God has done as he has promised, and Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son. They named him Isaac (he laughs). As God had commanded, he was circumcised at eight days old. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son was born.
“Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age?”
-Genesis 21:6
Maybe that’s why they named him “he laughs.” I thought God told them they were to name him Isaac though. He had a plan all along.
Remember how I was asking what happened to Hagar and her child from Abraham? Well, they’re back. The son was laughing, so Sarah told Abraham to cast them out and get rid of them. “The son of this slave woman, will not be heir with my son Isaac.” This was very upsetting to Abraham, on account of his son.
“But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”
-Genesis 21:12-13
Hagar and her son went away. When Hagar realized the water had run out, and they would eventually die, she wept. God heard, and an angel of God called to her from heaven. Who is the angel of God? Is that God in a different form?
“Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water…And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.”
-Genesis 21:17-20
Then, I had some confusion when Abraham made some sort of treaty with Abimelech about a well. He set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock. I’m not entirely sure the meaning of this, other than it was a way to be witness to the oath taken and the covenant they were making.
“The Sacrifice of Isaac,” OMG! God was testing Abraham alright. He asked him to sacrifice his son. Wowza!
“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
So, Abraham loaded up his donkey, and with his son and two of his men they set out. On the third day they had found the place. He told the others to wait and him and Isaac were going to go worship and come back. He had Isaac carry the wood. Isaac started questioning though that there was wood for the burnt offering, but no lamb to sacrifice. Abraham said that God would provide one.
When they got to the place of the offering, he tied his son up on the alter, on top of the pile of wood. As he was about to slaughter him with a knife, thankfully the angel of the Lord called down from heaven.
He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
-Genesis 22:12
Just then, Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in the thicket by his horns. He got the ram and offered it as the burnt offering instead of his son. Talk about a test!
“And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
-Genesis 22:15-18
Why do they keep saying, “his only son?” It said he had a son with Hagar too. Or since he sent them away, he had disowned them or something?
Sarah died. She lived 127 years. It took Abraham some time it seemed to negotiate a place for burial. He was trying to get property from the Hittites.
“”I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
-Genesis 23:4
Rereading all of this, I’m pretty sure they were very accommodating to Abraham. I think Abraham was the one who insisted on paying them for the land, whereas they were going to give it to him. I’m not fully sure on that part, other than Sarah was buried in the cave of the field of Machpelah in the land of Canaan.
The story of Abraham & Isaac is a tough one. It’s always been my least favorite in the entire Bible. It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I began to understand it as 1) foreshadowing God the Father’s sacrifice of Jesus to redeem us & 2) helping us feel the heartache both Abraham & God the Father felt as they willingly offered their sons for redemption. Jesus also was the sacrifice (the Lamb of God) and like Isaac carried the wood he was to be sacrificed on when He carried His cross for most of the walk to the place of crucifixion.
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