The Birth of a NationAbraham to Joseph—page 2

But Sarai, Abram’s wife, still bore him no children, and she was getting old. So Sarai said to Abram, “I beg you to go have children by my Egyptian maid, Hagar, and I will just consider her children to be mine.”

Abram agreed with Sarai’s plan. Though he loved the Lord, Abram failed to believe that God would give him a child through his wife. So Hagar bore Abram a son named Ishmael.

13 years later, when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared yet again to him, and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me. I am giving you the new name of Abraham, which means, ‘Father of Multitudes’ and Sarai shall be called Sarah meaning ‘Princess.’ Now I will bless Sarah and give you a son also from her, and she shall be a mother of nations.”

Then Abraham pleaded with God, “O that Ishmael might live before You.”

God answered, “As for Ishmael, I have heard you: Behold, I have also bless|bless him, and will greatly multiply his descendants; and I will make him a great nation.” God fulfilled his promise to the descendants of Abraham and Ishmael through the Arab peoples.

God then said, “But with Sarah’s son, and with his descendants after him, I will establish my covenant which is everlasting.”

After that, Sarah gave birth to Abraham’s son whom they named Isaac. Now when Isaac was grown, the Lord asked Abraham to demonstrate his faith.