Genesis 17:15-2115And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 17Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. (Genesis 17:15‑21)
“And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her.” 10:15,16. Some think that the name Sarai meant “contentious” although this is not certain. We do know, however, that Sarah means “princess.” Wasn’t that a gracious name for the wife of Abraham after she had not acted like a princess in her scheming and self-will? God always does for His own “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:2020Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20).
Sarai was a figure of Israel, one in whom fulfillment of promises was to take place, but seen as dead and unfruitful in the flesh. As such a type she was a barren woman, unable to bring forth in her nature anything for God. We have already seen her pathetic mistake in thinking she could devise some means of overcoming her unfruitfulness. In giving her this new name meaning “princess,” God was really preparing the way for her to come into blessing, but it must be under His power, for He can only use that which is truly of Himself. God explained to Abraham that the way was now open for her to bring forth the heir of promise, and we are introduced to a whole new phase in their history.
It is important to note that at this point Sarah did not know of the change or the new assurances of blessing in which God included her by name. It was to Abraham that He declared these things. This is a further picture to us of the way God has marked out His people Israel for blessings in the millennial period, but it is only the faithful Jew who could know the good of it. The Jewish nation today professes to look for their Messiah and for His blessings to them, but they are actually in darkness, not willing to own that Christ has already come to them Messiah and that they rejected Him. The Jew today, who has heard the gospel message is now responsible to own Christ as his personal Saviour. Those who do so are then partakers of everlasting life and will have a portion better than the millennium on earth. But those who reject the gospel will have no part in the blessings of that millennial day.
“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” verse 17. This was not the laugh of one who doubted God’s promise, but a laugh of joy in the realization that in spite of his past failures, God in His own way was going to present him with an heir.
“And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before Thee! And God said... as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful.... But My covenant will I establish with Isaac.” 10:18,20,21. Ishmael at this time was 13 years old and Abraham had a father’s love for this son, even though he was not his true heir. In the joy of the prospect of having Isaac he does not forget Ishmael and prays that he might live before God, too. Ishmael could never share in the place that Isaac the child of faith and grace, would know, nevertheless God promises Abraham that blessings would be given the older son also.
ML 08/01/1965