Genesis 17.1-8-Abraham the Progenitor of Numerous Nations and Kings
Wednesday January 18, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 17:1-8-Abraham the Progenitor of Numerous Nations and Kings
Lesson # 84
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 17:1.
This evening we will study Genesis 17:1-8, which records Abram receiving another direct revelation from the Lord in the form of a theophany or an appearance of the preincarnate Christ.
The Lord promises Abram that he will be the progenitor of numerous nations and kings.
Genesis 17:1, “Now 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.’”
Genesis 17:1 records that Abram was ninety-nine years old when the Lord appeared to him once again.
Whereas Genesis 16:16 records that Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.
Thus thirteen years have elapsed from the time of Ishmael’s birth to this appearance by the Lord to Abram.
These thirteen years were passed over in silence in the Word of God.
It would be easy for Abram to forget the Lord’s promise that he and Sarai would have a child together.
Therefore, the Lord reiterates and enlarges upon the previous promises made to Abram as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17 and 15:1-6.
According to Genesis 17:16-17, it appears that Abram believed that Ishmael was the son of the promise and had given up hope that he and Sarai would have a child.
Abram could not fathom he and his wife Sarai having a child together since they were both advanced in age, Sarai was an eighty-nine year old women and he was ninety-nine years old.
The fact that Genesis 17:1 records that Abram was ninety-nine years old when the Lord appeared to him again indicates that Sarai was eighty-nine years old since a comparison of Genesis 16:16 with 17:17 reveals that Sarai was ten years younger than Abram.
Therefore, Sarai was well into menopause and Abram was now impotent sexually.
These circumstances were surely an extreme test of their faith since the Lord promised that the two would have a child together.
Yet, in Romans 4, the apostle Paul writes that Abram’s faith grew rather than weakened.
Romans 4:19, “Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb.”
Romans 4:20, “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
Romans 4:21, “and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”
The Lord delays in fulfilling the promise to Abram and Sarai of a child in order to demonstrate His omnipotence by waiting until it was humanly impossible for them to have a child before He would miraculously fulfill His Word.
Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Arthur Pink, “God has reasons for delays. Not until man comes to the end of himself will God put forth His power. Not until man’s extremity is reached does God’s opportunity arrive. Not until our own powers are ‘dead’ will God act in grace.” (Gleanings in Genesis, page 183).
Arthur Pink, “God has more than one reason for His delays. Often it is to test the faith of His children, to develop their patience, to bring them to the end of themselves. His delays are in order that when He does act His delivering power may be more plainly evident, that what He does may be more deeply appreciated and that in consequence He may be more illustriously glorified.” (Gleanings in Genesis, page 184).
The preincarnate Christ identifies Himself to Abram here at this point in the narrative as El Shaddai, “God Almighty” in order to emphasize His omnipotence.
The title El Shaddai describes the Lord as being able to make the barren fertile so that He might fulfill His promises to give Abram and Sarai a child in their old age.
Robert Baker Girdlestone commenting on Shaddai, writes, “The title Shaddai really indicates the fulness and riches of God’s grace, and would remind the Hebrew reader that from God comes every good and perfect gift-that He is never weary of pouring forth His mercies on His people, and that He is more ready to give than they are to receive.” (Girdlestone’s Synonyms of the Old Testament, page 45).
Therefore in Genesis 17:1, the fact that the Lord identifies Himself by the use of this proper noun Shaddai expresses His desire and ability to give to Abram a child and to make him the progenitor of numerous nations and kings.
The Lord’s command to Abram to “walk before Me” expresses the Lord’s desire to have intimate fellowship with Abram.
Fellowship with the Lord would involve Abram confessing his sins to be restored to fellowship and obedience to the Word of the Lord in order to maintain that fellowship (1 John 1:5-2:6).
Abraham’s obedience to the Word of the Lord constitutes walking by means of faith meaning taking the Lord at His Word to deliver on His promise to give him and Sarai a child and rest in the Lord’s promise.
The Lord’s command to Abram to “be blameless” does “not” mean that Abram was to be sinless since he still had a sin nature, which he would not be rid of until his physical death.
But rather it means that Abram was to have “integrity of character” as a result of fulfilling his obligations to love both God and men.
The commands to “walk before Me” and “be blameless” express the Lord’s desire for Abram to walk according to the standards of His holiness by means of obedience to His Word, and which would express his faith in the Lord to carry out His promises (cf. 1 Pet. 1:14-16).
Genesis 17:2, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
The phrase “I will establish” is inaccurate but rather should be translated “I will make a reality the covenant that has already been established.”
The reason for this is that the Lord is reassuring Abram that now at this point in his life He will make good on His promise to give him and Sarai a child.
This interpretation is substantiated by the fact that the covenant the Lord is making with Abram in Genesis 17 is “not” a new one but based upon the original one made when the Lord called Abram out of Haran.
The covenant that the Lord will make with Abram in Genesis 17 is an enlargement upon the covenant the Lord made with Abram in Genesis 12:1-3.
In Genesis 13:14-17, the Lord expanded upon this original covenant recorded in Genesis 12:1-3 and specifically, made promises to give the land of Canaan to Abram and his descendants.
Then, in Genesis 15:1-6, the Lord promises Abram that his descendants would be innumerable and that he and Sarai would have a son together.
The promises in this covenant serve as the foundation of Abram’s faith since faith must have a foundation, which is the character and integrity of God.
The Lord’s promise “I will multiply you (Abram) exceedingly” emphasizes the result of the Lord making the covenant with Abram a reality and the “degree” to which the Lord would multiply Abram’s descendants.
