EFREE Church

ABRAHAM PART 6
GOD’S TIMING (Genesis 17)

GOD’S TIMING IS NOT ALWAYS OUR TIMING BUT IT IS ALWAYS THE BEST TIMING (V1-2)

As chapter 17 opens, Abraham is now 99 years old as God again reinstates His promise to him

He was 75 when God called him to leave the land of Ur (12:4)

Genesis 12:4 – So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

As Abraham continues to wait on God’s promise, God commands him to “walk before Him and be blameless”

Abraham is now age 99 as God again reinstates His promise to him

God changes his name from Abram (meaning “exalted father”) to Abraham (meaning “father of a multitude”)

God makes five promises to Abraham
I WILL make you very fruitful

I WILL make nations of you

I WILL establish my covenant

I WILL give you land as an everlasting possession

I WILL be your God

Genesis 17:9-15 – God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. 13 A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

God establishes circumcision as the sign of this covenant

This would outwardly express their allegiance to God and His covenant

Genesis 17:15-18 – Then 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 indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall 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 a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!”

God now changes Sarai’s name to Sarah and for the first time specifically states that she will bear a son for Abraham

Abraham is 99 years old and Sarah is age 90 – no wonder Abraham responded by laughing and questioning how God is going to do this

Sarah will also laugh when she first hears this news (Genesis 18:12)

God makes clear that this would be the son through whom He would establish the covenant He made with Abraham

God commands Abraham to name the boy “Isaac” (which means “laughter” – Yes, God has a sense of humor)

Abraham obeys and has all in his house, including himself circumcised

True faith demands obedience (James 2:18)

James 2:18 - But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

This becomes a teaching point of Paul in Romans 4:18-21

Romans 4:18-21 - In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 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; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

Sometimes God may delay to give us time to exhaust all of our own human resources so that we will recognize Him as our only hope

Hope often comes out of hopelessness (this is seen clearly in Psalm 107

Hopelessness is seen in v4-5 - They wandered; They could not find a way; They were hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them.

Hope is seen in v6-9 – They cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them; Her led them; He satisfied their soul; He filled their hungry soul with good

Hopelessness is seen in v10-12 – They dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death; They were prisoners in misery and chains, They stumbled and there was none to help.

Hope is seen in v13-16 - They cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distress; He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death; He has shattered gates of bronze
and cut bars of iron asunder.

Hopelessness is seen in verses 23-27 – God spoke and raised up a stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea. They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery. They reeled and staggered like a drunken man,
and were at their wits’ end.

Hope is seen in v28-32 - They cried to the Lord in their trouble; He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed. He guided them to their desired haven.