2 JULY GENESIS 21

The Fulfilment of Promise – Laughter, Letting Go, and Lasting Peace

After years of waiting, failed human attempts, and divine reassurance, the promise comes to pass, God opens Sarah’s womb, and the son of promise is born. Genesis 21:1–2 (NIV) "Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him." The emphasis is unmistakable: the Lord was faithful. His timing was precise. What had once seemed impossible had now become tangible. Isaac’s birth is the fulfilment of covenantal grace.

Genesis 21:3–5 (NIV) "Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him." Isaac means “he laughs”, a name that captures both the initial unbelief of Sarah and the overwhelming joy now realised. This laughter was no longer sarcastic; it was sacred. Genesis 21:6–7 (NIV) "Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’ And she added, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’"

The miraculous birth of Isaac becomes a prophetic picture of the Gospel: a promised son, born contrary to nature, bringing joy, identity, and the beginning of a greater nation. Yet even in joy, tension remained. Genesis 21:8–9 (NIV) "The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking." Ishmael, now likely a teenager, mocked Isaac, a behaviour that revealed underlying conflict. The time had come for separation.

Genesis 21:10 (NIV) "She said to Abraham, ‘Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.’" This was painful for Abraham. Ishmael was his son, too. Genesis 21:11–13 (NIV) "The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.’"

God confirms the covenantal line flows through Isaac, not Ishmael, but He also promises to care for Ishmael. Grace does not eliminate compassion. Hagar and Ishmael are sent away, but God does not abandon them. Genesis 21:15–19 (NIV) "When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, ‘I cannot watch the boy die.’ And as she sat there, she began to sob. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from Heaven and said to her, ‘What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water."

Just as in Genesis 16, God hears Ishmael (whose name means “God hears”) and shows mercy. A well is revealed, a provision of life and future in the wilderness.

The chapter closes with a covenant of peace between Abraham and Abimelek, reflecting Abraham’s growing influence and God’s ongoing favour. Genesis 21:22–24 (NIV) "At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, ‘God is with you in everything you do. 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 now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.’ Abraham said, ‘I swear it.’"

A dispute over water is resolved with oaths and offerings. Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and calls upon the everlasting God. Genesis 21:33 (NIV) "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God." Here, Abraham invokes the name El Olam—"The Everlasting God”.

His journey has gone from promise to partial fulfilment. He has witnessed birth, separation, protection, and peace. Now, he lifts his eyes to the One whose faithfulness never ends.