Go to My Country and My Own Relatives
and Get a Wife for My Son Isaac
24: 1-9

Go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac DIG: What does Abraham communicate about God to his servant to whom he gives the responsibility of finding a wife for Isaac? What problems would be created if Isaac married a Canaanite? For ADONAI? For him? For you? 

REFLECT: What can we learn about looking for a suitable spouse today? If you are looking to get married, how is this similar to the way the Lord wants us to find a mate today (see Second Corinthians 6:14-18)? Are there still “Canaanites” in the land where you live? Should you marry one of them?

Avraham was now old and well advanced in years, and ADONAI had blessed him in every way (24:1). Abraham was now one hundred and forty years old (25:20), and many of the individual promises of his covenant with God had been fulfilled in his lifetime. And as he approached the end of his life, his desire was to secure a suitable wife for his son. Isaac (Hebrew: Yitz’chak) was forty years old, and it was certainly time for him to be married. The parents normally chose the spouse for their children, but even at this age, Isaac completely trusted his father’s judgment in such an important decision.

He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had (24:2a). The unnamed chief servant had a position of authority. He would have been the inheritor if Isaac had not been born. But he held no animosity and looked out for the welfare of his master. Avraham said: Put your hand under my thigh (24:2b). This is a euphemism for the holding of the genitals, which are the source of life. It is a solemn sign that if the oath were not carried out, the children who would be born to Abraham would avenge the servant’s unfaithfulness.³⁸² This oath is also seen here and in 47:29.

The LORD Himself would be the witness to this oath. Abraham said: I want you to swear by ADONAI, the God of heaven and the God of earth. The chief servant must swear that he would not get a wife for Avraham’s son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. That is the key element in the oath. But he wanted him to go to Abraham’s country, to Avraham’s own brother Nahor, and get a wife for his son Isaac (24:3-4). Now, Abraham was not from a family with a godly line of history. In fact, they were idol worshipers (Joshua 24:2). So, in essence, there was very little difference between the Canaanites and the Babylonians (Abraham’s family background) in regard to their religious beliefs. If not, then what difference did it make whether she came from the Canaanites or Abraham’s idolatrous Babylonian family?

It seems that Abraham’s main concern was the moral degradation of the Canaanite society. True, Abraham’s family were idol worshipers, but apparently, their version of idolatry was different from the Canaanite practices. Laban, Isaac’s future brother-in-law, is a good example of this. He was cunning, (to see link click Hg – Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel), but not evil like the Canaanites who were notoriously sinful and practiced abominable customs in their form of idol worship. In other words, it was not the ideas and beliefs of the family of the girl who was destined to be the mother of the nation that were apt to endanger its future – but evil deeds.

What can we conclude from all of this? First, it is instructive to learn from Abraham’s example. He had no choice. He could not choose another believer for his son’s wife because there wasn’t any to be had. Therefore, he chose to do the next best thing. Instead of subjecting himself and his household to the sin and degradation of the society around him by choosing a wife for Isaac from them, he sought one from a people who, although they may not have been believers like he was, were nonetheless relatively free from the debauchery of the Canaanite society. It seems that the cultural or family background of the people our children intend to marry matters more than we think. The saying is true that we marry not just our spouse, but their family also. But Abraham gave Eliezer some very general criteria. She must be a virgin, one who loved her own family but who would be willing to make her home in the Promised Land. The Canaanites were cursed under the curse of Ham; so Avraham wanted a bride for his son from the line of Shem.

Second, Abraham was really a man of faith. He demonstrates it again and again, and here he is magnificent. He is basically saying to his chief servant, “You can count on God to lead you. He has promised me this.” Avraham is not taking a leap in the dark. Faith is not a leap in the dark! It must rest upon the Word of God. Many people say, “I believe in God, and it will come to pass.” That’s fine. It is wonderful for you to believe God, but do you have something in writing from Him? Abraham always asked for it in writing. ADONAI had made a contract with him. Avraham was really saying, “Elohim has promised me that through my seed Yitz’chak. He is going to bring a blessing to the world. You can be sure of one thing. The LORD has a bride back there for Isaac.” You see, Avraham rests upon what God has already said. We need not be foolish today. Faith is not foolishness. It is resting upon something. It is always reasonable. It is never a leap in the dark. Faith is not a gamble; it is a sure thing. And Abraham was sure.

My friend of the faith, if you have a young man or a young woman in your home that is of marriageable age, you ought to pray that he or she will not marry one of the Canaanites. They are still in the land, and there is always the danger of one of our young people marrying one of them. If they do, as someone has put it, they will have the devil for their father-in-law, and they are always going to have trouble with him.³⁸³

Abraham was too old to make the long trip back to Mesopotamia himself, for it was over four hundred and fifty miles. But he insisted that Isaac not go, because he knew that the heir of God’s promises should stay in the Promised Land. As a matter of fact, during his entire lifetime, Isaac never left Canaan at all (26:2-3). If  Yitz’chak had gone in search of a bride, there might have been too great a temptation for him to stay with her among her own people, rather than returning to Canaan. She must be willing to come to him. Also, to reach Haran and Nahor from the Hebron-Beersheba region, Isaac would have to cross the land of Moriah, and he was forbidden to go back that way again (24:6 and 8). Therefore, Abraham sent his chief servant on the mission.³⁸⁴

Earlier in Chapter 22:1-8, we portrayed Isaac as a type of Christ. Here, in Chapter 24, that type is continued. Therefore, by type, Abraham, who is portrayed as God the Father, sends his chief servant, who is pictured as the Ruach, to a far away place to gather a bride, or the Church, for His Son, Yeshua Messiah. This chief servant is unnamed here, but back in 15:2 the one who would have inherited Abraham’s estate if he remained childless was Eliezer of Damascus. And Eliezer means God helps or God comforts. The reason the servant’s name is not mentioned here is that he was going in the name of Isaac and not his own name (John 16:13).

The servant raised a logical question: What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to Aram, the country you came from (24:5)? Isaac, the son of promise, must not be removed from Canaan, the Land of Promise! In type, the bride of Messiah is to be brought to the bridegroom’s home in heaven (Matthew 25:1-13). To emphasize this point Abraham says: Make sure that you do not take my son back there (24:6). What happens when the Son comes back again? He comes back as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), because he brings the day of vengeance (Isaiah 61:2b), the hour of His judgment (Revelation 14:7), and the wrath of God (Revelation 16:1). And He comes with His Church, the Bride, who follows Him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:14). No, the bride must be gathered before Messiah returns.

Abraham had faith that the LORD would provide divine guidance to find such a wife for Isaac. He said: ADONAI, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, “To your offspring I will give you this land” – He will send His angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there (24:7). When compound names of God are used they emphasize His relationship to man or the nation of Isra’el in particular. Here His relationship to Isra’el is emphasized. But to relieve the chief servant’s anxiety, Abraham provides one exception. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. For the reasons mentioned above, Abraham emphasizes a second time: Do not take my son back to Aram (24:8). In his lifetime, Isaac would never leave the Promised Land, and neither would Yeshua Messiah.

So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter (24:9). Thus, a solemn oath precedes the mission. Now watch the chief servant as he goes out to get a bride for Isaac.

Isaac and Rebekah
24: 1-67

We have come to a major break in this second division of Genesis. The first division (1:1 to 11:9) deals with four great events, the Creation, the Fall, the Flood and the Table of Nations. The second division (11:10 to 50:26) deals with four great men, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. We have just learned about Abraham, the man of faith. Now, in the next three chapters, we will learn about Isaac, the son of promise. There are three great events in his life and we have already seen two of them. The first was his birth, and the second was his being sacrificed as a sin offering by Avraham. The third is the finding of a bride.³⁷⁹

After the mourning period for Sarah was finished, Abraham set out to find a suitable wife for his son Isaac. Thus, while we read about the first Jewish burial in Chapter 23, we learn about the first Jewish wedding in Chapter 24. It will not be easy to obtain a wife for Isaac in a way that will preserve the covenant requirements. Abraham has not yet become a great nation. Survival hangs by a thread. But once again we see God’s ability to overcome obstacles and to fulfill His promises.³⁸⁰ He sends his chief servant back to the land of Haran in Mesopotamia to find a suitable bride, and we will see his success in finding Rebekah. This is a very wonderful love story, but it also records a very important episode in the history of man’s salvation. Since Isaac is a type of Messiah, according to the B’rit Chadashah, it is not surprising that there are many fascinating parallels between the story of Isaac’s search for a bride, through the ministry of his father’s chief servant, and the Ruach being sent out for the purpose of taking from the Gentiles a people for Himself (Acts 15:14), a bride for Messiah (2 Cor 11:2).³⁸¹

Abraham Buried His Wife Sarah
in the Cave in the field of Machpelah
23: 19-20

Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah DIG: How might Sarah have been eulogized at her funeral? What did Abraham’s purchase of a burial site in the Promised Land prove?

REFLECT: Do you have a family burial site like Abraham and his family? What are people going to say about you at your funeral? Where is your true home?

Sarah and Abraham never found a place to call home. In fact, the only piece of land they ever owned was the plot Avraham bought to bury Sarah.

After all the legal transactions were completed, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The city of Hebron is in the hill country of Judea, about half way between Jerusalem and Beersheba. Mamre is about two miles north of Hebron. Today there is a mosque built over this cave, and it is considered one of the most important mosques in Islam. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Avraham by the Hittites as a burial site (23:19-20). The fact that Abraham purchased a burying place in strictly legal form as a hereditary possession in the Promised Land, was proof of his strong faith in the promises of God and their eventual fulfillment.³⁷⁶

There seems to be a contradiction between this passage, Stephen’s statement in Acts and a statement from Joshua. There were two different family plots about forty miles apart. One purchased by Abraham near Mamre and the other by Jacob at Shechem. First, let’s look at Stephen’s statement. Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and his brothers died. Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money (Acts 7:15-16). After Sarah died, Abraham lived another thirty-eight years. During that time he met and married a woman named Keturah and had six more sons! The tomb that Abraham had bought was for his second family, in the region near Shechem, where he had built his first altar in the land of Canaan (12:6-7). When Abraham died, however, he was buried with Sarah in Mamre. Keturah and her sons may not have retained possession of the Shechem property, selling it or losing it somehow to the occupying people of Hamor. Then, about eighty-five years after Avraham’s death, when Jacob came to the region of Shechem, knowing that the land had once belonged to his grandfather, he bought it back again. And because Abraham had once built an altar there, Jacob then did the same thing. For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Isra’el (33:19-20).

Secondly what did Joshua have to say about it? He said: And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants (Joshua 24:32). As mentioned above, Jacob had purchased the land at Shechem to build an altar. He retained possession of it, but he wasn’t buried there. When Jacob died he was buried in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Sarah was the first to be buried there. But later she was followed by Abraham (25:9), Isaac (35:27-29), Leah (49:30-31), and finally Jacob (50:13). Joseph inherited the land at Shechem from Jacob. When Joseph died, his descendants brought his bones back from Egypt and buried him at Shechem. Eventually, Joseph’s brothers were also buried there along with Keturah and her sons. Thus, there were two family plots, one in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is Hebron), and the other at Shechem.³⁷⁷

Abraham knew he still had a family burial place back in Mesopotamia (22:20-24) and he could have had Sarah’s body transferred there, but burying Sarah in the land of Canaan was saying that Mesopotamia was no longer their home. I am sure Sarah felt the same way, and no doubt they had discussed this many times together. The Promised Land of Canaan was now their future and the future of their family. There was no looking back.

