NAME CHANGES FOR ABRAM AND SARAI

Genesis 17:1-8

Morning Meditation 2/1/14

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

ABRAM IS AS GOOD AS DEAD WHEN GOD PROMISED HIM ISAAC

He was 99 years of age when God came to him with this great promise. God said, "I am the almighty God." What we do in this life for God depends on a right understanding of God. Is God almighty? Can He make a promise such as He made to Abram and fulfill it? If He does He will have to exert power far beyond the nature of things. Of course, that is not a problem to the Bible believer. The Bible believer believes the Bible is a perfect book filled with promises from God who is Almighty. He can part the Red Sea and make an escape route for His people for their escape from Egypt and rain manna for forty years to feed all of Israel through all the wilderness wanderings. He can bring water from a rock to quench their thirst. He can touch a leper and heal him instantly.

God makes the promise that is completely out of the question if it were not for one thing. God is Almighty. Abram fell on his face and laughed when God promised him a son in his old age. This is the natural man laughing. We have that same problem. When Abram's faith reached out and gripped this promise, I don't know. But Paul tells a different story about Abram.

Romans 4:18-20, "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;"

These passages are not in conflict. In Genesis we see the first promise and Abram looking at it from a human viewpoint. Many of us do the same thing when we first look at a staggering promise. Then, by the grace of God, it dawns on us that it is not a man making this promise, it is Almighty God. Then we take our stand on God's promise realizing that it is Almighty God telling us what He will do.

ABRAM'S AND SARAI'S NAME CHANGE

The name Abram means, "exalted father." The name is changed to Abraham which means, "father of a multitude." Every time God called Abraham, he was reminded of the promise to him in this passage of Scripture. Every time Sarah call her husband Abraham he was reminded of the promise God made to him.

The LORD also changed Sarai's name to Sarah. The name Sarai means, "princess." The name Sarah means, "Noble woman."

The Lord changes our names when He saves us. We are called Christians after our Saviour. What an awesome blessing it is to be so identified with Christ in salvation that we bear His name in ourselves. Next--

GOD MAKES A COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

This came completely unsought on the part of Abraham. God is working in this world to redeem it and set it up to run like His original plan. Note some things about this covenant--

1.. It was an everlasting covenant; vs 7.

2. It was made, initiated, and maintained by the Almighty God; vs 7: "And I will establish my covenant between Me and thee."

3. It was to extend to Abraham's seed for an "everlasting covenant" vs 7.

4. God declared that He would "be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee;" vs 7.

5. The covenant included a gift of the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. All the land of Canaan belongs to Abraham and His seed forever. It is their land whether they are in it or dispersed among the nations as a judgment of God upon them because of their sins.

6. Circumcision was a token of the covenant; Genesis 17:13, "He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant."

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White