Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:3-8 NASB)
So let's recount here how many times have we read so far that God will give Abram descendants and the land of Canaan. In Chapter 12 (the land, not descendants) as God told Abram to go to Canaan, again in Chapter 13 (both land and descendants), again in Chapter 15 where God binds Himself to the promise in a complex Hittite form of covenant, and finally here in chapter 17 where Abram's name is changed and he is bound to God through circumcision. That makes this the fourth recitation of the promise of God in one form or another. Why such repetition?
Well, this isn't the last time the promise is covered. In Chapter 18, we have another rendition of Chapter 17 except it is a more interactive encounter with God, a somewhat more detailed appearance, and the part about circumcision is missing. The discussion content is remarkably similar. So, the total of these promise repetitions will number about 5 before Isaac even makes an entrance. What's up with that?
Each time the promise is repeated, something is added. Sometimes a detail is added, or sometimes an additional element is added. The progressions goes something like this, 1) Promise = Land, 2) Promise = Land + Descendants, 3) God binds Himself to Promise of Land + Descendants, 4) God binds Abram to Promise of Land + Descendants through name change and circumcision and gives detail of timing (next year at this time). In the next chapter, the timing will be repeated, but Sarah laughs as Abram did in this chapter. There is a certain logic to the progression.
The progression is gradually building faith in Abram until Abraham will eventually sacrifice Isaac. The progression starts with moving Abram from his family region around Haran to an unknown land. Then the promise grows, but there is no real "proof" and the fulfillment is delayed. Then God binds Himself to the promise, and Abram and Sarai attempt to bring it about through traditional cultural means. Then, after their attempts fail to produce the child of promise, God binds Abram (now Abraham) to the promise. Here God is no longer building Abram's faith, He is tempering it through test after test. And the tests will continue even after Isaac is born.
So, is this the process God uses with everyone? Does God lead me through a progressive revelatory faith-building process, and then a tempering process? I'm not sure if this pattern works globally or universally as a pattern for His work with everyone. I don't see it in the case of Moses, unless it is compressed down into the burning bush incident. I don't see these details in the case of Joshua, but I do with Gideon. I don't with Samuel but I do with Saul. I don't with David nor Solomon, and I don't have a lot of detail in these interactions beyond these. Perhaps with Elisha God follows this pattern? Yet Elijah just shows up whole, so I don't have any idea how God did that.
From this I can conclude that the pattern is not the point. The point is the end-product, the faith-filled relationship between God and His chosen pawn. Even the tension within this relationship is not enough to sever the connection. I am to be in a faith-filled relationship with my Master. That is the point. I am to be willing to sacrifice the "child of promise". I am to be obedient to challenge the evil of the land, the Pharaoh, the evil king, and the Philistines. I am to be courageous to take on the lion, the bear, and the giant. I am to be confident to stand against the enemy alone when my fellows desert me. I am to be sure of what I cannot see, and claim the hope given to me as evidence of its completion. It is an odd life, but an amazing adventure to be a part of. Truly it is the life of a knight of the realm of the Master of the universe, and a servant to the Creator of all matter. I am to live it with a sword in one hand, and a towel in the other. Do I paint a strange picture? Good, then I'm on the right track.
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