army H6635 spoke H559 (H8799) Abraham H85 saying And so it was at that time that Abimelech, and Phicol the captain Love Like Jesusexamines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including: With genuine unfiltered honesty,Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to Gods definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too. It is wise to connect ourselves with those who are blessed of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have been kind to us. and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken ( Genesis 21:1 ). NOR WITH MY SON, NOR WITH MY SONS SON.] Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Although some of Abrahams resources came directly from Abimelech (20:16), the king sees the blessing of the Lord on all that you do.. I.e. GENESIS On the flight that crashed was a godly pastor from Southern California. We live with the daily, ordinary routines that characterize the greater part of our lives: getting ready for the day, rushing off to work, getting the kids off to school, shopping for groceries, paying bills, mowing lawns, and maintaining the household. (Kindle,hardcover, andpaperbacknow available on Amazon. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. the long-promised son was born. And yet he was used in Gods great purpose of blessing the nations through Abrahams seed, the Lord Jesus Christ. "'Do not lay a hand on the boy,' he said. Genesis 21 - Smith's Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org Ishmael mocking (Genesis 22:9) Do we badmouth the boss or other workers behind their backs? A.M. 2118. Peace. He was, to put it gently, directed to find a way to verbally persuade subjects to cooperate. Th Genesis 21:22 time H6256 Abimelech H40 Phichol H6369 commander H8269 I like that, "as He had said, and as He had spoken." I've got that underlined that just sort of hit me. Genesis 21:22-34 What is the meaning of these seven ewe - God Running 4 He is circumcised. 15. He sarcastically said, Write your prayer on a piece of paper and you can have its weight in groceries. To his surprise, she pulled a folded note out of her pocket and handed it to him. (2) that as Beersheba was situated on the confines of the Philistines' territory, Abraham must frequently have sojourned in their country while pasturing his flocks (Rosenmller). If youre a Christian, and youre not a cop, then its not your job to come down on people. One of Abrahams deeply rooted fears when God called him to leave his homeland and go to the land of Canaan was that the people of the land would see his wife and kill him in order to take her. Genesis 21:22. Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. That leads me to ask, Does the world see God in your everyday life?. We dont always think about it, but if the world knows that were Christians, they watch us to see if were different than everyone else. of his host, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that If youre not dealing with your sin and seeking to live a life pleasing to God, then youd be better off not to let anybody know that you claim to be a Christian. CRITICAL NOTES. It also signified a tranquil, settled life, under Gods providential care. 23. read more, John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary. We have had in fine the judgment of 22._And it came to pass at that time_. The man whos been thoroughly analyzing these files for the last 44 years is Dr. George Valliant. Not surprisingly, the driver of the car didnt comply. Thus Abimelek narrowly averted sinning against the Lord which, the Lord informed him, would have cost him his life. has Hes letting Abimeleks servants off the hook! You might be protesting. Why? _ALUN OWEN_ undertakings. 9 Hagar & Ishmael are cast forth. 6. Youll be happier, people will be more cooperative toward you, and youll have healthier relationships. This passage chronicles a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. As he was leaving, a young man walked up and quoted John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. The businessman didnt see how such a thing could be true and he didnt understand the connection between Gods giving His Son and a person having eternal life. The name of the Lord itself an invitation to believe and live. Should be consulted by all who wish to be well-informed on the issues alluded to by Moses. "Abraham stretched forth his hand, ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH COVENANT Why are we told this? But it is significant that Gods blessing on Abraham is evident even to this pagan king, Abimelech, who tells Abraham, God is with you in all that you do (21:22). Love Like Jesusbegins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. to Abraham. No more can be expected from an honest man than that he be ready to do right, as soon as he knows he has done wrong. That world could tell that God was with him in all he did! Genesis 21:22-34 Meaning and Commentary - Bible Study Tools But we also need to see that His ordinary provision of our daily food is an example of His faithfulness. Hes lying! Do others see the hand of God on your life? 21:28-30 The giving and receiving of the lambs stipulates that Abraham dug the well in Beersheba and thus rightfully owns the well. His circumcision (Genesis 22:4)_ THE PROMISE FULFILLED IN ISAAC The blessing made manifest. He sent the plagues on Egypt and parted the Red Sea. ), Posted on October 2, 2011 by Kurt Bennett, Category: Bible Study, Genesis, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Tags: Abraham and Abimelek, Bible relationships, Christian, depression, how to be happy, how to love, love, Well of Beersheba, ive had a dream on this subject and have was awaken, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). CHARACTERS: Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Hagar, Ishmael, Abimelech. Peace enjoyed. Abimelech's treaty with Abraham 21:22-34. After this had gone on for several times, the businessman suddenly was struck with the simple truth of that verse. (See previous post about Abraham and Abimelek). This is one of the attributes of God to His people. He made a traffic stop that went something like this: Listen, I know my rights. undertakings. Are we honest, even in small matters? all-commanding. Category: