†. Gen 17:18 . . And Abraham said to God: O that Ishmael might live
by Your favor!
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Well, why bother getting Sarah
preggers when Ishmael was already at hand? But at the same time, I think
Abraham was worried that Ishmael would be marginalized and treated as an
expendable commodity.
†. Gen 17:19a . . God said: Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear
you a son,
God had nothing personal against Ishmael; but he was a natural-born son;
and not quite what The Lord had in mind for Abraham's future. Abraham's
son had to be special; viz: he couldn't be a "wild-burro of a man" nor "his
hand against every man's hand". In other words: Abraham's son had to be
a man of peace; and he was.
†. Gen 17:19b . . and you shall name him Isaac;
Isaac's name is Yitschaq (yits-khawk') which means: laughter or mirth;
sometimes in a bad way such as mockery. In other places in the Tanakh,
Isaac's name is Yischaq (yis-khawk') which means: he will laugh, or, he
thinks it's funny. (perhaps as a memorial to Abraham's mirth at hearing the
news of Sarah's imminent fertility.)
†. Gen 17:19c . . and I will maintain My covenant with him as an
everlasting covenant for his offspring to come.
That promise guarantees the covenant is "everlasting" therefore, no one will
ever be able to wipe out Abraham's community; and to date, nobody has
succeeded. Lots of ancient peoples-- just as the Passenger Pigeon --have
vanished off the earth. But Abraham's community is still here in spite of all
the attempts to exterminate it.
The covenant is therefore a perpetual covenant, passing from one
generation to the next in an unbroken chain to Isaac's offspring Messiah.
And Gen 17:19 guarantees he'll get it.
†. Gal 3:16 . .The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The
Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to
your seed," meaning one person: who is Christ.
†. Gen 17:20 . . As for Ishmael, I have heeded you. I hereby bless
him. I will make him fertile and exceedingly numerous. He shall be
the father of twelve chieftains, and I will make of him a great nation.
That quite literally came true. Ishmael really did engender twelve chieftains.
(Gen 25:12-16)
I don't know why so many people seem to think that Ishmael was only so
much trash to throw out and discard, like as if he were second-hand dish
water or something. No one should ever forget that he was Abraham's flesh
and blood; his first son and Abraham really loved that boy. God blessed him
too; and took care of him. He was circumcised in Abraham's home, which
made him a permanent member of Abraham's community; so modern Arabs
do have a legitimate claim to Abraham as their patriarch; but of course they
have no such claim upon Isaac.
†. Gen 17:21a . . But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac,
I don't think that set very well with Ishmael. He must have felt a very
burning resentment. He and his mom were given the dirty end of the stick,
and it was through no fault of their own. It was Sarah. She did it to them.
You know, it really isn't very difficult to understand why Ishmael hated
Sarah, and later his own little half brother Isaac. That woman wrecked his
life. And she's not done yet at this point; the worst is still to come.
†. Gen 17:21b . . whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next
year.
Looks like the Abrahams will be going shopping for a crib, a stroller, and a
car seat. Nothing like news of a baby to make the daddies start looking at
their budgets. :-)
†. Gen 17:22 . . And when He was done speaking with him, God was
gone from Abraham.
Don't you just hate it when a superior lays down the law and then turns on
their heel and leaves the room? It immediately tells everyone that their
boss's agenda is not open to discussion. You'll either help out; or get out:
go along or go away. This matter regarding Ishmael and Isaac was just like
that. God was not interested in any more of Abraham's objections. Case
closed.
†. Gen 17:23 . .Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all his
home-born slaves and all those he had bought, every male in
Abraham's household, and he circumcised the flesh of their
foreskins on that very day, as God had spoken to him.
That was well over 300 grown men; not counting boys (Gen 14:14).
†. Gen 17:24-27 . . Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he
circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and his son Ishmael was
thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his
foreskin. Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised
on that very day; and all his household, his home-born slaves
and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised
with him.
Abraham was typically very prompt and did things in a timely manner.
Trouble is; every male in camp was disabled all at once. Thank goodness
nobody attacked right then or the PowerPuff Girls would have been forced to
man the guns.
Note : Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised. It would be another
year before Isaac was born, and possibly three after that before Isaac was
weaned; making Ishmael about seventeen or eighteen when he and his
mom were sent packing.
