Thursday | 10 September 2026
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.’ Gen 17:1-2. Then, Yahweh wrote His own name into Abram and Sarai’s names so that it would, figuratively, become flesh in them. By writing His name into Abram’s name, his name was changed to ‘Abram-Yah’, or Abraham. By writing His name into Sarai’s name, her name was changed to ‘Sarai-Yah’, or Sarah. They were to walk in the reality, or substance, of these names.
Prior to his name change, Abram’s name meant ‘exalted father’. His name, Abraham, now meant ‘father of many nations’. Prior to her name change, Sarai’s name meant ‘my princess’. The fullest statement of this name is ‘struggling princess, given to strife and contention’. Now, as Sarah, her name meant ‘princess mother of a multitude’, or as Paul nominated, ‘the mother of us all’. Gal 4:26. The Lord directed Abraham to circumcise himself and his descendants as the sign of the covenant that He had made with him. Gen 17:10-14. It is important to note that physical circumcision was the sign of the covenant; it was not the Everlasting Covenant itself.
When the name of Yahweh was written into Abraham and Sarah, the faith of the Son of God was now becoming their faith. By this faith, they believed for, and walked by, the resurrection life of the Son. We know this because Paul wrote, ‘By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.’ Heb 11:11-12.
Further Study:
Genesis 17
References:
Gen 17:1-2
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.’
Gal 4:26
But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gen 17:10-14
This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.
Heb 11:11-12
By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.