Genesis 21:22-34 NKJV
22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there
Abraham’s earlier deception of Abimelech seems to have been forgiven and forgotten by the time Isaac is born. Abimelech had already been told by God that Abraham was under His protection. Now Abimelech can see just how prosperous God has made Abraham, even granting him and Sarah a son. And, seeing that, he seeks to ensure that this man who is so favored by God remains at peace with him and his people for the future.
Abraham agrees, but he has some terms of his own. Abimelech had treated Abraham well, in general, but some of his servants had stolen a well that Abraham had dug. Abraham not only wanted the well back; he also wanted to demonstrate his truthfulness, so he paid a price in sheep and oxen as a token of his honesty. And to make it all official, he also added seven ewe lambs to his gift.
The word sheba in Hebrew means “seven.” It’s also directly related to the noun “oath” and to the verb “to swear an oath,” that is, “to bind oneself by seven things.” The oath made with the seven lambs and the resulting covenant between Abraham and Abimelech give us a clear understanding of this connection between the number seven and an oath. When the number seven is used symbolically in the Scriptures, keep in mind its original connection to an oath, a covenant, or a promise made by God.
After ensuring peace for years to come with the rulers of the land in which he lived as a foreigner, Abraham “called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.” This phrase usually refers not only to prayer but also to proclamation. We are never told than any of the surrounding peoples joined Abraham in worshiping the true God, but that didn’t stop him from proclaiming God’s name to his own family and to his own servants, so that all might know the God who kept His oaths and covenants and promises, including the covenant to send the Christ, the Offspring of Abraham, to bring salvation to lost sinners. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the promises You have given us of present help and future glory. We praise You for Your faithfulness, and we thank You for Your goodness to us, through Christ our Lord. Amen.