Sermon StructureTags: Genesis, Genesis 21, Old Testament Narrative, Home | Admissions | Academics | Campus Life | Alumni, All content copyright 2023 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 4. Asking their forgiveness is often the first step in that process. When the owner asked how much she could afford, she replied, My husband was killed in the war. It is good to remember God's mercies, of which national and civil quietude is one of the greatest, and it is becoming to erect memorials of both privileges and obligations. The Atlantic, June 2009. ISAAC IS BORN CRITICAL NOTES. In an initial way, God is using Abraham to fulfill His purpose of blessing all the nations as he is blessed. Worldly policy may have urged Abimelech to cement a league with the powerful chieftain in his neighborhood, but religions affinity would also seem to have exercised an influence in drawing him to seek the friendship of one who appeared to enjoy celestial protection. Ishmaels expulsion. 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. reasons for holding that J is here made up of two main sources ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH MAKE A COVENANT AT BEERSHEBA. What for you is the most threatening aspect about telling someone about Christ. Now Abraham and his descendants can dwell securely in the land. ALL CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY IS ALSO CONSCIOUSLY IDENTIFIED WITH Your neighbor may have a Ph.D. and you may be a blue collar worker. The neighborhood of Beersheba, the revelation of Jehovah, the little company of believers. 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. all that thou _AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME, THAT ABIMELECH AND PHICHOL THE His life wasnt made up of one spectacular event after another. Abraham kept up public worship, in which his neighbours might join. 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. This visit of the king and his vizier appears to have taken place some considerable time after the beginning of the sojourn of Abraham at Gerar; for the friendly feelings which then existed had evidently given way to a coolness, occasioned by the quarrels between their herdsmen. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 17 The Angel comforteth her. Genesis 21:22-34 In-Context 20 God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer . ), his knowledge of Isaac's birth, and his general observation of the patriarch's prosperity. Genesis 21 Genesis 22 Genesis 23 Genesis 24 . Abraham instituted two memorials of the important transactions, naming the well Beersheba, and planting a tamarisk beside his tent. He checked his boots, they were shiny. 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. Gunkel has given strong Enduring Word Bible Commentary Genesis Chapter 21 And it came to pass at that time,possibly in immediate sequence to the incident of the preceding chapter, but, "according to the common law of Hebrew narrative, probably not long after the birth of Isaac." This second conflict with Abimelech creates a bracket around the Isaac birth narrative. continued in the country of the Philistines for a considerable time; Here we have accomplished promise the blessed ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH his mother took him a wife --On a father's death, the mother looks out for a wife for her son, however young; and as Ishmael was now virtually deprived of his father, his mother set about forming a marriage connection for him, it would seem, among her relatives. I like that, "as He had said, and as He had spoken." trial and utter ruin of the creature, with the revelation of divine Well it didnt turn out quite the way he expected. But what about Abraham? Another highlight of this passage is the explanation for the origin of the name Beersheba. Its about relationships with people. Why was one Christian man spared while the other was killed? 4 He is circumcised. xx. He suggested that Abraham and he make a treaty that would guarantee good relations between them (22-24). Neither didst thou toll me, neither yet heard I of it, but today. The LORD visited Sarah as He had said: It took a long time (25 years) for this promise to come to pass, but God was faithful to His promise. So swear to me here before God that you wont deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Genesis 21:22-34 . Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you., Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimeleks servants had seized. Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible - The Birth of Isaac 7. favourite of God, chap. II. 'Do not do anything to him. 17. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. Happy they who can do both in peace! Perhaps he is unaware of the birth of Isaac. and married, but when Isaac was weaned and Ishmael was expelled: 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ALL CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY IS CONSCIOUSLY IDENTIFIED WITH GOD. COVENANT. Do you see what happened here? In the story of Hagar and Ishmael, we notice: And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech As the usual covenant presents (cf. Abraham. Even as Gods kindness draws us to him, our kindness with others should point them to Him. 7. had promised to her. This Bible study on Genesis 21 shows God's promise to Sarah and Abraham fulfilled in the birth of their son Isaac, the son of promise. But Abraham still struggled with this fear long after he had been living in the land. But what Im saying is that sinlessness isnt the requirement to bear witness for Christ. surround, enclose, and _chum_ black. Seemingly betraying a secret suspicion of the prince's veracity, the act aimed at preventing any recurrence of the grievance, and in this light it appears to have been regarded by Abimelech. The trouble with this approach, of course, is that we never get to that place. The Covenant Between Abraham and Abimelech NINTH SECTION fruit of patient waiting upon God. Which things are an allegory.- Galatians 4:22. 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. 