Genesis 22:1-2 comments: Abraham's test

1 ¶  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

The word tempt is carefully defined in the Bible based on the context. It means to provoke when used of man tempting God. This is clear in the word’s usage in many verses talking about how mankind angers God thereby incurring His wrath.

Psalm 78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

It also means to prove or to test to see if a promise or the power of God is real, to put God to the test.

Psalm 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

With regard to God tempting man it is about a test, proving man’s faith or faithlessness, with God already knowing the answer but the person learning the lesson, the reality of his own faith. It is a test or proving something as in proving a sword to make sure it is properly sharpened or strong.

Here, Abraham’s faith was tried, proved, or tested.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Now, God never tempts, tests, tries, or proves His people with the express purpose of making them fall. That is what Satan does. Notice the phrasing of the following verse in James.

James 1:13 ¶  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

The key phrase here, which defines the verse, is tempted with evil. As God is the standard of all good an evil it is an impossibility for you to provoke Him to go against His own will. And, God, never tempts you, if you are His, to do evil. He proves your faith. If a temptation specifically regarding your faith confronts you by His permissive will He will provide an escape.

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The context of that verse in 1Corinthians is idolatry, not refraining from drinking a beer or smoking a cigarette although you might make it so.

The key question for a Christian has to do with whether or not you are willing to die for Christ. This is the main question for believers all through the final book of Revelation. You say you believe and you say you trust in Christ but when persecution comes, are you assured enough in your trust to die for Christ?

Revelation 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

The one that overcomes is the one that holds that Christ is and was God in the flesh to the very end.

1John 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

And there are great things awaiting that one that overcomes the world. Read Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21 & 21:7.

This is very relevant here, because as we believe in Christ’s resurrection and in our resurrection because of His, so Abraham, too, believed in a resurrection and was able to overcome at the order to offer up his son of promise because of that faith.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

He believed God’s promise that in Isaac his seed should be called and believed that God would raise him from the dead. So, the willingness to offer Isaac up and God’s order not to go through with it, which we will see, is a type, a figure, of death and resurrection. Abraham will receive his son back in a type and literally.

Genesis 21:22-34 comments: Abraham's well

    22 ¶  And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23  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. 24  And Abraham said, I will swear. 25  And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. 26  And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27  And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28  And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30  And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31  Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 32  Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

    33 ¶  And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. 34  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

This good king, perhaps on an inspection tour with his general, stated that he understood that God was with Abraham as he could see how God protected Abraham and blessed him. However, he had reason enough not to completely trust Abraham. So, he wanted to make an agreement that would protect his dynasty from any plans Abraham might have. He wanted Abraham’s promise and Abraham gave it to him. Abraham and Abimelech’s servants had a violent disagreement about a well Abraham had dug and an agreement was made to settle the issue as Abraham convinced Abimelech that the well was his own. The place where this covenant was made, in the land that Abimelech had given to Abraham, was named Beersheba, either after the wilderness of Beersheba in which Hagar was cast, or perhaps both names were added after, as Strong says Beersheba means, “well of the sevenfold oath.”

For men who tended sheep and cattle a well of water was a very important resource and important social and political events revolved around a well. We see examples of this in Genesis 29 and in Exodus 2, as here.

Where people think this occurred was the scene of one of the last great and successful cavalry charges in history during World War One in 1917.

Phichol may have been a title rather than a person’s individual name. Of course, people are often known by their titles, as in your doctor or a person holding a political office, or, as in, “the general said...”

Remember, as mentioned previously, that Abimelech is the name of a Philistine king or means king in that language just as Pharaoh is not a personal name but a title.

Genesis 20:2  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

And later, we will be shown;

Genesis 26:1  And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

The Philistines, as a plural, is also Philistim.

Genesis 10:6 ¶  And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.…13  And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14  And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

Casluhim is the son of Mizraim, who is the son of Ham. The nursery, in a manner of speaking, where Isaac was brought forth, like the Hebrews later, will be in a land ruled by Ham’s descendants, as Mizraim was the founder of Egypt.

Genesis 50:11  And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

Strong’s dictionary, and I am not saying that it is the only authority, but Strong’s says that Abelmizraim is translated from, “a meadow of Egypt,” as Mizraim was the name for Egypt. We get the word Egypt from the Greek word, Aigyptos, and the Latin, Aegyptus, for the Roman province of Egypt. But, we can be certain that the country was named after its founder at first, Mizraim. Mizraim is also inscribed in the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and is in the Armana tablets so it is, of course, of much older date than the word, Egypt.

Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite a while. What happens next is one of the most profoundly meaningful passage in terms of prophecy in the entire Old Testament.

Genesis 21:14-21 comments: God opened her eyes

14 ¶  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 17  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 20  And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21  And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Hagar and her son are put away. It seems strange that a man possessed of such wealth as Abraham would provide her with such meager provisions. It seems rather heartless, wouldn’t you say? When all seems lost, though, God does not let things go too far. To say God heard the voice of the lad is much like the earlier statements about God remembering. It doesn’t suggest that He was reading a book and happened to hear Ishmael’s cry by chance. It means that He responded to the plaintive pleas of Hagar and Ishmael as He often does not make things better for us until we acknowledge our need and weakness.

God opened her eyes so that she could see something that was hidden from her before as He often does to us although we do not acknowledge that he has done so. There is something in front of us which should be obvious but we just cannot see it until He reveals its presence to us. This opening of our eyes is also apparent in understanding.

Psalm 119:18 ¶  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Ephesians 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

The skilled workman, even the unbelieving, suddenly sees a solution to a problem, the cunning inventor suddenly has a flash of insight, the student quickly sees the answer to a dilemma that he could not previously see. Of course, we all think that this surprising inspiration, this understanding, comes from something deep inside of us, as if an idea, the problem, or a solution was a living thing just hanging around waiting for us to pick it. We attribute it to our superior reasoning ability. But, if we acknowledge that God opens our eyes things become clearer.

Satan, as well, can blind men from seeing something that is true.

2Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

But, typically, in the Bible, it is God that blinds men whose hearts are opposed to Him so that they shall not see the truth because they will not see the truth. Think about the shall as being a consequence of the will.

Isaiah 44:18  They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

2Thessalonians 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The skilled craftsman, the student, the inventor has prepared himself by training, interest, and vocation to receive something from God, perhaps whom He does not know, because of God’s purposes, not that person’s own. So, it is that the person who seeks God prepares his own heart by his or her yearning to know the truth and then, at some point, God opens that person’s eyes and they believe that Jesus is and was God in the flesh and that He rose from the dead and our salvation lies only with Him.

Here, in this passage, God reveals something to Hagar regarding her and her son’s deliverance that was not visible to her in her despair.

Ishmael grows up to be an archer and an Egyptian wife, like his own mother, is provided for him. The bow, representing the archer, plays a part in the latter days in that part of the world as the beast arises who conquers bringing death, famine, pestilence, and much sorrow with him.

Revelation 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Genesis 21:9-13 comments: Sarah wants Hagar and Ishmael sent away

9 ¶  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

I mentioned the rabbinic opinion that the four hundred years of bondage began with this mocking back in Genesis 15:12-16. Sarah does not want Ishmael, who is not her offspring, to share the inheritance with Isaac. Sarah, to Abraham’s dismay, wants him to send Hagar and his son, Ishmael, away. God confirms that Isaac will be the vehicle through which He performs the covenant. He tells Abraham to listen to Sarah and God will make a nation out of Ishmael because he, too, is Abraham’s son. It is just that he is the son of Abraham and Sarah’s presumption, not the son of God’s promise.

Paul uses this in his argument in regard to comparing the Law to Grace. He likens those under Grace to be like Isaac, son of a free woman, while those under the Law to be like Ishmael, son of a slave. The Law is bondage, Grace is freedom.

Galatians 4:21 ¶  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar [Hagar] . 25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

So, why do so many fundamentalist preachers keep trying to put their congregations back under the Law?

Genesis 21:1-8 comments: the miracle of Isaac

1 ¶  And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. 8  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

It is stated clearly that Sarah’s conception of Isaac here in this Philistine king’s generous gift of land was an act of God’s direct will. It went against what we think of as natural processes. We would call it a miracle. However, is not any woman conceiving a child a miracle of God? Lifeless, empty space is the most logical thing in the universe. For there to be something rather than nothing staggers the mind in its improbability without a rational, directing will. Even moreso for there to be life, that complicated set of functions from the cell, a little mini-universe all its own, to consciousness, that collection of countless numbers of cells to be self-aware, is beyond amazing. Since we know that the tendency is for organized things, on their own, to simply fall apart, and not for random pieces of lifeless matter to decide on their own to unite to form a complicated thing or process, we must understand that for this life to function, to operate, to exist, it must be a continuous miracle.

Jeremiah understood this.

Jeremiah 1:4 ¶  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

David knew this.

Psalm 71:5  For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. 6  By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

Now, certainly they understood this, as did Isaiah in chapter 49, in the context of being called by God, born to a specific purpose. But, in the way the Bible is written with characters offered as examples for us to see reality we can understand that nothing is without a purpose. As Paul wrote;

Romans 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Randomness does not exist except as a justification in our minds for atheism, to justify our sin and make it have no consequence or meaning.

Isaac, Strong’s dictionary tells us, means, “He laughs,” but that is also clear from the context. Remember that both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the promise as being beyond something they could even wrap their minds around. Sarah was a beautiful, desirous woman but beyond her child-bearing years.

Abraham obeyed God in circumcising Isaac. Read chapter 17:9-14 again for confirmation.

Genesis 20:14-18 comments: Abimelech's household is healed

14 ¶  And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15  And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16  And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. 17  So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18  For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

The graciousness of a heathen king should cause many so-called Christian leaders shame. He not only did what God told him to do, restoring Sarah, but he made Abraham even wealthier than he was. Not only did he offer Abraham material wealth but he gave him the right to live in his kingdom wherever he wished.

Abimelech then scolds Sarah, calling Abraham her brother, as she and Abraham had dissembled regarding. He has rewarded Abraham and tells Sarah, in so many words, to stay faithful to Abraham, her husband, to not risk other men’s intentions toward her. She is never to call Abraham her brother again. Both have been reproved in this. Reproof, from which reprove comes, is correction. See the synonyms to reproof in this verse and do a word search to see the phrases and words it is linked with elsewhere to confirm.

2Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Remember, as you read Abraham’s journey, that the Bible is the story of God’s work in reconciling man to Himself. Reproof is an essential part of that correction, that instruction in righteousness, and fundamental to that doctrine.

It is important to note here that Abraham prayed for Abimelech, whom he had wronged. Prayers of supplication for others are important, as God reveals throughout the Bible. Christians are commanded to pray for each other.

 James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

We are to pray for kings and all those in authority. As there were no Christian kings when this was written we are called to pray for the heathen leaders, that they come to Christ but for mercy and grace to be applied to them, as well.

1Timothy 2:1 ¶  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

We are to pray even for those who abuse us for our faith. Notice the context of God’s perfection here.

Matthew 5:43 ¶  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

God honored Abraham’s prayer and healed Abimelech’s household.

Genesis 20:8-13 comments: Abimelech, a righteous king

    8 ¶  Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. 9  Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. 10  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? 11  And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 12  And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13  And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

This Philistine king does not delay early in the morning to calling his servants together and telling them how God spoke to him in this dream. Apparently, the righteousness of this individual king is reflected in the culture of his household.

Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Understand God’s involvement in and control of every moment of your life and realize how badly you need to pray for His mercy and how happy you should be that He loves you.

Abimelech blames Abraham for deceiving him and bringing the possibility of great sin upon his household. He insists he has done nothing to deserve this treatment and wants to know why Abraham did it, what he saw in Abimelech that suggested this sinful deception was necessary. Abraham admits that he assumed that Abimelech was a godless reprobate who did not fear God. So, we can assume that this was the normal state of kings and kingdoms as Abraham knew. He had every reason to believe that Abimelech, as we have understood the customs of the time, would kill him and take his wife. It must have been a common concern of men.

Abraham then sort of halfway justified himself. “Well, what I said really wasn’t a lie. She is also my step-sister.” This scene makes a mockery of the times when we justify a lie, dissembling, insisting that since it was partly true it wasn’t really a lie. Oh, how many times I have heard that argument from a child, a teenager, or a grown person. The intent was deception but when found out we think we are so clever in that part of it was really true.

Finally, he says that this was what he told her to do everywhere they went where there was some danger. But, we see that Abraham’s lack of trust in God’s protection was unwarranted because even though he tried to deceive Abimelech for his own safety’s sake God revealed Himself to the king and warned him. In the two situations we see that Pharaoh, though wicked, was wise enough to know that, with the sicknesses brought on his house, he wanted to be rid of Abram and Sarai and even blessed them with abundance. But here, God, knowing Abimelech’s heart, revealed Himself, but protected Abraham.

Abimelech is a model of a righteous Gentile king.

2Samuel 23:3  The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.