Gen. 21:1-21

1. Locate the passage

Abraham believed God’s promise, but to this point, it had not been realized. God could have used other means to make of Abraham a great nation (as Abraham offered several times), but His promise was a child through Abraham and Sarah. This chapter records the fulfillment of God’s promise.

2. Genre

The passage is narrative. It records Sarah’s responds to God having made her laugh again – this time out of joy. It also records the conversation between Abraham and Sarah regarding Ishmael living in the same house as Isaac, God’s instructions to Abraham, Hagar’s prayer, and the Lord’s comfort and rescue of Hagar.

3. Determine the structure of the passage

4. Exegete the passage

Isaac was the child of promise. But that did not mean that God did not care for Hagar and Ishmael.

Remember the certainty with which the Lord promised a child through Sarah in 18:10 – “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Here, God’s promise is being realized.

21:1 – The Lord “visited” Sarah

• “paqad.” God’s visits usually involve blessing or judgment (Cf. Gen. 21:1; 50:24-25; Ex. 3:16; 4:31; 24:7)
• The key here is the phrase, “as He had spoken.” The Lord is always faithful to His Word.
• Note the three-fold repetition (21:1-2), said in three slightly different ways, all emphasizing the certainty of God’s Word. It happened “like He said.”
• The birth of Isaac begins a series of unlikely and miraculous births in Scripture the climaxes with Mary.

21:2 – “At the set time”

• “mo’ed” refers to an appointed time (Cf. comments on 18:14 – above)
• See also Gal. 4:4. The birth of Isaac at the “appointed time” foreshadows the birth of Christ in the fullness of time.

21:3 – Abraham obeyed the Lord and gave the child a name (Cf. Gen. 17:19) that both reflected their laughter of disbelief and the subsequent laughter of joy.

21:4 – “As God commanded him”

• See note on Gen. 6:9 above.

21:6 – “God has made me laugh”

• Sarah recognized the irony of her previous laughter of disbelief and current laughter of joy.

21:9 – “The son of Hagar … scoffing”

• The tension here is a continuation of the tension between Sarah and Hagar that began in Gen. 16.
• The Hb. “m^e tsachaq,” which means, “mocking” is a play on the name of Isaac (“yitsaq”), which means, “laughter.”
• See Gal. 4:29 – Paul suggests that Ishmael persecuted (GK – “edioken”), which is the word Jesus used in Matt. 5:11.

21:10 – “Cast out this woman”

• This passage introduces the story of Abraham’s two sons that will control the history of two nations.
• Gal 4:21-31

21:11 – The matter was “displeasing” to Abraham

• “ra’ah” means “bad.” This word is said twice of Abraham (21:11, 12)
• See Mathews, “Abraham is caught in the predicament that polygamists always experience: he ultimately must show preference for one child over another.” ^[1] Ibid., 269. Not only that, his preferential treatment must also extend to one spouse over the other.
• Ironically, though Ishmael is the first-born, he does not receive the “blessing” or birthright from his father.

21:12-13 – God spoke to Abraham (in a dream?) and reminded him that the promise would be through Isaac, but that God would also bless Ishmael because “he is   your seed.”

• Gen. 27:38 – Esau pleaded for another blessing through his father like his father had received from Abraham.

21:14 – Abraham rose early

• Abraham had a habit of immediate obedience when God spoke to him (Cf. 22:3)
• Abraham prepared food and water for Hagar and Ishmael that turned out not to be enough.
  • It’s not clear if the supplies were insufficient or his directions for her regarding where to go were unclear. Nevertheless, she ran out of food and water.

21:14 – Hagar “wandered” in the wilderness

• Hagar was sent out without knowing to where she was going
• Job 12:24; Ps. 107:40; Amos 2:4

21:17 – “God heard”

• God in His grace heard the cries of the boy
• Despite what God knew about the history of Ishmael’s offspring, He protected the boy because of His promise to Abraham

21:18 – The angel of the Lord instructed Hagar to take the boy by the hand

• “make firm your hand in his”
• She should abandon him no longer and be firm in God’s promise.

21:19 – God opened her eyes

• He made her to see what was already there
  • Gen. 22:13-14 – Like Abraham saw the ram in the thicket, Hagar saw the well

21:19-20 – God did for Ishmael what He promised

5. Let the structure of the text drive the sermon

Exp. The verbs in this passage are key: God visited Sarah; God heard the boy; God opened Hagar’s eyes; God was with the lad

• God is faithful to His Word
  • God fulfilled His promise to Sarah
    • God is able to make you laugh
  • God’s provision always supports His promise
    • Abraham may not have provided Hagar and the boy with enough resources to meet their need, but God always provides.
      App. He “visits” those who trust in Him

• God hears those who cries of those who suffer
• God opens the eyes of those who seek Him
  • God clarified His will
  • Our disobedience doesn’t undermine His will
  • God will open the eyes of all who look to Him