Her Name Is Sarah

Abram was ninety-nine years old when the LORD appeared to him. Ishmael, the son Hagar had borne, was thirteen. The household had lived through those intervening years, and Sarai had still borne no child. Now the LORD spoke to Abram again about the covenant and the descendants who would come after him.

“I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.” He said He would establish His covenant with Abram and multiply him exceedingly. Abram fell facedown while God continued to speak, telling him that he would be the father of many nations.

His name would change with that declaration. He would no longer be called Abram, but Abraham, because God had made him a father of many nations. God said that nations would come from him and kings would descend from him. The man lying facedown received a name that spoke of descendants still to come.

God described an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants, to be their God. He promised them all the land of Canaan, where Abraham was residing, as an eternal possession. Abraham was to keep the covenant, and so were the generations after him. The promise reached beyond the people then living in his household.

Circumcision would be its sign. Every male was to be circumcised, including servants born in the household and those purchased from foreigners; in each generation, boys were to be circumcised at eight days old. God said that an uncircumcised male would be cut off from his people for breaking the covenant. The command concerned every male in Abraham’s household, including those who were not his offspring.

Then God named Abraham’s wife. “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.” He continued: “And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”

Abraham fell facedown and laughed. He said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” The ages were part of his answer to what he had heard. He had a son already, but this promise named Sarah as the mother.

Abraham spoke to God about the boy who was already there. “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!” God answered by returning to Sarah: “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac.” He said He would establish His covenant with Isaac and his descendants.

God also answered the plea for Ishmael. He would bless him, make him fruitful, and multiply him greatly; Ishmael would father twelve rulers and become a great nation. But God said He would establish His covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah would bear at this time next year. The promised birth now had a mother, a name, and an appointed time.

When God finished speaking, He went up from Abraham. On that very day, Abraham circumcised Ishmael and every male in his household, those born there and those purchased with his money. Abraham himself was circumcised at ninety-nine, and Ishmael at thirteen. Father and son received the sign on the same day.

Sarah had been named in the promise, though no words from her are recorded in this encounter. Abraham had heard that she would bear Isaac within a year, and Abraham had laughed. Soon, at the entrance of their tent, Sarah would hear the promise spoken for herself. Three men would arrive in the heat of the day.