Gênesis 17
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 17
Henry - Ge 17:1-6. The covenant was to be accomplished in due time. The promised Seed was Christ, and Christians in him. And all who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abram, being partakers of the same covenant blessings. In token of this covenant his name was changed from Abram, "a high father," to Abraham, "the father of a multitude." All that the Christian world enjoys, it is indebted for to Abraham and his Seed. ILLUSTRATION - A naturalist once took a cocoon of an emperor moth and kept it in his study for months, hoping to witness its emergence in due time. The cocoon was flask-shaped with a narrow opening at the neck through which the moth would emerge. The great difference between the narrow opening and the size of the moth made the naturalist wonder how ever the insect would get out of its prison. At last the day came and all morning the man watched the struggles of the insect. It never seemed to get beyond a certain point. The struggle to emerge is what forces the fluids of the moth’s body into the wings and makes it possible for it to fly. The naturalist did not know that and, his patience exhausted, he decided to help things along. With the point of his scissors he carefully snipped the confining threads to make the exit just a little easier. At once the moth crawled out with perfect ease. But the naturalist watched in vain to see the gorgeous wings expand and fill. They never did. His impatience and false kindness had ruined the moth. It never became anything but a stunted abortion, crawling painfully through the brief life it should have spent flying through the air on rainbow wings. It is always a mistake to try to hasten the work of God He has His own reasons for His seeming delays. But Abram could not wait. As a result of his impatience there followed a solemn silence in which, for thirteen long years, he received no further word from God. He was eighty-six when Ishmael was born and ninety-nine when God at last broke the silence. There were thirteen years during which Abram made no further progress in the things of God, in which he saw no fruit, and during which nothing worthy of note happened in his life. (
Gênesis 17
Henry: "It was a laughter of delight, not of distrust. Note, Even the promises of a holy God, as well as his performances, are the joys of holy souls; there is the joy of faith as well as the joy of fruition. Now it was that Abraham rejoiced to see Christ’s day. Now he saw it and was glad (Jn. 8:56); for, as he saw heaven in the promise of Canaan, so he saw Christ in the promise of Isaac. " KJV Commentary strikes somewhat of a balance: "Worship and incredulity seem intermixed here. We are under no necessity of making Abraham flawless as the Jewish commentators try to do. He found the promise difficult to believe at first. This is borne out by what he said in his heart and by his request to God that the promises might center in Ishmael. " This is a difficult question (the meaning of Abraham laughing) to resolve but certainly Paul does seem to give us the "last word" on Abraham's spiritual assessment of this impossibility stating Abraham did not become "weak in faith" (Ro 4:19) even in the face of that fact that he was "about 100 yo and the deadness of Sarah's womb" (Ro 4:19). In fact in regard to the promise of God he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith giving glory to God (Ro 4:20). Paul's description would tend to support that his laughter was not out of unbelief. Laughed (06711)(tsachaq) means to laugh, toy with, make sport (Ge 39:14,17). To laugh outright in merriment or scorn, mockery or derision (Ge 21:9). Tsacaq conveys the idea of laughter, whether in joy or incredulity. The stronger Piel stem connotes positively, play and sport, or negatively, mockery and derision. Tsachaq expresses an attitude toward something promised (a son in their old age) that seemed impossible - Abraham laughed in faith (Ge 17:17), but Sarah laughed in unbelier (Ge 18:12, 13, 17). In Ex 32:6 tsachaq may have sexual or immoral overtones (cf Ge 26:8). Gilbrant -A primary root, the verb tsāchaq, which means "to laugh," is used thirteen times in the Qal or Piel stems. All uses are in Genesis and Exodus, except for one use in Judges. An alternate form with similar meanings, sāchaq, occurs thirty-six times in later portions of Scripture. The Qal stem of tsāchaq denotes the action of laughter, and all six occurrences are in the account of events surrounding the birth of Isaac. When God announced to Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son, the ninety-nine-year-old fell to his face and laughed, thinking that it was impossible (Gen. 17:17). Sarah had the same reaction some weeks later when she overheard the Lord (in human form) announcing the same incredible promise (Gen. 18:12). Her laugh, like her husband's, was one of disbelief, and God pointed out her lack of faith (Gen. 18:13ff). A year later, however, the promised son was born, and Sarah's incredulous laugh turned to a laugh of joy (Gen. 21:6). Even the name of her newborn son Isaac meant "laughter." In the Piel stem, tsāchaq can mean "to play," "to