The Birth of Isaac
Ver. 1. Abraham still sojourning in the land of the Philistines, at length sees the promise fulfilled. It is noted with some degree of emphasis, as forming a special epoch in his life, that “the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as lie had spoken.” Such a kind of language is used of his posterity being put in possession of the promised land: *’ The Lord gave them rest round al;out, according to all that he sware unto their fathers — there failed not of anv o-ood thina:
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which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel: all came to pass.’’* And such will be our language sooner or later, concerning all the good things promised to the church, or to us as individuals.
Vey C. Two things are particularly noticed in the birth of this child:- — It was in Abraham’s “old age,” and “at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Both these circumstances shewed the whole to be of God. That which comes to us in the ordinary course of things may be of God; but that which comes otherwise, manifestly appears to be so. One great difference between this child and the son of Hagar consisted in this: the one was “born after the flesh,” that is, in the ordinary course of generation; but the other, “after the spirit,” that is, by extraordinary divine interposition, and in virtue of a special promise. t Analogous to these were those jews, on the one hand, M’h9 were merely descended from Abraham according to tJie flesh; and those, on the other, who were “not of the circumcision only, but also walked in the steps of the faith of their father Abraham. “J The former were the children of the bond-woman, who were cast out: the latter of the free- woman,
* Josh. xxi. 44, 45. t Gal. iv. 23, TO,
X Rom. iv. 12.
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who being “bis people whom be foreknew, were not cast away,” but were counted for the seed.*
Ver. 3, 4. The name by which this extraordinary child should be called was Isaac, according to the previous direction of God. It signifies laughter, or joi/, and corresponds with the gladness which accompanied his birth. Children are ordinarily “an heritage of the Lord.” — On account of the uncertainty of their future character however, we have reason to rejoice with trembling: but in this case it was joy in a manner unmixed; for he was born under the promise of being “blessed, and made a blessing.” — But what a difference between the joy of Abraham at the birth of a child, and that which is commonly seen amongst us! His was not that vain mirth, or noisy lauohter, which unfits for obedience to God: on the contrary, he circumcised his sou when he was eight days old, not in conformity to custom, but “as God had comm.anded him.”
Ver. 5 — 7. The sacred writers seldom deal in reflexions themselves.; but will often mention those (Jf others. Moses having recorded the fact, that “Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him,” tells us of the joyful sayings of Sarah: — “God, saith she,
* Gal. iv. 28 — 31. Rom, ix. 7, 9. xi. 1, 2.
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hath made me to laugh, so that all who hear will lau2,h with me — Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age!” Yes, God had made her to laugh, and that without any of her crooked measures; and not merely with a private, but a public joy: for “all that hear shall laugh with her.”
Ver. 8. For awhile nothing remarkable occurred: the child grew, and all went on pleasantly. When the time came for his being weaned, “a great feast M’as made,” in token of joy that he had passed the most delicate, and dan<rerous stajre of life.
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Jc? 0’ But the joy of that day was embittered. The son of Haorar beino stun”- with envy, cannot bear such an ado about this child of promise. So he turns it into ridicule, probably deriding the parents and the child, and the promise together; and all this in the sight of Sarah! Thus he that was born after the flesh began at an early stage to pcrseaitc him that was born after the spirit; and thus Sarah’s crooked policy in giving- Ilagar to Abraham, goes on to furnish them with new sources of sorrow. From what is said of llagar in chapter xvi. we conceived hopes of her; but whatever she was
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her son appears at present to be a bitter enemy to God, and his people.
Ver. 10 — 13. The consequence M’as, Sarah was set on both the mother and the son beino,’ banished from the family. Abraham had earnestly desired that Ishmael might live before God: but Sarah says, He “shall not be heir with her son, with Isaac.” This resolution on the part of Sarah might be the mere effect of temper: but whatever were her motives, the thing itself accorded with the design of God; though therefore it was grievous to Abraham, he is directed to comply with it. The Lord would indeed make a nation of Ishmael, because he was his seed; but “in Isaac should his seed be called.” We must not refuse to join in doing what God commands, however contrary it may be to our natural feelings, nor on account of the suspicious motives of some with whom we are called to act.
Ver. 14. Impressed with these principles, the father of the faithful without further <lelay, rose early the next morning, probably before Sarah was stirring, and sent away both the mother and the son. His manner of doing it, however, was tender, and kind. Giving Hagar
a portion of bread, and a bottle of water, he K k
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committed them to Him who liacl in effect promised to watch over them. And now for a little Mhile Me take leave of Abraham’s family, and observe the unhappy Hagar and her son, wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Vtr. 15, l6. It was doubtless the design of Hagar when she set off, to go to Egypt, her native country; but having to travel through a desert land, M-here there was ordinarily no water, it was necessary she should be furnished with that article. Whether “the wilderness of Beersheba,” as it was called at the time when ]Ioses wrote the narrative, was directly in her “way, or whether she went thither in consequence of having “wandered,” or lost her way; so it was, that she was here reduced to great distress. The bread might not be exhausted, but the water was; and no spring being to be found in this inhospitable place, she and Ishmael appear to have walked about, till he, overcome of thirst, could walk no longer. She had supported him, it seems, as long as she could; but fearing he should die in her arms, she cast him under a shrub, just to screen him from the scorchingsun, and” went and sat herself down over against him, a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said. Let me not see the death of the child! And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice and wept.’
