Genesis chapter 21
"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 21v1-2
The concept of Genesis as the "seed plot of the bible" is advanced in chapters 21-25 which outline a prophetic programme of Jesus Christ as typified in Isaac.
Chapter 21 The miraculous birth of Isaac, the promised seed of Abraham.
Chapter 22 The symbolic death of Isaac on mount Moriah.
Chapter 23 The death of Sarah, symbolic of the defection of Israel.
Chapter 24 The mission of the servant to woo a Gentile bride, symbolic of the Church.
Chapter 25 Isaac inherits all his father's wealth, prefiguring the investiture of Christ.
As always, these subjects are expanded, and expounded, throughout scripture. This picture is the basis of all prophetic revelation unfolded in the sacred writings.
Chapter 21 opens with the birth of Isaac, the promised seed. God had promised Abraham a seed out of his own loins, who would be the first of an unnumbered multitude-Genesis 12v2; 13v16. About 8 years after this promise, and his wife Sarah being barren, and himself ageing beyond the natural ability to have children, Abraham began to doubt, as the possibility was growing more remote by the day. In chapter 15v5 God repeated His promise, without in any way diluting the promise, and Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. In chapter 16, it was the suggestion by Sarah that they achieve this by making Hagar, the household slave, a surrogate mother, a practice common in those days. God did not honour this arrangement and waited 17 years before appearing to Abraham again. He indicated this was a wrong move and instituted the rite of circumcision, indicating their move was in the flesh and not of God. In the things of God the flesh has to be put away. Some time later God reveals that the barren Sarah will conceive and the son would be called Isaac. This is about 19 years after He first promised him a seed. Humanly speaking this was impossible, and the extent of it is revealed in Romans 4v19-20. Abraham was a hundred years old, and Sarah was beyond bearing, but there is nothing impossible with God, who responds to amazing faith, and who constantly brings life from the dead. Note the precision in the verses quoted from chapter 21: 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. This was beyond nature, this was miraculous birth by all standards, and points to the supernatural birth of Christ who was descended Abraham through Isaac, and came into the world by incarnation.
"The Lord visited Sarah..."; this was a Divine action. Christ was born of a virgin-Isaiah 7v14; Matthew 1v23; Luke 1v30-35. He was born Immanuel-God with us, in a unique and supernatural birth. He came into the world by incarnation-Luke 1v35.
"As he had said..." He was the child of promise. From Genesis 3v15, all the way through the historic and prophetic narrative narrative, He was "The coming one".
The birth happened "As He had spoken...". Concerning Christ we know that the manner of His birth was predicted; the place of His birth was predicted-Micah 5v2, Matthew 2v6; the circumstances surrounding His birth was predicted-Matthew 2v13-15, 2v16-18; the purpose of His birth was declared-Luke 1v32, 2v11, 2v34; His birth was a fulfilment of the promise of God to Abraham-Luke 1v68-75.
It took place "at the set time of which God had spoken...". The birth of Christ the Messiah was the subject of meticulous timing-Romans 5v6, Galatians 4v4. God not only does things miraculously, but precisely. The passing of BC to AD was down to precision timing, just as His coming again is described in terms of days and hours-refer Matthew 25.
Abraham named his son at the birth, just as Jesus was named at His birth. The historical record is complete, the fulfilment of the Divine promise is complete, for "In Isaac shall thy seed be called"-Genesis 21v12, Romans 9v17, Hebrews 11v18.
On the page of the book of Genesis the birth of the Saviour was foretold.
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