In death, the patriarchs were victorious in a way that escaped them in life. Though their voices grew silent, their grave site could not prevent them from entering into the promises of God. In this way they are examples to us all.³⁷⁸ Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that – heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them (Hebrews 11:13-16, The Message).

Abraham said: I am an Alien Among You,
Sell Me Some Property So I Can Bury My Dead
23: 3-18

Abraham said: I am an alien among you, sell me some property so I can bury my dead DIG: What was significant about Abraham burying Sarah in Canaan, rather than taking her back to their homeland? Why might this property be an important part of God’s plan for Avraham (see 25:7-11)? What relationship do you see between the purchased land and the Promised Land (see 22:15-18)? Why was Abraham willing to bury his wife in Canaan but does not allow his son to find a wife there (23:3)?

REFLECT: How do you react when the promises of God seem to slip through your fingers? Do you still live as if they are a reality? Can the sons of Het, who live and work where you live, tell there is something different about you? Do they call you a mighty prince/princess, or something else? Are you blameless in your dealings with others? What kind of foresight can you provide for your family and future generations?

As important as it is to see how one of our spiritual forefathers expressed his grief (to see link click Ft – Sarah Died and Abraham Went to Weep Over Her), the main purpose for its insertion into the text is to provide a document for Abraham’s descendants to use as a legal claim on, at least, part of the Land of Promise. From the promises made to Abraham, two of them are repeated. One is repeated seven times, and that is, that he is going to give him a seed from Sarah, a legal seed that will carry on, all the promises that God gave him (see Eo – Your Wife Will Bear You a Son and You Will Call Him Isaac). The second promise that is repeated more than twenty times in the book of Genesis alone is the promise of the Land (see Eg – I am the LORD, Who Brought You Out of Ur of the Chaldeans to Give You This Land).

So, regarding the Land, God told Abraham to “Walk throughout the Land, and wherever you walk and it’ll be yours (see Dy – Go, Walk Through the Length and Breadth of the Land, for I am Giving it to You). I’m going to give it to you. I’m going to give you the Land of the Canaanites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Hittites.” Oh, that’s a big promise. But now Sarah was dead and Abraham doesn’t own one inch of the Land in which to bury his wife. He’s a foreigner, a tourist, in the Land that God gave him as an everlasting possession. And now he’s got to find a place to bury his wife? I want you to understand the dilemma that we face in the text and the dilemma that Abraham faced in reality. See, God promised. He promised to give Abraham a seed, and it took many years of waiting, crying, praying, repeating, saying, “God, you know I’m going to die as an old man and I still don’t have a seed. And Abraham believed (see  Ef – Abraham believed God, and God credited it to him as righteousness), but now Sarah is dead and no land is his legally. You have to have a lot of faith in God. You have to have a very close relationship with God to be able to sustain the stress from having promises, repeated promises, promises after promises, that God is going to give you the Land. Even the borders of the Land were given to him, from Dan to Beersheba, from the rivers in the north, from the Euphrates and the Tigris in the north to the river of Egypt and various borders are given to Abraham in the book of Genesis. But still, not one inch of land is in his possession. But he still has to bury his wife. This is what we find here in this parashah.

Therefore, Abraham purchased a piece of land from Ephron of the sons of Het. Most biblical scholars say that the sons of Het were Hittites, an ethnic group originating in the north, in modern day Turkey. How could Abraham inherit land that was owned by the Hittities and not the Canaanites? The answer lies in Genesis 10:15 which indicates that Het was one of the sons of Canaan (see Di – The Line of Ham). Hence, the Hitties were, in reality, a Canaanite group, although they mainly lived north of what is usually referred to as the land of Canaan and did not speak the language of the Canaanites.

A brief look at the Hittites as a people group is that they invaded the heartland of Canaan sometime after 1400 BC. There were, however, sporadic Hittite settlements scattered throughout Canaan before that time. In fact, Ezeki’el 16:3 informs us that Jerusalem was partially of Hittite origin when it says: Your father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittie (Ezeki’el 16:3). The Amorites were western Semites. That is, Canaanites who spoke the western branch of the Semitic language. The Canaanites were not Semites, but they spoke the a Semitic language similar to Hebrew. Chapter 23, therefore, affords us a good glimpse into ancient Hittite land transactions. We find one example of this in verses 9 and 11.

It is not surprising that the acquisition of land is one of the most significant aspects of the covenant agreement. Abraham appears content enough to wait for the land to come to him in the LORD’s timing, but meanwhile, the dead must be laid to rest.³⁷³ Here we have the negotiations and the purchase of the cave of Machpelah. Because she was not yet buried, Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. As an alien and a stranger, Avraham presented his request in the most courteous manner. ADONAI had given Abraham the whole land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, to him and his descendants (17:8). So when he asked: Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead (23:3-4), he knew that it would also be used for future generations of his family. This starts an interesting account of the Oriental method of bargaining.

The sons of Het replied to him, “Sir, listen to us, because you are God’s mighty prince among us, go ahead and bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. Choose anyone that you want; none of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead” (23:5-6). This was the start of the bargaining process. They politely offered the land to Abraham for free, but the expectation was that he would refuse and offer payment.

Then Avraham, following strict middle-eastern social customs, rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the sons of Het (23:7). Abraham’s goal was to be blameless in this transaction. For ADONAI, God is a sun and shield; ADONAI bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84:11). God despises those who minimize the value of a thing during negotiation and say: It’s no good; it’s no good, and then boast of the bargain after the deal is done (Proverbs 20:14).

Abraham knew the sight he wanted, a field containing a suitable cave with trees around it, and within sight of their home in Mamre. It belonged to a prominent descendant of Het named Ephron. In accordance with the exaggerated formalities of purchasing and selling that have long been practiced in the East, Avraham first asked for someone to mediate between him and Ephron, to transmit his request to be allowed to purchase the land.³⁷⁴ He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf. So he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which is Hebrew, meaning a double cave, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.” Abraham did not go directly to Ephron, but he got some of the sons of Het to plead for him. No business of any importance can to this day be transacted in the East without middlemen.³⁷⁵ Ephron the Hittite was sitting among the sons of Het, indicating a position of authority. And he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the sons of Het who had come as witnesses to the gate of his city, where all transactions were legalized (23:8-10).

Abraham asked for only the cave as a tomb, but Ephron wanted him to purchase the adjoining field as well. Ephron said to Avraham, “No, my lord. Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it.” Abraham didn’t need the field, but under their laws, if Ephron only sold him the cave, he would still have to pay labor services to the king. But if he sold the field and the cave, he would be free from those services. Therefore, Ephron said: I give both the cave and the field to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead (23:11). Here then, we have what appears to be a free offer of the burial site, but it was not to be taken seriously. That was the way things were done in ancient Middle East negotiations. Abraham understood this was just a polite way of starting the negotiations. Then we have Abraham’s counter offer.

Again, following the custom, Abraham bowed down on his knees until his head touched the ground before the people of the land (23:12). Then the offer itself is given. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the witnesses: Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there (23:13).

Ephron answered Avraham, and cleverly gave his asking price: Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver (which would be about ten pounds of silver). Then he flippantly adds: But what is that between me and you? This implies that this would be a reasonable asking price. Bury your dead (23:14-15). But in fact, this was a highly inflated price because the average cost then was four shekels of silver per acre. At this price Abraham would be paying forty shekels of silver per acre. A laborer, who would earn ten shekels per year for his work, would not expect to make that amount in his lifetime! But once again, this was all part of the negotiations. The first offer was supposed to be a deliberately high price, and then you begin negotiating downward. So at first he offers the land for free, then he offers it at a deliberately high price. The negotiations were then supposed to begin in earnest.

However, Abraham was not in the mood or position to bargain. He had some good reasons to purchase the land, and very little time for quibbling about the price. Therefore, he immediately agreed to Ephron’s terms (no doubt surprising Ephron and all the sons of Het) and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittite witnesses: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of value current among the merchants at that time (23:16). Moreover, if he had merely received the land as a gift, his ownership could be subject to question in future generations. Accordingly, he entered into a valid and legal land transaction involving money and witnesses. Abraham had the foresight to make sure that this land was forever legally the property of him and his descendants, the Jewish people of today.

There are two other significant land purchases attested to by the Scriptures: The tomb of Joseph, acquired in Shechem (see the commentary on Joshua Cu – Three Graves), and David’s site for the future Temple (see the commentary on the Life of David El – David Builds an Altar). These three acquisitions were all purchased without bargaining and paid for with unquestioningly legal tender. They are unchangeable Jewish possessions of the Land of Promise!

So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre – both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field (characteristic of Hitti land transactions, which were very careful to specify them) – was deeded to Avraham as his property in the presence of all the sons of Het witnesses who had come to the gate of the city (23:17-18). All the details of the oral contract are given and this is still customary in an Oriental bargain.

Therefore, I cannot resist, at this point, to make an appropriate application to the seemingly never-ending conflict in the land of Isra’el. There are those who have claimed ownership to all three of the places mentioned above which were rightfully purchased for the Jewish people; the cave of Machpelah in Hebron, Joseph’s tomb in Shechem, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Bible provides ample legal evidence about the Jewish claim for these locations and their surroundings; but there are those who wish to deny Isra’el of its rightful ownership and occupation of these locations.

It seems that a major reason the Ruach Ha’Kodesh had this detailed information about the purchase of these locations recorded in the TaNaKh is to provide the world with a witness and testimony that these places, as well as the rest of the Holy Land, are the national inheritance of the Jewish people. Much appreciation must be given to Abraham who, although he was in great distress and grief over the loss of his dear wife Sarah, nonetheless, had the foresight to purchase the land in Hebron for his people as a lasting inheritance.

Sarah Died in the Land of Canaan
and Abraham Went to Weep Over Her
23: 1-2

Sarah died in the land of Canaan and Abraham went to weep over her DIG: Why can Sarah be considered the mother of all believers? How old was she when she died? How old was Abraham? Isaac? Why are their ages listed at this time? What is mentioned here for the first time in the TaNaKh?

REFLECT: Why did the Torah record the account of the burial of Sarah? Is there a woman in your family history that is known for being a godly woman? Is there a godly woman in your life that you look up to and emulate? What touches you the most about Avraham’s reaction to his wife’s death?

Parashah 5: Chayei-Sarah (Sarah’s life) 23:1-25:18
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People include Sarah, Abraham, the Hittites, Ephron son of Zohar, Abraham’s servant, Rebecca, Laban, Isaac, Keturah, more children, and Ishmael.

