Genesis

THE believer never comes, never can come, to a point in his experience when God has nothing new to teach him or to give to him. Further and deeper lessons come constantly, lessons about God and about life in relation to Him. This is now very clearly and strikingly brought before us in connection with Abraham.

At last the word of God was fulfilled, and Sarah received the long-promised son. Her joy can readily be understood, and it is suggestive to see the emphasis upon the Lord’s action being in strict accordance with His word. "The Lord did . . . as He had spoken" (Gen 21:1). At the set time of which God had spoken (Gen 21:2). The comment of the Apostle is very significant in this connection. According to the Authorized Version (Rom 4:19) "Abraham considered not his own body now dead" implying that his faith disregarded the physical circumstances which, humanly speaking, might make it impossible for God to do as He had promised. According to the Revised Version, which omits the negative, and reads, "He considered his own body now dead," we have a still more striking suggestion as to his faith, for it implies that he deliberately thought on the subject of his own age and circumstances, and, notwithstanding this careful consideration, he exercised faith in God and His Word. And now at length this faith was justified, and God was true to His promise.

The naming of the child "Isaac" and his circumcision were two prompt and definite proofs of Abraham’s thorough trust in God. As already seen (Gen 17), the root idea of circumcision is designation, God marking off the life as belonging to Him.

Sarah now laughs the laugh of joy and satisfaction. The fulfilment of the promise was almost too good to be true; and yet it was true, as she shows by her joyous surprise. She doubtless remembers her former laugh of incredulity (Gen 18:13) as well as Abraham’s laugh of faith and hope (Gen 17:17).

In due course the child was weaned; according to Eastern custom, at a much later date than in Western lands. Isaac must have been at least three, if not five, years old when this event took place. Abraham made a great feast to celebrate this occasion. The difference between East and West in this matter, and the spiritual ideas associated with it, can be seen from a careful comparison of Psa 131:2; Isa 28:9; Mat 21:16.

The results of Abraham’s sin as to Hagar now show themselves acutely. Up to the time of Isaac’s birth Ishmael occupied the foremost place in Abraham’s life, but now he has to give place to Isaac. The disappointment to a growing and wild lad of seventeen must have been keen, and we are not surprised to read of his mockery of the little child. St Paul (Gal 4:29) speaks of the action of Ishmael as persecuting, and no wonder, from Ishmael’s point of view, since Isaac’s arrival meant that he was robbed of his former position.

Sarah was quick to see this action of Ishmael, and resented it. It was now her turn to do what Hagar had done under similar circumstances. Thus the tangled web becomes still more tangled as jealousy, anger, and malice bear their sad fruit.

Sarah at once demands that Hagar and Ishmael shall be cast out. The terms in which she speaks of this bondwoman and her son show the pitiable spirit of jealousy and anger. She insists that Ishmael shall not be heir with her son, a though Abraham had any idea of the two boys being co-heirs. Sarah had either forgotten, or else distrusted God’s definite promise about Isaac’s sole heirship (Gen 17:21).

It is no surprise that this was a poignant grief to Abraham. After all, Ishmael was his own child, and for seventeen years had been the joy and light of his life.

We are now to see how God interposed amidst this strife and sorrow, overruling His children’s mistakes and sin, and doing the very best that was possible for them. We can hear the voice of God comforting him (Gen 21:12). God urged Abraham not to grieve. In all ages God’s cheering message to His people has been "Let not your heart be troubled."

We can observe the wisdom of God guiding him (Gen 21:12). God tells Abraham to listen to what Sarah had said. Her counsel is to be followed, even though her conduct could not be approved. Ishmael’s presence in the home would doubtless have been an ever-increasing difficulty, and a very genuine hindrance to the complete realization of God’s will and purposes for Isaac. Thus in sending Ishmael away Abraham was really removing the cause of possible failure in regard to Isaac. Moreover, Ishmael had arrived, or would soon arrive, at a point in his life where he would need room to grow, and a change would therefore be good for him as well.

We can mark the promise of God encouraging him (Gen 21:13). God would not forget Ishmael, and he also was to become a great nation because of his relationship to Abraham. It is interesting to notice this reason assigned by God for His care of Ishmael. It is because he is the child of one of God’s children. Thus Abraham was encouraged to do what must have been one of the hardest things in his experience, to put away from him his own child, and to realize that that child was no longer to be in any close and definite sense part of his life.

We can see the servant of God responding (Gen 21:14). Abraham at once obeys the Divine word. We see him rising up early in the morning, and with thoughtfulness and tenderness he bids Hagar and Ishmael farewell. It requires very little imagination to enter into his feelings as he saw them depart, realizing that a break had come into his life which could never be altered or set aside. It is striking to notice the entire absence of any remonstrance on the part of Hagar. She seems to have taken everything quietly. Ishmael, too, although seventeen years old, showed no signs of rebellion. Perhaps there was something behind which would explain all, as, indeed, seems to be hinted at in the Apostolic treatment of this incident (Gal. 4).

1. The unchanging faithfulness of God.

The birth of Isaac was a beautiful and striking reminder that God is ever true to His word. As He had spoken is the keynote of the narrative. This is the experience of God’s people in all ages. Joshua said that not one thing had failed of all that God had spoken; all had come to pass (Jos 21:45; Jos 23:14). This is the bedrock of the Believer’s life. God is faithful A careful study of all the passages of the New Testament (and they are not few) which bring before us the faithfulness of God will show the prominence of this great truth in the Bible. "He abideth faithful;" and the more closely we enter into fellowship with Him through His Word, the more definitely we shall realize the preciousness of this great fact. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations (Psa 33:11).

2. The perfect wisdom of God.

We can easily realize the aching heart and troubled spirit of Abraham as he prepared to bid farewell to Ishmael, and yet, the initial mistake having been made (Gen 16), this severance was really the very best thing that could have happened for all concerned. Discipleship always involves discipline, and discipline is always necessary to spiritual blessing. God was taking up the tangled threads of His servant s life, weaving them into His own Divine pattern, and overruling everything for good. Happy for us if, like the Apostle Paul, we can rest our hearts day by day on the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom 11:33).

3. The absolute sufficiency of God.

God’s call to Abraham was met by Divine grace sufficient for his need. The Lord never puts upon His people more than they are able to bear. He encourages them by His promises, He assures them of His presence and power, and in response to all these encouragements His people yield trustful obedience, and find that His grace is sufficient for them. As thy days, so shall thy strength be.