The Birth Of Isaac

Genesis 21:1-8

Twenty five years before, God had directed Abraham to Canaan, promising to give th eland too his descendants. Ten years later, convinced Sarah was too old, they had attempted to have a child using Hagar as a surrogate mother. God had made it very clear that was not what he intended, and finally Sarah got pregnant and had her own child.

“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” (Genesis 21:1-20)

Sarah was ninety when Isaac was born. Most others had children by the time they were thirty. After sixty years of trying, Sarah had believed she was incapable of having children, especially since Abraham was even older.

“And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.”(Genesis 21:3-5)

Just a year before Isaac’s birth, God had made a covenant with Abraham, to give his heirs the land forever. In return, his heirs were to make God their God. As a token of their acceptance of the covenant every male was to be circumcised when he was eight days old. Refusing circumcision was similar to giving up one’s citizenship today. When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham obeyed the command, and had Isaac circumcised.

“And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.” (Genesis 21:6-7)

Abraham had laughed with joy and Sarah with amazement when it was announced that Issac would be born. When he was born, one can only imagine the joy, and they named him Isaac, or ‘Laughter’ to commemorate the joy they experienced. Even despite God’s promise they had begun to despair that it would happen. As Proverbs 13:12 declares, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”

“And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.” (Genesis 21:8)

For the next couple of years, Isaac grew in a normal manner. When he was old enough to be weaned, it was a cause of celebration because it indicated that he had survived the most vulnerable period of his life. And was growing normally. It was a special milestone and was celebrated accordingly.