Gen 21

Question	Answer	Note---10-02-2016
		21:1 This chapter seems like a direct continuation from Gen 18-19.
		21:2 This is the fulfillment of the prophecy in 18:14.
		Gen 21:4  Fulfilled as requested  in 17:12
		Gen 21:5 Isaac born when Abraham is 100 years old. Ishmael born when Abraham was 86 years (gen 16:16)
What does this verse mean?	This verse can be reworded “God hath made me a laughing stock, so that all who hear will mock me”	21:6 This is not a compliment but rather a complaint. Sarah seems to be complaining that she has had a child in this old age.
		21:7 This is just another statement expressing the miracle child that Isaac was. Sarah was able to breast feed Isaac even in her old age when her body had obviously given over the possibility.
		21:8 There is no mention of how old Isaac was when he was weaned.
		21:9-10 Sarah suggests to put the woman and her (14-19 yrs) son out because of the mocking. It is not clear who was being mocked. However, from Gen21:6 we see the same word being used and thus would assume that the mocking was directed toward Sarah and not so much Isaac.
		21:9 Sarah was acknowledging Ismael as the heir (over Isaac), and rightly so because, he was the first born for Abraham and he was born in the house. (gen 15:3)
Why would God tell Abraham it is o.k. to evict the bondwoman and her child?	God was succinctly making the point that He did not support the practice of having children from bondwomen. Although God works with our circumstances and culture, He still maintains His principles. Consequently, the first born of Abraham from Hagar the bond woman was rejected.	21:11-12 Abraham did not want to put out Ismael, but the Lord says let it be.
		21:12 “for in Isaac shall thy name be called” This is referring to the promise of God that it is through Isaac that the Messiah will come. In the same way that Adam had other children, but they were unimportant, because they were not in the genealogy of the messiah, it is the same way that the other children of Abraham are unimportant because they were not in the gene pool of Christ.
		21:13 Nevertheless Ismael is not neglected by God because he is nonetheless the seed of Abraham.
How much bread and water could she have carried, and would it have sufficed for her journey, to where?	It is not clear why Abraham would not have properly furnished the woman with food a provision to last a while. It is not clear why there is no mention of where the woman was going.	21:14-15 This seems like a heartless sending away. A little bread and one bottle of water for two people.
Why is it not mentioned that she was on her way back to Egypt?	It could be that she was on her way to Egypt, since Beer-Sheba was on the way to Egypt (the place of her origin)
Why didn’t Hagar recall the promise that God had made her before that Ishmael was going to be a nation; why is it that she thought the child was going to die?	This shows that she did not have a relationship with the Lord, or her relationship was very fickle and there was no substance to it.	21:16  It is clear that Hagar thinks that the child is about to die and at a glance it seems like she puts her child under the shrubs in order not to witness his death. Because she is the mother of the child, no doubt this is a moment of sorrow for her. Any God-fearing mother would use this opportunity to plea to the Lord to save their child. But we do not see this here. Instead it seems she was paying her last respects to the dying child, when she sat down and began to cry. It is assumed that once she done her mourning, she would have abandoned the youth to die.
		21:16 Given that Hagar was a slave, she would have been stronger than Ishmael which grew up in the house. Hagar was accustomed to hard work while Ishmael was accustomed to being pampered. As a result of the wilderness travel, he succumbed to the weariness of the journey, but Hagar did not.
		21:17 It is obvious here that in addition to Hagar crying, the Lad is praying too. Note that the angel appears saying that he has heard the voice of the Lad. (where he is – are supplied words)
		21:17 Ishmael would have known God better than Hagar his mother because he would have been spending more time with Abraham, and no doubt Abraham would have been teaching Ishmael his customs. This the scripture records that God heard the cries of Ishmael. God regarded Ishmael because he was the seed of Abraham. (gen 21:13)
Why would have God allowed Abraham to send out the woman and the young man from his house?	It seems that God had intended to have a one on one relationship with Hagar and Ishmael, but this could not have been done in the house of Abraham.	21:17 In the same way that after Terah (Abraham’s father) died, Abraham had a one on one with God, it seems that it was only after Hagar and Ishmael moving out that they could have had this relationship. It was only after being on their own that they would get to know God for themselves.
		21:17 No doubt Hagar and Ishmael observed Abraham and his communion with God, so they knew of God, but they needed a personal relationship (a wilderness experience), and this could only be had with them leaving the home of Abraham.
Was this well there before, or did it just miraculously appear? Was this the same well as gen 16:7?		21:19 God shows Hagar a well of water.
And if it was there before, could it be that God brought her to it, because she was not close to it?
Was this well already dug?
Given that she uses the same one bottle that Abraham gave her, to catch water for herself and her son. Could this be an indication that God uses whatever you have?		21:19
Why didn’t Hagar throw away the bottle if it was empty?	No doubt she kept the water in the event that she met a stranger with water, or as in this case come upon a well.	21:20 So it seems that they made a dwelling by the well, in the wilderness and did not go down to Egypt which may have been the original intention. The fact that it is mentioned that Ismael became an archer suggests that he made his living in the wilderness, from the wild animals that he caught.
		Paran = "place of caverns" A.           wilderness area bounded on the north by Palestine, on the west by the wilderness of Etham, on the south by the desert of Sinai, and on the east by the valley of Arabah; the exodus was through this area and probably all 18 stops were in this area
		21:21 Maybe Hagar found a wife from Egypt for Ishmael because that was where she was from originally.
		The story of Ishmael comes to a sudden end, and then switches back to Abraham, mid-chapter.
		21:22 We know that Abimilech is a title, this may not be the same abimilech from chapter 20. It seems chapter 20 is contuned in chapter 21 starting at verse 22.
		21:22 Phicol means strong. Note the reference to time is vague, and it may not be following what was communicated in the previous verse.
		21:23 However it is obvious that Abrham has had an encounter with Abimilech before, consequently it seems this is the same Abimilech.
		21:22 Based on the previous encounter, Abimilech is saying he knows that God is with Abraham.
		21:22-23 Although Abimilech was heathen he had regard for God, and here again is more proof that he has regard for God in what he says to Abraham.
		Maybe the plea to deal with the land, is referring to the people of the land.
Why does Abimilech request stop at his grandson?	Maybe this is in reference to the living, at the time the agreement was made.
		Gen 21:24-32 Abraham makes a coveneant with Abimilech.
Why is Abumilech said to have originated from the land of the philistines and originally it was from Egypt?	The Philistinian land, then belonged to Egypt, as noted in chapter 20. It was close by Gerar, which is philistinian land.