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Fer. 17, 18. A more finished piclurc of distress we shall seldom see. The bitter cries and flowing tears of the afflicted mother, with the groans of her dying son, are heard, and seen, and felt, in a manner as though M’e were present. And wherefore do they cry? Had there been any ear to hear them, any eye to pity them, or hand to help them, these cries and tears might have been mingled with hope: but as far as human aid was concerned, there was no place for this. Whether any of them were directed to heaven, we know not. Vie could have wished, and should almost have expected, that those of the mother, at least, would have been so; for surely she could not have forgotten Him who had seen, and delivered her from a similar condition about sixteen years before, and who had then promised to “multiply her seed,” and to cause this very child to “dwell in the presence of all his brethren.“* But whether any of these expressions of distress were directed to God, or not, the groans of ‘the distressed reached his car. “God heard the voice of the lad: and the angel of God called to Hagar out of hcalcn, and said unto her, Vvliat aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad, where he is. Arise,
* See on Chap, xvi. 13, 14.
K k e
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lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand: for I will make him a great nation.
Ver. 19. At this instant, lifting- up her eyes, she saw a spring of water, which before she had overlooked; and filling her bottle from it, returned to the lad, and gave him drink. To God the Lord belono- the issues from death. He maketh strong the bands of the mocker; and again he looseth his prisoners, and delivereth those that were appointed to die. If Ishmael were at any future time possessed of true religion, he must look back upon these humbling but gracious dispensations of the God of his father Abraham with very tender emotions.
Fer. 20, 21. Whether Hagar and her son continued any longer in the wilderness of Beersheba, we are not informed: it would rather seem that they left it, and prosecuted their journey. They did not however settle in Egypt, though in process of time she took a wife for him from that country, but in the “wilderness of Paran,” where the providence of God watched over hiui, and where he liled, and perhaps maintained his mother by the use cf the bow. But to return —
J’er. 22 — 24. Abraham still continued to sojourn in the land of the Philistines; not in-Gen.Q].] BIRTH OF ISAAC. 253
deed at Gerar, but within a few miles of it. Here he was visited by king Abimelech, who, attended by the captain of his host, in the most friendly manner, in behalf of himself, and his posterity, requested to live in perpetual amity with him. “God is with thee, saith he, in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. And Abraham said, I will swear.” — Observe, (1.) The motive that induces this friendly request; he “saw that God was with him.” Probably the news of the extraordinary birth of Isaac had reached the court of xlbimelech, and became a topic of conversa;- tion. ‘This, said he, is a great man, and a great family, and will become a great nation: the blessing of heaven attends him. It is our wisdom, therefore, to take the earliest opportunity to be on good terms with himj’ Had Abimelech’s successors always acted on this principle towards Israel, it had been better for them: for whether they knew it, or not, God in blessing Abraham had promised to “bless them that blessed him, and to curse them that cursed him.” — (2.) The sokmnitif with which he wished the friendship to be confirmed: “swear unto me by God” ....
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It is a dictate of prudence very common among magistrates to require men to swear by a name which the party holds sacred. In this view Abimelech certainly acted a M’ise part; for whoever made light of God’s name, the party here concerned would not. — (3.) Abraham’s cheerful and ready compliance. I hope he did not need to be sworn not to deal falsely; but as posterity was concerned, the more solemn the engagement the better. The friend of God has no desire but to be the friend of man.
Ve7 25, ^6. Now that they are entering into closer terms of amity however, it is proper that if there be any cause of complaint on either side, it should be mentioned, and adjusted, that nothing which is past at least may interrupt their future harmony. Abraham accordingly makes mention of “a well of water which Abimelech ‘3 servants had violently taken away.” In this country, and to a man whose substance consisted much in cattle, a spring of water was of consequence; and to have it taken away by mere violence, though it might be borne with from an enemy, yet is not to be overlooked where there is professed friendship. In this matter Abimelech fairly and fully exonerates himself:” I wot not, saith he, who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yd heard I of it. but to-Gen. 21.] birth of isaac., 2.55
day.” Public characters cannot always be accountable for the misdeeds of those who act tinder them: they had need take care however, what sort of ser slants they employ, as while matters are unexplained, that which is wrong is commonly placed to their account.
Vtr. 27 — 32. Abraham, satisfied with the answer, proceeds to enter into a solemn covenant with Abimelech, and as it should seem, a covenant by sacrifice.* The “sheep and oxen” appear to have been presented for this purpose; and the “seven ewe lambs” were probably a consideration to him, as lord of the soil, for a rightful and acknowledged propriety in the well. Having mutually sworn to this covenant of peace, the place where it was transacted was from hence called “Beersheba,” the well of the oath, or the well of seven, alluding to the seven lambs which were given as the price of it. blatters being thus adjusted, Abimelech and Phichol, the chief captain of his host, took leave and departed.
Ver. S3, 34. Abraham being now quietly settled at Beersheba, “planted a grove, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the everlasting God.” The grove might be for the
* See on Chap. xv. 9? l’^-
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shading of his tent, and perhaps for a place of worship. Such places were afterwards abused to idolatry; or if otherwise, yet became unlawful when the temple was erected. The use which Abraham made of it was worthy of him. Such was his common practice: wherever he pitched his tent, there he reared an altar to the Lord. A lovely example this, to all those who would tread in the steps of the faith of Abraham. It does not appear however, that this was a common, but rather a special act of worship; somewhat like that of Samuel, when he set up a stone between Mizpeh and Shen, and called it Ebenezer, saying, “Hitherto the Lord hath helped us.” There are periods in life in which we are led to review the dispensations of God towards us, with special gratitude, and renewed devotion. In this situation Abraham continued “many days;” but still he is a “sojourner,” and such he must continue in the present world.