“I AM GOD ALMIGHTY!”

Genesis 15:4-6                                 (ESV )

“4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir."

5 And HE brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then HE said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

6 And he (Abram) believed the LORD, and HE (GOD) counted IT TO HIM (Abram) AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Genesis 16:15—17:21

“15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

1 WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “"I AM GOD ALMIGHTY”; walk before ME, and be blameless,

2 that I may make my covenant between ME and you, and may multiply you greatly."

3 Then Abram fell on his face. And GOD said to him,

4 "Behold, MY covenant is with you, and you shall be the FATHER OF A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS.

5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be GOD to you and to your offspring after you.

8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their GOD."

9 And GOD said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,

13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

15 And GOD said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

18 And Abraham said to GOD, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

19 GOD said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.

21 But I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH ISAAC, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."”

Genesis 21:1; 5

“1 The LORD visited Sarah as HE had said, and THE LORD DID TO SARAH AS HE HAD PROMISED. 

5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.” 

Since the Scriptures being shared today are quite lengthy, I will try to keep my comments abbreviated.  

The are times in my life, a LOT more than I care to admit, that I have to be reminded that “I AM GOD ALMIGHTY” does NOT require, NOR REQUEST, my assistance in keeping HIS Promises.  Abram, eventually known as Abraham, listened to Sarai, eventually known as Sarah, and accepted her reasoning before GOD’s Promise.  

GOD’s Covenant was established with HIS Promise, Isaac, although GOD promised to bless Ishmael, who was born when Abram was 86 years old when the plan of Sarai was fulfilled.  When Abram was 99 years old, “I AM GOD ALMIGHTY” visited him and said that his name was being changed to Abraham, and Sarai’s name to Sarah, and he would be the FATHER OF A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS!  

Was it because Abraham and Sarah was so obedient to GOD that HE blessed them so abundantly?  Was it because of Abraham’s great wealth?  No, Genesis 15: 4-6 says “And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir."  And HE brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then HE said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  And he (Abram) believed the LORD, and HE (GOD) counted it to him (Abram) as righteousness.”

Hebrews 11:6 says “AND WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please HIM, for whoever would draw near to GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS and that he rewards those who seek HIM.”  ALMIGHTY GOD does NOT share HIS Glory with anyone nor anything (Isaiah 42:8)!  “I AM GOD ALMIGHTY” has a Plan, and we cannot improve upon it!