Genesis 17:3-4, “Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.’”
The fact that Abram fell on his face was a visible demonstration of Abram’s humility and thankfulness to the Lord and that he was worshipping the Lord.
He was thanking the Lord for treating him in grace meaning that God treated him in a manner in which he did not deserve.
The Lord not only promised Abram that he would have many descendants but he would also be the father or progenitor or ancestor of many nations, thus expanding or enlarging upon His previous promises to Abram as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17 and 15:1-6.
The Lord confirmed this promise by changing Abram’s name to Abraham.
Genesis 17:5, “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.”
Abram was a fairly common name in those days and means, “exalted father” or “my father is exalted.”
It was given to him by his father Terah to honor the moon god Nannar, which Terah worshipped and not the God of the Bible.
On the other hand, the name Abraham means, “father of a multitude” and became a declaration of God’s purpose and of His covenant with Abraham, which God would accomplish by making Abraham prolific so that not only populous nations but also kings would be among his descendants.
The change of name would be a reminder to Abraham of the Lord’s guarantee to give him and Sarai a child of their own.
Merrill F. Unger commenting on Genesis 17:4-5, writes, “As the patriarch’s faith was strengthened to grasp God’s all-sufficiency to keep His promise by his talk with El Shaddai, his name was changed to signify his faith’s appropriation of God’s Word.” (Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, page 63).
The Lord’s promise to Abram to make him “the father of a multitude of nations” would be fulfilled in a two-fold sense: (1) Biological (2) Spiritual.
The promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations was fulfilled in a “biological” sense through Hagar where he is the progenitor of the Ishmaelites (Gen. 17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18).
It would be fulfilled through Keturah, the Midianites and others (Gen. 25:1-4); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Edomites (Gen. 25:23; 36:1-43).
This interpretation is substantiated by the genealogies of Keturah (Gen. 25:1-4), Ishmael (Gen. 25:12-18) and Edom (Gen. 36).
When the Lord promises Abraham that he will be the progenitor of many nations, it includes the nation of Israel since in Genesis 12:2, the Lord promised Abraham that He would make him a “great nation” (cf. Gen. 18:18).
Therefore, Abraham’s “biological” descendants through Isaac are the Jews, the nation of Israel whereas through Hagar and Keturah, it is the Arabs.
The Lord’s promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled in a “spiritual” sense through those individuals who exercised faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28).
This is how the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in him “all the families of the earth would be blessed” would be accomplished.
In Galatians, the apostle Paul teaches that the “Seed” God covenanted with Abraham found its fulfillment both uniquely in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also, it found its fulfillment in a collective sense in both Jew and Gentile alike, who expressed faith alone in Christ alone resulting in them being the beneficiaries of regeneration and the baptism of the Spirit (Gal. 3:15-29).
In Romans, Paul teaches that God’s promise to make Abraham a father of many nations is fulfilled in the sense that they reproduce Abraham’s faith (Rom. 4:13-17).
Therefore, regardless of whether or not an individual is Jewish or Gentile biologically or racially, anyone who exercises faith alone in Christ alone becomes a “spiritual” descendant of Abraham.
There are no racial distinctions during the present church age dispensation that began on the day of Pentecost in June of 30 A.D. as recorded in Acts 2 and will end at the rapture of the church, which is imminent (1 Thess. 4:13-18; cf. 2 Pet. 3:10).
Any biological or racial Jew who believes in Christ as his Savior, is considered by God to be “church” or “body of Christ” since according to 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Galatians 3:26-28, there are no racial distinctions in the church age.
After the conclusion of the church age, any Jew racially or biologically that accepts Christ as his Savior during the Tribulation dispensation (aka “Daniel’s 70th week) that follows the church age, becomes a member of “regenerate” or “born-again” Israel.
The same follows for the Gentiles who believe in Christ outside of the church age.
They become “regenerate” or “born-again” Gentiles.
According to Romans 9-11, God is not through with Abraham’s “physical” or “biological” progeny, the Jews, since many will accept Christ as Savior during Daniel’s 70th week becoming a part of “born-again” or “regenerate” Israel.
Genesis 17:6, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.”
The Lord’s promise to Abraham that He would make him “exceedingly fruitful” means that the Lord would give Abraham the capacity to be prolific in that he would be the progenitor of a multitude of children in both a biological and spiritual sense.
The Lord’s promise to Abraham that He would “make nations” from Abraham refers to his “national” posterity Israel, as well as the Arab nations through Hagar and Keturah.
It also refers to his “spiritual” posterity, the church and of course “regenerate” Israel.
The Lord’s promise to Abraham that “kings will come forth from you” is a reference to primarily the kings of Israel (Gen. 35:11; 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:8-16) and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Genesis 17:7, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”
The Lord’s promise to Abraham “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations” refers to the fact that those who like Abraham exercise faith alone in Christ alone will enter into this covenant and become the beneficiaries of it.
This would include the church and regenerate Israel and regenerate Gentiles who lived in dispensations outside of the church age.
The Abrahamic covenant like the Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants were given directly to regenerate Israel according to Romans 9:1-5 but the church and Gentile believers in dispensations outside of the church age benefit from these covenants (cf. Gal. 3).
The Lord promises that the Abrahamic covenant is “eternal.”
The promise “to be God to you and to your descendants after you” refers to the fact that those like Abraham who exercise faith alone in Christ alone would enter into an eternal relationship with the Triune God.
Genesis 17:8, “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
The promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants refers to primarily born-again Israel and the church indirectly since she is the bride of Christ who will reign with Christ in Jerusalem over the entire earth during Christ’s millennial reign.