Genesis 15-17

The Lord speaks again to Abram, this time in a vision.  “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great”.  But in light of this, Abram wonders what use is a reward to him when he is childless.  All that he has will be passed down to someone who is not even related to him.  So, what good is a reward?  Well, God simply tells him that he will have a son and that his offspring will be so many that they will be like the many stars in the sky.

Abram believed and this was counted as righteousness.  I remember this because it is a point that Paul makes in the New Testament.  Some of the Jews took pride in their circumcision or in their works, but Paul reminds them that Abram's righteousness was by faith and it was before he was circumcised.

The Lord tells Abram about the land that he will possess, but Abram asks for assurance of this.  I guess he still questions this.  So, the Lord gets Abram to arrange some animals.  The Lord confirms what he says by having "a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch" pass between the pieces (the animal carcasses).  There is also a bit of a foretelling of what will happen.  Abram's offspring will sojourners in a foreign land and be afflicted for 400 years (slavery in Egypt).  Then, they will be delivered and the Egyptians will be judged and they will leave with great possessions.  Abram will be buried in a good old age.  Then, they will return back here, to this land that is promised by God.

Next, we read a story about Sarai and Hagar.  Sarai is still barren, and they decide to have Abram have children by Hagar, Sarai's servant.  This is obviously a bad idea, but they do it anyways and Hagar is pregnant.  However, this immediately causes strife and Hagar looks with contempt on Sarai and Sarai deals harshly towards Hagar and then Hagar runs away.  Having run away, an angel appears to Hagar and tells her about the child she is to bear.  So, Ishmael is born and I guess things continue on.

The Lord tells Abram about of circumcision and all the males are to circumcised.  This is part of the covenant, that all the males are to be circumcised.

Abram is also renamed Abraham and Sarai is renamed Sarah.  I guess there is great meaning to these names.  Abraham means "father of a multitude" and Sarah means "princess".  I understand "Abraham" because God tells of his offspring being many, but I don't quite get "Sarah".  Perhaps this is to reinforce the idea that Sarah is important, even though she still hasn't been able to bear any children.

Abraham thinks the covenant will be established with Ishamel, but the Lord tells him that it will be established with the son Sarah is to bear, Isaac.  And with this, Abraham circumcises all the men of his house.  That must've been painful...