36. God made all things right (Gen 21:17-34)

God protected and blessed Ishmael, who was driven out of his father's house. Abraham made a peace treaty with Abimelech

Please Read Gen 21:17-34

 God was faithful to the promise and blessed Ishmael (v14). What is another character of God that made Him take care of Hagar and Ishmael? (v17)

 

The resident tribe, the Philistines, saw that (          ) was with Abraham and requested Abraham to make a peace treaty.

In what way did Abraham confirm that he had dug the well of dispute?

 

What is the name of the well?


Answers & Meditation

Mercy

She was supposed to be blessed through Abraham according to God’s promise. But what happened to Hagar and her son was not what God had intended.

Therefore, God intervened in the situation. Verse 17 starts with ‘But.’ When mercy didn't flow through Abraham and Sarah to their slave woman so that there was no hope for her and her son, merciful God jumped in and rescued them.

Each verse of 17 ~ 20 addresses that God showed mercy on the boy and Hagar.

God’s faithfulness and mercy are two motivations for God’s works in human history. God is faithful to the Israelites and merciful to the Gentiles.

God

He had mocked them in chapter 20:16 when Abraham had called Sarah his sister. But here, Abimelech finally acknowledged God’s blessing for Abraham and asked Abraham to swear in God’s name.

He gave seven ewe lambs to them

Is it an ownership registration fee? This deposit showed Abraham’s swear that he had dug the well.

Beer Sheba

Abraham was happy because he got the promised son and made a peace treaty with the residents of the land. And he worshipped the Lord.

The name meant 'well of the oath.' The oath not only implies the peace treaty with Abimelech but also God's covenantal oath. 

Along Abraham’s journey, he encountered various names of God.

El-Elyon (Gen 14:22) ‘the Most High God’ after the victory

El-Shaddai (Gen 17:1) ‘Sovereign God’ or ‘Almighty God’ after Abraham's taking Hagar

El-Olam (Gen 21:33) ‘the eternal God’ ‘God of antiquity and futurity’ = God beyond the time.

Abraham called the Lord ‘the eternal God’ here. God is the same throughout the past, present, and future regardless of anything. He is faithful and merciful.

 

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