Womeninthechurch36

Women in the Bible

Lesson Thirty six: by turtle30c

Abram and Sarai relationship had come to a point probably that they both realized the
possibility of having a child was impossible. I do not doubt Abraham struggled with God’s
promise for him to have an heir. I know Sarai perhaps thought Abram was crazy. We do not
hear of God speaking these promises to Sarai but to Abram. Sarai a year before she conceives
will here God speaking to her husband. Yet we need to back up before this time period just a
little. God’s continual promise to Abram that he will have a son and have it with his wife. The
fact is Sarai will bear a child. Now God changes Abram and Sarai name in the story. And that
is where we are today. How come God changes Abram and Sarai name?

Let’s begin. The Lord spoke to Abram. Abram was ninety years old. That is very old even
today. To live to be ninety is a blessing from God but to be told you will have a child is a
whole different thought all together.

Genesis 17:1-2 KJV
(1) And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said
unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
(2) And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

God tells Abram to be perfect. Perfect. How can a man be perfect. In the Hebrew the word
perfect here means integrity and truth. In other words he is not perfect in the since without sin,
but he is truthful without fault. Truthfulness, goes along ways when trying to establish facts
and dealing with people. Honest is a rare trait today. God finds Abram to be a man of
integrity. God is going to make an covenant with Abram. Abram in reverence falls on his face
before God. God continues to speak to Abram concerning the promise.

Genesis 17:3-8 KJV
(3) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
(4) As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
(5) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a
father of many nations have I made thee.
(6) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall
come out of thee.
(7) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
(8) And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger,
all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Abram name would change to Abraham because he would be a father of many nations. God
promises Abram land and his descendants land. A place to dwell. To know you have a place
that is eternity yours and your families is a blessing. For those of us that move around know
the struggle of never having roots in one place. God is a God of love and though we travel
around for years in this world, one can rest assured if they know Jesus they will have a
permanent home with Him.

A sign of the covenant that God made to Abram, would be a testimony to all their people for
generations. Abram and all males eight days old and older would be circumcised. If you do not
now what circumcision is please talk to your parents or look it up on the net. And if you are
male and are not circumcised and want to be go to a doctor.

Genesis 17:9-14 KJV
(9) And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed
after thee in their generations.
(10) This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee;
Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
(11) And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant
betwixt me and you.
(12) And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your
generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not
of thy seed.
(13) He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be
circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
(14) And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul
shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Circumcision would be a testimony to the people of faith. This was not the only thing to
change though Sarai name would change as well as Abraham. She would be called Sarah and
she would be the mother of many nations. At this point Abraham had enough. And he begins
to laugh. Laugh because it seemed impossible for him to have children by Sarah. It was
impossible.

Genesis 17:15-19 KJV
(15) And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai,
but Sarah shall her name be.
(16) And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be
a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
(17) Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be
born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
(18) And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
(19) And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name
Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed
after him.

Now God had plans for Ishmael. He would not have the same promise exactly. He would be a
great nation however.

Genesis 17:20-22 KJV
(20) And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him
fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a
great nation.
(21) But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set
time in the next year.
(22) And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

God would bless Ishmael family as well. He would not leave them out, but the line in which the
Messiah would come would be through Isaac. God makes it clear that you can still be blessed
by Him no matter who you were born to, but the line in which the Messiah would come out of
would be from Abraham and Sarah. Most children are blessed whether adopted or not
adopted in a family, So are children born out of wedlock, or out of marriage. Babies and
children are special no matter where they come from. God loves children, He loves people. He
made a choice thought to bring the promise seed through Abraham because of his relationship
with Him. He did not have to, but He choose so all generation could be blessed by his family.

You can make a choice to love God to love the Messiah Jesus who is God or you can choose
to deny the Savior which God has sent us to save us from our sins. It is your choice.