Lesson 11 – Isaac Promised and Abraham Tested (Genesis 21-23)
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OPEN IT
1. What do you think strongly tests people's faith?
EXPLORE IT
2. How was the Lord gracious to Sarah, and how did she respond? (21:1-7)
3. Why was Sarah upset with Hagar and her son, and what did she tell Abraham to do? (21:8-10)
4. How did Abraham respond to Sarah's request? (21:11-13)
5. What happened to Hagar and her son? (21:14-20)
6. What happened between Abraham and Abimelech? (21:22-34)
7. How did God test Abraham? (22:1-2)
8. What did God tell Abraham to do? (22:1-2)
9. How did Abraham respond to God's test? (22:3-10)
10. How did God spare Isaac's life? (22:10-12)
11. What substitute did God provide? (22:13-14)
12. What did God tell Abraham He would do because Abraham had not withheld his son? (22:15-18)
13. What did Abraham do when Sarah died? (23:1-20)
GET IT
14. Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?
15. When and how has God tested your faith?
APPLY IT
16. In what area of life is God asking you to trust and obey Him more fully this week?
Explore It Answers
This section is designed to prompt thoughts about how and why to derive each scripture-based answer, so the actual answer is based upon individual study and may not be fully disclosed here. Here, also, are parallel verses for the key scripture texts.
Biblical Answer 2
How was the Lord gracious to Sarah, and how did she respond? (21:1-7)
Key Scripture: Genesis 21:1-7 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 3
Why was Sarah upset with Hagar and her son, and what did she tell Abraham to do? (21:8-10)
Key Scripture: Genesis 21:8-10 | Parallel Texts: Psalm 24:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 14:12
Biblical Answer 4
How did Abraham respond to Sarah's request? (21:11-13)
Key Scripture: Genesis 21:11-13 | Parallel Texts: Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; Revelation 7:9
Biblical Answer 5
What happened to Hagar and her son? (21:14-20)
Key Scripture: Genesis 21:14-20 | Parallel Texts: James 1:19-20; Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:31-32
Biblical Answer 6
What happened between Abraham and Abimelech? (21:22-34)
Key Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 7
How did God test Abraham? (22:1-2)
Key Scripture: Genesis 22:1-2 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 10:32; Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:6-11
Biblical Answer 8
What did God tell Abraham to do? (22:1-2)
Key Scripture: Genesis 22:1-2 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9
Biblical Answer 9
How did Abraham respond to God's test? (22:3-10)
Key Scripture: Genesis 22:3-10 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 10:32; Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:6-11
Biblical Answer 10
How did God spare Isaac's life? (22:10-12)
Key Scripture: Genesis 22:10-12 | Parallel Texts: Galatians 3:8; Acts 3:25; Genesis 18:18
Biblical Answer 11
What substitute did God provide? (22:13-14)
Key Scripture: Genesis 22:13-14 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 17:5-8; Romans 4:11; Colossians 2:11-12
Biblical Answer 12
What did God tell Abraham He would do because Abraham had not withheld his son? (22:15-18)
Key Scripture: Genesis 22:15-18 | Parallel Texts: Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; Revelation 7:9
Biblical Answer 13
What did Abraham do when Sarah died? (23:1-20)
Key Scripture: Genesis 23:1-20 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 10:32; Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:6-11
Commentary Summary
In Genesis 21:1-23:20, Isaac highlights doctrinal themes such as God’s character, human accountability, and the certainty of His redemptive purpose. God made the highest sacrifice. The emphasis is theological, asking what the text teaches about creation, covenant, judgment, grace, salvation, and the trustworthiness of God. This summary is designed to identify the major truths being taught, not merely repeat the narrative details. It therefore reads as a concise doctrinal overview suitable for the commentary summary section.
In Isaac, the flow of Genesis 21:1-23:20 emphasizes practical faith, obedience, and response to God. The covenant people of God deserve eternal death in hell. The focus here is pastoral and applicational, showing how the lesson challenges the reader to trust, repent, endure, worship, and walk in obedience. This summary is intentionally more devotional and exhortational so it does not simply duplicate the doctrinal wording used in the other commentary summaries. It aims to sound more like a practical Bible study note directed toward daily Christian living.
Within the broader storyline of Genesis and the Bible as a whole, Genesis 21:1-23:20 helps move forward the pattern of promise, failure, mercy, and restoration that runs through Scripture. To provide a substitute to take their place, God did not spare His own Son, His only begotten Son whom He loves. This summary is shaped to sound more like a Bible Project overview by emphasizing literary flow, biblical themes, and how the lesson contributes to the unified story of Scripture. The goal is to locate the passage in the wider narrative rather than repeat the same doctrinal or devotional emphasis.
Last Week
Meaning God's protection of Abraham is presented in this chapter but not in a way that excuses Abraham's repeated sin of deceiving others about his relationship to Sarah. Abraham offered Abimelech a flimsy excuse for his duplicitous portrayal of Sarah as his sister: that Sarah actually was his half-sister. Abimelech threw that attempt at self-justification right back at Abraham, telling Sarah to give the silver he gave to her to her brother.
This Week
The covenant people of God deserve eternal death in hell. To provide a substitute to take their place, God did not spare His own Son, His only begotten Son whom He loves. Christ Himself became the Lamb of God's provision.
Next Week
Meaning Although Ishmael was not the son God had promised to Abraham, God nevertheless promised to bless him, make his descendants numerous, have twelve tribal leaders come from him and make him into a great nation (16:10; 17:12). This demonstrates that Yahweh is not only the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but also the God who wishes to bless all nations, even those who do not come from the line of the messianic promise. As both a circumcised child of Abraham and as a people who would be blessed through Abraham's great descendant Jesus (12:3; 18:18; 22:18), Ishmael would die and be gathered to his people (v.
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