The Scenes include Hebron, the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, Efron’s field, Aram Naharayim – Nachor’s city, B’er Lahai Roi in the Negev, and the region of Havilah to Shur.

The Main Events include Sarah’s death, the first property purchase in Isra’el (a burial cave for Sarah), a non-Canaanite bride for Isaac, marriage and comfort for Isaac, more children for Abraham through Keturah, Abraham’s death and burial next to Sarah, Ishmael’s descendants, and Ishmael’s death.

Do you ever wonder what it must have been like to be Abraham, especially in his old age? To be sure, we know that he was a man who loved and trusted ADONAI more than anything else. We also know that he practiced typical ancient Near Eastern hospitality. He had servants and possessions. And he loved his family. That much, and a little more, perhaps, is clear from the parashiyot that we have studied so far in Genesis. But what sort of personal characteristics did he have? What kind of man was he? Was he kind? Gentle? Quiet? Talkative?

In reality, the Torah tells us very little about his personal characteristics. In this, our last parashah dealing with Abraham, we will observe one very definite characteristic that he possessed. Abraham had the ability to look ahead and plan for the future. He did not just put the promises of God into a scrapbook to be looked at every so often. He deeply cherished those gifts that the LORD had given him to such an extent that he spent his life protecting them and doing his part to work for their fulfillment.

At the time of Sarah’s death, the family had evidently moved from Beersheba back to Hebron. She is the only woman whose age at death is mentioned in both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah. This indicates that she has a special place in biblical history and is an example to follow (Isaiah 51:1-2). She lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old (23:1). As the mother of the son of promise, she became the mother of all believers (First Peter 3:6). Abraham would have been a hundred and thirty-seven years old, and Isaac thirty-seven years old when his mother died.

She died at Kiriath Arba, or the city of Arabia, which eventually became known as Hebron, which means friend, because Abraham was the friend of God (14:13, 18:1), in the land of Canaan (23:2a). They had lived there many years earlier. This Kiriath Arba/Hebron connection is found elsewhere in the Bible (Joshua 14:15, 15:13 and 59, 20:7, 21:11; Judges 1:10). This is parashah contains the first instance in the Bible where burial of the dead is mentioned. Because of this many Jewish rules concerning forms of burial and the mourning period are derived from the details of this passage. One such burial custom is mourning. The word translated to mourn is from the Hebrew root which means to give an account. In essence, what Abraham did at Sarah’s burial was to relate the highlights of her life to those in attendance. This undoubtedly helped Abraham through his own personal grief. In addition, it afforded Abraham an opportunity to show honor and respect to Sarah.

For some reason, Abraham was not present at the time of her death. She was in Hebron and he was in Beersheba (21:33-34, 22:19). He might have been away on business, or perhaps they had two residences. At any rate, when Avraham heard that she had died, he went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over the lifeless body of his soul mate (23:2b). It seems possible that her death was mercifully quick because if she had been suffering for a long time, Avraham most assuredly would have been at her side. This was the death of his friend and life-long companion. Abraham loved Sarah deeply, and it must have grieved him terribly not to be with her when she died. The first man found weeping in the Bible is mourning the loss of a woman.

The Burial of Sarah
23: 1-20

After the traumatic experience on Mount Moriah, very little is reported concerning the life of Abraham, and nothing more about Sarah, until her death. As noted before, Isaac was thirty-seven years old and Sarah was one hundred-and-twenty-seven years old when she died. These were the years of Sarah’s life. That’s the first verse of Chapter 23 of Genesis. Now, Sarah was the Matriarch. She came with Abraham from Babylon to Assyria, then to the land of Canaan and went through all the ordeals and the tests and the issues together with Abraham and his camp in the land of Canaan. So she is the Matriarch of our faith. Just like Abraham is the father of faith, she’s the mother of faith because she, like Abraham, walked with ADONAI. Even though everybody makes mistakes and Abraham made mistakes and Sarah made mistakes, but they walked with the LORD and they became models of faith, of hospitality, of hope, of tenacity, not giving up, no matter what. And now Abraham was faced with the need to bury his wife.³⁷²

Bethuel Became the Father of Rebekah
22: 20-24

Bethuel became the Father of Rebekah DIG: What news does Abraham receive about his extended family after he returned from Mount Moriah? What does this tell him about God’s provision? What is the purpose of Rebekah being mentioned here?

REFLECT: Who in your family has been blessed because of your relationship with ADONAI? What earthly “homeland” have you truly left so that you can enjoy the Lord’s promises to you?

Some time later, after the testing of Avraham, he was told: Milcah is also a mother; she has borne many sons to your brother Nahor (22:20). About sixty years had passed since Abraham had received any news about his family back in Mesopotamia. Abraham’s brother Nahor still lived there, possibly in a city that bore his name. Avraham often wondered where he could find a wife for his son. If Isaac was to be the father of a great nation as promised, the choice of a proper wife was very important. There seemed to be no candidate among their neighbors, the Amorites and the Hittites, and Abraham longed for Isaac to have a bride from his own people. But now, somehow hearing about his brother must have given Avraham hope. Nahor had twelve sons and he probably also had daughters whose names are not mentioned. God had surely blessed Abraham’s brother because of him. Surely somewhere in his extended family he could find a suitable wife for Isaac.³⁷⁰

Uz the firstborn (10:23, 36:28) founded the land of Uz where Job lived (Job 1:1), and the kings of Uz are mentioned in Jeremiah 25:20 and Lamentations 4:21. Secondly, Buz was his brother (Jer 25:23). The territory by that name was the home of Elihu in Job 32:2 and 6. The third son was Kemuel, the father of Aram (22:21 and 10:22). The fourth son was named Kesed, or in Hebrew, Chesed, who was the ancestor of the Chaldeans of Lower Mesopotamia (Job1:17). Other sons were Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel (22:22).

Because Isaac was born so late in Abraham’s life, he was more the age of Nahor’s grandchildren than of his own cousins. The grandchildren of Nahor may have been very numerous, but only two are mentioned, Aram, son of Kemuel, and Rebekah, the daughter of Nahor’s youngest son, Bethuel.³⁷¹ This entire genealogy is written only for the sake of introducing Rebekah, who would become the chosen wife of Isaac. Abraham was thus informed that there was now a possible wife for Isaac in his own family and he would not need to marry a Canaanite woman. This sets the stage for the events of Chapter 24, when Isaac must find a bride. Bethuel was also the father of Laban, who was Rebekah’s brother (24:29). Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah, who was Nahor’s niece, bore him eight sons, and his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had the last four sons named Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah (22:23-24). The twelve Aramean tribes are named after these sons.

This genealogy introduces us to Rebekah, and also serves as a transition to Chapter 23, which records Sarah’s death and burial. In burying Sarah in Canaan, Abraham ignored his ancestry by not taking her back to Ur of the Chaldeans. He had truly left his homeland behind, and now viewed Canaan as his new native land.

Haftarah vaYera: M’lakhim Bet (Second Kings) 4:1-37 (A) 4:1-23 (S)
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

Sold into slavery (Second Kings 4:1-7) or brought back from the dead (Second Kings 4:8-37) – this Haftarah describes children who were redeemed. In the first episode, a woman begs Elisha to save her children from a creditor who had come to take her two children as his slaves in the corrupt court of Ahab and Jezebel. She fears that her children will learn corrupt ways, not walking in the God-fearing ways of their dead father. The Talmud teaches, “He who has raised a son like himself is not regarded as dead (Baba Kamma 116). The second episode closely mirrors the Torah portion. Here, a Shunammite woman is granted a miracle son (when she is too old to bear). Later, the son dies unexpectedly. Elisha breathes life into the dead child, who then gets off his death bed – a miracle of life from the the dead.

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah vaYera:
Luke 17:26-37; Romans 9:6-9; Galatians 4:21-31; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 6:13-20, 11:13-19; James 2:14-24; Second Kefa (Peter) 2:4-10

An angel of ADONAI appeared in a dream and announced to Joseph the miracle birth of a son (Matthew 1:20-21; Genesis 17:15-17, 18:10). This news is announced to Mary as well (Luke 1:30; Genesis 18:14-15). As commanded, the couple names the child Yeshua, meaning ADONAI saves, signifying the child’s predestined purpose (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31; Genesis 17:21 and 21:1-6). His destiny includes restoring David’s dynasty and establishing a Kingdom without end (Amos 9:11; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 15:16-18). The book of Luke ends as dramatically as it begins. Yeshua appears among some disciples telling them not to fear (Luke 24:36:39). Post-resurrection appearances signal the quickening of “life from the dead” for mankind (First Corinthians 15:45-49). In this way, Yeshua raises up children like Himself (Isaiah 53:10) – starting with His disciples who rejoice daily in the Temple and praise God for the gift of eternal life (Luke 24:53).

Then Abraham Returned to Beersheba
22: 19

After their mountaintop experience, Abraham and Isaac returned to the servants, as he had promised. What a contrast between the journey to Mount Moriah and the return home again! Abraham had proved that ADONAI was faithful, and having accepted and fulfilled the LORD’s will, he was filled with peace and unspeakable joy.³⁶⁹ They all set off together for Beersheba. And Avraham stayed in Beersheba (22:19). After an extended time there, he and Sarah returned to the great trees of Mamre near Hebron to live out their days (14:13, 18:1).

There is no doubt that Avraham and Isaac came down the mountain, were reunited with the two servants and went home again. But it is interesting that Isaac is not mentioned here. This verse reads: Abraham returned to his servants. Where is Isaac? Because Isaac is a type of Christ, He is in heaven and absent from the earth. But here in Genesis, the name of Isaac is absent from the time that he is offered on Mount Moriah until he is united with his bride at the Well of the Living Water in 24:62.

The Abrahamic Covenant
22: 15-18

The Abrahamic covenant DIG: How did God confirm the unchanging nature of the promise He had made to the righteous of the TaNaKh? What would be the equivalent today? What were the three covenant promises ADONAI made to Abraham? What did this promise have to do with the Gentiles? What did Rabbi Sha’ul mean when he said that God announced the gospel in advance to Avraham?

REFLECT: Does a simple yes or no characterize your faithfulness in keeping your word? When people know that you are a believer, do they look at you differently? Do they expect something different than others? Could they be stumbled by a pattern of lying? What kind of a testimony are you revealing to the world?

The Angel of the LORD called to Avraham from heaven a second time (22:15). Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath (Hebrews 6:17). He said: I swear by Myself. This was the most solemn oath possible (Isaiah 45:23; Jeremiah 22:5, 49:13, 51:14; Amos 6:8 and Hebrews 6:13-14). In Abraham’s day, swearing was the equivalent of signing your name on the dotted line. Today we sign our name; back then they swore by something greater than themselves. They’d swear by God, or by heaven, or by the altar. But when ADONAI wants to impress on Abraham that He is signing on the dotted line, how can He swear by something greater than Himself?³⁶⁷

After the Fall we live in a world of lies. This should not surprise us since fallen humanity are all children of the devil – the father of lies (John 8:44b). That basic dishonesty has led people to impose oaths on others in an often futile attempt to force them to be truthful and keep their promises. Revealing this same dishonesty, the Jews not only swore according to the commandments of the TaNaKh by the name of the LORD (and sometimes violating such oaths), but also had developed the practice of swearing false, evasive, deceptive oaths by everything other than the name of God (which was considered binding). They did this for the very purpose of pretending to truthfulness they had no intention of keeping. Yeshua also condemned this practice (Matthew 5:33-36, 23:16-22).

