Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless
her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
Here is, the promise made to Abraham of a son by Sarai, that son in whom the promise made to him should be fulfilled, that he should be the father of many nations; for she also shall be a mother of nations, and kings of people shall be of her, Ge 17:16. Note,
1. God reveals the purposes of his good-will to his people by degrees. God had told Abraham long before that he should have a son, but never till now that he should have a son by Sarai.
2 The blessing of the Lord makes fruitful, and adds no sorrow with it, no such sorrow as was in Hagar's case. "I will bless her with the blessing of fruitfulness, and then thou shalt have a son of her."
3. Civil government and order are a great blessing to the church. It is promised, not only that people, but kings of people, should be of her; not a headless rout, but a well-modelled well-governed society.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his
heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old ? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear ? Abraham's joyful, thankful, entertainment of this gracious promise, Ge 17:17. Upon this occasion he expressed,
1. Great humility: He fell on his face. Note, The more honours and favours God confers upon us the lower we should be in our own eyes, and the more reverent and submissive before God.
2. Great joy: He laughed. It was a laughter of delight, not of distrust. Note, Even the promises of a holy God, as well as his performances, are the joys of holy souls; there is the joy of faith as well as the joy of fruition. Now it was that Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day. Now he saw it and was glad (Joh 8:56); for,