make sport," "to mock." The word often has a negative connotation. When Lot tried to warn his sons-in-law of the impending destruction of Sodom, they refused to take him seriously, assuming that he was simply jesting with them (Gen. 19:14). On the day Isaac was weaned, Ishmael was observed mocking him—an offense which ultimately led to the expulsion of him and his mother from Abraham's household (Gen. 21:9). The same spirit of mockery can be seen in the episode where the blind Samson was brought to the Philistine festival so that he could entertain and amuse the crowd, giving them an opportunity to taunt their old enemy (Judg. 16:25). The Piel usage sometimes has strong sexual overtones. By claiming Joseph tried to seduce her, Potiphar's wife accused him of toying with the whole household and with her (Gen. 39:14, 17). When Isaac had claimed that Rebekah was merely his sister, the deception was uncovered when the Philistine king observed him "sporting" with her, obviously in the manner of a marriage relationship (Gen. 26:8). This gives a broad hint at the activities of Israel in the account of the golden calf, where Exo. 32:6 says that the people "rose up to play." (Complete Biblical Library) Tsachaq - 13x/12v - caressing(1), entertained*(1), jesting(1), laugh(4), laughed(2), make sport(2), mocking(1), play(1). Gen. 17:17; Gen. 18:12; Gen. 18:13; Gen. 18:15; Gen. 19:14; Gen. 21:6; Gen. 21:9; Gen. 26:8; Gen. 39:14; Gen. 39:17; Exod. 32:6; Jdg. 16:25 Walter Kaiser - Ge 17:17; 18:12–15 Discriminatory Treatment of Abraham and Sarah? Hard Sayings of the Bible It is clear that both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the news that they would have a son so late in life. The question, then, is this: Why was Sarah the only one who was rebuked? Is this a case where male chauvinism shines through the text of the older testament? Some have tried to explain the difference between the two laughters as arising from two different states of mind: Abraham’s from a state of surprise and ecstasy; Sarah’s from a state of unbelief. But the text will not let Abraham off that easily. There is no reason to connect Abraham’s laughter with that of Psalm 126:2 (when the Lord brought back the captives from Babylon, “our mouths were filled with laughter”) or even that of Job 8:21 (“he will yet fill your mouth with laughter”). Both the Jerusalem Targum and Calvin were too hasty in getting Abraham off the hook here by equating his laughter with joyous amazement. The fact that Abraham immediately posed the issue of Ishmael and how he would fit into the promised seed if another son were born shows that he too spoke out of unbelief, just as much as did Sarah. The issue was not just Ishmael’s person, but his posterity as well. The promise of another son, Abraham feared, would destroy all hope that he had placed in the one already given. So Abraham was equally guilty of unbelief. So why the rebuke on Sarah? It is true that Sarah only laughed to herself; but so did Abraham. Nevertheless, the Lord saw what transpired in her inner being and openly spoke of his displeasure of the same. And since the principle from which both of their inward laughing sprang was the same (that is, unbelief, and not that one was a laugh of admiration and joy whereas the other was a laugh of disbelief and distrust), the unbelief of both of them was the main basis for the rebuke. The question “Why did Sarah laugh?” was not addressed to her, but to Abraham. But Sarah felt the sting of inquiry most pointedly, for she felt that she had been trapped in her unbelief. Thus it was that she blurted out, “I did not laugh.” This foolish and untruthful reaction was also rebuked when the Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.” Does this mean that Abraham’s unbelief was without blame, but Sarah’s was? No, for the condemnation of one was equally a condemnation of the other. The text focuses on Sarah’s unbelief because she went on to deny it (thereby making the issue memorable and newsworthy) and because when the whole matter was ended, it also became the basis for the naming of Isaac, which is associated with the word “he laughs” or “laughter” (Gen 21:3, 6). QUESTION - How long did Abraham and Sarah have to wait for Isaac? ANSWER - Genesis 12 begins the story of Abraham (then called Abram) and his barren wife Sarah. Verses 1 through 4 record God’s first words to him about a homeland for his offspring. Even though the gift of a son is not directly mentioned in this first communication, God hinted at His plan for Abram. Abraham was 75 years old when he first received the promise, and Genesis 21:5 tells us he was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Sarah was 90. So Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the fulfillment of God’s promise. In that 25 years between the time that Abram was promised a son and the birth of Isaac, Abram and Sarah had certain ideas of how they might facilitate the keeping of the promise. One was that Abraham’s steward, Eliezer, would become the heir of Abraham’s household (Genesis 15:2–3). Another idea was that Abraham could have an heir through a son conceived by Sarah’s slave, Hagar (Genesis 16:1–2). In both