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†. Gen 17:18 . . And Abraham said to God: O that Ishmael might live
by Your favor!
Ishmael is sometimes thought of as a sort of red-headed step child, but I
tend to think that Abraham really did love the boy. I can see that love at
work here when Abraham requested God's providence for him lest he
become marginalized and forgotten.
†. Gen 17:19a . . God said: Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear
you a son,
God had nothing personal against Ishmael; but he was not quite what The
Lord had in mind for the covenant's future. The one to perpetuate it 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: God much preferred a peaceable man.
†. 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 Old
Testament, 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 pregnancy.)
†. Gen 17:19c . . and I will maintain My covenant with him as an
everlasting covenant for his offspring to come.
Much of the covenant is of little interest to the average Gentile; but one
portion of it is very significant. It's this:
"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen 22:18)
The blessing is generally related to the people of Israel.
"Salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22)
And specifically related to Christ.
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world." (1John 2:2)
†. 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, or upon Isaac's blessings.
†. Gen 17:21 . . But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac, 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 supervisor 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.
†. 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 Abraham
emancipated his mom.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 17:18 . . And Abraham said to God: O that Ishmael might live
by Your favor!
Ishmael is sometimes thought of as a sort of red-headed step child, but I
tend to think that Abraham really did love the boy. I can see that love at
work here when Abraham requested God's providence for him lest he
become marginalized and forgotten.
†. Gen 17:19a . . God said: Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear
you a son,
God had nothing personal against Ishmael; but he was not quite what The
Lord had in mind for the covenant's future. The one to perpetuate it 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: God much preferred a peaceable man.
†. 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 Old
Testament, 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 pregnancy.)
†. Gen 17:19c . . and I will maintain My covenant with him as an
everlasting covenant for his offspring to come.
Much of the covenant is of little interest to the average Gentile; but one
portion of it is very significant. It's this:
"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen 22:18)
The blessing is generally related to the people of Israel.
"Salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22)
And specifically related to Christ.
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world." (1John 2:2)
†. 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, or upon Isaac's blessings.
†. Gen 17:21 . . But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac, 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 supervisor 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.
†. 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 Abraham
emancipated his mom.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=