Genesis 17:15-21

4. The Covenant-Heir (Genesis 17:15-21)

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 moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples 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 a hundred years old) and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 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, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The Child of Promise. Sarah, not having mentioned hitherto in any of the divine promises, is now explicitly taken into the covenant, and accordingly receives a new name. (Cf. Genesis 32:27-28, Isaiah 62:2, Revelation 3:12). In view of the fact that she is to be the mother of the covenant-heir, her name will no longer be Sarai, but Sarah (princess); that is; whereas formerly she was Abraham's princess only, she-' is now to be recognized as princess generally, especially as princess to the Lord. Moreover, it is now expressly announced for the first time that the Child of Promisethe promised seedwas to be Sarah's child; that he should be born at this set time in the next year; that his name should be Isaac (laughter). (Cf. Genesis 16:11 on naming prior to birth). Genesis 17:16A mother of nations she shall be; kings of peoples shall be of her. This promise did not include the Ishmaelites or the sons of Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4): they were not born of Sarah. The Israelites descended from her, but were only one nation. Hence this promise must mean that the posterity of Abraham embraced his spiritual posterity also, i.e., all peoples who are grafted into the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29; Romans 4:11-12; Romans 4:16-17; Romans 11:15-24). Aptly she was named Sarah: she was to bear the child of promise, to become a mother of peoples, and a mother of kings. History testifies, of course, that all the parts of this divine promise were literally fulfilled.

Abraham's Laughter, Genesis 17:7. Interpretations of the patriarch's response to this announcement of the identity of the Child of Promise are varied. For example, Skinner (ICCG, 295) Abraham's demeanor is a strange mixture of reverence and incredulity. Cornfeld (AtD, 67):God was not conceived as impersonal in patriarchal times, and if we are to understand properly the biblical texts, we must develop a feeling for a social phenomenon of the times, the closeness of men to gods, and of the Hebrews to God. In our society a man who claims to have divine visitors is regarded as queer. That is why it is not easy for every modern reader, who is not familiar with the ancient background and literatures, to understand that aspect of Hebrew society. For the ancient Hebrews, the human and divine intermingled freely. The early direct relationship between men and gods is common to all the epics: Ugarit, Mesopotamian, Greek and proto-patriarchal. This simple personal contact between men and God was gradually eliminated. Again: A charming tradition illustrates how Abraham, on intimate terms with the Lord, dared to intercede with him, in the famous dialogue over the problem of the wicked people of Sodom and its few, hypothetical righteous men. (Cf. Moses and God, Exodus 19:7-15; Numbers 11:10-23; Numbers 14:11-35). But, note Lange's comment (CDHCG, 424): That the interpreter. knows nothing of a laugh of astonishment, in connection with full faith, indeed, in the immediate experience of the events (Psalms 126:1-2) is evident.. We may confidently infer from the different judgments of Abraham's laughter here, and that of Sarah, which is recorded afterward, that there was an important distinction in the states of mind from which they sprang. The characteristic feature in the narration here is, that Abraham fell upon his face, as at first, after the promise, Genesis 17:2. The laughter of Abraham was the exultation of joy, not the smile of unbelief (Augustine, De Civ. Dei, 16, 26). Certainly the laughter of Sarah later (Genesis 18:12-15) was one of incredulity, but the concept of Abraham in a derisive attitude toward God is not in keeping with the patriarch's character. Murphy (MG, 311): From the reverential attitude assumed by Abraham we infer that his laughter sprang from joyful and grateful surprise. Said in his heart. The following questions of wonder are not addressed to God; they merely. agitate the breast of the astonished patriarch. Hence his irrepressible smile arises not from any doubt of the fulfillment of the promise, but from surprise at the unexpected mode in which it is to be fulfilled. Laughing in Scripture expresses joy in the countenance, as dancing does in the whole body. Jamieson (CSCG, 153): It was not the sneer of unbelief, but a smile of delight at the prospect of so improbable an event (Romans 4:20); he fully believed the word of God; there was humility blended with wonder and joy. This is what our Lord alluded to, John 8:56. As Abraham saw heaven in the promise of Canaan, so he saw Christ in the promise of Isaac (laughter.) Abraham's laughter is to be echoed by Sarah'S, Genesis 18:12, and Ishmael'S, Genesis 21:9 (see also Genesis 21:6): each is an allusion to the name Isaac. which means, -May God smile, be kind-' or -has smiled, has been kind.-' Abraham's laughter is a sign not so much of unbelief as of surprise at the extraordinary announcement; his mention of Ishmael, present heir-apparent to the Promise, is an implicit request for reassurance. Speiser would render it, he smiled, anticipating the personal name Isaac. He adds (ABG, 125): A Hurro-Hittite tale describes the father (Appu) as placing his newborn son on his knees and rejoicing over him. Such acts were often the basis for naming the child accordingly. The shortened form Isaac (with the subject left out) undoubtedly reflects some such symbolic gesture: (X) rejoiced over, smiled on (the child), etc. Leupold (EG, 527): From what follows it becomes very clear that Abraham's attitude in no way lays him open to blame. Nothing is indicative of doubt or misgivings in his reply. Consequently, when he falls upon his face, this is an act of worshipful adoration. Also his laughter is the laughter of joy and surprise. A host of glad feelings is called forth in him at this precious promise. So, too, the questions express no doubt but happy wonder. For saying -to himself-' the Hebrew uses the more expressive belibbo, -in his heart.-' Abraham laughed, in virtue of his firm belief of the promise, and his satisfaction therein (Romans 4:16-25, John 8:56); but Sarah laughed in unbelieving derision, ch. Genesis 18:12 (SIB, 240). After twenty-four years of impatient waiting, the words of God seem an idle fancy to Abraham. All of the outward circumstances were against him. The biological facts of life stood over against the promise of God. Sight and sense told him the promise was impossible of fulfillment. Yet Abraham was a man of faith who had moments of doubt. How much we can learn from his laugh of disbelief here! (HSB, 29).

Abraham's intercession for Ishmael Genesis 17:18. Would that Ishmael might live in your favor! was Abraham's plea. We may assumeor so it seems to this writerthat Abraham had fallen into the erroneous expectation that the divine promise would be fulfilled in Ishmael, and since there is no record of any divine correction of his error in the meantime, it is difficult to see how the patriarch could have avoided this conclusion. Undoubtedly Hagar had communicated to him the substance of the revelation granted her as to her-' own son's destiny (Genesis 16:10-11) and this surely would have strengthened his conviction. Now he receives the final communication from God which expressly identifies the covenant-heir as Sarah's child who is to be born at this set time in the next year, his paternal solicitude manifests itself for the firstborn, the child of the handmaiden. It puts an end to the old, sad doubt, in regard to Ishmael, since it starts a new and, transient doubt in reference to the promise of Isaac; therefore there is mingling with his faith, not yet perfect on account of the joy (Luke 24:41), abeautiful paternal feeling for the still beloved Ishmael, and his future of faith. Hence the intercession for Ishmael; the characteristic feature of which is, a question of love, whether the son of the long-delayed hope, should also hold his share of the blessing (Lange, CDHCG, 425). Let Ishmael live and prosper under thy favor, was Abraham's plea. God answers, I have heard thee, and agrees to bestow His blessing in a fourfold manner; Ishmael is to be fruitful, that is, prolific; he is to be multiplied exceedingly; he is to beget twelve princes (cf. Genesis 25:12-16): he is to become a great nation (people). Some nations might have called these rulers kings, but the Ishmaelites called them princes. Nevertheless, the divine promise is expressly reaffirmed: the true covenant-heir shall be Sarah's child (Genesis 17:21). (As for Ishmael, I have heard thee, an allusion to the significance of the name Ishmael, which means God hears.) Abraham still hoped that Ishmael would be recognized, but this plea and God's answer in Genesis 17:19 shows that man's answers and ways can never be substituted for God's (HSB, 29). The blessings of the covenant were reserved for Isaac, but common blessings were to be showered abundantly on Ishmael; and though the covenant relationship did not descend from his family, yet personally he might, and it is to be hoped did, enjoy its benefits. And God left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham, went up to heaven. (cf. 3 Genesis 5:13): a most interesting concluding statement.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

See Genesis 17:22-27.