cases, God rejected those men as Abraham’s heirs, pointing Abraham and Sarah to a literal, miraculous fulfillment of the promise. Abraham is called the father of faith (Romans 4:11–12) because of his response to God both in leaving his homeland and receiving a son in his old age. Genesis 15:4–5 again describes God’s promise to Abraham that his offspring would be as “the sands of the sea.” Even though Abraham was old and had no sons, he never doubted that God would do as He promised. He did not understand how such a thing could be possible, but he humbly accepted God’s word as truth. Mary had the same response when the angel Gabriel told her she would be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:26–38). She did not understand how such a thing could be possible since she was a virgin. But she never doubted that God would do as He said. That response is the kind of faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Genesis 15:6 lays out the truth that salvation is by faith, apart from works: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3–5 and Galatians 3:5–7 elaborate on this truth. Just as Abraham was counted as righteous before he did anything worthy of praise, so we are counted as righteous by simply believing that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is sufficient payment for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, that faith produces actions that validate it. James 2:14–18 helps us understand the kind of faith Abraham had. It was a faith that acted. He moved because God said to move. He trusted because God said to trust. He prepared to welcome a son because God promised him a son. By acting on his faith, Abraham proved that he trusted God, and that trust was credited to his account. His faith in the promises of God saw him through years of waiting. He never doubted God’s goodness or His word, and, for that, God considered him righteous.GotQuestions.org Vance Havner - The Crises Of Abraham As one studies the life of Abraham, the man of faith, he is impressed with several crises in his spiritual experience each of which brought him to a closer walk with God. Each required a surrender and each surrender brought a blessing. The first (Gen. 12:1-3) called him to leave his country, kindred and father's house to journey by faith in a strange land. In Heb. 11:8 we read: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." God often calls us to forsake close ties to walk by faith in strange places, but if we obey we shall afterward receive those places, as did Abraham, for an inheritance. Jesus Christ issued such a challenge (Matt. 10:34-37, Luke 14:26). Again, Abraham reached a crisis when it became necessary for him to separate from Lot. He loved Lot and probably had thought of him as an heir. But Lot, though a believer, was not a consecrated man, and God in His wisdom brings about a separation (Gen. 13:5-11). It must have been a disappointment to Abraham. In Genesis 15:1-3 we find him reduced to the prospect of his steward Eliezer becoming his heir. Sometimes God reduces us until our only prospect is an Eliezer, but He has blessings in store when we obey, as He revealed to Abraham (Gen. 13:14-18 and 15:4-21). All" he saw was his, with the promise of progeny as numerous as the stars! Then Abraham had to give up his own preferences and plans about Ishmael. Ishmael was born out of the will of God for Abraham, who had taken the way of flesh instead of the way of faith to provide himself an heir (Gen. 16:1-6). As always, this brought on trouble. Abraham wished that Ishmael might live before God (Gen. 17:18, 19), but God had other plans. Often we want our Ishmaels, our own selfish arrangements and projects, to succeed, but God wants us to fail in ourselves, that we might find the blessing not in the deeds of the flesh, but through faith. Our Ishmaels must fail that our Isaacs may succeed. Finally God called for the sacrifice of Isaac, the son of faith. Ishmael represented the worst thing in Abraham's life, and God took him away and he never came back. Isaac was the best thing in Abraham's life, so God took him but gave him back. It is so in His dealings with you and me. God wants the Ishmaels that He may utterly remove them; the Isaacs that He may restore them to us like Moses' rod, a double blessing. After this great surrender of Abraham's God came to him with great assurance (Gen. 22:15-18). Real victory in things spiritual always follows genuine surrender. Abraham's progress was gradual. He did not learn it all at once. For instance, twice he was involved in lying about Sarah (Gen. 12 and 20). A peculiarity about this lie was, it was a half-truth: Sarah was his half-sister (Gen. 20:12). But God dealt with it as a lie because it was told with the intention to deceive. The development of Abraham required time and testing. While the Christian experience is not, primarily, a matter of giving up things, such crises do bring us to the end of self and cut off all outside interests that our faith might be utterly in God. Holy Laughter Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed (Genesis 17:17). Who wouldn't laugh—a century-old man being told he will become a father, and that his ninety-year-old wife will bear a child? The whole idea must have seemed ridiculous to Abraham. Yet he received the news with great delight. Bowing before God, he expressed his surprise, wonder, and gladness—with no hint of unbelief. In Genesis 18, how-ever, Sarah laughed and God rebuked her. Sarah laughed in unbelief. Abraham laughed in faith. In a lecture, C. H. Spurgeon said that many Scriptures remain clouded until some trying experience interprets them for us. He told of riding home after a heavy day's work feeling weary and down-hearted. Suddenly 2 Corinthians 12:9 came to his mind, "My grace is sufficient for you." Spurgeon said, "I reached home and looked it up in the original, and at last it came to me in this way. 