When Abram was ninety-nine the Lord appeared to him again and reminded him that He had made a covenant with him. With that reminder came some promises and changes that would continue to remind Abram of what God had done (and was doing) for him. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. And God marked his people in an . . . unique way.
God once again tells Abram he will be the father of a multitude of nation. To accent this He changes Abrams name. Abram means, “Exalted Father,” but now he is to be called Abraham, which means, “Father of Many Nations.” The man who had only one son – and he through a servant, not his own wife – would be the father of many nations. It seems an ironic name, but with the name change a promise of a son was restated, this one to be born to Sarah. That’s right, Sarah. Not Sarai. Her name was changed as well, and she who had been asked to hide her marriage to Abram would now bear a name that means, “Princess.”
I believe it should be comforting to us that Abraham laughed when he heard this message. How can an old man with only one son be considered the father of nations? Abraham’s laughter forces us to look at our own doubts of God’s power and goodness. Sometimes what God does bewilder us and is hard to comprehend and we think it impossible for Him to keep his promises. How can God become human? How can one man’s death pay for the sins of all? How, after all these years, can we think that Jesus will return? But nothing is impossible for God and He keeps all His promises.
God also marked Abraham and all the male members of his household with circumcision as a sign of this covenant.
Hmmm? Does that strike anyone else as an odd sign for the covenant?
When God made a covenant with Noah, He put his rainbow in the sky. Now the covenant with Abraham is marked by the cutting of a little skin from a rather sensitive part of the man’s body?
A few thoughts:
- Every man of Abraham’s household would be reminded every day that he was a son of the covenant. It would be very hard to miss.
- The covenant has everything to do with Genesis 3:15 where God promised to send one who would crush the serpent’s head. That one would be a woman’s offspring. That area which was marked by the sign of the covenant has no small part in making offspring.
- There would be blood involved in this, too. And whenever we see God dealing with blood we think of sin and the price of forgiveness. Ultimately that price was Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.
Father in Heaven, you are a changer of names. You have changed my name from, “Sinner” to “Saint” and made me “Christian.” Help me to live in my new identity as a child of God and help me to always be mindful of the covenant You have made with me in Jesus’ blood to be my savior and my God so that my life will show Your goodness to others for Jesus’ sake and for your glory. Amen.
God once again tells Abram he will be the father of a multitude of nation. To accent this He changes Abrams name. Abram means, “Exalted Father,” but now he is to be called Abraham, which means, “Father of Many Nations.” The man who had only one son – and he through a servant, not his own wife – would be the father of many nations. It seems an ironic name, but with the name change a promise of a son was restated, this one to be born to Sarah. That’s right, Sarah. Not Sarai. Her name was changed as well, and she who had been asked to hide her marriage to Abram would now bear a name that means, “Princess.”
I believe it should be comforting to us that Abraham laughed when he heard this message. How can an old man with only one son be considered the father of nations? Abraham’s laughter forces us to look at our own doubts of God’s power and goodness. Sometimes what God does bewilder us and is hard to comprehend and we think it impossible for Him to keep his promises. How can God become human? How can one man’s death pay for the sins of all? How, after all these years, can we think that Jesus will return? But nothing is impossible for God and He keeps all His promises.
God also marked Abraham and all the male members of his household with circumcision as a sign of this covenant.
Hmmm? Does that strike anyone else as an odd sign for the covenant?
When God made a covenant with Noah, He put his rainbow in the sky. Now the covenant with Abraham is marked by the cutting of a little skin from a rather sensitive part of the man’s body?
A few thoughts:
- Every man of Abraham’s household would be reminded every day that he was a son of the covenant. It would be very hard to miss.
- The covenant has everything to do with Genesis 3:15 where God promised to send one who would crush the serpent’s head. That one would be a woman’s offspring. That area which was marked by the sign of the covenant has no small part in making offspring.
- There would be blood involved in this, too. And whenever we see God dealing with blood we think of sin and the price of forgiveness. Ultimately that price was Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.
Father in Heaven, you are a changer of names. You have changed my name from, “Sinner” to “Saint” and made me “Christian.” Help me to live in my new identity as a child of God and help me to always be mindful of the covenant You have made with me in Jesus’ blood to be my savior and my God so that my life will show Your goodness to others for Jesus’ sake and for your glory. Amen.
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