Should be consulted by all who wish to be well-informed on the issues alluded to by Moses. law of Hebrew narrative, probably not Now the LORD visited Sarah as he had said (Genesis 21:1), How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapmans love languages (and how you can too). 1. What makes us happy? Sarah as he had spoken." 22. continued in the country of the Philistines for a considerable time; The public ceremonial. (Murphy)that Abimelechthe king of Gerar (Genesis 20:2; Genesis 26:1, Genesis 26:16)and Phi-cholif the name be Shemitic, "mouth of all," i.e. His men may have dug who knows how many dry wells before finding this one. (1) The world is watching the lives of believers. CRITICAL NOTES. Because Abimelech wanted this covenant to apply, not only to himself, but to his posterity (21:23), it secured this source of water not only for Abraham, but for his descendants. _God is with thee in all tha 1 Isaac is borne. The question extends beyond how does God fit in with our ordinary schedules to, How does God fit in with ordinary people? After all, in the history of the church, not many of Gods people have been able to speak to packed stadiums around the world, like Billy Graham. Abraham, having got into a good neighbourhood, knew when he was well off, and continued a great while there. Ishmaels expulsion. THE PROMISE FULFILLED IN ISAAC 1. And, God provides for his need for water through this well. Wells of water are scarce and . Abimelek responds, This is the first Ive heard of it. Wherever we sojourn, we must neither neglect nor be ashamed of the worship of Jehovah. His flight from New York was first delayed and then cancelled, so that he would have missed his meetings. Good men mostly desire to have the saints as friends, and even the wicked can perceive an advantage in being allied to the righteous. When Abimelech confronted Abraham about things, Abraham was rather uncomplimentary, saying that his reason for deceiving him was that he assumed that there would not be any fear of God among such people (20:11). 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the . ISAAC IS BORN And you know what else? There he made, not only a constant practice, but an open profession of his religion. Isaac would later have to clear up some matters over several wells with Abimelech (chap. IN ALL THAT THOU DOEST:_ ISAAC IN GERAR A famine occurs in the land, just as it had in the days of Abraham (ch.12:10). After this had gone on for several times, the businessman suddenly was struck with the simple truth of that verse. Probably an official title. _chemet_ bottle, akin to _chamah_, He wasnt a TV evangelist. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. _ALUN OWEN_ A Beersheba in a heathen land. Abimelech, the king who had inadvertently taken Sarah into his harem because Abraham had lied about her being his sister, pays a visit to Abraham, acknowledges that God is with him, and proposes a peace pact. The apparent contradiction between the statement of this verse and that of Genesis 21:32 may be removed by supposing either. Here is old Abraham just planting a tree and living by his well. laughed with the laughter of incredulity, now laughed with the _Abimelech, king of Gerara, who knew that Abraham was a prophet, and a has ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH _The Covenant with Abimelech_ (Genesis 21:22-34) Most days, he got up, made sure his animals were being cared for, dealt with problems like sick or straying animals, servants who had squabbles, and finding enough water and food for his flocks and family. Thus Abimelek narrowly averted sinning against the Lord which, the Lord informed him, would have cost him his life. Abimelechs proposal includes his offspring, but does not specifically include any offspring of Abraham. He normally didnt attend church, but he was troubled about some matters and went to church, hoping to find some relief. List one sac- Peace commemorated. That word sounds very much like the Hebrew word for seven (sheva) used in 21:28, 29, and 30. His friendship is valued, is courted, though a stranger, though a tenant at will to the Canaanites and Perizzites. (22) ABIMELECH AND PHICHOL. We have had in fine the judgment of 22._And it came to pass at that time_. transactions recorded in the preceding chapter, or to the time of favourite of God, chap. Peace established, Abimelech and Phichol, having accomplished their mission, returned to Philistia. - Genesis 21:22-23 Review After waiting years, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised baby, Isaac. We have here an account of the treaty between Abimelech and Abraham, in which appears the accomplishment of that promise (Gen. 12:2) that God would make his name great. not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. How aggressive should we be? 3. 8. It seems to me that the answer is, It shows the faithfulness of God in the ordinary. And yet he was used in Gods great purpose of blessing the nations through Abrahams seed, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21:22-34 Abimelech felt sure that the promises of God would be fulfilled to Abraham. You many Read Genesis 21:22-34 here: Bible Gateway. Ishmael's marriage, but most probably to the former. It hadnt worked the two times they tried it. Hence "the ownership of wells m Palestine was as jealously guarded as the possession of a mine in our own" (Inglis). Sarah who at an earlier point had So swear to me here before God that you won't deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. 