Глава 17

“Now Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: ... be blameless ... in the covenant that I will make with you” (Gen. 17: 1-2). “And I will make you great, and I will make you one of the nations...” - that is, into many tribes; Of course, here we also mean the descendants of Esau, Keturah and Ishmael, who made up numerous nations. “...and kings will come out from you,” which indicated the kings from the tribe of Judah and Ephraim and the kings of Edom (Gen. 17:6). “And this is My covenant: He will circumcise... all your male sex... your foreskin” (Gen. 17:10–11). “And God spoke to Abraham... I will give you a child of Sarah: and I will bless her, and it shall be in tongues... And Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and spoke in his thoughts, saying: food for a hundred year old... will a son be born? food and Sarah, ninety years old... will give birth? And he said... Let this Ishmael live before You” (Gen. 17:15-18). Abraham did not laugh because he doubted; Having said: “May Ismail live,” he only revealed his love for Ismail. For twenty-five years God left him in the hope of having offspring, and Abraham, with all the revelations that came to him, testified to his faith. As much as he struggled with infertility, he also showed the triumph of faith. But when old age joined barrenness, then Abraham laughed in his thoughts, that is, he was surprised that God would do this to him. That is why God says to him: “Truly, behold, your wife Sarah will bear you a son.” Without tempting you, I say this, not so that you believe what I do not do. “And behold Ishmael, I obeyed thee: and behold, I blessed him... and I will multiply him” (Gen. 17:19–20). If Abraham had doubted, then God would not have assured with an oath the truth of what He said, would not have heeded Abraham’s prayer for Ismail, would not have announced that Abraham would have a son next year, but would have reproached and accused Abraham. What is said about Ismail, that he will give birth to twenty princes, means that twelve tribes will come from Ismail, just as twelve tribes came from Jacob. On this day Abraham circumcised himself, Ishmael his son, and all his household. You might be interested in: