Read Genesis 21 here or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
Gen 21:1-21 {p} Isaac becomes Abraham’s heir when he is weaned
Gen 21:22-34 {p} Abimelech and Abraham make a covenant of peace
We have come to the first {p} strong paragraph division in several chapters …
18:1-19:38 {s} Abraham the prophet and intercessor/ overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah
20:1-18 {s} Abimelech takes but then restores Sarah, Abraham’s wife
21:1-21 {p} Isaac becomes Abraham’s heir when he is weaned
… which together makes the next Strong Theme. The Chiastic Structure will help us find the overarching topic.
The strong theme opens and closes with the prophecy and then birth of Isaac, the promised seed, so that is our first clue that the theme is Messianic. But then the central axis appears at first glance to deviate away from the Messianic theme. But does it? The gospel of Messiah Yeshua is the gospel of salvation by grace through faith for all who believe. YHVH was exercising grace to warn Lot of the coming judgment beforehand. Lot exercised faith in the warning to flee, while his married daughters and their husbands did not, and were destroyed with the wicked of the city. The central axis of the central axis is “Escape for your life!” But this is the gospel. We have all sinned and we all deserve the death penalty for our sins (violations of the Law). But in Messiah Yeshua, God has extended grace toward us and given us, because of His own great grace and mercy, an avenue of escape. The ball is now in our court. Do we believe in Him, and do we believe Him, and act on His word to us? If we do not believe, then we will not act, as Lot’s sons-in-law did not believe and did not act, and were destroyed with the wicked. But if we do believe, our actions will reflect that belief. And like our father Abraham, when we believe God (and act accordingly as Abraham acted, and as Lot acted) God will credit it to us for righteousness (Gen 15:6).
The theme of the central axis is repeated in Revelation:
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” Rev 18:4-5
The language mirrors the angels’ call to Lot to come out of Sodom. This is the teaching tool of Common Theme. Looking at the grand scope of Revelation as a whole, we see that before this call, the coming of Yeshua was prophesied, and following this call, the coming of Yeshua was realized, just as our strong theme opens with the promised seed prophesied and closes with the promised seed realized.
Gen 18:1-21:21 {s+s+p} Strong theme: The promised seed prophesied, and realized
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Genesis 21 – Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown Commentary
Revelation of Jesus Christ Revealed – Christine Miller
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