(Genesis) Genesis 17:19-27 — J. Vernon McGee

God’s Promise of Isaac and Rejection of Polygamy

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed. In other words, God says, No, I won't accept him. That was wrong. And friends, don't come along now, because it's in the Bible, and say, Well, now God approved polygamy.

He's just condemning it as much as He possibly can. I can't see His approving of it at all. And thou shalt call, I'm reading verse 19, thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I'll establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

God’s Covenant Promise to Isaac and Blessing of Ishmael

And as for Ishmael, I've heard thee. Behold I've blessed him, and I will make him fruitful. I'll multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

In other words, God holds to the promise that He's made. God is not to be deterred or deferred from this at all. He's going to do the exact thing that He said He would do. And He speaks as if Isaac's already born and already in their midst, but He speaks of things that are not as if they are, and it's going to be the next year.

Knowing When to Stop Petitioning God

Now we find verse 22, And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. In other words, Abraham, you just well keep quiet. No use any longer. God has already decided this. And friends, there are times and there are things that you and I just will not tell the Lord about in the way of petitioning Him.

There are certain things you don't need to ask the Lord. There are certain things that you don't need to keep after, and there are times when you've said enough and you don't need to say any more. I'm of the opinion that a great many folk just pester the Lord, sometimes in a prayer, and they already have the answer, which of course is no.

Now God says to Abraham, Let alone now. This is enough. You needn't mention this any more. I have not accepted it, and I do not intend to. Now God's going to hear the prayer of Abraham a little later.

We're going to find out. God listened to Abraham. But there are certain matters, and I find a great many people today, they pray about things that maybe God doesn't intend to hear answered off. And I'm very careful, I try to be very careful today about asking people to pray about certain things.

Abraham’s Obedience in Circumcising His Household

I want to at least feel like there's a reasonable chance of God hearing it and answering. Now we find verse 23, and this reveals the interest Abraham had in this boy. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

The Sign of the Covenant and the Promised Messianic Line

And Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son, and all the men of his house born in the house, and bought with him of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Now this is the badge of the covenant that God has made with Abraham. Now somebody's going to say, well, Ishmael, why was he included? Well, hasn't God promised he's going to be a great nation also? May I say he's included in it in that sense, but he's not to be the one that God had promised Abraham at the beginning.

He's not to be the father of the nation that God will use, and the nation through whom the Messiah will come. That's very important to see at this juncture. In fact, it's all important.