God. He made the provision, and imparted to the needy one the very capacity to apprehend it. God opened her eyes, but she must fill the bottle. It is an awful responsibility to have the opened eye and yet to refuse the blessings revealed. In the Fountain opened for sin and uncleanness there is enough to fill every bottle to satisfy every heart. 4. THE RESULT. “She gave the lad drink.” In accepting the divine provision she saved both herself and her son. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). QUESTION - Why did Abraham banish Ishmael (Genesis 21:14)? ANSWER - Hagar was an Egyptian girl who was a slave to Abram’s (Abraham’s) wife, Sarah. We find most of the information about Hagar in Genesis 16. After God had appeared to Abram and promised him a homeland and a heritage (Genesis 12:1–4), ten years went by, and he and Sarah still had no baby (Genesis 16:1). In her impatience, Sarah took matters into her own hands and gave her maid to her husband, saying, “Go sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her” (verses 2–3). So Abram did as she said, and Hagar became pregnant. Despite the fact that this adulterous situation was of her own doing, Sarah became jealous when the younger, fertile slave girl began to flaunt her expanding waistline (Genesis 16:4). In anger, Sarah started treating Hagar harshly, causing Hagar to run away into the desert (Ge 16:5–6). The angel of the Lord found her there and comforted her, telling her to return to her mistress and giving her a prophecy concerning her son: “You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers” (Ge 16:11–12). This was Hagar’s first encounter with Abram’s God, and she called Him “the God who sees me” (Ge 16:13). Later, Hagar bore a son to Abram and named him Ishmael, as the Lord had told her to (Genesis 16:15). Hagar’s story resumes fourteen years later when Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 21). Shortly after Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael taunting him and took the matter to Abraham: “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac” (Genesis 21:10). Although it grieved Abraham to do so, he gave Hagar and Ishmael some provisions and sent them away, and Ishmael and his mother wandered in the desert (Ge 21:14). When Hagar’s food and water ran out, she did not know what to do. She put Ishmael under a bush for shade and then went a few paces away so she would not have to watch him die (Genesis 21:16). As Hagar wept, the Lord called to her from heaven with words of comfort (Ge 21:17); God then gave her a promise: “Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation” (Ge 21:18). The Bible says that God “opened her eyes and she saw a well of water” that she had not seen in her distress (Ge 21:19). God rescued Hagar and gave her hope and direction. God was with Ishmael as he grew up in the desert (Ge 21:20). Abraham’s sin with Hagar has resulted in centuries of sorrow and bloodshed, as the descendants of Isaac (the Jews) and Ishmael (the Arabs) have been mortal enemies since Bible days. Mohammed, the father of Islam, is said to have been from the line of Ishmael, which is one reason Muslims claim a right to the Promised Land, Israel. Hagar is a revered woman in Islam since Ishmael is the father of the Arabic people. The Qur’anic version of the Genesis account twists the story to make Hagar the heroine of the story and her son, Ishmael, the child of promise instead of Isaac. The apostle Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah to teach a spiritual truth concerning our salvation. In Galatians 4, Hagar represents the Old Covenant, based on the Law (given at Sinai in Arabia) and human works. Sarah represents the New Covenant, based on grace and the saving work of God. In Paul’s analogy, believers in Christ are like the child born of Sarah—we are free, products of the Spirit. Those who try to earn their salvation by their own works are like the child born of Hagar—they are slaves, products of the flesh. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman” (Galatians 4:31). Paul counsels believers to “get rid of the slave woman” (Gal 4:30)—that is, cease trying to earn salvation, because the inheritance of the children of promise can never be shared with those who live under the dictates of the flesh. The story of Hagar is full of God’s goodness, and we can learn from the way God worked in Hagar’s life. She was a nobody, a foreign slave girl. Yet the Lord of Heaven saw her in her distress, provided for her need, and blessed her son because he was the child of Abraham. Hagar gave us the term El Roi, which means “the God who sees.” And her story reminds us that, no matter who we are or where we are, the Lord God sees us and cares about us. He will comfort and provide for anyone who turns to Him, and He always keeps His promises. GotQuestions.org Walter Kaiser - Hard Sayings of the Bible - Was It Wrong for Abraham to Send Hagar Away? Was it not wrong and heartless of Abraham to turn out Hagar, whom he had taken as a wife? In fact, was it not even contrary to the social conventions of the day to refuse food and lodging in his own dwelling to a woman who had honored him by bearing him