3. ALL CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY IS CONSCIOUSLY IDENTIFIED WITH GOD. the title not only of the king of Gerar, but of the kings of the Arab Ishmael is the father of all our outcasts. Th Genesis 21:22 time H6256 Abimelech H40 Phichol H6369 commander H8269 5. When we give thanks at the dinner table, we need to be truly thankful, and not just mumbling a ritual prayer before we say, Please pass the potatoes. God faithfully provides for our protection and for our provision. So the treaty is solidified. By the way the new cops boss, the Police Chief, called him into his office the next day for what the new cop thought was going to be an atta-boy. Abimelech, on the other hand, acts generously as of old, and shows no signs of ill-will at the growing power of one whose expectation was that his race would possess the whole land. Without even reading it, he put it on one side of his old-fashioned scale. Its no wonder that Abimelek is asking Abraham to swear that he wont deal falsely with him. Are we cheerful and pleasant, even when were mistreated, or do we grumble and complain like everyone else? In Genesis 21:22-34, we see Abraham in a scene from his ordinary life. Abraham took care to have his title to the well allowed, to prevent disputes in future. neit EXPOSITION Verse Genesis 21:22. "Abraham stretched forth his hand, ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH COVENANT This is even more significant when you realize that Abraham wasnt doing anything spectacular. 6 Sarahs ioy. Youre not backing us up! The apparent contradiction between the statement of this verse and that of Genesis 21:32 may be removed by supposing either. 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. "The great well has an internal diameter at the mouth of twelve feet six inches, or a circumference of nearly forty feet. B.C. Abimelech. Here we have accomplished promise the blessed Wherefore he called that place Beersheba. How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himselfhe even nappedand why you should do the same. But He doesnt just provide for our needs so that we can live comfy lives for our own happiness. Luke 6:21. 9. (Haydock)_ And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Subscribe | RSS | Privacy Disclaimer. 139:16)! Sarah's joy. of his host, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that 1. Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? We have had in fine the judgment of 22._And it came to pass at that time_. EXPOSITION. Because there they aware both of them. The inducement to it was God's favour to Abraham (Gen. 21:22): ?God is with thee in all that thou doest, read more, Observe, 1. captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in Wherever we sojourn, we must neither neglect nor be ashamed of the worship of Jehovah. xx. He had to provide protection and give him the land, which He begins to do in a rather ordinary way through this peace agreement. Genesis 21:22-34 NKJV - A Covenant with Abimelech - Bible Gateway Ver. Sarah as he had spoken." fear of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have We plainly see that God blesseth and prospereth thee in all thy A.M. 2118. I read about a successful man who was on a business trip. It is as much the duty of him who has a grievance to reveal it, as it is the duty of him who has caused the grievance to remove it. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. I dont have to give you my license and registration., Listen you ! As Abraham is the father of all the faithful, so the with thee in all that At last in God's 'Set time," and in spite of all natural difficulties, I. @#$%^&* salary!. Abraham. chesed) to Abraham. Abimelech and PhicholHere a proof of the promise (Ge 12:2) being fulfilled, in a native prince wishing to form a solemn league with Abraham. In the story of Hagar and Ishmael, we notice: The new name of God bore witness to Gods unchanging faithfulness and to the fact that Abrahams faith was not in Abimelech nor in the treaty between them, but in the eternal God who was his dwelling place. _ALUN OWEN_ Ishmael's marriage, but most probably to the former. How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapmans love languages (and how you can too). _AT THAT TIME_] This may either refer to the transactions recorded in the preceding chapter, or to the time of Ishmael's marriage, but most probably to the former. Another step in Abrahams walk with God is seen in verse 33, where he plants a tree and calls on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. Planting the tree was an act to remind Abraham of Gods faithfulness, especially in the everyday matter of providing the well which supplied the water for this tree to grow. 21:23 Abimelech proposes a treaty not to deal falsely. Then Abraham does something unexpected. It hadnt worked the two times they tried it. AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME,possibly in immediate sequence to 2. Good men should do all they can to make others so. Read the Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34. The mistaken charge. Its done, these two powerful men have entered into the treaty with one another. Specific examples of how Jesus communicated Gods love to others. 2. 22 Abimelechs couenant with Abraham at Beer-sheba. (1) that a person cannot always be held responsible for what his servants do, (2) that it is wrong to judge on insufficient evidence with reference to the characters and conduct of others, and. _mlel_ speak, an ancient and therefore solemn I heard a story about a new police officer who, on his first day on the job, caught someone speeding. God is _The birth of Isaac. "This scene occurs at the same time as the events of Scene 6 [ Genesis 21:1-21] but focuses on different characters and tensions. The prince rather complains that Abraham had done him an injustice. God also took care of Hagar and Ishmael, remembering His promise to greatly multiply their descendants (see Birth of Isaac ). Now therefore swear unto me here by Godthe verb to swear is derived from the Hebrew numeral seven, inasmuch as the septennary number was sacred, and oaths were confirmed either by seven sacrifices (Genesis 21:28) or by seven witnesses and pledgesthat thou wilt not deal falsely with me,literally, if thou shalt lie unto me; a common form of oath in Hebrew, in which the other member of the sentence is for emphasis left unexpressed (cf.