Sermon Title: Snowglobes & Slaves (Gen 17:1-27)

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Adonai appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you very, very much.”

4 “As for me, look, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you very, very fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

9 God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will 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 all shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant. 14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that life shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”

18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “On the contrary, Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. 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. Sure enough, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him very, very much. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this moment next year.” 22 When he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his silver: every male among the people of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 On that very day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with silver from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Paronomasia: Pun or Wordplay.

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Adonai appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you very, very much.”

4 “As for me, look, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you very, very fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

9 God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will 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 all shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant. 14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that life shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”

18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “On the contrary, Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. 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. Sure enough, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him very, very much. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this moment next year.” 22 When he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his silver: every male among the people of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 On that very day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with silver from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

You can be many things, but being God's slave tops them all.