The custom of swearing oaths was a major part of life in biblical times. It had become a problem in the Jewish congregations to which James wrote. Since swearing oaths was an integral part of the Jewish culture, Jewish believers brought that practice into the church. But such oath taking was, and is, unnecessary among believers whose speech is to be honest (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9), and whose lives are to demonstrate integrity and credibility. For believers, a simple yes or no should suffice because we should be faithful to keep our word. As a result, today we are not to swear an oath to anyone. Above all, my brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment (James 5:12). Believers are not perfect, that is not James’ point here. We may lapse into falsehood on occasion, though lying should not be the pattern of our lives.

Because Abraham had not withheld his son, his only son (22:16), God then takes the opportunity to reaffirm all three covenant promises to Abraham. First He said: I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. ADONAI had said once before that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven (15:5). However, to the naked eye, one can only count approximately three thousand stars, at the most. Therefore, the LORD’s promise might not at first seemed overly impressive, since three thousand descendants would not even make a very large nation. Now, however, He says in effect that there are as many stars as there is sand on the seashore. In addition, earlier God had told Abraham that He would make his offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth (13:16).

Then, secondly, He said: your descendants will be victorious, and take possession of the cities of their enemies (22:17).

And, thirdly, through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed. All these blessings were promised because Avraham obeyed the LORD (22:18). This is the last time these covenant promises are reaffirmed to Abraham (12:1-3, 13:14-17, 15:7-21, 17:1-8, and here). What offspring is ADONAI talking about here? Rabbi Sha’ul tells us that Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one – and to your seed – and this “one” is the Messiah (Galatians 3:16 CJB). This is the fifth and final confirmation of God’s covenant with Abraham (12:1-3, 13:14-17,15:7-21, 17:1-8 and here).

Later Sha’ul would say: The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (Galatians 3:8). When did the LORD preach the gospel to Avraham? He preached the Gospel to Abraham when He called upon him to offer his son Isaac on the altar. I think that Abraham knew more about the coming of Christ than we give him credit for. In fact, Jesus said: Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad (John 8:56). So ADONAI revealed much to Avraham, but Jesus had not yet come. We know today that He would not come for nineteen hundred years, but there on the top of Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac, was a picture of the offering and sacrifice of Messiah. Sha’ul says that God announced the gospel in advance to Abraham, and certainly it was done there.³⁶⁸

Abraham Saw a Ram Caught by Its Horns
So He Called that place The LORD Will Provide
22: 11-14

Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns so he called the place the LORD will provide DIG: What was left for Abraham to prove after this? Why does God wait until the last minute to stop Avraham? For whose benefit was this test? How did Abraham believe that God would fulfill His covenant to have his offspring be as numerous as the stars in the heavens? What is significant about the name ADONAI Yir’eh?

REFLECT: Would you give God all that you had if He gave you nothing back but Himself? How has the ADONAI Yir’eh provided for you? Have you accepted Messiah as your Lord and Savior? What is holding you back? If saved, can you give your testimony in 3 to 5 minutes? How can you best share your faith?

For all practical purposes, Isaac had been dead to Avraham for three days. But the Angel of the LORD, Yeshua Messiah, called out to him from heaven saying: Abraham, Abraham! The doubling of a person’s name makes the call emphatic. He replied: Here I am (22:11). This is the last of seven times that Abraham receives direct revelation from God (12:1-7, 13:14-17, 15:1-21, 17:1-21, 18:1-33 and 22:1-2, and here). After this supreme sacrifice, there was nothing more that ADONAI could ask of him because he had passed the test with a perfect score!

God said: Do not lay a hand on your son. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son (22:12). At its most basic level, this was a test of Abraham’s relationship with ADONAI. Every other sacrifice God had asked Abraham to make was balanced by a promise that, in a sense, made it worthwhile; there was something to lose, but more to gain. Here, however, there was nothing to gain. No promise balances the loss. In fact, it is not only his son that he is putting on the sacrificial altar; it appears to be the covenant and its promises as well. He was willing to give up all he stood to gain, all he loved, and all he hoped for, to have an ongoing relationship with the LORD.³⁶²

The rabbis teach that when Abraham put the knife to the throat of Isaac, his soul departed from his body. The tradition goes on to say that the ram was created on the eve of the Sabbath during the six days of creation, to become the sacrifice in place of Isaac. And then when Isaac heard the words of the Angel of the LORD saying, “Do not lay a hand on your son,” his soul returned to his body. So in rabbinic tradition, there is a concept of resurrection.

The sacrifice was already accomplished in Avraham’s heart, and he had fully satisfied the requirements of God.³⁶³ We can agree that ADONAI knew ahead of time what Abraham was going to do. But there is ample evidence throughout Scripture that Elohim wants us to act out our faith and worship Him regardless of the fact that He already knows our hearts. The LORD wants us to pray even though He knows what we are going to say, and may already have the answer in motion. He wants us to praise Him even though He knows how we feel. God asks us to express our faith and love. It pleases Him for us to display those things that He knows already exist in our hearts. We all know that as much as we love our parents, spouses, children and friends, it is important to tell them and carry our feelings over into actions. That is what Abraham did when he was willing to sacrifice his one and only son.³⁶⁴

Therefore, by faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death on the third day (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Yitz’chak was brought back from the dead to be the head of a great nation and to bless all the nations of the earth. Messiah was raised from the dead and set on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments; no name and no power is exempt from His rule, and not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, and has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The Church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the Church. The Church is Messiah’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which He fills everything with His presence (Ephesians 1:19-23 The Message).

Avraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. This was the divine substitution. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a sin offering instead of his son (22:13). The ram died in Isaac’s place. This is the second time an animal has been substituted in the Scriptures. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve and clothed them (3:21); thus, teaching them that with the shedding of innocent blood they would be covered. Here, a ram was the substitute on Mount Moriah. And in the fullness of time, God the Father would give up His one and only Son for you! If you were the only person alive on the earth, Christ would have died as a substitute for you and your sins. The penalty has been paid.

So Abraham, knowing it was prophetic, called that place, ADONAI Yir’eh, or The LORD Will Provide (22:14a). Faith waits on the LORD to provide all our needs. This name owes something of its significance to the name of ADONAI itself, which reveals Him as the Giver of blessings, the Redeemer, and the God of mercy. Most of these compound names of God arise out of some historic incident, and portray ADONAI in some aspect of His character as meeting human need, and ADONAI Yir’eh is no exception.

Yir’eh is simply the Hebrew form of the verb to see. What connection can there be between the words see and provide? Each meaning seems so different. Most of the time Yir’eh is translated to see or to appear. Then why should it be translated provide here? First, provide is simply the verb and provision the noun of seeing beforehand. Thus to ADONAI, seeing something before hand is followed by provision, for He provides for our needs. So for Him, seeing a need and providing for it are one and the same. Secondly, another form of the word from which Yir’eh is derived is translated seer or prophet (1 Chron 9:22, 26:28; 2 Samuel 15:27; 2 Chron 16:7), and a prophet is one who foresees.³⁶⁵ Thus, it is quite proper to translate this name ADONAI Yir’eh, because The Lord saw the great need to redeem the sin of mankind, and provided a substitute in His Son.

This led to a proverbial saying, and is said to this day, “On the Mountain of ADONAI it will be provided” (22:14b). The Mountain of the LORD is Mount Moriah. It would become the Temple Mount, the place of substitution. There Jesus Christ was pierced for our transgressions, and He was crushed for our iniquities, and He suffered the punishment that we deserved, on the cross of Mount Calvary (Isaiah 53:5).

The Bible says that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (First Corinthians 15:3b-4). If you believe that and have never asked Yeshua to be your Lord and Savior would you pray this simple prayer today: God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe Yeshua Messiah died for my sins, and I want to trust Him to save me right now. If you prayed that prayer in faith see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith.

If we were convinced that we heard from the LORD, would we give Him a chance if there were nothing in it for us? Would we give Him our lives, or the lives of our loved ones if He gave us nothing back but Himself? That is what Avraham did when he built an altar on Moriah and was willing to sacrifice his one and only son.³⁶⁶ He asks nothing less of us!

It is amazing how much faith we can have if we simply take into account what we know about our God! When we are faced with any test or challenge from the Lord, the best thing to do is to follow Abraham’s example and take an accounting of what we know about God. We will find that every challenge from the Lord is in exact proportion to the knowledge of God we possess. Both balance each other. Without knowledge, we would have little basis for trust. Without the exercise of that trust, we would not be able to function in life the way we were intended to. We would merely be theological dictionaries!

Abraham Built an Altar,
Bound His Son Isaac and Laid Him on Top of the Wood
22: 9-10

Abraham built an altar, bound his son Isaac and laid him on top of the wood DIG: Where has God demonstrated His willingness to do as He is asking Abraham to do here? In the case of God’s sacrificing His one and only Son, how far did He go? How is Isaac a type of Christ?

REFLECT: Where do you get the strength to say, “Yes,” to God when everything else inside of you says, “No?” When have you gotten into trouble by letting your emotions get the better of you? Are your emotions the engine or the caboose? What drives your decision making?

Then they reached the place God had told him about. They must have been in agony for those three days. Why had God sent him so far? It would be the place where Solomon would later build the Temple of ADONAI in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah (Second Chronicles 3:1). Avraham’s offering of Isaac was to foreshadow all the other offerings to be sacrificed there, which in turn were also foreshadowing of the one great sacrifice that would be offered one day nearby, when the Father would offer the Son as the Savior of the world.³⁶⁰

Abraham built an altar there on Mount Moriah and arranged the wood on it. He had built altars at Sichem, Bethel, Hebron and at Beersheba. But this altar was different. Those altars were built to sacrifice animals; this altar was to sacrifice his only son. There would be no substitute for God’s only Son at Mount Calvary, where the Lamb of God had to be offered up in sacrifice for the salvation of the world. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Then he bound his son Yitz’chak. As stated previously, Isaac was a man and could have overpowered Abraham if he had wanted to, but Isaac (Hebrew: Yitz’chak) was obedient, if need be, unto death. The Hebrew word for binding occurs only here in the TaNaKh, and has become the actual name of this event in Jewish thinking. Jews refer to it as the akeidah, meaning the binding of Isaac. And as Yitz’chak was laid on the altar, on top of the wood (21:9), so Christ was laid upon the old rugged cross made of wood, and was obedient unto death. What a picture we have here!

