Isaac – Genesis 21:1-21

Oldest.org reported:  “In late October 2019, Xinju Tian made international news when it was reported that she had given [birth] to a healthy baby girl at the age of 67 years old. Surprisingly, Tian and her partner Weiping Huang, who was 68 at the time, said that they conceived naturally. This means that at 67 years of age, Xinju Tian is the oldest woman with a natural pregnancy ever in the world. Due to her advanced age, Tian delivered her baby via Cesarean section. Tian already has two children, who were born before China implemented its one-child policy to curb its population in 1977. There have been no reports on whether or not Tian and Huang have faced consequences for having more than two kids.”  Sarah had her beat by a few years (she was around 90 or 91).

[1] The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. [2] And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. [3] Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. [4] And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. [5] Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. [6] And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over 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] And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. [9] But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. [10] So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” [11] And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. [12] But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. [13] And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” [14] So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

[15] When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. [16] Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. [17] And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. [18] Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” [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 boy a drink. [20] And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. [21] He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. (Genesis 21:1–21, ESV)

God’s faithfulness to His promise is emphasized as Sarah gives birth to Isaac (the name Yahweh told Abraham and Sarah to give their son).  Abraham keeps faith with the covenant by circumcising Isaac on the eighth day.  Sarah’s laughter now is not from disbelief but from sheer joy.  People will, she anticipates, laugh at her and for her over this son of her old age.

When the child Isaac is two or three years old, having been weaned from breastfeeding, a celebration is held for him.  But during this celebration Sarah sees Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, laughing at (the Hebrew suggests “mocking”) Isaac.  She can’t handle this and demands that Abraham get rid of her.  Abraham struggles with this.  The boy is about 13 or 14 years old and Abraham no doubt loves him, but also this boy is the back-up heir to Isaac should Isaac die.  But though he is reluctant, Yahweh tells him (in person or just via a voice, we’re not told) to do what Sarah wants, that He, Yahweh, will take care of Ishmael and make him a great nation.  But it is through Isaac that his promise will be carried through.

In Romans 9 Paul uses this example to prove his point that it is not the physical offspring that makes one a true Israelite, but the one whom God chooses (and who therefore has saving faith).

It is hard to imagine how Abraham felt sending Hagar and Ishmael off with such little provision, or how Hagar and Ishmael felt being cut off from Abraham and his family.  They have nowhere to go and wander in the wilderness until they run out of water and are dying.  Only then does God speak to Hagar out of heaven (no personal visit as a man like the first time when she ran away).  He opens Hagar’s eyes to see a well of water and reiterates the promise to make Ishmael a great nation.  We’re given a very brief description of how the boy grows in the wilderness of Paran, becomes an expert archer, and how his mother gets him a wife from her homeland Egypt.

The die is cast for the next big event with Isaac.