Genesis 17-21 One Year
One year passes between Genesis 17 and 21, but some VERY interesting things happen along the way. Let’s take a broad look and pose some questions.
I’m taking a different route today than ever before. When we walked through the scriptures, we did so one topic or chapter at a time. Then we shared in the stories of the people whose lives we encountered. Today, I want to take a broad look at a very important year in the life of Abram and Sarai. I realized today that I was spelling her name wrong. It would take an extensive search to correct all the past iterations, so we will move on from here with her correct name; even though God is going to change it during this year.
At the beginning of this eventful year, we find Abram to be 99 years old and Sarai is 90. The first thing we see is that God calls Abram to “walk before Me, and be blameless, that I may make My covenant between Me and you, and may multiply you greatly” (verses 1b-2a).
Before going ANY farther, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham, for “you shall be the father of a multitude of nations” (verse 4b). I have learned that the name Abram meant “exalted father” whereas the name Abraham means “father of many nations”. God changed Abram’s name because more than one nation would rise out of his descendants.
God reaffirms His promise for Abraham’s descendants to inherit the land of Canaan next, AND to be their God! That last part is more important than any earthly inheritance.
God then called for Abraham to make a promise of his own and to carry a symbol if it in his own body. One that His people will carry in their persons for the rest of time. The symbol that the descendants of Abraham will carry is circumcision. EVERY male in Abraham’s household, born or bought, will carry this mark or be forever cut off from the Lord. EVERY male would be circumcised that very day and from then on, EVERY male brought in or born into Abraham’s household would be circumcised on the 8th day.
Before Abraham jumps up and carries this out, God speaks to him of another promise. One to bring him his OWN son THROUGH Sarai, whom name was changed to Sarah by God at the same time He gives Abraham this promise. God will bless this 90 year old woman with a baby, FINALLY!
Notice here that Abraham “fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’” (verse 17b). There will be more laughter recorded regarding this prophecy, so hold onto this thought for a few minutes.
Abraham, already a father, asks God if Ishmael will do. “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” (verse 18). God plainly says “No.” The child of promise will come through Sarah and his name will be Isaac. “I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year” (verses 19-21).
As soon as God was done giving Abraham his new name, instructions for the covenant, and a promise of a son through Sarah, Abraham got to work circumcising ALL the males in his house. This included himself and Ishmael, his son.
Now that we have the starting point established, let’s briefly look at the major events that transpire in that year.
- Abram has three visitors who let Sarah ‘overhear’ their conversation regarding her having a son. NOTE: Sarah laughs at this prospect, then lies about laughing.
- Abraham bargains for the ‘righteous’ people in Sodom. He got God down to 10. There were none but Lot.
- Lot receives visitors and, when confronted by ALL the men in the town, offers his daughters in place of them.
- Lot rescued and Sodom, Gomorrah, and all the valley burned. All but Zoar.
- Lot’s daughters trick their father into impregnating them.
- Abram moves near Abimelech and Sarah is taken as his own.
- God rescues Sarah from Abimelech with her innocence intact.
- Sarah gives birth to Isaac.
Some of the points that stick out to me are; God announcing the length of time before Sarah would have a child and what happened with HER during that time, and the different reactions to laughter.
God’s messengers clearly told Sarah that she would have a child in a year’s time. God also told Abraham this when He was laying out His covenant. Yet Abraham FAILED TO PROTECT Sarah from the king of Gerar. Abraham and Sarah BOTH told Abimelech that she was Abraham’s sister. EVEN THOUGH she would have been carrying Isaac, or was ripe to. Talk about a BIG stumble in his faith! God told Abraham that he would live to an old age, but he didn’t believe that portion of God’s prophecy. He kept expecting to be killed. Sarah must REALLY have aged well! For, in her 90’s Abraham knew she was still turning heads. HOW could he even consider risking this with his child of promise on the way?! If it were me, I would have been ‘standing guard’ over the one God promised to deliver his covenant through!
Next, I want to look at the two instances of laughter regarding Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah. Both of them laughed when they heard the news. Both doubted that this could happen. But only one lied about their reaction; Sarah.
Abraham laughed and said exactly what Sarah said when she laughed. But Abraham didn’t hide the fact that he laughed. He asked if Ishmael could be used instead. We already looked at that answer. Afterwards, Abram believed God. When the men came and announced the same message, Abraham didn’t laugh that time.
Sarah laughed, and then lied about laughing when confronted. She was afraid. I can understand that! These men were VERY important to Abraham. He KNEW they were messengers from God Himself. Sarah’s laughter didn’t prevent God from keeping His promise to her and through her. She later commented that God had made laughter for her and that everyone else that hears about her blessing would laugh too. Sarah went from laughter of disbelief to laughter of joy in a year’s time.
Abraham would laugh with joy too over the birth of Isaac. But then he would be compelled to send his firstborn son away. But that is a story for another day. And that story is so vivid in my mind that I thought I had already shared it. I guess we will be visiting it in a while.
One last question. Why didn’t Sarah remind Abraham of her important role when Abimelech called for her. Did she forget all about it? Did she simply submit to her husband? Or did she trust God to get her out of her predicament, as He had done in Egypt? We will probably have to ask Sarah and God when we reach Heaven.
Father God, thank You for sparking my curiosity. I LOVE looking for the “what, who, why, how, and when” stories in Your word. I’m looking forward to climbing back into the stories with You.
Thank You for ALL Your protection. Even from troubles of my own making. Abraham and Sarah certainly had a few of those. But You never lost sight of them, Your arm never failed to bring them out of it, and You never took back Your promises to them. THAT is a MIRACLE!!!