If Isaac had the least doubt about his father’s intentions beforehand, they were all removed now, as his father bound him and laid him on the altar. As he gazed up into his father’s eyes, no doubt filled with tears, he saw the uplifted knife in his father’s hand ready to slay him. The Hebrew word slay is actually the Hebrew word for slaughter (22:10). Faith surrenders the best that we have to God, and holds nothing back. Jesus was offered up as a sacrifice by His Father (First John 2:2), and was obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8). Figuratively, the uplifted knife would fall on Jesus.

God was testing Avraham. The Hebrew word for tested, nasah, is usually translated to prove. Sixty years of preparation had gone into this moment. God had brought him through four very definite crises, each of which was a real exercise of faith. First, he was called to prove that he would leave his homeland, Ur of the Chaldeans. He was to leave his family. That was a real test for him and he didn’t do very well at first, but, nevertheless, he finally left. Then he was asked to prove that he would separate from Lot, his nephew. Abraham loved Lot; he wouldn’t have let him tag along with him if he didn’t. But the time came when they had to separate, and Lot went down to Sodom. Then there was the test with his boy; the son of Hagar, Ishmael. He loved that boy and he hated to be separated from him, but he had to prove that he would send him away. Now Abraham comes to this supreme test, the fourth great crisis in his life. He is asked to give up Yitz’chak, the son of promise. He doesn’t understand it, but he is willing to go through with it.³⁶¹ Faith was driving this decision and emotion was in the back seat.

Take Your Only Son Isaac,
and Sacrifice Him as a Burnt Offering
22: 1-8

Take your only son Isaac, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering DIG: Why do you think God chose to test Abraham’s faith through his son Isaac? Knowing Elohim waited twenty-five years before providing a son for Avraham, how would you expect him to react to God’s instruction? Why doesn’t he object? Who does Abraham say will come back down the mountain? What does this tell you about his faith in God? What other evidences of faith in God did Avraham give as he was preparing to sacrifice his son?

REFLECT: Where do you sense God is testing you now? How are you doing in the test? What are you learning from it? If Elohim asked you to surrender something or someone you loved, could you do it?

This chapter brings us to the mountain top of Genesis. Along with Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, it describes the significance of Yeshua’s sacrificial death on Calvary more than any other passage in the B’rit Chadashah. When they came to the place called the skull, they crucified him there (Luke 23:33a).

Abraham had not heard from God for many years. He seemed to be silent. But some time later God tested Avraham and asked him to do the unthinkable (22:1a). This word tested makes it clear that God did not intend to have Isaac sacrificed. This is the first time the word tested is used in the Bible, and it would be Avraham’s greatest test. God called out to him, “Abraham!” And Abraham replied: Here I am (22:1b). These words: Here I am (Hebrew: hineni) are the same words that sprang from the lips of Jacob (Genesis 31:11), of Moshe (Exodus 3:4), of Samuel (First Samuel 3:4), of  Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), of Ananias (Acts 9:10), and innumerable servants of God who faithfully responded to Him without the slightest hesitation. Abraham uttered not even one objection to this call. Our faith is not really tested until Elohim asks us to bear what seems unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible.³⁵²

When God spoke, it seemed as though every word was meant to wound Abraham as deeply as possible. God said: Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love (22:2a). Isaac was not the only son Abraham had, but he was the son of promise, the unique son. As far as God’s purposes are concerned, He was blind to Ishmael. So the first mention of the word love in the Scriptures calls our attention to the fact that the love of a godly father for his only son is a picture of the love that exists between God the Father and God the Son.

Muslims make a big deal about Genesis saying your only son. They say that it should be written, “Take your son, your only son, Ishmael,” because when Ishmael was in his mid-teens, Isaac had not yet been born. The specific reason Ishmael and Hagar were sent away was because God only recognized Isaac as the son of promise. Their twisted reasoning is that when Isaac was born, Abraham had two sons. But they don’t get the point that as far as being the son of promise, God did not recognize Ishmael, only Isaac. Therefore, God would look upon Isaac as Avraham’s only son. The Muslims teach “because of chauvinism (or prejudice) the name Ishmael was changed to Isaac in this passage.” They teach that God has preserved the word only to show them what it should have been.³⁵³

Abraham was called by ADONAI to trust in His promises throughout most of his adult life. Test after test came his way; yet Abraham never budged in his faithfulness to those divine promises. Finally, near the end of his life, at one-hundred and thirty-seven years old, YHVH told Abraham, lech l’cha (Hebrew: meaning get yourself going), just as He told Abram to go to Canaan (to see link click Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). This time, instead of the command to leave his homeland and go to a place about which he did not know, Abraham was instructed: Go to the region of Mount Moriah, which would eventually become Mount Zion. The first command was to make aliyah (to go up) to the Promised Land. The second Lech Lecha was a command to come even closer to God – the place where He would dwell intimately with His people. If Abraham knew a little about YHVH when he left for Canaan, by the time he would leave Moriah, the future spiritual center of the Promised Land, he would be forever as intimately close to God as is possible for any human, short of being in the World to Come.

Then God continued: Go to the region of Mount Moriah, which would eventually become Mount Zion. The words seemed like a knife stabbing deep into Abraham’s heart. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering (see the commentary on Leviticus Ai – The Burnt Offering) on one of the mountains I will tell you about (22:2b). The issue was clear. God was asking Avraham: Do you love your son more than you love Me? The principle is this: Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4). Jesus said: If anyone comes to Me and loves Me less than his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26). If Abraham had laughed in his heart with joyful hope when his son was promised to him, how deep his anguish and perplexity must have been at this amazing request from the God who had been so good to him. Yet the faith that enabled him to believe such a staggering promise in the first place was now enough for an even more stunning demand. This test, then, reveals Avraham’s obedience and faith, Isaac’s submission, and Elohim’s gracious provision of a substitute in his place.³⁵⁴

Isaac is portrayed as a type of Christ (Galatians 3:16), and the experience of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah pictures the sacrifice of Messiah on Mount Calvary (Hebrews 11:17-19). This is really the central issue of this entire chapter, if not the entire Bible: God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all (Romans 8:32).

“But, ADONAI,”Abraham may have thought, “that doesn’t sound like You. You promised to make Isaac a great nation, and he is not even married yet! True, the gods of the nations around us are sometimes worshiped by the sacrifice of sons and daughters, and I certainly love You as much as these people love their own false gods; but this type of thing surely is not pleasing to You. What will happen to all Your promises if You ask this of me? And what about Sarah? Why, this will bring her down to the grave with grief!” Whether Avraham actually thought such things or not, Scriptures do not say. All we are told is that he obeyed God with no questions asked.³⁵⁵ Faith obeys the Word of God completely.

It is one thing to claim to trust God’s Word when waiting for something; it is quite another thing to trust and obey His Word after it is received. This was a test of how much Abraham would obey Him. Would he cling to Isaac now that he had him, or would he still obey and return him to God? In other words, how far would Avraham go in his obedience? Did he really believe that God would keep His word and raise the son of promise?³⁵⁶

The moment Abraham had made up his mind to obey God, Isaac was dead in his eyes. He proceeded on his grim task as someone making funeral arrangements, just putting one foot in front of the other. He did not tell Isaac of his intentions, and he probably did not tell Sarah either. Early the next morning he got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac (Hebrew: Yitz’chak). The rabbis teach that these two servants were Ishmael and Eliezar of Damascus. He also cut enough wood for the sin offering because he didn’t know if there would be enough when it was time for the sacrifice. Actually, the servants are not recorded as doing anything. They are merely there. When all was ready, the four of them set out for the place God had told him about (22:3).

Because he was old, Avraham rode a donkey, while Isaac and the two servants walked. The journey took a full two days and part of a third. The total distance was about fifty miles from Beersheba. Abraham traveled in silent resignation. There is not a single word of conversation recorded. On the third day He looked up and saw the place in the distance (22:4). He instinctively realized that he and Yitz’chak needed to travel the rest of the way by themselves. He said to his two servants, “Stay here with the donkey while my son and I go over there.” The two thieves on the cross were not permitted to see what transpired between the Father and the Son, and neither are the two servants.

For all practical purposes, Isaac was raised from the dead on the third day, which is the heart of the Gospel: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (First Cor 15:3b-4). According to what Scriptures? Paul was talking about the TaNaKh. But where does it picture Jesus being raised on the third day? Jesus Himself talks about His death and resurrection being the sign of Jonah (Lk 11:29), because Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale and was raised from the dead (see my commentary on Jonah Au – Jonah’s Prayer). And also here, figuratively speaking, Abraham received Isaac back from the dead on the third day.

Then Abraham said: We will worship and then we will come back to you. (22:5). He wasn’t lying to the two servants. Abraham had faith that he and Isaac would both return because God had promised him a son. God had told him that Isaac would become a great nation, in whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. If he were dead, none of that would come to pass. Abraham had learned long ago that God was a promise keeper. But how about Avraham’s statement that he and Isaac were going to worship? Could sacrificing Isaac be considered worship? Yes, because to worship simply means to bow down. To worship God is simply to bow down to His will, recognizing and acknowledging that His will is best for our lives. What He does is right, whether we understand it now or not. His will may involve waiting and suffering, even dying; but if it is His will, then we must bow down to it and accept it with thanksgiving. I do not underestimate how difficult this is, but it is then, and only then, that we worship God. Not understanding, but believing, Abraham and Isaac were willing to do His will. This submission to God’s will in an ultimate act of worship pictures beautifully the work of Christ on the cross. Jesus said: My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39).³⁵⁷

Avraham took the wood for the sin offering and placed it on his son Isaac. Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice up to Mount Moriah, just as the cross was placed on Christ as He carried it up to Mount Calvary (John 19:17). And Isaac himself carried the fire and the knife (22:6a). The fire symbolizes divine judgment. It was first seen in a flaming sword that was placed in the garden of Eden to make sure that Adam and Eve could make it back to the tree of life under the right conditions (3:24). It will last be seen in the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet will be thrown (Revelation 20:14-15). Divine judgment would be satisfied on Calvary when every claim of God’s holiness and justice are satisfied, so that He is set free to act on behalf of sinners.

As the two of them went on together, Isaac went willingly with his father. This was no child. Isaac was a grown man of about 30 years old. He was in his prime and about to be married. No doubt he was much stronger than Abraham and could have easily escaped if he had wanted. At some point he had to have known what his father had in mind. He knew what a sin offering was. They were carrying the wood, the fire and the knife, but there was no animal to sacrifice. Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the sin offering” (22:6b-7)? An honest question deserved an honest answer.

Abraham answered: My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for the sin offering (22:8a KJV). God alone could provide that which would satisfy Himself. Shortly after this there was a ram that was caught in a thicket, and Abraham would take the ram and sacrificed it as a sin offering (22:13). Avraham says here that God will provide Himself a lamb. But there was no lamb; there was a ram, and that is an important point. The lamb was not provided until centuries later when John the Baptist would point to Yeshua and say: Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). God provided Himself as that lamb. It is very important to see that Abraham was speaking prophetically here.³⁵⁸ Isaac does not respond and was silent before his sacrifice just as Messiah was silent before His.

And the two of them went on together (22:8b). The two servants could only accompany them to within sight of Mount Moriah. This was going to be between the father and the son, between Abraham and Isaac. And likewise, God shut man out at the cross. At noontime, darkness covered the entire earth for three hours, while God the Father poured out His wrath on God the Son (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Lv – Jesus’ Second Three Hours on the Cross: The Wrath of God). Peter said it like this: He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness (First Peter 2:24a; Second Corinthians 5:21). But it was between the Father and the Son on that cross. Man was outside and did not participate at all. The picture is the same here.³⁵⁹

Therefore, God the Father did not force His Son to die on the cross. The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father (John 10:17-18). It was the Father’s will, and the Son willingly obeyed. And because the two of them went on together, lost sinners like you and me can be forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life.

Abraham Tested
22: 1-19

Approximately 38 years had passed since ADONAI first made promises to Abraham when he was 75 years old. This chapter brings us to the mountaintop of Genesis. It, along with Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, describe the significance of Calvary, or the Skull, maybe more clearly than any passage in the B’rit Chadashah: When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there (Luke 23:33a). It is the only type in the TaNaKh that revealed the necessity for a human sacrifice to pay the price for sin. Because man had sinned, a man, not an animal, must be sacrificed, that divine justice would be satisfied. This could hardly be any man; God’s own Son was the only One.³⁵¹ The names of God are important in this section. When the chapter starts out, it is Elohim, the God of righteousness, who speaks when He asks Avraham to take Isaac (Hebrew: Yitz’chak) and sacrifice him as a sin offering on Mount Moriah (22:2). However, when God provides a substitute for Isaac, it is ADONAI, the God of mercy and redemption who speaks.

The Treaty at Beersheba
21: 22-34

The treaty at Beersheba DIG: What is Abimelech concerned about (Chapter 20)? What was Abraham concerned about? How is this treaty confirmed? With what lasting result? What did the planting of a tamarisk tree represent to Abraham?

REFLECT: Have your past actions stumbled an unbeliever in his or her trust in you? How can you restore their confidence in you? Where in your life do you suspect that God is especially close to you right now? Why? What does this story suggest about the importance of any kind of oath that we take?

It had been about two or three years since Abimelech had offered Abraham permission to live anywhere he wished in what would eventually become Philistine territory (20:13). Abraham was living about twenty-five miles from Gerar. At that time when Ishmael and Hagar were sent away, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his forces, said to Avraham: Elohim is with you in everything you do (21:22). God was blessing Abraham and that became obvious. Even the Gentiles had come to recognize the presence of God in Abraham’s life, and therefore, Abimelech desired to protect his own future by forming an alliance with Abraham. It was time for the two men to make a treaty.³⁴⁹

Abimelech declared: Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you (21:23). Abimelech said this because Abraham had dealt falsely once before with Sarah and the king of Gerar didn’t trust him. Abimelech had a problem. He knew God was with Abraham in everything the patriarch did, but he had a history of being deceptive. When you are dealing with a powerfully deceptive person, you would like to have more assurances, and so Abimelech asks for such. Abraham was perfectly ready to agree to a treaty (21:24), but first he had a complaint that needed to be cleared up.

Then Avraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized (21:25). The Hebrew verb suggests that Abraham had to make his complaint several times. Perhaps Abimelech was adept at elusive tactics. Strife over wells was common. Later, herdsmen of Gerar would quarrel with Isaac’s herdsmen (26:20).

But Abimelech exonerated himself by saying: I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today. Abraham seems to be satisfied with this answer. So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty of peace. Avraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock. Abimelech noticed that Abraham had done this and asked of him, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?” He said: Accept these seven lambs as a visible sign from my hand as a witness that I dug this well (21:26-30). The fact that Abimelech accepted the lambs shows that he recognizes Abraham’s claim and the well became his permanent possession. Consequently, the treaty was not only one of peace, it was also one of justice.

So that place was called Beersheba, Be’er Sheva, which literally means the well of the seven. The Hebrew words for seven and oath are the same. Therefore, it was called that because the two men swore an oath there. Sheva comes from the root shevar, whichmeans to swear. After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his forces, returned to the land where the Philistines would eventually settle five or six centuries later in the twelfth century (21:31-32). Abimelech and Phicol were the forerunners of the Philistines; they lived in the same territory that the Philistines would control later. Then Abimelech and Phicol went from Beersheba back to Gerar.

In honor of the treaty, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. The planting of this long-lived tree, with its hard wood, and its long, narrow, thickly clustered evergreen leaves showed that he intended to stay in the land of the Philistines for a long time (21:34). This would be his home and he began putting down roots. And there he called upon the name of the LORD, ADONAI, El-Olam, meaning ADONAI the Eternal God (21:33). Although he made a treaty with an earthly king, Abraham recognized that ADONAI Himself had made an eternal blood covenant with him, to give him and his offspring all of the Promised Land forever. Isaac was probably born there and grew up to be a young man.³⁵⁰ And just as Avraham’s life started to look routine, it took a shocking twist.

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
21: 8-21

Hagar and Ishmael are sent away DIG: From Sarah’s perspective, why must Hagar and Ishmael be sent away? From God’s perspective? How is Abraham’s distress due to past mistakes? How did God use human emotions to further His plan? How did Elohim help Ishmael, even though he was not the son that God had promised Avraham?

REFLECT: Who, like Hagar or Ishmael, is the one with whom you don’t get along? How are you handling the discord? What can you do to change the situation? Is there something or someone you need to separate yourself from? Like Hagar, where do you need God’s comforting presence in your life?

This problem constitutes another trial for Abraham. For several years, Abraham was content in believing that Ishmael would be his heir. He had been building the personal father/son relationship which normally develops between all parents and their children. But now that Isaac was born, things changed.

Isaac had brought so much joy to Abraham and Sarah. It seemed the laughter that had filled their household would go on forever. The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Avraham held a great feast (21:8). The weaning was regarded as a joyous occasion, as we find with Samuel, who on being weaned was taken by his mother to the Tabernacle at Shiloh. Children were weaned between the ages of two or three in those days. But in the midst of the laughter, apparently, Hagar and Ishmael were almost forgotten. By this time Ishmael was in his mid teens, probably around sixteen years old (16:15-16). One person’s cause for joy can be another’s cause for resentment.

Anger welled up in Ishmael as he saw Isaac become the center of attention. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Avraham was mocking Isaac (21:9). The animosity of Hagar toward Sarah had been instilled in Ishmael toward Isaac. The rabbis teach that Sarah assumed that Ishmael’s mocking was the echo of what he had heard from his mother. The Hebrew word for Isaac, yitzchak, and the Hebrew word for mocking, metzachek, have the same root. Literally, it means Ishmael was isaacing Isaac. He was not playing with Isaac as some have suggested. In the B’rit Chadashah, Rabbi Sha’ul says Ishmael persecuted him, or pursued him with hostility (Galatians 4:28-31). Children often do this to each other. The problem here was that Ishmael, who was around sixteen years old, was mocking Isaac, who was two to three years old. Metzachek is found several times in Genesis where it is used in the negative sense of ridicule (19:14, 39:14 and 17). It is interesting that Ishmael’s name is absent from this entire section. He is referred to as the son, his son, or the boy, but never Ishmael. It is as if he was not even there, and as far as being the son of promise, he was absent from the mind of God.

In a jealous fit, Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of, or drive out, that slave woman and her son. Thus, Abraham was faced with a test. All throughout his life, Abraham had been called by God to trust His promises. Now circumstances called for a trial of his ability to do so concerning his son Ishmael, whom he loved. The way Abraham would respond to this trial would prepare him for his ultimate test (to see link click Fm – Take Your Only Son Isaac, and Sacrifice Him as a Burnt Offering). Could he trust in God’s ability to fulfill His promises enough to slay the very one in whom those promises were to be fulfilled?

Sarah’s concern was one of inheritance. The Code of Hammurabi said that the son of a slave woman had a legal claim on the father’s inheritance. But even knowing that, Sarah said that Hagar and Ishmael had to go, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac (21:10). This same verb, garas, is used to describe Adam being driven out of the Garden (3:24), and Cain being driven out of the presence of ADONAI (4:14). Sarah couldn’t even bear to call Hagar by name. She just referred to her as that slave woman. But most importantly, she didn’t want Ishmael to have any part of the spiritual inheritance that was rightfully Isaac’s. The whole situation was a tangled web of jealousy, anger and malice that bore bad fruit.

Abraham was a kind and generous man; however, this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael (21:11). But, Elohim, the God of righteousness, made it clear to Abraham that He was not going to accept Ishmael as the son of promise. It was not possible for the two families to live together. In His sixth of seven appearances to Avraham (12:1-7, 13:14-17, 15:1-21, 17:1-21, 18:1-33, 22:1-18),God said: Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant (21:12a). In every age God’s message to His people has been: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God (John 14:1). He said further: Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned (21:12b). Without a doubt Ishmael’s presence in the home would have made it extremely difficult to fulfill God’s purposes for Isaac. There could be no doubt about it, Ishmael had to go. Discipleship always involves discipline, and discipline is always necessary for spiritual blessing. God was taking the tangled threads of Abraham’s life, weaving them into His own divine pattern, and overriding everything for good. Happy for us if, like Paul, we can rely on the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33)!³⁴³

As Abraham’s son, Ishmael would receive his own special blessings from God (17:18), but he would not, and never could have been, the child of promise. After Sarah’s death, Avraham would have six other sons by a new wife, Keturah (25:1-2); but like Ishmael, none of those could have been the child of promise. Later, Paul would quote Moses and repeat once again: It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned (Rom 9:7-9).³⁴⁴

Muslims teach that it is through Ishmael that the promises of God are fulfilled. But Paul teaches the spiritual lesson that as far as salvation goes, between law and grace, the flesh and the spirit cannot coexist (Galatians 4:21-31). Paul argues that those who are born after the flesh, are the spiritual descendants of Hagar, great in number but nevertheless under the burden to keep the commandments, and they seek salvation through the impossible task of making sinful flesh keep the Torah perfectly. The Torah speaks of God’s Covenant with Moses, a conditional covenant, given on Mount Sinai in Arabia where Ishmael lived.

Those who are to share in God’s heavenly promises, centered in Jerusalem, are children of faith, like Isaac. The Torah can never give life; but God’s promise, received by faith, gives eternal life (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). These children of faith are not in bondage to Elohim’s covenant with Moses, whose terms are impossible to obey. But they are under God’s covenant with Abraham, given unconditionally and appropriated solely by faith in the promises. Those who live by faith are free, like Sarah. However, those who live by the flesh are slaves, like Hagar (see the commentary on Galatians Bq – Abraham had Two Sons, One by a Slave Woman and One Free).³⁴⁵ As a result, they could not coexist; when Isaac showed up, Ishmael had to go!

But because Ishmael was Abraham’s son, Elohim would make him into a nation also. Abraham need not worry that Hagar and Ishmael would die in the desert. God said: I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also because he is your offspring (21:13). Ishmael will benefit from the blessing aspect of God’s covenant with Abraham, and he showed no signs of rebellion.

