Genesis 17:23-27 Jew and Gentiles Were Included In The Abrahamic Covenant

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen;  Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

On the following day, Abraham was obedient and took and circumcised every male, in his household. This was done literally. However, if we take a step back and look at this short entry, we can see a model of how Israel and all believers are in the covenant. Take a look at who is included. Everyone, family and foreigner, Jew and Gentile. 

We also see that when God commands, we are to be obedient, immediately, not when we feel like it.

For future knowledge, note that Ishmael's name means, "God Listens" or "God Hears". I can't help but think that this is a reminder that even though Abraham and Sarah disobeyed God, concerning Hagar, Ishmael's mother, God still listens to true believers and fulfills his promises.

Also, if  you do a word meaning substitution, we get the message,

God Listens. The Father of Many will save everyone one born in his household and those who are bought with his money. The word for money is keceph, which means silver. Is this a hint towards the 30 pieces of silver, that Y'shua was bought with, in the betrayal transaction between Judas Iscariot and the High Priest Caiaphas.

Finally, Abraham was 99 and Ishmael was 13, which confirms that Abraham was 86 years old, when Ishmael was born, just as Genesis 16 says. Also, many Jews and historians will tell you that the tradition of Bar and Bat Mitzvah came from the middle ages. It was, in fact, here that the tradition began. This reflects the fact that in 9AD, we are told that in the Talmud, that the priest walked through the streets of Jerusalem, lamenting the lost of the power of the death penalty, taken away by the Roman Empire. This is the final sign of the Messiah coming. They cried out, "Woe unto us, for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come."

Little did they know that, in the town of Nazareth, a little 13 year old boy was being Bar Mizvah and becoming a son of the covenant. That little boy was Y'shua Ben Joseph, Jesus of Nazareth.

Genesis 17:16-22 Ishmael Will Be A Great Nation, But Is He The Father Of Islam?

"I will bless her; moreover, I will give you a son by her. Truly I will bless her: she will be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” At this Avraham fell on his face and laughed — he thought to himself, “Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah give birth at ninety?” Avraham said to God, “If only Yishma‘el could live in your presence!” God answered, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you are to call him Yitz’chak [laughter]. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. But as for Yishma‘el, I have heard you. I have blessed him. I will make him fruitful and give him many descendants. He will father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Yitz’chak, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.” With that, God finished speaking with Avraham and went up from him.

Here we find that God will bless Sarah and give Abraham a son. It's very important to recognize that even though Abraham and Sarah already had a son, God did not acknowledge Ishmael, as their son. This was due to Abraham and Sarai attempting to circumvent God's will, by not waiting on God to deliver on his promise and having a son by Hagar, their handmaiden. In God's eyes, Ishmael was an illegitimate son. However, God did not condemn Ishmael, he promised to make him a great nation, through 12 princes.

Most scholars now believe and support that all Arabic people are from Ishmael. Islam proudly proclaims that supposition. However, does the text and historical records support that?

The Biblical record of Ishmael gives us the names of the 12 sons, but no clue as to how they might be connected to the modern Arabic Tribes. This list is given in Genesis 25 and later repeated in I Chronicles 1:29-33.

"Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore unto Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth, and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedmah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations." Genesis 25:12-16

and later repeated in I Chronicles 1:29-33.

"And these are their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael."

These sons eventually took wives, had children, and through these children, tribes were formed. These tribes made up the nations that dwelt from Havilah to Shur, and from Egypt to Assyria. The descendants of Ishmael, however, were not the sole tribes in the Arabian Desert. Other tribes emerged from other sources. Some of these, such as the tribe of Qarish, became the people of South Arabia along with others who wandered and settled in Arabia.

Islamic Apologists attempt to link Mohamed to Hadad, the eighth son of Ishmael. However, historical records show that Mohamed was born of the Qarish tribe, which were not of the Ishmael lineage. The tribe of Qarish conquered the tribe of Fihr ibn Malik, which was of the lineage of Ishmael. Therefore, there isn't any generational connection, with the sons of Abraham. Ishmael is not the Father of Islam.

As for Isaac, he was the promised legitimate son of Abraham. Isaac turns out to be the continuation of the Messianic line, that leads up to Y'shua, Jesus.

Genesis 17:15 The Spirit Of God, Given To Sarai, Counted As Righeousness

Elohim said to Avraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are not to call her Sarai, her name is to be Sarah.

Previously, God added the Hebrew letter, HEY, to Abram, making his name, Abraham. The letter, HEY, is significant, in that it means that the Breath of God, God's Spirit will dwell in him and his faithful descendants. Here we have Elohim, God, doing the same thing with Sarai, making her name Sarah. From this point on, the Spirit of God dwelled within Abraham and Sarai, making them righteous before God.

This also a rebuttal to the ones, who bring up Romans 3:10, where it says,

"As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one."

However, They fail to read the following verses, in Romans 3:10-12

"As the Tanakh puts it, "There is no one righteous, not even one! No one understands, no one seeks God, all have turned away and at the same time become useless; there is no one who shows kindness, not a single one!"

Reading Romans 3:10-12, in context, shows that those who do the opposite and seek God are righteous, leading Paul to write, in Romans 4:2-3.

For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by God because of legalistic observances, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before God! For what does the Tanakh say? "Avraham put his trust in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness."

It's all about putting your trust in God and his Word. His Word manifested in Y'shua, who is the most righteous man, who was obedient and gave his life, for the payment of mankind's sins. Upon putting your trust, in the Lord, you too can have the Breath of God in you and it will be counted as righteousness unto you.

Finally, Abram, which means Exalted Father, became, Abraham, which means Exalted Father of Many, A Multitude, Nations. Sarai, which means princess, became Sarah, which means women of the nobleman. Since, Sarah is married to the nobleman, Abraham, the name Sarah has become to be interpreted as Mother of Many, A Multitude, Nations.