In part 2 of my mini series on Abraham’s Descendants of Promise, I wrote about Abraham and Sarah’s lack of patience in trusting God’s promise to bless them with a descendant. Not only did this reveal Abraham’s human nature, but also that God’s promise of a descendant would come out of the line of Sarah… and not anyone else.

In Genesis 17, the Lord affirms this issue once again:

“Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. “And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? ” Genesis 17:15-17

In the above verses, we see that Sarai’s role will change. This is indicated by her name change from Sarai, which was an indication of her role of just Abraham’s wife, to Sarah, which will make her the Mother of many nations, and a royal lineage. Her role of birthing the descendant of promise was of great value!

As we learned before, due to the reality of Abraham and Sarah’s age, they did not believe God’s promise was even possible. Abraham begged God to bless Ishmael, his son with Hagar (Sarah’s maid), in place of Sarah’s promised descendant:

“And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!” Genesis 17:18

Here, we see Abraham’s love for Ishmael, and the terrible anguish he was in, as he wanted Ishmael to live before God, something that may indicate that Abraham had a concern to Ishmael’s life. However, in God’s response to Abraham, we can see a clear message to Abraham then… and for us today:

“But God said, “but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Genesis 17:19

God reaffirms His covenant of a line of descendants through Sarah in Isaac. God does not change His promises in order to right our wrongs; His Will will not be thwarted by anyone. Just because Abraham fathered a son out of his lack of faith that Sarai would birth a son, does not mean that God was supposed to bless that! While this may not seem “fair” to us in our flesh, it is God’s justice that we are to humbly accept.

God reveals that Sarah will give birth to a son, and that this son will be given the name which God chose for him, Isaac, and not only that, but that this son will inherit God’s covenant (“My covenant”), which is the Covenant of the blessing from Gen 12.

It is very important for us to understand that this is an everlasting covenant, which is to continue through Isaac’s descendants.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran