Read Genesis 17 here or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions:
Gen 17:1-14 {s} Circumcision, sign of the covenant, given
Gen 17:15-27 {p} Promise given of seed through Sarah (Isaac)
The last time we had a {p} strong paragraph division was back at the end of chapter 13. This means all of this:
14:1-24 {s} Signs of Messiah: victory over death, Melchizedek, bread and wine
15:1-21 {s} Promise reaffirmed by covenant
16:1-16 {s} Abram’s faith in the promise tested (Hagar and Ishmael)
17:1-14 {s} Circumcision, sign of the covenant, given
17:15-27 {p} Promise given of seed through Sarah (Isaac)
… makes a single Strong Theme. Employing the Teaching Tool of Common Theme, we find that each of the {s} weak paragraphs within this section has something in common:
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their foodstuffs, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. Gen 14:11-12
And Abram said, ‘O Lord YHVH, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and he who shall be the inheritor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Behold, to me You have given no seed, and, lo, one born in my house is to be my heir.’ Gen 15:2-3
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘Behold now, YHVH has restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray you, to my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children through her.’ And Abram paid heed to the voice of Sarai. Gen 16:1-2
And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [Queen] shall be her name. And I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son from her; yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.’ Gen 17:15-16
Each {s} weak paragraph has to do with someone whom Abram considered for his heir: 1) his blood relation, his brother’s son, Lot; 2) Eliezer, one born in his house; and 3) Ishmael, the son of his flesh. Within this strong theme is the introduction of YHVH’s covenant with Abram. YHVH’s covenant would be passed down from Abraham to his heir, more valuable than land or wealth.
‘And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.’ Gen 17:7
But in the concluding {p} strong paragraph, God told Abraham that his heir would be the promised seed born through his wife, Sarah.
We saw in chapter 16 that it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore, it was humanly impossible for her to bear children, thus the laughter. The promised seed would be of miraculous birth, and this History That Prophesies reveals Torah declaring that the Promised Seed of Gen 3:15, Messiah Yeshua, would likewise be of miraculous birth.
Gen 14:1-17:27 {sx4+p} Strong theme: The Promised Seed will be Abraham’s heir, not the seed of his father’s house (Lot) nor the seed of his own house (Eliezer) nor the seed of his flesh (Ishmael).
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Gen 17:1-27 and 14:1-17:27 Chiastic structures – Christine Miller
The Names of God in the Old Testament – Blue Letter Bible
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