a son? And was it not all the more reprehensible since the boy was so young that he had to be carried on the shoulders of Hagar as they left? A number of commentators have insisted on the fact that Ishmael was placed on the shoulders of Hagar when she left. This would imply that at the time the boy was a mere infant who needed to be carried by his mother. Then in Genesis 21:15 he is spoken of as being cast or placed under a bush. Now after these interpreters have reached these conclusions about Ishmael being a mere infant, they go on to declare that this assessment is in conflict with Genesis 16:16, 17:25 and 21:5, where the boy seems to be at least thirteen or fourteen years old, and that this is the mark of multiple sources, for the texts were not edited as carefully as they should have been. The solution to the question of the boy’s age is rather straightforward. There is no basis for the translation of the Septuagint or the Peshitta: “and laid the boy on her shoulder.” If this were the correct reading, there would be no way to explain the present Hebrew text, which does not make “the boy” the object of the verb “lay” or “set”; instead, it is the object of the verb “gave.” The literal rendering of the Hebrew is: “And Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took bread and a skin of water, and he gave [them] unto Hagar putting [them] on her shoulder, and he gave [her] the boy, and he sent her away, and she went and she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.” Since Abraham was living at the time in Gerar between Kadesh and Shur, Hagar wandered in the desert far to the north of Abraham, rather than heading south to Egypt, as she had done when she fled from Sarah on a previous occasion (Gen 16:7). There is no basis for insisting, as some have, that Abraham was at Hebron at the time, and therefore Hagar was on her way to Egypt when her location was given at Beersheba. But what of Abraham’s action? Can it be justified? It is clear that God instructed Abraham to follow Sarah’s wishes (Gen 21:12–13), even though it grieved Abraham greatly (Gen 21:11). But as George Bush commented, “God does not require Abraham to acquiesce in Sarah’s proposal because he approved the spirit which prompted it, but because it accorded with his counsel and his repeated declarations that all the blessings of the covenant were to belong pre-eminently to Isaac.”3 Accordingly, there is more here than a mere domestic scuffle. Surely it demonstrates how much evil can come from a polygamous marriage. But it also demonstrates that the promise made to Abraham in the covenant could not be abandoned, even when it was due to the unwise actions of the one to whom the promise had been made. God requires that Abraham deny his natural feelings, based on the promise that he would also make the son of the maidservant the ancestor of a nation because he came from Abraham and because God would perform his word. And from what follows, it appears that Hagar met with no great difficulty in providing for herself or her son, whether it came indirectly from Abraham or from some other means that God had provided. Thus Sarah sinned in recommending that Abraham take Hagar as his wife and sinned again in the attitude that prompted her to urge Abraham to send her away. But just as in the case of Joseph, where his brothers intended him harm, God meant it for good—the good of both Isaac and Ishmael. See also comment on GENESIS 29:25–28; 50:19–21. QUESTION - Who was Hagar in the Bible? ANSWER - Hagar was an Egyptian girl who was a slave to Abram’s (Abraham’s) wife, Sarah. We find most of the information about Hagar in Genesis 16. After God had appeared to Abram and promised him a homeland and a heritage (Genesis 12:1–4), ten years went by, and he and Sarah still had no baby (Genesis 16:1). In her impatience, Sarah took matters into her own hands and gave her maid to her husband, saying, “Go sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her” (Ge 16:2–3). So Abram did as she said, and Hagar became pregnant. Despite the fact that this adulterous situation was of her own doing, Sarah became jealous when the younger, fertile slave girl began to flaunt her expanding waistline (Genesis 16:4). In anger, Sarah started treating Hagar harshly, causing Hagar to run away into the desert (Ge 16:5–6). The angel of the Lord found her there and comforted her, telling her to return to her mistress and giving her a prophecy concerning her son: “You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers” (Ge 16:11–12). This was Hagar’s first encounter with Abram’s God, and she called Him “the God who sees me” (Ge 16:13). Later, Hagar bore a son to Abram and named him Ishmael, as the Lord had told her to (Genesis 16:15). Hagar’s story resumes fourteen years later when Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 21). Shortly after Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael taunting him and took the matter to Abraham: “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac” (Genesis 21:10). Although it grieved Abraham to do so, he gave Hagar and Ishmael some provisions and sent them away, and Ishmael and his mother wandered in the desert (verse 14). When Hagar’s food and water ran out, she did not know what to do. She put Ishmael under a bush for shade and then went a few paces away so she would not have to watch him die (Genesis 21:16). As Hagar wept, the Lord called to her from heaven with words of comfort (verse 17); God then gave her a promise: “Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation” (verse 18). The Bible says that God “opened her eyes and she saw a well of water” that she had not seen in her distress (verse 19). God rescued Hagar and gave her hope and direction. God was with Ishmael as he grew up in the desert (verse 20). Abraham’s sin with Hagar has resulted in centuries of sorrow and bloodshed, as the descendants of Isaac (the Jews) and Ishmael (the Arabs) have been mortal enemies since Bible days. Mohammed, the father of Islam, is said to have been from the line of Ishmael, which is one reason Muslims claim a right to the Promised Land, Israel. Hagar is a revered woman in Islam since Ishmael is the father of the Arabic people. The Qur’anic version of the Genesis account twists the story to make Hagar the heroine of the story and her son, Ishmael, the child of promise instead of Isaac. The apostle Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah to teach a spiritual truth concerning our salvation. In Galatians 4, Hagar represents the Old Covenant, based on the Law (given at Sinai in Arabia) and human works. Sarah represents the New Covenant, based on grace and the saving work of God. In Paul’s analogy, believers in Christ are like the child born of Sarah—we are free, products of the Spirit. Those who try to earn their salvation by their own works are like the child born of Hagar—they are slaves, products of the flesh. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman” (Galatians 4:31). Paul counsels believers to “get rid of the slave woman” (verse 30)—that is, cease trying to earn salvation, because the inheritance of the children of promise can never be shared with those who live under the dictates of the flesh. The story of Hagar is full of God’s goodness, and we can learn from the way God worked in Hagar’s life. She was a nobody, a foreign slave girl. Yet the Lord of Heaven saw her in her distress, provided for her need, and blessed her son because he was the child of Abraham. Hagar gave us the term El Roi, which means “the God who sees.” And her story reminds us that, no matter who we are or where we are, the Lord God sees us and cares about us. He will comfort and provide for anyone who turns to Him, and He always keeps His promises.GotQuestions.org Related Resources: What is the story of Sarah and Hagar? | GotQuestions.org Was Hagar Abraham’s wife or his concubine? | GotQuestions.org Why does Hagar call God “the God Who Sees” (Genesis 16:13)? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 21:15 When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. the water: Ge 21:14 Ex 15:22-25 17:1-3 2Ki 3:9 Ps 63:1 Isa 44:12 Jer 14:3 Genesis 21 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes - If you have ever been to Israel, you know that the guides always give a stern warning to make sure you drink plenty of water to hydrate because dehydration and serious sequelae can occur quickly in the desert-like conditions. Left is probably not the best translation of the Hebrew verb shalak/salak which normally means to cast or throw (used of casting Joseph into a pit - Ge 37:20, 22, 24) and is translated in the Septuagint with the verb rhipto which means to throw (Mt 27:5 Judas "threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary.") Since Ishmael would have been a teenager Hagar was not carrying him, so she surely did not literally throw him. However, presumably Ishmael had become so dehydrated that he was weakened and so "she shoved" (NET rendering) him under one of the bushes to get him out of the heat of the sun. Donald Cantrell - “The Empty Water Bottle” (Online Jewels for the Journey 194 full page sermon starters - daily devotions) Gen 21:15—And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. The water bottle was empty; it seemed as if Hagar and Ishmael had reached the end of their Journey. The young lad was birthed by Hagar and Abraham due to Abraham failing to trust God and wait for him to come through. In spite of the circumstances surrounding this lad’s birth, he was here and nothing could change this fact. Hagar and her son were sent off on their journey with a bit of bread and a bottle of water. I can see them as they make their journey, it must have been one of fear and turmoil. I dare say that with each bite of bread and each drink from the bottle hastened her fear, the bread would not last much longer and the water was nearing the bottom of the bottle. On top of all of this, the two weary travelers had wandered into the wilderness, in the wilderness food and water would be hard to find. The woman looked down into the bottle and her fears had come to fruition, the bottle was completely empty and the lad was troubled in his body due to fatigue and a mighty thirst. Hagar had reached her wits end, what could she do to help her son, what would she do? In this story we find a mother doing the most unnatural deed a mother could do, she hid her son under some bushes and went off down the road to watch him die. The woman began to cry loudly and she was weeping uncontrollably, she could not bear the thought of her son suffering, up the trail her son was crying and calling out for his mother. Then the most wonderful thing occurred, the bible says that the Lord heard the voice of the child, as he does all of his dear children. It must never be said that our God is not a God of tender and timely compassion; he is adequate and available to meet the need of any crying child. The Lord sent his angel and the angel told Hagar that all was well, for the Lord heard the cry of the child right from where the child was located, so it is today dear friend. In the midst of your trouble God will see your empty water bottle and he will see that it gets filled up. The Lord opened the eyes of Hagar and showed her a well that had plenty of water, enough to fill up her water bottle. I don’t know what you may be facing today; if your bottle is empty you must cry out to God, ask him to fill your water bottle. On this day many of the dear readers of this devotion are facing dire circumstances; they are facing empty water bottles and must have the Lord’s help. I don’t know what your empty water bottle may be, but the Lord knows where you are located and he has many wells that are available to fill up your bottle. Is your empty bottle a physical need, is it a spiritual need, is it a personal need, is it a monumental need, nevertheless it is a need and God must come through, right? If you are running on empty and feel as if God has forsaken you, let me tell you God has not ever forsaken any of his dear children, it never has happened and it never will happen!!! The Lord loves you and will help you fill up your empty bottle. 1. The Lonely Journey of Hagar 2. The Looming Jeopardy of Hagar 3. The Lasting Joy of Hagar 4. The Lovely Justifying of Hagar In the space below ask God to help you refill your water bottle; ask him to come to where you are. The Lord absolutely loves you dear friend and is aware of all of your needs: Genesis 21:16 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. Let: Ge 44:34 1Ki 3:26 Es 8:6 Isa 49:15 Zec 12:10 Lu 15:20 lifted: Ge 27:38 29:11 Judges 2:4 Ru 1:9 1Sa 24:16 30:4 Genesis 21 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries HAGAR'S PRAYER 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 - And at this point Hagar in her last recorded words seems resolved to the fact that Ishmael was going to die of dehydration and did not want to see this take place. She takes a place presumably far enough away that she cannot hear her son's agonizing cries, which surely tore at her heart. What promises of God had Hagar forgotten from her previous encounter with the Angel of the LORD, some 14 years earlier? She had forgotten the prophetic promise that actually was very similar to the promise given to Abraham regarding countless descendants. Clearly, if Ishmael died, this promise could not be fulfilled. Moses records... Moreover, the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.” The Angel of the LORD said to her further, “Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. “He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone’s hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers.” (Ge 16:10-12+) It would be easy to be critical of Hagar forgetting God's promise but 14 years is a long time and she is now in a wilderness and out of water. She is definitely at the at the end of her rope. Rod Mattoon - There may be times in our life when our resources dry up like the bread and water of Hagar. There may be moments in our life when people we love and depend upon turn their backs upon us it seems. Our back may be against the wall and we don’t know what to do or where to turn. All we can do is cry it seems as Hagar did (ED: OR ISHMAEL IN VERSE 17). It is in times like these that we as Christians have a loving Lord we can turn to who is concerned about our needs and is able to help us through our trials. He can give us peace and strength in our tribulations. The times of our helplessness are God’s opportunities to show Himself strong. May we learn to trust the Lord always, especially when our back is against the wall. THOUGHT - I am reminded of the great passage in Hebrews 2:18+ which says "For since He (JESUS) Himself was tempted (TESTED, TRIED) in that which He has suffered, He is able (dunamai in present tense - continually able) to come to the aid (boetheo from boe = cry + théo = run) of those who are (present tense - continually being) tempted." First note, Jesus has gone through a similar trial. Second note that he is continually able to come to your aid. Third note the word "aid" which which literally pictures one running to the aid of another who cries for help! So what is the application? When you are being tried, tested, tempted, don't forget to cry out! In this case it appears that the one who cried out was Ishmael (Ge 21:17). There is a great old Maranatha song entitled Cry Out. If you are at the end of your rope like Hagar and Ishmael, you might take a moment and listen to this song. C H