26), but through this treaty, God was faithfully providing for Abrahams basic physical needs. For these promises to be fulfilled, God had to provide Abraham with a son, which He did in an extraordinary way in the birth of Isaac. Around the mouth of the well is a circular course of masonry, topped by a circular parapet of about a foot high; and at a distance of ten or twelve feet are stone troughs placed in a concentric circle with the well, the sides of which have deep indentions made by the wear of ropes on the upper edges The second well, about 200 yards farther south, is not more than five feet in diameter, but is formed of equally good masonry, and furnishes equally good water". We are secure in His providential care. 6. I. Calling on Gods Name in whatever land you live, Despite the struggles in this new land, Abraham remembers his covenant with God (the God of Everlasting) and calls on His name. Here we have accomplished promise the blessed It is not necessary to conclude from verse 1 and 2 that Sarah only became pregnant after the episode that is told in the previous chapter. Youre not backing us up! You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today., So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. What modern monarchs mostly desire at the close of exhausting campaigns is here sought before campaigns begin. Do you see what happened here? Commentary: Patriarchs and Prophets (or Beginning of the End), chapter 13. The days spent in Philistia left behind them some enlightenment. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 23 Now therefore, swear[ a] to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do I. The one great miracle in his life was the birth of Isaac in his old age. The man was educated and he articulately expressed his objections. ISHMAEL AND ISAAC Genesis 21:1-34 ; Genesis 22:1-24 Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. But God revealed to Abimelek the truth that Sarah is Abrahams wife. 8. Subscribe | RSS | Privacy Disclaimer. Copyright 1996, Steven J. Cole, All Rights Reserved. He is not far from every one of us. _GOD IS WITH - The Birth of Isaac "Blessed are the peace-makers," and "beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that publisheth peace.". Cyril Barber on Morris' The Genesis Record : a Scientific and Devotional Commentary (It can be borrowed) - Valuable as corollary reading. and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken (Genesis 21:1). Now the grace of God bears its most important fruit in the history of I. At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, God is with you in everything you do. Genesis 21:22. Even as Gods kindness draws us to him, our kindness with others should point them to Him. And Abraham plantedas a sign of his peaceful occupation of the soil (Calvin); as a memorial of the transaction about the well ('Speaker's Commentary'); or simply as a shade for his tent (Rosenmller); scarcely as an oratory (Bush, Kalisch)a grovethe wood, plantation (Targum, Vulgate, Samaritan, Kimchi); a field, (LXX. Treaty with Abimelech (21:22-34) Abraham had settled in the south of Canaan in Abimelech's territory and at Abimelech's invitation (see 20:15). Sarah's demand GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. All rights reserved. THAT ABIMELECH, AND PHICHOL, THE CHIEF CAPTAIN OF HIS HOST, SPAKE And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief Didnt Jesus tell us If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY Abraham decided to take a different approach. The outcast. I. The term for making a treaty (used here and vs. 32) is karat. A believer is invincible until it is his time to go. Even so, as believers, we know that every second of our lives is under the watchful care of the heavenly Father. 22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do. Sometimes we may wonder, How does God fit in with the ordinary?. Ver. Although some of Abrahams resources came directly from Abimelech (20:16), the king sees the blessing of the Lord on all that you do.. 7. Then this brand new cop said,Sir, step out of the car. CHAPTER 21 ISAAC AND ISHMAEL AND THE COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH The Lords whole thing boils down to that. He sent the plagues on Egypt and parted the Red Sea. But thats not fair! You might be saying. had promised to her. Th Genesis 21:22 time H6256 Abimelech H40 Phichol H6369 commander H8269 Why are we told this? 15 Hagar in distresse. COVENANT BETWEEN 1 Kings 15:19; Isaiah 30:6; Isaiah 39:1). trial and utter ruin of the creature, with the revelation of divine Genesis 21:22-34 In-Context. Give people youre in disagreement with a graceful way out. surround, enclose, and _chum_ black. In gratitude for former favours he had received from him, in token of the friendship that subsisted between them, and for the confirmation of it; and to show that he was fully satisfied with Abimelech's answer to his complaint, as well as willing to enter into covenant by sacrifice, when such creatures were divided, and the covenanters passed between the pieces, for so it follows: and both of them made a covenant ; or, read more, And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Numbers 14:13). He was, to put it gently, directed to find a way to verbally persuade subjects to cooperate. Probably an official title. Not surprisingly, the driver of the car didnt comply. In this section Name signifies mouth of all, _i.e.,_ Abraham. Genesis 21:22-34 New International Version The Treaty at Beersheba 22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do. _Isaac;_ that is, laughter or holy joy. Each time, the young man, who was retarded and knew only this one verse, responded simply by quoting John 3:16. . Because Abimelech had taken Sarah into his harem, God struck him and all his household with some illness and threatened to kill them if he didnt return Sarah to Abraham. God's people, though expected meekly to suffer wrong, cannot always help seeing that it is wrong they suffer. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. 17 The Angel comforteth her. His plane from Pennsylvania had been late, and a friend who had accompanied him to the Chicago airport said that he last saw him dashing through the terminal to make his flight home. Only before concluding the agreement there was a matter of a more personal character that required settlement. As Abraham is the father of all the faithful, so the the incident of the preceding chapter, but, "according to the common And Abimelech said, I wet not who hath done this thing. Abraham a sojourner in that land, afterwards the troubler of Israel; for his sake as discipline, for their sakes as opportunity. "'Do not lay a hand on the boy,' he said. I wont ask you again!. In Chapter s 20, 21 we have the question of the heir and of the path Read Genesis commentary using Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise). had once laughed through unbelief; now being ashamed of that, she Throughout Abrahams story run two great promises which God made to Abraham: a son, through whom Abraham would become a great nation, and through whose descendants all the nations would be blessed; and, the land of Canaan, where his descendants would live. he understood what the sheep and oxen were for, that they were presents to him, at least some of them, and the rest were for the solemnizing and ratifying the covenant between them; but what these were for he could not devise. 4 He is circumcised. xx. As a prince, Abimelech was afraid of Abraham's growing power; as a good man, he insures the safety of himself and his dominions not by resorting to war, but by forming an amicable treaty with his neighbornor with my son, nor with my son's son: (LXX. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Character of God, Discipleship, Ecclesiology (The Church), Empower, Spiritual Life, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. In Genesis 21:22-34, we see Abraham in a scene from his ordinary life. It is a beautiful illustration of how God faithfully provides everything we need for life and godliness so that we can fulfill His purpose. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo More. Just because youve blown it with someone in the past doesnt mean that you cant be used later to influence that person toward God. 7. when Abimelech, struck with God's providential regard to him, wa 5. mll "speak," an ancient and therefore solemn and poetical word. Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 21:22-32 We have here an account of the treaty between Abimelech and Abraham, in which appears the accomplishment of that promise (Gen. 12:2) that God would make his name great. B.C. Hes lying! This passage raises three questions relevant for believers today: Application: Seven lambs sealed the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, but it was one spotless lamb named Jesus who forever sealed Gods covenant with His people. Weaned] in his second or third year, as is usual among Orientals. GODS ANCIENT PEOPLE Sarah, at the unlikely age of 90 years, gives birth to Isaac, mercy in Christ the Lord. The prudent measure Abraham gave Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a witness that he had digged the well, and consequently had a right to its possession. However, see 26:17-33, where Isaac also has a dispute with Abimelech (likely not the same person) over wells and makes a treaty with him. Related Commentaries of Genesis 21:22. _AT THAT TIME_] This may either refer to the As you think about Abrahams life, you realize that he was a fairly ordinary man, except that he was a man of extraordinary faith and obedience to God. He had to provide protection and give him the land, which He begins to do in a rather ordinary way through this peace agreement. Well it didnt turn out quite the way he expected. 2. CHIEF CAPTAIN OF HIS HOST SPAKE UNTO ABRAHAM, SAYING, GOD IS WITH THEE 1886. of faith in another point of view. THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 20 AND 21. Which things are an. ; Psalms 34, tit.). We dont know how much Abimelech knew about the one true God, but he at least knew enough to see clearly that God made a difference in Abrahams life. Checking his ticket which he hadnt used, he realized that if his earlier flight to Chicago had not been cancelled, he would have been on that flight. Ishmael mocking (Genesis 22:9) In this narrative, Abraham appears as a chieftain powerful enough for a king to wish to make an alliance with him; and thus his abandonment of Sarah, and his receiving of presents in compensation for the wrong done her, seems the more unworthy of him. 8. Sarah's demand GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. They cover or deny their sin and try to make it look like theyve got it all together. He checked his uniform, it looked good. The LXX. Not long ago he was asked, What have you learned from the Grant Study men?, Vaillants response: That the only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people. (What makes us happy? Wherefore he called that place Beersheba. - Genesis 21:22-23 Review After waiting years, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised baby, Isaac. DISMISSAL OF HAGAR AND ISHMAEL. to Abraham. He felt Abimelech could sense that in spite of Abrahams previous failure in the incident with Sarah, he was a man who walked with God. Then Abraham brings up a sore subject, a delicate matter, a touchy issue with Abimelek. _ 1. It records the conversation between Abraham and Abimelech and their mutual promise of kindness to each other. Now Abraham and his descendants can dwell securely in the land. with thee in all that At last in God's 'Set time," and in spite of all natural difficulties, V1 The *Lord had promised that he would visit Sarah. I. Bondwoman and her son cast out. Gunkel has given strong undertakings. ); posteri et stirps (Vulgate); offspring and progeny (Kalisch); kith and kin (Murphy)but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee (vide Genesis 20:15), thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojournedthe land being put for the people (cf.