Genesis 21:1-7 Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a baby son in his old age, at the time God had said; and Abraham named him Isaac (meaning “Laughter!”). Eight days after he was born, Abraham circumcised him, as God required. (Abraham was 100 years old at that time.)
And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this shall rejoice with me. For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a child in his old age!”
If there had been a Guiness Book of World Records in Abraham and Sarah’s day, she would have set the all-time record. Currently, the oldest recorded woman to give birth is Erramatti Mangamma from India, who had twin girls via IVF at the age of 74 in 2019, though some reports state 73, setting a world record for motherhood at an advanced age through assisted reproductive technology. Prior to that, a Spanish lady gave birth in her 60’s, also through IVF.
Newborns need to be fed every two hours, a fact that always leaves young mothers sleep-deprived. Sarah likely had lots of servant girls to help her and might also have found someone to serve as a wet nurse, since formulas weren’t available. But if God could allow Sarah to deliver a baby at the age of ninety, He could certainly provide breast milk to feed that baby and strength for Sarah to care for that baby, two more miracles that the Bible fails to mention. (The Bible was written by men who had never struggled with newborn feeding schedules, so we have no information about these important questions!)
For Sarah, Isaac’s birth fulfilled a life-long dream at the same time it erased decades of shame for being childless. After years of fantasizing about holding a baby and playing with a baby, now Sarah could do both those things. When the baby was sleeping, Sarah would steal in to admire him and marvel once more at the miracle of this baby’s life. Sarah spent every waking moment adoring this miracle son who had redeemed her standing as a woman by his birth. Now nobody could mock Sarah’s barrenness ever again.
Abraham, of course, was strutting around, puffing out his chest. How many other men had fathered sons at the age of 100? Now Abraham had a son who could succeed him, for God had already promised that Isaac would be born and that Isaac would carry on Abraham’s line. But Abraham couldn’t help looking at Ishmael from time to time. After all, Ishmael was his first-born son, even if Ishmael’s mother was an Egyptian servant girl. What would happen to Ishmael, for God had made promises about him as well?
Genesis 21:8-10 Time went by and the child grew and was weaned; and Abraham gave a party to celebrate the happy occasion. But when Sarah noticed Ishmael—the son of Abraham and the Egyptian girl Hagar—teasing Isaac, she turned upon Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave girl and her son. He is not going to share your property with my son. I won’t have it.”
11-13 This upset Abraham very much, for after all, Ishmael too was his son.
But God told Abraham, “Don’t be upset over the boy or your slave-girl wife; do as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom my promise will be fulfilled. And I will make a nation of the descendants of the slave girl’s son, too, because he also is yours.”
14-16 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food for the journey, and strapped a canteen of water to Hagar’s shoulders and sent her away with their son. She walked out into the wilderness of Beersheba, wandering aimlessly.
When the water was gone she left the youth in the shade of a bush and went off and sat down a hundred yards or so away. “I don’t want to watch him die,” she said, and burst into tears, sobbing wildly.
17-21 Then God heard the boy crying, and the Angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Don’t be afraid! For God has heard the lad’s cries as he is lying there. Go and get him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well; so she refilled the canteen and gave the lad a drink. And God blessed the boy and he grew up in the wilderness of Paran, and became an expert archer. And his mother arranged a marriage for him with a girl from Egypt.
The whole thing with Ishmael started because Sarah refused to believe God could give her a son in her old age. Desperate for offspring, Sarah offered Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to Abraham as a concubine. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, becoming arrogant and mocking Sarah. Sarah demanded that Hagar leave the camp. Only God’s admonition plus a miracle spring of water saved Hagar, convincing her to return. But evidently even though Hagar returned, her attitude toward Sarah failed to improve, and Ishmael picked up on it. Now Ishmael was tormenting Isaac, realizing that Isaac had become the favorite while he was second-best.
This time, both Hagar and Ishmael were forced to leave Abraham’s camp permanently, wandering in the wilderness around Beersheba in southern Canaan. But even in such dire straits, God still sent comfort to Hagar and her son. First, God spoke to Hagar, reassuring her, and then God opened Hagar’s eyes to see a well nearby. Finally, God blessed Ishmael, just as He had promised Abraham, keeping him safe as he grew up in the wilderness of Paran, becoming an expert archer and marrying an Egyptian girl. It’s always tempting to focus solely on Isaac the miracle baby and the comfort he brings to Abraham and Sarah without realizing that the comfort God brings to Hagar and Ishmael in their exile is just as miraculous. When the Bible speaks of the wilderness of Paran, we might think of semi-desert with some grass, some grazing, and certainly some trees. WRONG!
This is a modern photo of the wilderness of Paran. The wilderness of Paran is entirely in Transjordan, east of the Arabah Valley. Finding any water is miraculous!
- The wilderness of Paran is adjacent to the land of Midian: 1 Kings 11:18 The land of Midian is located at modern Al Bad in North Saudi Arabia. We may not be sure of where Paran is located, but we are sure where Midian is.
- The wilderness of Paran is usually misplaced in the modern Sinai desert northwest of Elat.
- This is no where near Midian and for this reason is wrong and must be rejected.
- This means that most modern Bible maps wrongly located the wilderness of Paran.
- Scripture says that God “dawned from Seir and Paran” then descended on Mt. Sinai. This is a most fascinating detail clearly revealed in scripture but missed by most Bible students. As Israel sat waiting for God to come to Mt. Sinai, they saw Him come in glory from the north, like a small distant storm cloud that got closer and bigger until God hovered over Mt. Sinai and the “fireworks began”.
- Paran is a large wilderness area that extends from Petra (Kadesh Barnea) down to Midian, east of the Arabah valley.
- Paran is three stops due north of Sinai (Mt. Lawz): Numbers 10:11-12, 33
- The beginning of Paran is between Hazeroth and Rithmah. Paran begins south of Rithmah, includes Rithmah and continues to Petra. and is two stops after Mt. Sinai. Num 12:16; 33:17
- The wilderness of Paran includes Kadesh Barnea: Numbers 13:26
- Both the wilderness of Paran and the Wilderness of Zin included Kadesh Barnea
- The wilderness of Paran is located south and east of Kadesh Barnea, whereas the Wilderness of Zin is located north and east of Kadesh Barnea.
- The wilderness of Paran is where Ishmael settled: Genesis 21:21 and of course we know that Ishmael settled in modern north Saudi Arabia on the east side of the Arabah valley. https://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-wilderness-of-paran.htm
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to emember that You are still in the miracle business, even when we have created our own messes. Thank You for rescuing us from our stupidity. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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