'My grace is sufficient for YOU.' Said I, 'I should think it is,' and I burst out laughing. I never understood what the holy laughter of Abraham was until then. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd. . . . O brethren, be great believers! Little faith will bring your souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your souls." Our faith grows as we grow in our awareness of God's faithfulness. Faith expects from God what is beyond all human expectation. Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” O that: Jer 32:39 Ac 2:39 before: Ge 4:12,14 Ps 4:6 41:12 Isa 59:2 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ABRAHAM'S APPEAL TO GOD TO BLESS ISHMAEL And Abraham said to God (Elohim), “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” - He is asking for Ishmael to be the recipient of God's blessing. Wenstrom - Abraham mentions Ishmael not because he does not believe that God can give him and Sarah a child but rather he fears that this promise would cut off Ishmael from the Lord’s favor but as we will see this is not the case. Jon Courson - The Hebrew text makes it clear that this is the passionate cry of a father who says, “I already have a son who I love deeply. Let him be the one through whom the covenant and blessings come.” In other words, Abraham is saying, “I know I got ahead of You when Ishmael was conceived. I know that was not Your plan. I know I made a mess, but, Lord, bless my mess.” Have you ever done that? Maybe your motives were sincere, your intentions were right. But you didn’t wait on God or talk things over with Him. Instead, you just plunged into that relationship, that job opportunity, that ministry. And when it turned out to be a mess, you asked God to bless it anyway....I have found that God gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. Thus, prayer is not giving God orders. Prayer is simply reporting for duty. Prayer is not “Bless my mess.” It’s, “Lord, have Your way.” (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary) Skip Heitzig - Let him (ISHMAEL) be the one that You fulfill Your promise. Let him live before You.' God says no. God is going to bless Ishmael, many nations will come from him, God's hand will be upon him. But the covenant that God wants is through a son of promise, not a son of the flesh. It's going to be through Isaac. How many times have you said that? You've had your dream, your agenda, and you just say, 'God, here. This is what I really want. This is what I produced. Would you just bless my thing? No, just bless this. I don't want to do anything else.' And sometimes God may require the death of your vision. And maybe your prayer should be, 'Oh, that Ishmael might die within me!' That my little episode, my little agenda of the flesh, would die and I would be open to whatever He wants from me. Genesis 17:19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. Sarah: Ge 17:21 18:10-14 21:2,3,6 2Ki 4:16,17 Lu 1:13-20 Ro 9:6-9 Ga 4:28-31 Isaac: Joh 8:56. Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries GOD'S COVENANT WITH ISAAC NOT ISHMAEL But God (Elohim) - Here is another one of those great "but God's" in Scripture! They always signify a "change of direction," an "about face," so to speak, and in this case speaking of the passing of the covenant not to Ishmael but to Isaac. God rejects Abraham's plea that Ishmael inherit the covenant promises. But God (Elohim) said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac - This is the second baby in the Bible to be named before birth (Ishmael was the first - Ge 16:11+) In Ge 17:17 Abraham fell on his face and laughed," and thus the name "Isaac" would be a constant reminder that he had laughed at God's promise (if his laughing was a laugh of unbelief as some contend which I do not agree with). As noted above a few commentators think Abraham's laughter was an expression of unbelief because of his statement in Ge 17:18 about his desire that Ishmael receive God's special blessing. The majority believe that Abraham was laughing out of joy at the prospect of the fulfillment of God's promise! Jesus' declaration in Jn 8:56+ would seem to favor the latter interpretation, for Jesus declared "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Charles Ryrie comments that "Some feel that Abraham laughed for joy, but Ge 17:18 indicates that it was an expression of doubt as he struggled to match his faith to his circumstances." (BORROW Ryrie Study Bible) Bob