Isaac's Birth Promised

Story: Isaac's Birth Promised

Passage: Genesis 17:15-18:21

Characters: God, Abraham, three men, Sarai

Summary: God changed Sarai's name to Sarah. He promised Abraham a son through Sarah and He blessed the son. Abraham did not believe God and asked for Ishmael to have the blessing. God said that He would bless Ishmael, but His covenant was with Isaac. Abraham circumcised his entire household. Three men appeared to Abraham. Abraham served them. The men said that Sarah would have a son in the next year. She overheard and laughed at the men and God questioned her laughter. The Lord decided to tell Abraham his plan for Sodom.

Notes: Abraham fully believed that God's covenant was with Ishmael. When God promised a son to Sarah, he laughed at God's promise! God still chose to bless Ishmael though. His covenant however was with Isaac. God's choice of names was interesting. God puts a lot of stock in names. Throughout the old testament, and even into the new testament, God changed peoples' names to better represent His plan for their lives. He had already changed Abram's name to Abraham. Now He changed Sarai's name to Sarah. Sarah means princess. I'm not sure exactly why He deliberately called her princess, but I suspect that she felt like a failure. She couldn't give Abraham a son. But God wanted her to know that she was still a princess in His eyes and she would be the mother of an eternally royal line. Isaac means "he laughs". This is fitting since both Abraham and Sarah laughed when God told them they would have Isaac. Abraham then immediately obeyed God's command to circumcise his household. Remember that although God's command occurred in the previous chapter, it was the same conversation with Abraham as this one. Abraham immediately obeyed. It wasn't just Abraham's family who was set apart, it was those who Abraham had bought and acquired. It was all of his servants. Likewise, we have been bought by God and we are set apart for him, even though most of us are not Jews. God then appeared as three men. I assume that these men represented the trinity. This is significant because I cannot think of another time in the Bible when God physically portrayed the trinity so clearly. Obviously this was a pivotal moment in the story that God was writing. The only other place I can think of where the trinity was observably present was Jesus baptism. The Spirit was a dove, the Father was a voice, and the Son was obviously Jesus. This was another pivotal moment in history. In this case, I wonder if Abraham was aware of who these visitors were. He treated them with tremendous respect and served them immediately. God asked where Sarah was and heard she was in the tent. Instead of sending Abraham to get her, He spoke about Isaac as if she were there. He was well aware that she was listening. He was also well aware that she laughed. I love that she argued with Him saying she did not laugh. God responds by saying, "No, but you did laugh." And then He just moves on. It wasn't an argument so much as it was a statement. Sarah tried to argue with God and God just sort of brushed her argument aside. I just find that funny!. Anyway, I think it is interesting that God decided to share with Abraham his plan for Sodom. Obviously, God and Abraham were very close if God felt like he deserved to be told about His plan.

Questions: Did Abraham believe God initially about Isaac? Why did God change Sarah's name to princess? Did Abraham know who the three men were? Did the men enjoy the food that Abraham gave them? Why did Sarah bother arging with God? Why did God choose to share His plans with Abraham?

Lessons: As first born, Ishmael deserved to have the covenant with God. But God places no weight on birthorder. God blesses who He wants to bless and uses who He wants to use. We as gentiles do not deserve the convenant we have with God. But God loved us and chose to use us in His story. We also see Abraham display immediate obedience. When God tells us to do something, we need to do it immediately!

Abraham and the covenant of circumcision

Story: Abraham and the covenant of circumcision

Passage: Genesis 17:1-14

Summary: God appeared to Abram and commanded him to walk before Him and be blameless. God promised that his descendants would be a multitude of nations. God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham. God commanded him to circumcise his offspring to set them apart from other nations.

Notes: God sure made a lot of covenants with Abram! And each one was more detailed and unbelievable than the one before it! In this passage God commanded Abram to : walk before Him and be blameless, to keep the covenant, to circumcise his offspring. God promised: to multiply him greatly, to make him the father of a multitude of nations, that kings would come from him, that He would be their God, and that He would give them the land as an everlasting possession. Abraham's response: fell on his face. This was an appropriate response to the holiness of God which Abraham had experienced. Abram means exalted father. This was interesting and probably frustrating since he was not a father until Ishmael. And once Ishmael was born his name changed to Abraham, which means father of a multitude. The Israelites were to be set apart through circumcision. This is significant because they were set apart by sacrificing their flesh. Today, we are set apart through the sacrifice of Christ. Our flesh dies and we are made holy, which means set apart.

Questions: Why circumcision exactly? Why did God choose this method to set apart His people? Has Abraham not gotten the point yet? Why does God have to keep making promises to Abraham? Does he not trust God? Why did God choose this timing to change Abram's name? Why right after the birth of Ishmael?

Lessons: We are called to be different. We have been adopted by Christ and are now His chosen people, set apart for Him. While we are no longer under the law of circumcision, we are still called to be set apart as holy!