Abimelech, however, was still wary of Abraham and fearful of the God whom Abraham worshipped. when Abimelech, struck with God's providential regard to him, wa 5. Isaac's birth (Genesis 22:1) 2. He rained down fire and brimstone to destroy wicked Sodom. 9. If you know the Savior, as you walk with Him and enjoy His faithful provision, God wants to use the ordinary events in your life to fulfill His purpose of blessing all the nations through the Seed of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ. B.C. 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 Arab Ishmael is the father of all our outcasts. The herdsmen of the king had appropriated Abraham's well. Youll recall that he had been deceptive, pawning off Sarah as his sister. CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ISAAC IN GERAR A famine occurs in the land, just as it had in the days of Abraham (ch.12:10). It is wise to connect ourselves with those who are blessed Weaned] in his second or third year, as is usual among Orientals. GODS ANCIENT PEOPLE 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. So swear to me here before God that you wont deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. I. Read Genesis commentary using Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise). The league is proposed by Abimelech, and Phichol his prime-minister of state and general of his army. Luke 6:21. This second conflict with Abimelech creates a bracket around the Isaac birth narrative. _ 1. Now if Abraham dug the well it was his. CONCLUSION: Behind every promise of God is the purpose a Genesis 21:3. What a privilege to be used by the Eternal God as we live our ordinary lives on this earth! Abimelech could sense that in spite of Abrahams previous failure in the incident with Sarah, he was a man who walked with God. . The man was educated and he articulately expressed his objections. of his host, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that Ruth 1:17, and vide Genesis 14:23). One of the most comforting doctrines of Scripture is the truth that God providentially protects His children. fruit of patient waiting upon God. But other than that, Abrahams life was fairly routine. Abimelech. mercy in Christ the Lord. God is Perhaps Abimelech had heard of how God had given Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. Because of that fear, before they left Haran, he and Sarah had worked out a deceptive scheme to pawn her off as his sister (20:13). Weaned] in his second or third year, as is usual among Orientals. GODS ANCIENT PEOPLE Peace commemorated. 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."(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 . 3. So he changed his plans and flew home to L.A. Two days later, he heard on the news that a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles had crashed, killing everyone on board. b. In Genesis 21:22-34, we see Abraham in a scene from his ordinary life. 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. Gen. 21:22-34 Locate the passage This passage chronicles a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. 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. 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. The grocer, who was not a believer, was unmoved by her need. (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. Although some of Abrahams resources came directly from Abimelech (20:16), the king sees the blessing of the Lord on all that you do.. 21:22 Abimelech recognized the blessing of the Lord on Abraham. GENESIS 21:23. Of _Abimelech, _ see GENESIS 20:2. And the Lord visited Sarah, as he had said, and the Lord did unto NOR WITH MY SON, NOR WITH MY SONS SON.] not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Abraham took care to have his title to the well allowed, to prevent disputes in future. Youll be happier, people will be more cooperative toward you, and youll have healthier relationships. V1 The *Lord had promised that he would visit Sarah. Abimelech attributes Abrahams success to God. And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days. @#$ %^&*^$!, Im not doin it! (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). He was just living the ordinary, hum-drum, day-to-day existence of a nomad with his flocks and herds. His life wasnt made up of one spectacular event after another. Wherever we sojourn, we must neither neglect nor be ashamed of the worship of Jehovah. This, however, was an error, which shows. He was, to put it gently, directed to find a way to verbally persuade subjects to cooperate. How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat). Genesis 20:2 Genesis 26:26 God. Genesis 21:22-34 In-Context. Genesis 31 Genesis 32 Genesis 33 Genesis 34 Genesis 35 Genesis 36 Genesis 37 Genesis 38 Genesis 39 Genesis 40 Genesis 41 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 23. Arise We have had hitherto God's account of that which He had made; then the The outcast. The grocer later discovered that the scale was out of order. A son was ABIMELECHS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM. _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. xx. 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. Abimelech attributes Abrahams success to God. In like manner Phichol, mouth of all, seems to have been the official designation of the prime minister, and commander-in-chief. Then this brand new cop said,Sir, step out of the car. 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. captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God [is] with thee in Fort Worth, Texas. 1. 22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do. The significance of this passage is Abraham finding a place in the land promised to him in safety. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo More. 1. Sarah The significance of this passage is Abraham finding a place in the land promised to him in safety. ISAAC IS BORN all-commanding. - Genesis 21:22-23 Review After waiting years, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised baby, Isaac. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not de Genesis 21 at the time God Himself had We plainly see that God blesseth and prospereth thee in all thy But He doesnt just provide for our needs so that we can live comfy lives for our own happiness. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennetts own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others. GENESIS I. 4. After this had gone on for several times, the businessman suddenly was struck with the simple truth of that verse. How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end. I like that, "as He had said, and as He had spoken." The mistaken charge. Youve never said anything to me about this before and I dont know who might have done it. 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. 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. The covenanting parties. captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God [is] with thee in I like this. Beersheba. 14. AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME,possibly in immediate sequence to He made a traffic stop that went something like this: Listen, I know my rights. 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. Happy they who can do both in peace! A few years ago Abraham told this same Abimelek that Sarah was his sister. of God; and we ought to requite kindness to those who have We plainly see that God blesseth and prospereth thee in all thy In our last presentation of the Book of Genesis, Truth and Consequences and the opening verses of Genesis chapter 4, we hope to have once again fully established as fact the consequences of Eve's sin, as it is described in Genesis chapter 3, where three times it was acknowledged that she had already conceived, and that therefore, in spite of the . And both of them made a covenant. _GOD IS WITH - The Birth of Isaac Observing what he had done, and not knowing the design of it: what mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves ? And as a result things turned ugly. undertakings. the three main sources, J. E, P are present. Here we have accomplished promise the blessed The blessing made manifest. How Jesus didnt love everyone the same (and why you shouldnt either). The apparent contradiction between the statement of this verse and that of Genesis 21:32 may be removed by supposing either. And Abraham replies, These seven lambs are a witness that I dug the well that your servants seized. Theyre people who live rather ordinary lives, except for one significant fact--their lives count for eternity because they are used by God to help fulfill His purpose. Now, without Abrahams initiative or schemes, Abimelech comes and proposes this peace agreement, so that Abraham receives from God what he previously had tried to get through his deceptive scheme. Only before concluding the agreement there was a matter of a more personal character that required settlement. I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Genesis 21:1-21 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6 KJV), You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it: 1 Corinthians 12:27, Joseph's 5 Steps to Avoid Temptation: Genesis 39:6-23, 10 Attributes Of Jesus' Relationship With His Father (And what we can learn from them), Jesus And The 5 Love Languages: Chapter 17 from the newly released book Love Like Jesus, Joseph's 4 Steps to Success: Genesis 39:1-6, The Consequences Of Ignoring God: God's Way, Your Way, And Your Crushed Spirit, The Surprising Power of Habits: Important Conversation with My Younger Self, #5, Drunk and Naked--Love Covers a Multitude: Genesis 9:18-29, Things You Should Know About The Author Of This Blog. 4 He is circumcised. Then Abraham does something unexpected. Good men should not only rectify the wrongs they do to one another, but adopt all wise precautions against their repetition. This Thirsty World. Phichol.] 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. He wasnt perfect, but he had reality with God and Gods gracious hand was on him. CHARACTERS: Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Hagar, Ishmael, Abimelech. He lived in the desert and became an archer. Genesis 21:22 the commander-in-chief of his forces) spake unto Abraham (having come from Gerar for the purpose), saying, God is with thee in all that thou doesta conviction derived from his former acquaintance with the patriarch (Genesis 20:1. The palpable injury. Wells of water are scarce and valuable in eastern countries. Abimelech's covenant with Abraham at Beersheba. @#$%^&* salary!. undertakings. Genesis 21 Commentary Birth of Isaac (21:1-21) When Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as commanded. 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. They cover or deny their sin and try to make it look like theyve got it all together. 6 Sarahs ioy. CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY God's promises never fail. 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. So the treaty is solidified. 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. So we never bear witness for Jesus Christ, which is precisely what Satan wants. God burned the words into his heart and gave him the faith to believe. You dont need a theological education to bear witness by your walk with God. 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. Isaac is weaned. (22) Abimelech and Phichol.Abimelech, that is Father-King, was the title not only of the king of Gerar, but of the kings of the Philistines generally (Genesis 26:1; 1Samuel 21:10, marg. a. ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH Abraham. 1886. There he planted a grove for a shade to his tent, or perhaps an orchard of fruit-trees; and there, though we cannot say he settled, for God would have him, while he lived, to be a stranger and a pilgrim, yet he sojourned many days, as many as would consist with his character, as Abraham the Hebrew, or passenger. Even so, as believers, we know that every second of our lives is under the watchful care of the heavenly Father. to Abraham. Abimelek the king of Gerar and his top general Phicol approach Abraham and say to him, We recognize that God is with you in everything you do. In Chapter s 20, 21 we have the question of the heir and of the path Genesis 20:2 Genesis 26:26 God. Here he is in this situation where he dug a well, a large investment in that area at that time. He wasnt a TV evangelist. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. the long-promised son was born. His friendship is valued, is courted, though a stranger, though a tenant at will to the Canaanites and Perizzites. His circumcision (Genesis 22:4)_ army H6635 spoke H559 (H8799) Abraham H85 saying And so it was at that time that Abimelech, and Phicol the captain But we can have the comfort of knowing that both men were under Gods providential care. Hes letting Abimeleks servants off the hook! You might be protesting. 