Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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those for which we should be most earnest with God, both for ourselves and others. Those live well that live before God.
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou
shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him,
and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. God's answer to his prayer; and it is an answer of peace. Abraham could not say that he sought God's face in vain.
Common blessings are secured to Ishmael (Ge 17:20: As for Ishmael, whom thou art in so much care about, I have heard thee; he shall find favour for thy sake; I have blessed him, that is, I have many blessings in store for him. (1.) His posterity shall be numerous: I will multiply him exceedingly, more than his neighbours. This is the fruit of the blessing, as that, Ge 1:28.
(2.) They shall be considerable: Twelve princes shall he beget. We may charitably hope that spiritual blessings also were bestowed upon him, though the visible church was not brought out of his loins and the covenant was not lodged in his family.
Note, Great plenty of outward good things is often given to those children of godly parents who are born after the flesh, for their parents' sake.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear
unto thee at this set time in the next year. Covenant blessings are reserved for Isaac, and appropriated to him, Ge 17:19, 21. If Abraham, in his prayer for Ishmael, meant that he would have the covenant made with him, and the promised seed to come from him, then God did not answer him in the letter, but in that which was equivalent, nay, which was every way better.
(1.) God repeats to him the promise of a son by Sarah: She shall bear thee a son indeed. Note, Even true believers need to have