Message
Genesis 17
Abraham’s Two Sons

15:1-6 Abram’s Problem

Abram had no children to inherit the promised land.

Abram’s problem:
not enough information

God’s correction: “son will come from your own body”

16:1-4 Sarai’s effort to resolve her problem

She was barren.

Her problem: not enough faith.

There is always a reasonable alternative to faith.

Sarai’s effort created more problems: trouble, friction, isolation.

God also gave Hagar a promise concerning her son, 16:9-12

17:15-22 God’s full promise revealed

Sarah was to be blessed with a son, Isaac.

Isaac received the everlasting covenant from God.

17:7-8 “I will establish My cov-enant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

God’s Word makes a distinction for us to understand.

Galatians 4:22-23, “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as a result of a promise.”

Consider what Jesus said concerning God’s promise of eternal life:

John 3:3, “Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

John 3:6-8, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at My saying, You must be born again.

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

“For it is by grace are you saved, through faith–and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God–not by works so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9)