The Nation, the Scoff, and the Impossible.

Genesis 17-18:21

September the 8th, 70 AD - May 14th, 1948 AD

1,878 years. That is how long Israel was removed from their homeland. In 70 AD the Roman army put an end to the Jewish rebellions once, and for all. Titus destroyed the city, leveled the temple completely, and kicked the Jews out of their homeland. This is called the Jewish Diaspora, or dispersion. Britain had colonial control of the Palestinian area. In 1948, their rule was set to expire, and the Jewish nation was aided in taking a great majority of their homeland back. Not only did they take their homeland back, but they were also recognised by political powers such as the US. 1,878 years and Israel was a nation again. Thousands of families who had been displaced millenniums earlier had finally returned.

A promise that God had made, and kept all along.

God promised Abram that He would make him a nation, that He would bless him, and that He would make his name great. Years later Abram is sitting childless in a foreign country far from his original family. He has many possessions, many slaves, some of his extended family are near, and everything was looking well for him, but he had no son. In fact, Abram asks God to bless Ishmael as his son so that he can at least have an heir to continue on his lineage, but God told him no. He said you will indeed have a son and name him Isaac. Isaac was the one who was to carry on Abrams name.

To set this promise in stone among the people God called for an outward sign to be made. God called for each man to be circumcised. This was not necessarily a new practice, but it is the first time that God has called on man to perform anything to participate in the covenant. Circumcision is cutting the foreskin off of a male while he is a child. Circumcision promotes better hygiene, it lowers the risk of infections and diseases, lowers the risk of problems like cancer and other things in men.

I figure the main reason was to set them apart from other people. Many men did not go through the procedure in other cultures, and when Jewish men made the choice they were going to be circumcised it was a way of saying that they themselves followed God. A outward display of an inward decision. Just as a wedding ring is an outward sign or your inward love for your spouse. Also, God said that all of those who did not choose to follow Him with circumcision would be cut off. They were essentially disobedient and choosing to be part of the world.

Abram and Sarai get name changes:

Abram means “high father”, Abraham means “father of many nations”

Sarai means “my princess”, Sarah means “princess”. As being married to the father of many nations this name change likely showed that she was not simply his princess, but the princess to many nations now as well.

Sarah was beyond child bearing years which means she had gone pasted the age of menopause. She was done. No hopes. She was barren anyways as she and Abraham had said many times. But nothing is impossible with God.

(Why do you think God waited until it was physically impossible for them to have children before He actually gave them a son?- To show them His capability and increase their faith.)

Sarah laughed, not out loud, but in her mind. God heard it nonetheless, and He called her out for it. God can hear your inward doubts as well. Be careful of them.

Colossians 2:9-14 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”