Genesis 21:22 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Genesis 21:22

Comments

Abraham has become sufficiently wealthy and powerful for Abimelech and his chief captain to make a journey specifically to see him. He is still living in the land of the Philistines (Genesis 21:34) by permission of the king (Genesis 20:15). The purpose of the visit is for Abimelech to make a pact with Abraham, because he realises that God is with him. Reports have come back to him about Abraham’s increase, and perhaps his generals have felt uneasy about this and urged Abimelech to take steps to protect his realm.Again the Philistine king uses language which shows him to be a believer in God. He does not simply cause Abraham to swear by the God who Abraham believes in, as if that would have moral force on him without meaning much to the king, but he actually attributes Abraham’s increase in wealth to the Lord’s blessing. He values highly an oath between them which is sworn before the Lord. Perhaps he requires this oath, because he remembers that although Abraham is a man of God, there has been an occasion in the past when Abraham has lied to him. Abraham has grown rich and Abimelech knows that Abraham could be a threat to him, but he still trusts him and does not request him to leave his land. But Abraham wants to raise the matter of an injustice that has been done to him. He has not raised this matter before, but if there is to be a pact between them, then it is time to bring these things to the surface, so that the agreement can be established on peaceful terms. Abimelech’s men have stopped up a well belonging to Abraham. Either they did not know it was Abraham’s well – which seems unlikely – or they had not informed Abimelech what they had done. Some say this was the well by which Ishmael was resuscitated. Abimelech seems to speak with integrity when he denies any knowledge of this incident, and Abraham accepts his word for it.

Application

It is a right and proper thing for us to take a solemn oath under important circumstances which call for it, and it is no contravention of Christ’s injunction in the Sermon on the Mount, not to swear at all (Matthew 5:34-37).

Questions

The Prosperity Gospel teachers use passages like this to argue that Christians should expect to be blessed by God with riches today. But God made a particular covenant with Abraham, and there were two distinct parts to it. One part was temporary and involved promises to his physical descendants. They were to receive physical promises: a land of their own, plentiful harvests, protection from their enemies, and material prosperity. This part of the covenant we could call the national covenant and it was temporary until the time that Christ came. Abraham enjoyed these physical promises also, although many of them were only given to his descendants after he was dead. But he also had a spiritual seed, all who believe, both Jews and Gentiles. They were given far greater spiritual and eternal promises, of which the material promises given to the Jews were only a picture. Abraham, Hebrews tells us, did not set great value on these physical blessings, but saw in them God’s pledge to give him something far more wonderful in the world to come (Hebrews 11:16). Believers today do not inherit these material promises, but expect their good things in heaven. In this life the disciple is ready to lose his life lives for Christ’s sake and for the gospel’s, in order that he may save it (Mark 8:35).

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Genesis 21:22 Commentary and Bible Study