As painful as it was to do, Abraham did not procrastinate. Early the next morning he took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. It was an ancient Egyptian custom for the women to carry burdens on their shoulders, so he set the food and the skin of water on her shoulders and then sent her off with her son. In view of Abraham’s wealth, this wasn’t very much to send off with them. But Abraham had faith that God would take care of them. He knew that no matter how much he gave them, it would not be enough; but with God, they would not lack. Quite possibly, he knew it would be for their own good if they would quickly learn they must depend on God, and no longer on Abraham, to supply their needs. He loved that boy and I don’t think he ever saw him again. Ishmael was his son and it was heartbreaking for Abraham to have to give him up. For about sixteen years he had been the joy of his life. But Hagar went on her way with Ishmael and wandered in the desert of Beersheba (21:14). The food and the skin of water was no doubt enough to enable them to reach another settlement, had they not become lost.³⁴⁶

Archaeology has revealed that there were numerous settlements at this time in the vicinity of what would later become known as Beersheba, and it seems that Hagar and Ishmael set out in this direction. However, they lost their way. After wandering for some time, when the water in the skin was gone, she put her son under one of the bushes because Ishmael was at the point of death (21:15). He had probably given most of the water to his mother. Finally, he fell down. Unable to continue, Hagar went off and sat down nearby, about a bow shot away, for she thought to herself, “I cannot watch my son die. And as she sat there nearby, she began to pray and sob” (21:16). God brought them to the point where they could no longer continue in their own strength. They, like Abraham, would need to learn to trust Him.

Then God heard Ishmael crying and the Angel of God, the preincarnate Christ, called to Hagar from heaven. This is the second time that the preincarnate Christ had rescued Hagar. Earlier, when she ran out into the desert because of her mistreatment at the hand of Sarai, He found Hagar near a spring in the desert (16:7a). There, He was called the Angel of the Lord, the redeemer, because she was still under the roof and protection of Abraham. Here, He is called the Angel of God, because Hagar was then a foreigner to the covenant of promise (Ephesians 2:12). But He is the God of all mankind, and He graciously said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there” (21:17). Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink (21:19).

The Angel of God said: Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation (21:18). And God would fulfill His promise, because He was with the boy as he grew up (21:20a). In the book of Acts it is written that ADONAI was with Joseph (Acts 7:9) and Jesus (Acts 10:38). We often encourage each other with the words of Messiah: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). How wonderful to know God’s acceptance through Christ and His presence is with us always. Here we read the very same presence is with Ishmael. God must have loved him very much. He heard his cry when he was lying under the bushes and performed a miracle for his mother in order to take care of him, just as Elohim did with Abraham, David and others after His own heart. He was with Ishmael. God never says anything bad about Ishmael.

Since there was no farming, Ishmael provided for himself and his mother by becoming an archer as they lived in the desert (21:20b).

The Muslims teach that Abraham took Ishmael and Hagar and made a new settlement in Mecca, called Paran, because of a divine instruction given to Abraham as a part of God’s plan. They teach that Hagar ran around seven times between two hills, Sofa and Marwa, looking for water; this became then an Islamic ritual for the annual Pilgrimage in Mecca by millions of Muslims from all over the world. The well of water (21:19) is still present, now called Zamzam. They also teach that both Abraham and Ishmael later built the holy stone Ka’bah in Mecca. The supposed spot where Abraham used to perform prayers near the Ka’bah is still present, now called Maqom Ibrahim, or the Station of Abraham. Therefore, during the day of Pilgrimage, Pilgrims in Mecca and Muslims all over the world commemorate the supposed offering of Abraham and Ishmael by slaughtering cattle.³⁴⁷

While he was living in the Desert of Paran, a desert region in what is now the Sinai Peninsula, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt, the idolatrous land of her upbringing(21:21). She became so identified with this region that Sha’ul would say of her, “Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia” (Galatians 4:25). Obtaining a wife for a son is still the common practice in the Near East. Genesis 10 tells us that the Egyptians were descendants of Ham, who were anti-Semitic, which only adds to the antagonism that was already there. Here, Ishmael drops out of the picture until we learn of his death after bearing twelve sons (25:12-18). But the great nation that God had promised had begun.

In a sense, Ishmael was a symbol of Abraham’s and Sarah’s lack of faith. God knew that they should have faithfully waited for the promised son. However, when Ishmael was conceived, God did not angrily reject him and toss him aside. Instead, God loved the boy and agreed to bless him. When our frail faith results in costly mistakes, God can turn our penitent regret into blessing for His own purposes.³⁴⁸

The Birth of Isaac
21: 1-7

The birth of Isaac DIG: What does this story reveal about God’s patience and faithfulness? Abraham’s obedience (see 17:12, 19)? How did the birth of Isaac once again show that the LORD is El Shaddai, God Almighty? What are the nine ways that Isaac is a type of Christ?

REFLECT: What promises has the LORD kept in your life? What personal dream would you like to see fulfilled in your lifetime? Does God need us to carry out His plan?

The birth of Isaac (Hebrew: Yitz’chak) marked a pivotal point in the outworking of God’s eternal purpose. After the call of Abraham to be the father of the faithful, the birth of Isaac was the second great step toward the fulfillment of the LORD’s plan. His eternal desire was to have a people of His own, separate from the surrounding nations; a people who should be trusted with His Word; a people through whom the Savior was to be born; and a people who, ultimately, would become the means of blessing to the entire earth.³³⁸

Now the appointed time for the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and Sarah had come and ADONAI, the giver of blessings, kept His promise. He was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised in 17:19 and 18:10. This is the bedrock in the life of a believer. God is faithful. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Avraham in his old age. There is a striking similarity between the birth of Isaac and the birth of the Messiah. Isaac was to be born at the very time Elohim, the God of creation, had promised him (21:1-2). More is said about Isaac’s birth than any other birth in the Bible except for the birth of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Isaac is a type of Christ and his birth foreshadowed the birth of the Lord, because when the time had fully come, God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4a; Mark 1:15; Romans 5-6; Ephesians 1:10).

Abraham gave the name Isaac, or Yitz’chak, to the son Sarah bore him. For the second time Abraham names a son. Ishmael was Abraham’s choice for the name of his son of the flesh, but Isaac was God’s choice for the name of the son of promise. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Avraham circumcised him, as God commanded him (21:3-4). Isaac was greatly loved by his parents, who taught him in the ways of righteousness (18:19), and no doubt, rehearsed over and over again all the great promises that God had in store for him. In turn, Isaac was an obedient son, fulfilling his parents’ hopes and dreams.

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Yitz’chak was born to him (21:5). The age of the patriarchs are given at the important turning points in their lives. The bodies of Abraham and Sarah had been miraculously rejuvenated. Sarah not only gave birth at ninety, but she also nursed Isaac. Abraham not only fathered Isaac, but also six other sons of his wife Keturah after Sarah died (25:2).³³⁹

Sarah said to him, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me,” compared to the past when Hagar had laughed at her. And she also said: Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? In fact, God had said several times to Abraham that his wife would bear a son. Sarah was aware of that promise. What she wishes Elohim would have said is that she would mother children, and not just one son.³⁴⁰ Yet, I have borne him a son in his old age (21:6-7).

The birth of Isaac foreshadowed the birth of Jesus Christ in nine ways. God did not suddenly spring the virgin birth on mankind. He had prepared us by several miraculous births before this, including the birth of John the Baptizer, the birth of even Samson, and here, the birth of Isaac. The foreshadowing between the birth of Isaac and the birth of Christ is truly remarkable.³⁴¹

First, the birth of Isaac and the birth of the Meshiach had both been promised. When God called Avraham out of Ur of the Chaldean’s twenty-five years earlier, God said to him, “I am going to give a son to you and Sarah.” And after all that time, ADONAI has made good on His promise. God also said to the nation of Isra’el: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14; also see Matthew 1:23). When Yeshua was finally born in Bethlehem, it was a fulfillment of prophecy (Micah 5:2). In fact, both births had been promised.

Secondly, with both births there was a long interval between the promise and the fulfillment. Twenty-five years passed from the time God promised that Isaac would be born until it came to pass (12:2). There were also many generations between the prophecies in the TaNaKh and the birth of Yeshua. For example, a thousand years before Christ was born, God had promised that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, so both had long intervals of time between the promise of their coming and their births.

Thirdly, the announcement of the births seemed amazing to both Sarah and Mary. You will recall that two angels and the Lord visited Abraham on the way to Sodom, and they announced the birth of Isaac. It seemed so amazing that Sarah laughed to herself (18:10-12). And Miryam was just as amazed. When the angel Gabriel announced the virgin birth to Mary she said: How can this be, since I am a virgin (Luke 1:34)?

Fourth, both Isaac and Jesus were named before their births. Avraham and Sarah were told they were going to have a son and they were going to call him Isaac (17:19). And with the birth of the Lord Jesus, we find that He was also named beforehand. The angel said to Joseph: You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21b).

Fifth, both births occurred at God’s appointed time. Earlier in this chapter we were told that Yitz’chak was born at the very time God had promised him (21:2), and regarding the birth of Jesus, we note that Paul says: But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4a).

Sixth, both births were miraculous. The birth of Isaac was a miraculous birth because Avraham’s body was as good as dead and Sarah’s womb was also dead (Romans 4:19), and certainly the virgin birth of the LORD was a miracle (Luke 1:34-35).

Seventh, both sons were a particular joy to their fathers. Abraham gave the name Isaac, or laughter, to the son Sarah bore him (21:3). Both Avraham and Sarah laughed when she heard they would have a son; she laughed because of the sheer joy of it all. When Yeshua was baptized, God the Father spoke out of heaven and said: This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16). Both sons were a joy to their fathers.

Eighth, both sons were obedient to their fathers, even to the point of death. In the next chapter we are going to see that his father offered Yitz’chak as a sacrifice. Isaac was not a young boy of seven or eight years, but a full grown man in his early thirties, and he was obedient even to the point of death. That was true of Isaac and it was true of Jesus Christ. Isaac foreshadows the birth, life and death of Messiah.

Finally, the miraculous birth of Isaac is a picture of the resurrection of Christ. As Paul stated above, Abraham’s body was as good as dead and Sarah’s womb was also dead (Romans 4:19). The resurrection brings life out of death. Then Rabbi Sha’ul goes on to say that Yeshua was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25).³⁴²

But soon after Yitz’chak was born, opposition was aroused.

Then God Healed Abimelech, His Wife and His Slave Girls
So They Could Have Children Again
20: 17-18

Then God healed Abimelech, His wife and his slave girls so they could have children again DIG: Why was it necessary for Avraham to pray? What was the result? What was the Adversary trying to do? Why? What did He learn from this experience?

REFLECT: How is your testimony to the pagan world around you? Do you point people to Christ or have them mock Him? What pagan does God want you to pray for?

For his part, Abraham prayed to God on behalf of Abimelech (20:17a). Avraham was the one who lied; nevertheless, it took his prayer to remove the curse. The blessing and cursing aspect of the blood Covenant that God had with Abraham (to see link click Ef – Abram Believed the LORD and He Credited It to Him as Righteousness), was still in effect despite his disobedience. That is the nature of an unconditional covenant.

