Saving His Wife from Abimelech, King of Gerar

Genesis 20 shows how God saved Abraham’s wife from Abimelech, king of Gerar. This was like the trouble that Abraham had regarding Sarah with Pharaoh in Genesis 12. First, Abraham was in trouble with the king of Egypt because of his wife. Then he was in trouble with the king of Gerar because of her. Both times God came in to save him.

Giving Him Isaac and Casting Out Ishmael

God gave Abraham Isaac, his son of Sarah, and cast out Ishmael, his son of Hagar (21:1-14). This is a part of God’s history. God’s giving of Isaac to Abraham and His casting out of Ishmael are also signs, signifying that everyone who is born of grace through faith is a real son of Abraham. Anyone who is taking the law as the source, according to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, is a descendant rejected by God. These two sons with two mothers are an allegory of the grace of the New Testament and the law of the Old Testament. This is fully developed in Galatians 4.

Speaking to Him the Tenth, 
Eleventh, and Twelfth Times

God spoke to Abraham the tenth time to prove him, to try him, by asking him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to Him. Abraham passed God’s proving. Then God spoke to him the eleventh time to stop him from offering his son Isaac and he replaced Isaac with a ram (typifying Christ—John 1:29) for a burnt offering. God spoke further to Abraham the twelfth time to promise him that He would multiply his seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand on the seashore. God told Abraham that in his seed (Christ—Gal. 3:16; Matt. 1:1b) all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 22:1-19).

Blessing Him and Leading His Old Servant 
to Secure Rebekah as Wife to His Son Isaac

Genesis 24 shows that God blessed Abraham and led his old servant to secure Rebekah as wife to his son Isaac. The last thing God did for Abraham was to help him get a daughter-in-law.