Genesis 17:3-8
Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As
for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No
longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you
a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of
you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant
as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you
for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants
after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I
will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;
and I will be their God.”
Comments
Abram was now 99 years old and no longer childless because he
had a son (Ishmael) by a servant (Hagar) of his wife (Sarai). This was not
exactly one big happy family because Sarai despised Hagar for giving Abram the
son that Sarai could never give him.
In the midst of this God gave Abram a new name. His old
name, Abram, meant “exalted father” which was rather ironic given the jealousy and
discord within his family.
Abram’s new name, Abraham, meant “father of nations.” Given that
he only had one son, this must have seemed a bit ironic as well until God explained
that Sarai would give birth to a son as promised.
Abraham’s new name was significant because God’s strong promises
came with it. Notice the initiative God took by saying, “I will make…I will make…I
will establish…I will give…I will be…”
God’s direct involvement served as the guarantee that Abraham’s
new name would go down in history as a name to be remembered by multitudes. Today
more than three billion Jews, Christians and Muslims are descendants of “Father
Abraham.”
Reflections
Are the ties binding families together as strong as the ones
pulling them apart? Is there hope that Jews, Christians and Muslims could ever learn
to live in harmony?
Prayer
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose
love connects us with family, friends, neighbors and even enemies.
I have hope that Jews, Christians and Muslims will learn to live in harmony!!! I have regular conversations with a Muslim man. Just this week I told him how much I treasure our friendship, and that it gives me hope that someday all Christians and Muslims might learn to live together peacefully in this world. He expressed the same sentiments. There is hope!
ReplyDeleteIn my family this past year, there have developed two estrangements. A brother asks another brother to stay away, and to not communicate. A daughter tells her parents she needs some space, and time - but there is communication. Communications feeds hope and understanding. Families, religious sects, marriages...the same seems true.
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