Genesis 21:1-34

Jim ButlerGenesis 21

Genesis 21 records three interlocking events — the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Ishmael, and Abraham's covenant with Abimelech — all of which demonstrate the faithfulness of God to his dual promise of seed and land made to Abraham at the call from Ur. The birth of Isaac after 25 years vindicates the persevering faith of Abraham and the sovereign elective purpose of God, who chose Isaac over Ishmael not on grounds of merit but according to his own prerogative. The expulsion of Ishmael, though painful to Abraham, is endorsed by God as consistent with his covenant plan, a pattern the Apostle Paul reads allegorically in Galatians 4 to expose the error of the Judaizers. The covenant at Beersheba, often read as a mere appendix, is in fact a down payment on the land promise, so that by the chapter's end Abraham holds both seed and a legally acknowledged foothold in Canaan, prompting his worship of El Olam — the everlasting God.