We are returning this spring to our studies in Genesis. Some people may not particularly enjoy the books of the Bible that present historical narrative; however, there are multiple reasons for us to spend time here.

• All of God’s Word is inspired and useful for instruction (2 Tim. 3:16).
• The history of God’s people is our history.
• God’s promises in the Old Testament, and to Abraham specifically, trickle down to all of Abraham’s descendants by faith.
• Abraham is an example of faith to us.

We can find encouragement and hope through this section of Genesis 17.

God Makes a Promise.

“And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her’” (vv. 15-16 ESV).

About 25 years earlier, God had promised Abram that he would have a son (Gen. 15) and at the beginning of chapter 17 changed his name from Abram to Abraham—from “exalted father” to “father of a multitude.” Now Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah. Both mean “princess,” but may have slightly different connotations that include her in the covenant promises as the mother of the multitude.

Abraham Questions God’s Promises

“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before You!’” (vv. 17-18).

With the passage of time they may have thought the original promise was not going to be fulfilled. They had already tried their own ways of bringing forth an heir through Sarah’s maid Hagar. Abraham’s response may seem like unbelief, but it actually is not. The New Testament repeatedly refers to Abraham’s faith (Rom. 4:3, Gal, 3:6, Heb. 11:8-12, James 2:23).

Belief is a process of thinking through and engaging with God’s promises. Abraham’s laughter, questions, and proposing alternatives were ways of working through the doubts that made the promise seem improbable. When we read Scripture and can’t fathom how God is going to fulfill His promises in our lives, thinking about the obstacles and imagining possible alternatives is not necessarily unbelief. We don’t have to understand all the details to have faith that God will work in His own way and time.

God Reaffirms His Promises

“God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name 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’” (vv. 19-21).

God’s response to Abraham’s laughter and questions is not to rebuke him. He understands what Abraham is thinking, and gives him the reassurance that is needed. Unlike other religions, we have a God who has established a permanent and secure covenant relationship with His people. His covenant is not dependent on our performance or our perfect understanding, but on His love for us. Our security is found in Jesus Christ as the perfect fulfillment of the law and the perfect sacrifice for our sins. We can trust that God will always keep His promises.

Abraham Acts on God’s Promise

“When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him” (vv. 22-17).

Abraham’s action was to circumcise the males as God had commanded in the first half of chapter 17. He committed himself to uphold this sign of the covenant as a physical reminder of God’s promise to him.

Our Response

Many of God’s promises in the Bible have an associated action—draw near, trust, seek first, abide. Acting on our belief may look like: praying for wisdom about a situation; moving to a new place; letting our kids try new things appropriate to their age; taking a deep breath and relaxing instead of staying awake with worry; and thousands of other things.

There are many promises in Scripture that apply to all believers. Here are just a few of them:

• “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
• “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).
• “Come to Me, all you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
• “God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
• “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
• “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).
• “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

If we trust in God, we can have faith that He will keep His promises as our loving Father. He knows all things and is in control of all things.

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love… For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name” (Psalm 33:18, 21).

Application Questions

1) How have you seen God keep His promises recently? Have you shared that with others as a way to thank God for His work?

2) What promise do you need to believe today? Do you have questions about how God might fulfill His promises?

3) What action could demonstrate your belief in God’s promise?