Abraham, Session 5

While it’s easy to pay lip service to the idea that God is all powerful, it’s much more difficult to consistently live out our faith in ways that recognize God’s unlimited ability—His omnipotence.

In Genesis 17 and 18, Sarai and Abram struggled to keep their composure when God delivered the seemingly ridiculous news that Sarai—a 90-year-old woman who had been barren her whole life—would give birth to a son. In response to Sarai’s laughter of disbelief, God raised the issue of His omnipotence, asking, “Is anything too difficult for Yahweh?”. The story goes on to show that “with God all things are possible”, even when we have trouble believing it. God eventually made Sarai a mother, demonstrating His ability to bring life from a previously lifeless womb—and He did so despite the couple’s doubts.

As we’ve seen, God repeated His promise to Abram several times throughout his life. Each time, God made the promise more specific. He first promised Abram that he would become a “great nation” and identified the land that He would give to Abram’s offspring. Later, He revealed that Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth). Even later, He made it known that the heir to the promise would be Abram’s own son and identified the specific location of the promised land.

Promised Land

In Genesis 17:1–27, God again reaffirmed His promise to Abram.

Genesis 17:1–27 ESV

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” 15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 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.” 17 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?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 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. 20 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. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” 22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 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. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

While most of this promise resembled earlier versions, a few things were new. God stated that kings would be included among Abram’s descendants and emphasized that a son birthed by Sarai would inherit the covenant. Here, God also changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah and established circumcision as the sign of the covenant.

In the chapter that follows, three men visit Abraham on their way to Sodom. While we are told that “Yahweh appeared to [Abraham], the chapter does not identify the three men or provide details about their interaction with Abraham (they appear in Gen 18:2). Rather, it focuses on Abraham’s hospitality; he invited the men to rest and provided a feast for them. These men are typically understood as messengers from God or a representation of God Himself.

The story of Gen 18 illustrates the significance of hospitality in the ancient Near East.

Genesis 18:1–15 ESV

1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

The Babylonian Talmud says, “Greater value attaches to hospitality … than receiving the presence of God.” Hosts were responsible for protecting their guests as well as providing water (so visitors could wash their feet) and a meal . They were also expected to care for their guests’ animals.

The social and cultural significance of hospitality is also evident in the Psalms, which sometimes portray God as a host. Psalm 23 describes the provision and protection that comes with being a guest in the house of Yahweh; it tells how God satisfies the psalmist’s hunger by setting a “table” before him and provides him with sanctuary by doing so “in the presence of [his] oppressors” . Psalm 36:8 likewise describes the refreshment that comes to those who take refuge in God’s house.

The Gospel writers also used the role of host in their portrayal of Jesus and His ministry. Jesus practiced hospitality by providing food for the crowds that had been following Him. He also served as a host when washing His disciples’ feet; earlier, He had criticized a Pharisee for not providing Him with this service. Understanding ancient Near Eastern hospitality helps us better understand not only Abraham’s story, but other biblical passages as well.

Promise of Descendants

God also restated the promise and reinstated the covenant—a course of action required by the events of Gen 16 and the time for fulfillment of the promise was drawing near. God’s reassurance to Abram in Gen 15 had focused on the promise of the land. In this reinstatement of the covenant promise, God emphasized that Abram would be the “father of a multitude of nations”. God had already attempted to give Abram some sense of how numerous his descendants would be, comparing their number to the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky. Here, He emphasized that Abram would father not only a “great nation,” but a “multitude” of them. To underscore this promise, God renamed him Abraham, connecting his new name to the promise that he would father this multitude. No longer would Abraham merely be a revered figure; he would become the ancestor to whom many people groups would trace their beginning.

God then introduced circumcision by commanding Abraham, “you must keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you, throughout their generations” . Previously, the covenant simply established that Canaan would belong to Abraham’s descendants. Now, the covenant required obedience to God’s command that every male be circumcised. As “a sign of the covenant,” circumcision functioned as a symbol—an external act of obedience that testified to an inward faith in God’s promise. The symbolism of circumcision had a lasting impact on biblical writers.

After providing details on circumcision, God renamed Sarai, calling her Sarah (both names mean “princess”). Then, God finally provided Abraham with the essential detail: The promised son would be born through Sarah. As if to emphasize the link between His promise to Abraham and His blessing of Sarah, God continued by stating that nations and kings would come through her. Stunned by this revelation, Abraham laughed, wondering how an elderly couple could have children. He then addressed God, begging Him to bless his son, Ishmael, instead. But God’s plan was set: Isaac would be the son of the promise.

After 24 years of waiting on God, Abraham finally received a concrete time frame: Sarah would have a son within the year. With this final assurance in place, Abraham proceeded to circumcise every male in his household, as God commanded.

In the scene that follows, Abraham offered hospitality to three divine messengers, who repeated the promise that Sarah would have a son within the year. This episode focuses on Sarah’s response to this prophecy: Upon overhearing their announcement, she laughed in disbelief. While Sarah’s reaction is understandable, given her age and lifelong inability to conceive, Yahweh chastised Sarah for her doubt. Sarah denied her reaction, likely out of surprise over the scolding and for having the visitor know her thoughts.

As the story ends, the sense of immediacy in this selective presentation of events from Abraham’s life becomes apparent. Abram may have patiently waited on God during the 13 years between Gen 16 and 17. Perhaps he had assumed Ishmael would be his heir and that God had approved of their intervention via Hagar. Ultimately, however, these stories show that God seems to take delight in performing the impossible.

