Abraham to Father Many Nations
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram(Exalted Father), but your name will be Abraham(Father of Many), for I have made you a father of many nations.
I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
The Covenant of Circumcision (Leviticus 12:1-8; Joshua 5:1-9; Acts 15:1-4)
God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep My covenant, you and your descendants for the generations to come. This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring. Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant. But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.(Princess) And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”
But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac(He Laughs). I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”
When He had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or purchased with his money—every male among the members of Abraham’s household—and he circumcised them, just as God had told him. So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. And all the men of Abraham’s household—both servants born in his household and those purchased from foreigners—were circumcised with him.”
Abram is 99 years old and Sarai is 89. Suddenly, God shows up, gives them new names, and announces that next year they are going to be parents and that it will be a boy! Talk about your reveal parties! Of course, there’s one small item: Abraham and every male member of his household and all his male descendants from this time forth must be circumcised as a sign of the blood covenant between God and Abraham. Abraham is so blown away by this news that all he can do is fall facedown and laugh, at which point, God informs Abraham that the boy’s name will be Isaac, meaning “He laughs.”
What’s in a name? Although Abram means “Exalted Father,” God re-names him Abraham, meaning “father of many.” The name “Sarai” means “princess” in the dialect of Ur; however, God renames her “Sarah” which means “princess” in the Canaanite dialect, indicating that Sarah will now be a princess in this new land. Traditionally, names have always meant something. My names in English mean “God’s favor” and “Grace.” I now have a Ghanaian namesake whose parents have given her the local name “Wunpini,” meaning “God’s gift.” God renames Abram and Sarai as signs of the coming fulfillment of His promise.
Notice that Abram, now Abraham, circumcises himself and all the males of his household, even though Sarah is not yet pregnant. Abraham is acting on faith that God is going to fulfill His promise. Abraham is being obedient, one of the qualities God prizes the most in those who follow Him. By this act of obedience, Abraham is saying, “All right, God, I am doing my part; now please bring Your promises to pass.”
Notice something else: God does not punish Abraham for laughing; however, he does take Abraham’s laughter and enshrine it in the name of the promised son, Isaac. Abraham has done everything God has asked him to do in preparation for Isaac’s birth. Now all that is left is for Abraham and Sarah to sleep together so Sarah can become pregnant. How many times will Abraham and Sarah laugh as they urge their elderly bodies to perform? There’s going to be a lot of laughter in that household before Sarah’s abdomen begins to swell.
One of the many important lessons from this story is that obedience to God brings peace. As I am writing these words, I have been deputizing for our hospital General Manager for two weeks and I have another week yet to go. My colleague doctor tragically lost a brother a few days ago, and he is tied up with family responsibilities. A district hospital near us has been facing a number of challenges, forcing them to refer all their surgical emergencies to us. Counting the population of those two districts plus those across the River Oti, at the moment, I am the only surgeon for roughly 200,000 people. Am I tired? You bet! But I am trusting that the God who has brought us here will give me the strength to continue. I have peace because I am not trusting in myself, but in God.
Perhaps you too find yourself in a more than demanding situation, busier than a one-armed paper hanger. (Try hanging wall paper with one hand and you will see what I am talking about-it’s impossible.) But if God has called you into your current situation, God can give you the strength to endure it and peace while you are enduring.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, Many of us feel overwhelmed by responsibilities. But You are the One who can give strength to endure and peace in the midst of trials. Help us to trust You and to look to You for both strength and peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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