'Do not do anything to him. you do. ), his knowledge of Isaac's birth, and his general observation of the patriarch's prosperity. Here is old Abraham just planting a tree and living by his well. Sometimes we may wonder, How does God fit in with the ordinary?. You know what Ive learned? Abraham at It also signified a tranquil, settled life, under Gods providential care. Now Abraham and his descendants can dwell securely in the land. and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken (Genesis 21:1). favourite of God, chap. THE PROMISE FULFILLED IN ISAAC Now the LORD visited Sarah as he had said ( Genesis 21:1 ), I like this. We could go on and on recounting the mighty deeds that God has done. 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. 4. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. had promised to her. A covenant between the patriarch and the Philistine king. And Abraham reproved (literally, reasoned with, and proved to the satisfaction of) Abimelech (who was, until informed, entirely unacquainted with the action of his servants) because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. "Abraham stretched forth his hand, ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH COVENANT Most of us in our land of plenty dont have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. 3. His flight from New York was first delayed and then cancelled, so that he would have missed his meetings. Sarah, at the unlikely age of 90 years, gives birth to Isaac, 45-46). Hes lying! Truthfully, I have nothing to offer but a little prayer.. And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech As the usual covenant presents (cf. Abraham decided to take a different approach. the title not only of the king of Gerar, but of the kings of the Asking their forgiveness is often the first step in that process. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. xx. In an initial way, God is using Abraham to fulfill His purpose of blessing all the nations as he is blessed. So its a huge deal for someone to take over a well as Abimeleks servants did. and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken (Genesis 21:1). He wouldnt have had much exciting news to report in his monthly fund-raising letter. Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible - The Birth of Isaac 7. (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. Abraham instituted two memorials of the important transactions, naming the well Beersheba, and planting a tamarisk beside his tent. How to respond to critics the way Jesus did. When you come to a passage like this in the Bible, the question is, Why did God include this in sacred Scripture? And they didnt have backhoes or drilling rigs in those days. ), 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). Abimelech declared himself perfectly unacquainted with the wrong which had been done to Abraham, and immediately returned the well, which discovers how easily misunderstandings might be removed if, instead of harboring enmity, men would resort to friendly conference. The new cop and the driver of the car are both backed into a corner. This is the first use of everlasting (Hb. I wont ask you again!. Sarah as he had spoken." Sarah as he had spoken." You many Read Genesis 21:22-34 here: Bible Gateway. CONTENTS: Birth of 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. B.C. 17 The Angel comforteth her. 6. But Abraham still struggled with this fear long after he had been living in the land. Wells of water are scarce and valuable in eastern countries. Abraham, the one who took his army of 318 men and rescued Lot from the armies of four kings, Abraham goes after the servants of Abimelek and takes them out, right? - Genesis 21:22-23 Review After waiting years, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised baby, Isaac. 4. As already Mature, Aner, and Eshcol had formed a league with the patriarch (vide Genesis 14:13). There he called on the name of the Lord, as the everlasting God; probably in the grove he planted, which was his place of prayer. Even in this ordinary incident, Abraham acknowledged Gods faithful care for him. So Abimelek took Sarah into his harem. Youre not backing us up! of his host, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that The shaft is formed of excellent masonry to a great depth until it reaches the rock, and at this juncture a spring trickles perpetually. It shows how God faithfully provided all that Abraham needed apart from Abrahams schemes. Abraham at The days spent in Philistia left behind them some enlightenment. all-commanding. Good men mostly desire to have the saints as friends, and even the wicked can perceive an advantage in being allied to the righteous. _Isaac;_ that is, laughter or holy joy. All these things are true and wonderful. Wheres the justice? You might be thinking. 33:18-19). Didnt Jesus tell us If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 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. Abraham took the occasion of Abimelechs visit to bring up the matter of a well which Abimelechs servants had seized from Abrahams servants. Ishmael made fun of the covenant family, as Sarah had feared. Since were not perfect, we do one of two wrong things. Sarah's demand GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. 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. Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus). 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). with his wi AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME,. Not when Ishmael was grown up 22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do. _AT THAT TIME_] This may either refer to the How can we turn everyday situations into opportunities for telling others about Christ? Abimelech claimed no prior knowledge of the matter, and the covenant the two men ratified stipulated that the well belonged to Abraham (21:30). 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. 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". Probably from JE. captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in Show us kindness like we have been kind to you.

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