'''CHAPTER ELEVEN: ISAAC IS BORN'''
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ISAAC IS BORN
Months later, God visited Sarah, just as He had said He would.
And she gave birth to a son—Isaac. Twenty-five years had passed since God first called Abraham. At the age of 100 years old, Abraham finally had an heir to God’s promise (Genesis 21:1-3, 5-7).
Everyone in their household was happy and excited for Isaac’s birth—everyone, except Hagar and Ishmael.
Hagar and Ishmael Forced to Leave
One day Abraham and Sarah held a great feast in Isaac’s honour, who had grown from a tiny baby to a little child (Genesis 21:8).
As everyone celebrated, Sarah overheard Ishmael say rude and unkind things about Isaac. Fearing that Ishmael would someday become so jealous that he would do Isaac harm, Sarah spoke with Abraham.
“Hagar and Ishmael must leave,” she said. “Hagar’s son cannot be your heir while Isaac lives. Send them away now, before something horrible happens.”
Abraham did not want to do this. He had great affection for Ishmael. He worried that Ishmael would not be safe if he was cast out from their home.
But God reassured Abraham, saying, “Listen to Sarah and cast out Hagar and the boy. I will bless your descendants through Isaac. But do not worry about Ishmael. For your sake, I will make a great nation from him” (Gen 21:9-13).
Early next morning, Abraham gave Hagar and Ishmael food and water and tearfully sent them on their way. Carrying enough supplies to last until they would come to the next wellspring, the mother and son wandered through the Wilderness of Beersheba.
By the time the supplies were used up, they realized that they were lost. With the rugged desert wilderness being hot and dusty, Hagar knew that if they didn’t find water soon, she and her son would die!
Tired and weak, she placed Ishmael under a shrub to keep cool under its shade. Then she walked a small distance and sat down and cried (Gen 21:14-16).
With his mouth dry and parched, Ishmael could barely speak. He thought about the crude things he had said about his little brother.
Feeling sorry, Ishmael prayed to the one true God that Abraham had taught him about.
God heard his prayer.
The Messenger of the Eternal called out to Hagar and said, “Fear not. God has heard your son’s prayer. Arise and lift Ishmael up, for God will make him a great nation” (Gen 21:17-18).
Hagar looked up and saw a spring of cool, sparkling water appear from the desert floor. She and her son ran to it and drank until they could drink no more.
From that moment, God ensured that Ishmael would survive.
Growing up in the desert wilderness, Ishmael became an archer, skilled at hunting wild animals for food, clothing and protection. He spent so much time living in the wild away from people that he was like a wild man.
His mother brought him a wife from Egypt (Gen 21:19-21). They had many children. Eventually, their descendants became a great nation. Today, they are known as Arabs.
God Tests Abraham
Many years passed since Isaac was born. During that time, Abraham had taught him the importance of keeping God’s spiritual laws.
One day, when Isaac was a very young man, God decided to test Abraham. He wanted to know if Abraham learned the valuable lesson of always trusting God and not relying on himself.
So He said to him, “Abraham, take Isaac, your only son, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Once there, you will offer him to Me as a burnt sacrifice” (Genesis 22:1-2).
Abraham was stunned! For years, God had told him that He would produce a great people through Isaac. Yet God had just commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac—kill him!
“How could this be?” he wondered. Though Satan the devil tried to tempt him, Abraham did not allow doubts to keep him from obeying God. He was determined to obey God no matter what.
Early next morning, Abraham saddled his donkey and then chopped some wood to use for the burnt offering. Along with Isaac and two servants, he then travelled to the place where God wanted the sacrifice to be offered. Three days later, they arrived (Gen 22:3-4).
Abraham turned to his young servants and said, “Stay here with the donkey. Isaac and I will go up to the place of sacrifice and worship God. We will be back” (Gen 22:5).
Though God had commanded him to take Isaac’s life, Abraham knew that the Eternal would keep His promise.
As they walked, Isaac asked his father, “We have the wood, the knife and everything we need for the burnt offering. But where is the lamb that is to be offered?” Abraham looked his son in the eye and said, “God will provide the lamb” (Gen 22:6-8).
When they finally arrived at the place God had directed them, Abraham built an altar and set the wood in place. Then, to Isaac’s surprise, his father bound him with rope and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood (Gen 22:9).
Isaac’s eyes were wide with fear!
Calmly, Abraham said to him, “Put your trust in God.”
Then he stood over his son, stretched out his hand, ready to take the knife and kill his only son, the heir to God’s promise (Gen 22:10).
Just then, the Messenger of the Eternal called out to Abraham from heaven: “Abraham, Abraham!”
Abraham said, “Here I am.”
“Do not slay your son or do anything to him. Because you are willing to sacrifice your only son for Me, I now know that you fear God and will obey Me no matter what” (verses 11-12).
Abraham had passed the test!
God provided a ram, which was caught in a thicket by its horns, to be sacrificed. This led Abraham to call the place of worship “The-Eternal-Will-Provide” (Gen 22:13-14).
Again, God promised Abraham that He would bless him with many descendants, as numerous as the stars in heaven or sand on a seashore.
He said that they would be a mighty people.
“Because you have obeyed My voice, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed.”
Then Abraham, Isaac and the young servants returned home to Beersheba (Gen 22:15-18).
Sarah Dies
Some time later, after 127 years of living on the earth, Sarah died.
Abraham bought a large field, which had a cave, and buried his wife in the cave (Genesis 23:1-4, 17-20).
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