Sermon – Genesis 17 – Names

1 … Today, we are going to be in Genesis 17 and will look at the names that are used; and next week at the commands.

2 … Recap from Genesis 16
- This chapter contains the account of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar.
- Sarai and Abram did not want to wait on God, so they came up with their own plan.
- They brought Hagar into their marriage to start a family through her.

3 … Recap from Genesis 16 (continued)
- History has never been the same – descendants of Isaac and Ishmael at odds.
4 … Set-up for chapter 17
- 13 years are between chapters 16 and 17; and Abram is now 99.
- The LORD appears with a covenant, a new name, and new commands.
5 … Genesis 17:1-2 (1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. (2) I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to you countless descendants.”
6 … Genesis 17:3-5 … (3) At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, (4) “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! (5) What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.
7 … Genesis 17:6-7 … (6) I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! (7) I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8 … Genesis 17:8-9 … (8) And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”(9) Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.
9 … Genesis 17:10-11 … (10) This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. (11) You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.
10 … Genesis 17:12 … (12) From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.
11 … Genesis 17:13-14 … (13) All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. (14) Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”
12 … Genesis 17:15-16 … (15) Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife – her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. (16) And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
13 … Genesis 17:17-18 … (17) Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought, “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” (18) So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
14 … Genesis 17:19-20 … (19) But God replied, “No – Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. (20) As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
15 … Genesis 17:21-22 … (21) But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” (22) When God had finished speaking, He left Abraham.
16 … Genesis 17:23-24 … (23) On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. (24) Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,
17 … Genesis 17:25-27 … (25) and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. (26) Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that day, (27) along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.
18 … Today we are going to focus on the names used in this passage; and next week, the commands that the LORD gives.
19 … In this passage there are many names mentioned and a couple of names changed. To the Hebrew people, names, along with genealogy, meant everything.
20 … The Hebrew people knew where they came from, who they were related to, and what names meant. It was common to be named after a family member, for what parents hoped their child would be, for something that happened to the parents during the pregnancy, or if there was a prophecy about the child.
21 … Abram’s name meant “exalted father,” which was kind of ironic because up to this point in the story, he was not a father. He was told he would be a father, but is still waiting.
22 … His name is changed to Abraham, which means “father of many.”

23 … The Jewish people as well as the Arabs trace their roots back to Abraham. It is also recorded that Abraham had 6 other sons, with Keturah who he remarried, after Sarah died.

24 … The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Abraham had these sons settle in colonies and that they took possession of Troglodytis (the coastal area of the Red Sea) and the country of Arabia Felix, (which is modern day Yemen).

25 … Abraham did this perhaps to keep them away from Isaac to avoid conflict; and to continue to fulfill God’s command to spread out and inhabit the world.

26 … Josephus also mentioned that one of the descendants, Epher, invaded Libya and that “Africa” is derived from his name. Other descendants were Sheba and Midian, where the Midianite people come from. It is also possible that one of Abraham’s other sons, Shuah, is the first of the Shuhites, in which Job’s friend Bildad was.

27 … Abraham did become the father of many nations.

28 … Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah, but both mean princess or noble or royalty.

29 … The simple change in spelling moves her from being associated with the land of Ur to the land of Canaan.

30 … Abraham is told that Sarah will have a son, but he laughs to himself in disbelief.

31 … Abraham, either in disbelief and/or concern for Ishmael asks for God’s blessing to be placed upon the son he had with Hagar.

32 … God tells Abraham that this isn’t the plan, restates that Abraham and Sarah would have a son, and they were to name him, “Isaac,” which means “he laughs.”

33 … So, whenever Abraham and Sarah would think about or call or love or feed or discipline their son, then they would be reminded of what his name meant and where his name came from – about their disbelief and lack of patience – about needing to trust God.

34 … The biggest and best name that is mentioned in this passage is the one the LORD uses. He appears to Abram and in the translation I have, says, “I am El-Shaddai – God Almighty.”

35 … Most English translations render El-Shaddai as follows: I am the Almighty God, I am God Almighty, I am God All-Powerful, I am the Almighty, or I am Almighty God.
36 … But is this the best rendering? Some would say it is and others would disagree. Some would agree, but would come to this conclusion from different angles.

37 … The word “El” simply means god or God, depending on the context and if any other words are attached it.

38 … Just like in English, “god” can refer to any deity, but “God” refers to our Creator – the One and Only God.

39 … Now the word “Shaddai” can be looked at or translated a few different ways depending on your source or intention.

40 … There is a Hebrew word that is connected with “Shaddai” and that is “ShDoD,” which means to destroy or overpower. If that is the case, then God has the power to destroy or would be the most mighty – The Almighty.

41 … It has also been compared to the Akkadian word “Shaddu” which means mountain.

42 … Many ancient societies and religions believed their gods lived high on the mountains. The Hebrew people had God living on Mount Sinai or Zion.

43 … If the word does mean “mountain,” then El-Shaddai could mean “God of the Mountain.”

44 … Mountains were seen as a place of refuge or protection; or a symbol of strength or might, so translating this word as “Almighty” does make sense.

45 … One last possible translation comes from the Hebrew word “ShaD” which means “breast.” Breast symbolize a source of nourishment, love, and fertility.

46 … So, God could be looked at as the One who sustains, supplies, nourishes, blesses, or satisfies.

47 … There are many passages that use “El-Shaddai” or “God Almighty” in the context of God promising to bless or provide children.

48 … Genesis 17, which is our passage today, and is where God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and tells him that he will be blessed with many descendants.
49 … Genesis 28:3 … May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations!
50 … Genesis 35:11 … Then God said, I am El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!

51 … Genesis 43:13-14 … Then take your brother, and go back to the man. May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”
52 … Genesis 49:25 … May the God of your father help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessing of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and wombs.
53 … Ruth 1:20-21 … “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”
54 … So, God protects and blesses. He provides and loves. He is the One and Only God. He is the Living God. He is God Almighty, regardless of how we come to that conclusion. There is no one else like Him.
55 … Only God Almighty can do all of those things – protect, bless, provide, love – but what does He want to protect us from and how does He want to bless and provide for us?
56 … God provides, blesses, and loves us through Jesus Christ.
57 … John 3:16 tells us that plainly that God loved the world so much, that He gave up His Son so that those who believe would be saved.
58 … Romans 6:23 … For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. – – – We are blessed to have salvation through Jesus – for Him to take our place on the cross and free us from the penalty of sin and death.
59 … We are also given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee and to guide us throughout our lives.
60 … The Spirit provides us gifts to build up each other and the Church; so we need to use them to better each other and to grow His Kingdom and our local church.
61 … It wouldn’t be a sermon without mentioning Galatians 5 and the Fruit of the Spirit. This has become our passage, and if our lives are producing this fruit, then we know we are living right, that God is #1 in our lives, and that we are being blessed by God.
62 … Remember, it is God that protects, loves, blesses, provides, sustains, and saves. However, we must remain faithful to Him and Him alone; with more on that next week.