Read Genesis 17:15-27
Questions from the Scripture text: Who gets a name change in Genesis 17:15? What does God promise to give to Abraham by her in Genesis 17:16? Of what does He promise to make her a mother? What is Abraham’s physical response in Genesis 17:17? What is his verbal response? What does Romans 4:19-21 tell us about his heart while he is doing this? What further request does Abraham make in Genesis 17:18? Whom does God insist upon making the son of promise, through whom the covenant will continue (Genesis 17:19)? What is Abraham to call the son of promise? How long will this covenant continue? Still, how does God respond in Genesis 17:20 to the request in v18? When will Sarah bear Isaac (Genesis 17:21)? What happens in Genesis 17:22? How does Abraham respond in Genesis 17:23? On what day? How old was Abraham (Genesis 17:24)? How old was Ishmael (Genesis 17:25)? What does Genesis 17:26 re-emphasize? Who else were circumcised on that day (Genesis 17:27)?
What do we learn from the account of Sarai’s name change? Genesis 17:15–27 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Sarai’s name change points us to the unique significance of Christ, which is the only hope for anyone to walk before God—the very hope to which the covenant sign points us.
Sarai is the only woman in the Bible to get a name change. Her name is changed from “my princess” to “princess.” No longer will she belong to Abraham alone, but she becomes mother of all the faithful.
How amazing a promise is this? Abraham laughs at it—even though he believes it! We might think (because of what happens with Sarah in the next chapter) that this is an unbelieving response from Abraham, but Romans 4:19-21 gives us the date for this conversation, and tells us that he did not doubt but grew strong in faith. This is not the laughter of unbelief. It is the laughter of one who is overwhelmed at the greatness of what the Lord has just promised to him!
We see not only great laughter but great love. Abraham loves his 13 year old son. He is concerned about what this new son might mean for Ishmael. It seems, from the Lord’s response, that Abraham even wants Ishmael to be the one through whom the covenant will come. This is a wonderful fruit of Abraham’s faith in Jesus—that he would have such affection for a son whom we know (by God’s prophecy) to be such a pain.
And it’s not only Abraham who has covenant love for his son. The Lord does too. There are reasons to believe that Ishmael was converted. Abraham asked for the Genesis 17:1 status for his teenager—that he would “walk before God.” And God says in Genesis 17:20 that he “has heard” Abraham.
In addition to being saved, and walking before God, Ishmael would also be given a certain amount of earthly greatness. Even though he was not to be the one through whom the covenant advanced, the Lord responds to a believing father’s prayers that his son would “walk before Him.”
Ultimately, Abraham is heard for the sake of Isaac’s descendant, our Lord Jesus Christ!
Some “scholars” think that this is the first time we learn that Sarai would be the mother of the promised Seed, but that was true as soon as the Seed was promised to Abram. The two had become one flesh. Just as Eve was the helper suitable to Adam, Sarai is the helper suitable to Abraham. One of God’s primary purposes for marriage was the bearing of godly seed (cf. Malachi 2:15).
So, a big part of this passage is the elevation of Sarai to be analogous to Abram. She too gets a name change—the only woman in the Bible to receive one. She too gets the promise of being one from whom nations come, and kings of peoples (cf. Genesis 17:5-6). Though under the headship of her husband and having a different role, she is presented as equal in value and significance (cf. 1 Timothy 2:11-15).
We need to recover a biblical understanding of the bearing of godly seed as an essential purpose of marriage, and the glory of the wife as covenant mother.
We also need to learn to rejoice like Abraham over God’s astonishing promises. Romans 4:9-22 makes it clear that Abraham’s laughter is not the laughter of unbelief, but the laughter of astonished praise.
And we would do well to imitate Abraham’s love for his son Ishmael. Abraham could easily have been taken up with the promise about Isaac. But Abraham asks that Ishmael, even though he is not the son of promise, would “walk before God”—the very language that the Lord had used for walking by faith at the beginning of the chapter. Would that all fathers would so love their children and urge God to save them!
How often are you amazed to the point of laughter for what God has done for you? Do you rejoice over God’s promises? For whose salvation are you praying?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for the part that You have given us in Christ through faith, and thank You for the part that You have given us in bringing His salvation to the world. Forgive us for any discontentment with our part, but grant that by Your grace, we would walk before You. And grant unto us that we would hope in You to bring our children to faith by which You save them, through Christ, in Whose Name we ask it, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP189 “Universal Praise” or TPH126A “When Zion’s Fortunes”
No comments:
Post a Comment