B16-devotions

Genesis 17:15-22

Devotions for Monday 4th August

The story of God’s Covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17 could give the impression that the whole thing was sorted out between Abraham and God. The chapter describes a meeting between Abraham and God, and within it, Sarai is renamed Sarah (17:15-16) as if she had little to do with it! At that time, life in general was dominated by men, and we are left to wonder what Sarai knew about it all. The second half of our passage (17:18-21) is largely a speech by God to Abraham telling him that he would indeed have a son who would be borne by Sarah and become his heir, not just of Abraham’s earthy inheritance, but of the inheritance of God’s Covenant, by which all Abraham’s descendants would be blessed. Sarah was essential to the plan of God, but she was not part of the conversation at this point because God was trying to get Abraham to take his eyes off Ishmael (see 17:18) and commit himself to the divine plan instead of his own desires.

However, if you look at the whole story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis, they generally reflect the relationship between a man and a woman envisaged by God in the first chapters of Genesis (1:27ff, 2:21ff), and this is a relationship of interdependence. God’s Covenant cannot be fulfilled without Sarai and since the Covenant was given to Abraham (12:10-20; 15:1-15), it seems wrong for us to assume anything other than that a close relationship existed between Abraham and Sarai within which most things were shared. We are simply not told how much or how often they discussed the incredible things happening to them and the great promises of God that Abraham had received; but whenever Sarai (Sarah) comes into the Biblical story she appears fully aware of what is going on and is aware of her own importance as the one who should bear him children to fulfil the Covenant promise by which Abraham would become a great nation. Sarah seems to have been made aware of the promise of a child immediately after this passage (18:1f.), as we will find out tomorrow.

Looking at Chapter 17 as a whole, the conversation between Abraham and God is the third phase of God’s Covenant promise to Abraham within the chapter. The first phase was God’s confirmation of His promise (17:1-8), the second phase was the command to Abraham that he should be obedient and seal the Covenant with the physical sign of circumcision in his male descendants (17:9-14). The third phase is our story today, in which Abraham is challenged by God to accept that Sarah will play her true role as his wife in the Covenant promise, and this is a challenge to Abraham to trust God, believe in Him and also to respect Sarah His wife, and indeed demonstrate that trust by renaming her ‘Sarah’, meaning ‘Princess’. If circumcision was a physical sign of a spiritual reality of the Covenant for Abraham, then the birth of a son would be the same for Sarah.

Of course, this Old Covenant has now been replaced by the New Covenant through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Circumcision and childbirth each have powerful meaning for people today for different reasons, but not in the same way that they did for Abraham and Sarah! The new sign of the Covenant in Christ Jesus is baptism, which does not distinguish between men and women, or Jews or Gentiles, and childbirth continues to be a blessing for parents who seek to bring up their children in God’s ways and so pass on the Christian Faith. But it is still remarkable that the first Covenant, though given in a male dominated society, is described in scripture as a partnership between God, Abraham and Sarah. Some scholarly commentaries on Genesis allude to the importance of Sarah to the Covenant, but many do not mention her significance to the Covenant at all. They sell short both women, scripture, and men.

15 God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, do not call her by this name; her name is Sarah. 16 I will bless her, and more than this, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations. Leaders of people will be descended from her.’ 17 Then Abraham fell about laughing, and said to himself, ‘Can a man who is 100 years old have a son, and can Sarah bear a child at 99?’

18 Then Abraham said to God, ‘I do wish you would accept Ishmael as my son!’ 19 God said, ‘Look, your wife Sarah really will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will keep my covenant with him and his descendants as a permanent covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard what you said. I will bless him and give him many children and large numbers of descendants; he will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation of his descendants. 21 But I will keep my covenant with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this same time next year.’

22 When God had finished talking with Abraham, he left him.

To read more about this passage of scripture: go to the Bible study page

To read the questions and discipleship challenges for this text: go to the discipleship page

Thank You, Jesus, for the great joy of finding truth within Your Word. May we not use this precious gift casually or without discernment, but receive the incredible revelations it contains and apply it primarily to ourselves and to what we do, day by day. Then, according to the opportunities You give, may we testify to the truths we have found which have changed our lives for the better. Thank You Lord Jesus: AMEN

Save us, O Lord, from those sins which oppress us

Because of who we are, and the life we have been given to lead:

Save the poor from being victimised,

And the rich from the perils of their wealth:

Save the sick from preoccupation with their health,

And the healthy from presumptions about life:

Save the bold from unnecessary arrogance,

And the quiet from failing to let their feelings be known:

Save the zealous from assuming that all should understand,

And the self content from the dangers of apathy.

Give us such a heart of love for each other, that we always strive

To empathise with others, and those we find hardest to understand.

Weekly Theme: The Environment

Pray about ‘recycling’; something which is being heavily promoted by many governments and local authorities. Pray that where this is done, it will be organised wisely and properly.

On-going prayers

Pray for those held hostage in troubled regions of the world
Give thanks for God’s blessings which enrich your life
Pray for those in hospital

Going Deeper: (what you will find on the Bible study page)

The three phases of chapter 17 are an important starting place for our understanding of this scripture, and the involvement of Sarah is not just functionary. She is integral to the Covenant promises of God as the bearer of her child, Isaac. As we go further into the text, we will look at the meaning of her name change, the meaning of theme of laughter which surround the conception and birth of Isaac, and the relationship of the child to be born to Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar.

For the full Bible study, click link above,

or for a brief review, scroll page down.