Throughout the Bible

In Genesis 17:9–14, God established circumcision as a tangible sign of His covenant with Abraham. From then on, circumcision became a central part of Israelite religion. Mosaic law required all male children to be circumcised eight days after their birth. When the Israelites left Egypt, God instructed Moses to circumcise any foreigners who wanted to join them. Joshua circumcised the generation born in the wilderness before leading them into Canaan (Josh 5:3–7).

While circumcision served as a physical sign of God’s covenant, it was also understood symbolically in the OT. In Deuteronomy 10:16, Moses instructed the Israelites to circumcise their hearts, a command that the prophet Jeremiah later repeated (Jer 4:4). The OT also repeatedly describes the wicked as having an “uncircumcised heart” (Lev 26:41; Jer 9:26; Ezek 44:9). The biblical writers understood the act of circumcision as conveying the inward reality of a changed heart.

Circumcision was not only important to the Israelites—it also played a major role in the writings of the NT and the self-understanding of the early church. In the first century AD, Jewish believers disagreed about whether Gentile believers needed to be circumcised. Some Jewish believers thought that Gentiles had to be circumcised when they came to faith in Christ (Acts 15:1). Others, inspired by Peter’s encounter with the Gentile centurion, Cornelius (Acts 10:34–47), recognized that God gave the Holy Spirit to uncircumcised Gentiles when they believed (see Acts 15:8–11). The issue was definitively settled at the Council of Jerusalem, where the leaders of the early church decided that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised after proclaiming faith in Jesus (Acts 15:1–29).

Despite this decision, false teachers known as Judaizers tried to force Gentile believers to be circumcised (Gal 6:12). Paul spent major portions of his letters addressing this topic. He explained to Roman believers that circumcision does not truly reflect obedience or faithfulness (Rom 2:25–28). Drawing on OT passages like Deut 10:16 and Jer 4:4, Paul argued that inward circumcision of the heart is more valuable than the physical act (Rom 2:29).

Paul also used the life of Abraham to show that circumcision is not necessary for salvation. In Romans 4, he argued that Abraham’s faith was the basis of God’s promise; circumcision only served as a sign or symbol of God’s covenant. Paul based this argument on the progression of the events in Abraham’s life (Rom 4:10–11): Abraham received the sign of circumcision later in his life, after his faith had been credited to him as righteousness. Establishing that Abraham was considered righteous before his circumcision, Paul maintained that Abraham is the father of all who believe, whether or not they are circumcised (Rom 4:9, 12).

Beyond the Bible

The story of Gen 18 opens with Lord appearing to Abraham and the two speaking with each other. Yet, we are also told that Abraham waited on three men. Who were they? The answer to this question reveals a great deal about how God views His promises and what they mean to the world.

The ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, identified these three visitors as angels. Josephus noted that after Sarah had reacted to the news that she would be a mother, “[T]hey no longer disguised themselves but revealed that they were messengers of God and that one of them had been sent to make a disclosure concerning the child.”3 Some ancient interpreters thought that God Himself was one of the three visitors. However, Josephus’ retelling reflects the attitude of his Roman readers, who may have considered it impossible that the Jewish God—the Creator of the universe—would take on human form and converse with them.

But other ancient commentators such as Philo—a Jewish philosopher and interpreter of Scripture—insisted that Abraham met with God Himself. Philo wrote, “Inasmuch as he, according to my conception, was the true and living God … thought it fitting that he being present should bestow good gifts by his own power.” He asserted that God Himself was one of the three visitors, and that He appeared to Abraham to announce that he would have a son the following year.

Philo’s view is in agreement with the biblical text; the Jewish name for God, Yahweh, is used of one of the visitors. Rather than send an angel to announce the impending birth of Isaac, God appeared to deliver the message personally. With benefit of hindsight, we now recognize that this “guest appearance” indicates the importance of the covenant—one that would only be realized several centuries later. Jesus the Messiah, the promised Son of God and a descendant of Abraham, is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, the promise that through Abraham “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” is fully realized. The birth of Isaac, Abraham’s promised son, is simply the first step in the redemption initiated by the covenant. The promise is good news not just for Abraham, but for the whole world.

Application

The story of Abraham and Sarah’s life is not simply about the unfolding of God’s promise and faithfulness to the patriarchal couple; it is the story of God revealing Himself to those attempting to follow His promise. It is a story of discovering God’s character.

When God called Abraham out of Ur, Abraham unquestioningly followed Him (Gen 12:1). Yet decades later, when God announced that Sarah would have a son in her old age, both Abraham and Sarah responded with laughter, unable to suppress their doubt (Gen 17:17; 18:12). Abraham and Sarah didn’t have the full picture of God’s plan, but their laughter also revealed that they did not have a full understanding of the extent of God’s power. They had not yet learned that nothing is too difficult for Yahweh (Gen 18:14).

When faced with challenges in our journey of faith, it may become difficult to imagine how God’s unlimited ability will pull us through. When we experience loss or pain, we may be unable to place our confidence in God’s goodness. In these cases, we can turn to the Bible to see how God’s power and grace manifested in the lives of those who followed Him. The Bible does not simply describe God’s involvement with humankind—it describes who God is. And, like Abraham and Sarah, we can grow in our understanding of God’s character as He reveals Himself to us in the story of our lives.

Grigoni, Michael R., Miles Custis, Douglas Mangum, and Matthew M. Whitehead. 2012. Abraham: Following God’s Promise. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.