Even though he was guilty, Avraham’s prayer was effective, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again (20:17b). The rabbis teach that a plague was brought upon Abimelech’s household, which consisted of some disease that made childbearing impossible. For ADONAI had closed up every womb in Abimelech’s household because of Abraham’s wife Sarah (20:18). Earlier God had told Avraham, “I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse” (12:3). When Abimelech sent for Sarah and took her into his harem, his action could have resulted in Isaac not being born. Satan was doing everything he could possibly do to prevent the Seed of the Woman (3:15) from going to the cross. If Isaac were not born, Jacob would not be born. If Jacob were not born, Judah would not be born. And if Judah were not born, the Messiah would not be born. However, God is in control, so the curse for curse principle was visited upon Abimelech and his household to get his attention.

In Abimelech we meet with a totally different character from that of Pharaoh. We see him as a pagan with a moral conscious of right and wrong, and open to receive revelation from God, of which there was not the slightest trace in the king of Egypt.³³⁷

The final outcome of this unpleasant experience was that Abraham finally learned that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Never again would he question God; however, the same cannot be said about Abraham’s son.

Abimelech said to Sarah:
I am Giving Your Brother a Thousand Shekels of Silver
20: 16

Abimelech said to Sarah: I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver DIG: Why does God hold Abraham, and not Sarah, responsible for the sin? What other examples of this do we have from Scripture? What is the difference between the relationship between the husband and the wife, and the responsibility of the husband? What gift did Abimelech give Avraham? Why did he give it?

God held Abraham responsible for what went on in the relationship (to see link click Bf – Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband and He Will Rule Over You). It is sad to say that the issue of marital roles is one of the most confused areas for believers today. The main problem, in my opinion, is the confusion between man’s relationship with his wife, and his responsibility with what goes on in the marriage.

Let’s look at the relationship first. The Bible clearly teaches that men and women are equals socially, psychologically and spiritually. In other words, they are equals in their relationship with one another. God created us as equals (1:27-28), and we are to be one when married (2:24). We are equally sinful (Romans 3:23) and equally saved (John 1:12-13; Second Corinthians 5:17; First Peter 3:7). Husbands and wives are to submit to each other sexually (First Corinthians 7:2-5) and socially (Ephesians 5:21). Furthermore, the Bible teaches that there shall be no sexual discrimination (Galatians 3:28). Men and women are equally dependent on God (First Corinthians 11:11-12), accepted equally as believers (Acts 5:14), and co-laborers for Him (Romans 16:1, 3-6; Philippians 4:3).

The second area the Bible teaches about is marital responsibility. Even though men and women are equal in their relationship, ultimately God holds men responsible for what goes on in the marriage. Even though Sarah was a willing participant, both Pharaoh (12:18) and Abimelech (20:9) held Abraham responsible. Avraham’s son Isaac was held responsible for his lie about Rebekah (26:9). Adam and Eve both ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; in fact, Eve led the way, but God held Adam responsible (3:9). This principle is not only taught in the TaNaKh, but also in the New Covenant where Sha’ul tells us that through one man sin entered the world (Romans 5:12, 14, 17). Responsibility implies accountability and God held Adam, Abraham and Isaac accountable.

To Sarah Abimelech said: I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. By saying your brother rather than your husband, Abimelech’s innocence in the affair is emphasized. To put this in perspective, thirty shekels was the price of a slave. So Abraham receives a large amount of money in addition to the animals and the servants of 20:14. Although the money was given to Abraham, as was the custom, the purpose of the money was to vindicate Sarah. Abimelech said: This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you. This means the eyes of Sarah’s acquaintances will be blind to what happened and therefore they will not criticize her. In essence, Abimelech said to Sarah: unlike Avraham, you are completely vindicated from all that has gone on (20:16).

Abimelech Brought Sheep and Cattle to Abraham
and He Returned Sarah His Wife to Him
20: 9-15

Abimelech brought sheep and cattle to Abraham and He returned Sarah his wife to him DIG: What were Abraham’s excuses for not telling Abimelech that Sarah was really his wife? Why did Abimelech hold Avraham responsible? Why was this episode important in the prophetic son of promise and the Messiah? Why did the King of Gerar give gifts to Abraham? What contrast is there between Pharaoh and Abimelech?

REFLECT: Have you ever stumbled by the sin of another believer? Have you ever knowingly stumbled someone else? What did you do about it? What can you do about it?

The Bible shares with other Near Eastern works the concept that adultery is the great sin. Avraham’s role here is reversed from Chapter 18. There, Abraham challenged God; here, God challenges Abraham through a pagan king. Before, God asked Abraham to pray for Abimelech; now, the pagan king rebuked both Abraham and Sarah for almost having him killed and his kingdom destroyed. Then Abimelech called Avraham in and demanded: What have you done to us? Why did you do this? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done. Then Abimelech demanded an answer: What was your reason for doing this terrible thing (20:9-10)?

God held Abraham responsible for what went on in his marriage (to see link click Bf – Your Desire Will Be For Your Husband and He Will Rule Over You). God had put Abimelech in power, and when Avraham lied and rebelled against Abimelech, he also lied and rebelled against God. Later Rabbi Sha’ul would tell us: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves (Romans 13:1-2).

Vainly trying to justify his behavior, Avraham said to Abimelech: This was what I said to myself, “There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife” (20:11). Not only was he clearly wrong about that, but more importantly, Abraham was not trusting God (Psalm 56:3). Then he tried to explain his relationship with Sarah by saying: Besides she really is my half-sister, the daughter of my father though not my mother; and she became my wife (20:12). But, she was obviously much more his wife than his sister. Avraham had some shining moments, but this wasn’t one of them.

When Abraham used the phrase: And when God had me wander from my father’s household, he makes the point that this was his practice at least from Haran, and possibly even from Ur of the Chaldeans. This was something Avraham had brought with him from the place of his birth. It was a part of his old nature that had not been dealt with. He had a fear that he would be killed for Sarah’s sake if someone thought he was her husband. So in his fear and weakness Abraham said to her, “This is how you can show your love to me. Everywhere we go, tell everyone that I am your brother” (20:13). The two of them had this standing agreement for twenty-five years! Wherever they traveled, Sarah was passed off as Avraham’s sister. Because of his fear, Abraham became a slave to that sin. This sin had to be dealt with before God was going to hear and answer Abraham’s prayer for a son. Isaac would not be born until Abraham confessed his sin of not relying on God.

How did Abraham come clean before God? How do any of us come clean? To start with we need to openly examine and confess our faults to ourselves, to God and to someone we trust to hold us accountable. What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record (Psalm 32:1-2). This step is necessary because guilt destroys our confidence, damages our relationships and keeps us stuck in the past. These were all true of Avraham.

How do we come clean with God? The first step we need to take is a moral inventory. This will not work unless we are brutally honest with ourselves. Let us examine our ways and test them (Lamentations 3:40a). Secondly, we need to accept responsibility for our faults. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (First John 1:8). Thirdly, we need to confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness. Don’t beg, don’t bargain, and don’t bribe; just be honest. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). Fourthly, we need to admit our faults to another person that we can trust. I believe Abraham admitted his sin to Sarah his wife. Then lastly, accept God’s forgiveness and be set free. All of us have sinned . . . yet God declares us not guilty if we trust in Jesus Christ, who freely takes away our sins (Romans 3:23-24), because there is no condemnation for those who live in union with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). I believe that Abraham followed these steps and was set free. I believe that because a destructive twenty-five year habit was broken, never to be heard of again. The son of promise could now be born to Abraham.

Then Abimelech, who had the right to be upset with him, brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Avraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him (20:14). It is obvious that Abimelech gave these gifts to remain blameless. Abraham refused to take the spoil of battle when he had defeated the four kings of the east. He had also been most generous in giving Lot the choice of the best lands. It seems odd at first that he would now accept these gifts from Abimelech. Probably it was not greed on his part but rather his recognition that to refuse would offend Abimelech further.³³⁶ And Abimelech announced: My land is before you; live wherever you like (20:15). In contrast to Pharaoh who ordered Abraham to leave, Abimelech offers Abraham to stay. Here the unbeliever out gives the believer.

Then God Came to Abimelech in a Dream
20: 3-8

Then God came to Abimelech in a dream DIG: Who else received a message from Elohim in a dream? What punishment did Abimelech receive? What was the king’s response? What was his defense? What does God’s dealing with Abimelech teach us about His righteousness? About God’s mercy?

REFLECT: When was the last time you had a conversation with God about something you did wrong? How did you respond? What happened? Why?

Regardless of Abraham’s sin, God would not allow His blood Covenant with Avraham to be broken. Earlier God had made Pharaoh aware of whom Sarai really was by sending plagues. Here He reveals Himself to a pagan king in a dream. This is the first of four times an outsider receives revelation from God in a dream (31:24, 40:5, and 41:1).³³⁵ Before Abimelech touched Sarah, Elohim came to Abimelech in a dream one night and warned him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman” (20:3). In addition, He closed up every womb (20:18) in Abimelech’s household and harem. Here again the cursing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is seen (12:3). Because the blood Covenant is unconditional, and even though it was Avraham that sinned, yet, God still intervened on his behalf.

Presumably Abimelech’s response was still part of the dream. Abimelech was stunned and frightened, but he had not gone near her sexually, so he said: Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? In the previous verse, the threat was only against Abimelech. But here it is also a threat to the entire city-state of Gerar. The king’s behavior determines the future of his subjects.

He defends himself by saying Abraham and Sarah deceived him. Did he not say to me, “She is my sister,” and didn’t she also say, “He is my brother?” He defends himself by saying that both his internal attitude and his external actions have been beyond reproach. The king said: I have done this with a clear conscience; in other words, there was no intention to sin against Abraham or God, and (he had) clean hands. He had not touched her and therefore had not committed any sexual sin (20:4-5). Then God responded.

A day or so later, Elohim said to him in a second dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me.” If the son of promise were to be born, it would have to happen by the grace of God. That is why I did not let you touch her (20:6). Ultimately, all sin is against God. King David took Bathsheba and got her pregnant, killed her husband and other soldiers, and dishonored the nation and the office of the king. But when he repented to God, he said: Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:4a). Did he sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, the soldiers and the nation? Of course he did. But he is overwhelmed by the fact that his real sin was ultimately against God.

Then God instructed Abimelech, “Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet.” This is the first use of the word prophet in the TaNaKh. Abraham was a prophet because he received revelation from God. In spite of Avraham’s own sin, his standing before God remains the same. He will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die (20:7). Now that the pagan king has been informed, he must act.

Abimelech may not have known anything about the true God before, but he certainly knew Him now. Rising early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and told them all that had happened. It seems that Abraham’s concern that there was no fear of God in Gerar was not true, because they were very much afraid when the king informed them of his dream (20:8). So Abimelech called Abraham to meet with him and confront him with his grievous sin.