When Abram was 99, God spoke to him and repeated his promise to bless Abram with children. Abram fell on his face. God gave him a new name, Abraham, meaning father of multitudes. God says he needs to live blameless in order to receive the blessing. God says kings will come from him and promises the land of Canaan, and he will establish an everlasting covenant, a binding agreement with obligations and restrictions. 

To recap, in chapter 12 God already promised to make him a great nation, in 13 as numerous as dust, and in 15 numbered as the stars. This time, God asks for something from him. Abraham needs to circumcise himself and all his male relatives, foreigners living with them and male babies from eight days old. This will be a sign of their commitment to their covenant, and anyone not circumcised will be excluded. 

Then God speaks of Sarai. He gives her a blessing and a new name Sarah, meaning princess. She will become nations, and kings will come from her. Abram fell on his face, and laughed asking if he, a 99 -year-old, and she, a 90-year-old, could have a kid together. Abraham then offers Ishmael, by now thirteen.

“No,” God repeats, “Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son and he will be named Issac, meaning he laughs.” God also repeats his blessing for Ishmael to be the father of twelve princes and make him a nation as well. The covenant, however, will be with Sarah’s son Isaac, who will born this time next year. Yes! Finally a date! Abraham obeyed the Lord and he, Ishmael and all the males were circumcised. 

One of the most challenging parts of faith is the waiting without obvious results. Repeatedly, Abram was promised a legacy, yet Sarai remained barren. He tried fixing the problem with his nephew, a distant cousin, and even had a child with a servant. None of Abram’s efforts were required or desired. God will bring his promise to pass, we just need to obey the part he assigned us.