Cont.
/
by Your favor!
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Well, why bother getting Sarah
preggers when Ishmael was already at hand? But at the same time, I think
Abraham was worried that Ishmael would be marginalized and treated as an
expendable commodity.
†. Gen 17:19a . . God said: Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear
you a son,
God had nothing personal against Ishmael; but he was a natural-born son;
and not quite what The Lord had in mind for Abraham's future. Abraham's
son had to be special; viz: he couldn't be a "wild-burro of a man" nor "his
hand against every man's hand". In other words: Abraham's son had to be
a man of peace; and he was.
†. Gen 17:19b . . and you shall name him Isaac;
Isaac's name is Yitschaq (yits-khawk') which means: laughter or mirth;
sometimes in a bad way such as mockery. In other places in the Tanakh,
Isaac's name is Yischaq (yis-khawk') which means: he will laugh, or, he
thinks it's funny. (perhaps as a memorial to Abraham's mirth at hearing the
news of Sarah's imminent fertility.)
†. Gen 17:19c . . and I will maintain My covenant with him as an
everlasting covenant for his offspring to come.
That promise guarantees the covenant is "everlasting" therefore, no one will
ever be able to wipe out Abraham's community; and to date, nobody has
succeeded. Lots of ancient peoples-- just as the Passenger Pigeon --have
vanished off the earth. But Abraham's community is still here in spite of all
the attempts to exterminate it.
The covenant is therefore a perpetual covenant, passing from one
generation to the next in an unbroken chain to Isaac's offspring Messiah.
And Gen 17:19 guarantees he'll get it.
†. Gal 3:16 . .The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The
Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to
your seed," meaning one person: who is Christ.
†. Gen 17:20 . . As for Ishmael, I have heeded you. I hereby bless
him. I will make him fertile and exceedingly numerous. He shall be
the father of twelve chieftains, and I will make of him a great nation.
That quite literally came true. Ishmael really did engender twelve chieftains.
(Gen 25:12-16)
I don't know why so many people seem to think that Ishmael was only so
much trash to throw out and discard, like as if he were second-hand dish
water or something. No one should ever forget that he was Abraham's flesh
and blood; his first son and Abraham really loved that boy. God blessed him
too; and took care of him. He was circumcised in Abraham's home, which
made him a permanent member of Abraham's community; so modern Arabs
do have a legitimate claim to Abraham as their patriarch; but of course they
have no such claim upon Isaac.
†. Gen 17:21a . . But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac,
I don't think that set very well with Ishmael. He must have felt a very
burning resentment. He and his mom were given the dirty end of the stick,
and it was through no fault of their own. It was Sarah. She did it to them.
You know, it really isn't very difficult to understand why Ishmael hated
Sarah, and later his own little half brother Isaac. That woman wrecked his
life. And she's not done yet at this point; the worst is still to come.
†. Gen 17:21b . . whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next
year.
Looks like the Abrahams will be going shopping for a crib, a stroller, and a
car seat. Nothing like news of a baby to make the daddies start looking at
their budgets. :-)
†. Gen 17:22 . . And when He was done speaking with him, God was
gone from Abraham.
Don't you just hate it when a superior lays down the law and then turns on
their heel and leaves the room? It immediately tells everyone that their
boss's agenda is not open to discussion. You'll either help out; or get out:
go along or go away. This matter regarding Ishmael and Isaac was just like
that. God was not interested in any more of Abraham's objections. Case
closed.
†. Gen 17:23 . .Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all his
home-born slaves and all those he had bought, every male in
Abraham's household, and he circumcised the flesh of their
foreskins on that very day, as God had spoken to him.
That was well over 300 grown men; not counting boys (Gen 14:14).
†. Gen 17:24-27 . . Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he
circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and his son Ishmael was
thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his
foreskin. Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised
on that very day; and all his household, his home-born slaves
and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised
with him.
Abraham was typically very prompt and did things in a timely manner.
Trouble is; every male in camp was disabled all at once. Thank goodness
nobody attacked right then or the PowerPuff Girls would have been forced to
man the guns.
Note : Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised. It would be another
year before Isaac was born, and possibly three after that before Isaac was
weaned; making Ishmael about seventeen or eighteen when he and his
mom were sent packing.
Cont.
/
