Abraham and Sarah Get New Names
"I am God Almighty"
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
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The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
When Abram was ninety-nine, God appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty," and made an everlasting covenant with him. God changed his name to Abraham, "father of many," and his wife Sarai's name to Sarah, and promised them a son. Abraham fell on his face and laughed, because he was a hundred and Sarah was ninety, but God said their son would be named Isaac.
Where it is in the Bible: Genesis 17:1-22
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Abram (soon Abraham): A man God called to leave his home. He is ninety-nine years old.
- Sarai (soon Sarah): Abram's wife. She is eighty-nine and has never had a child.
- Ishmael: Abram's thirteen-year-old son, born to Sarai's servant Hagar.
- The LORD: God. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
Setting
- The land of Canaan, where Abram lived in tents.
When
- About 4,000 years ago.
Before the Story
God promised Abram a great family. "I will make you into a great nation" (12:2).
God counted Abram's faith as righteousness. Abram looked at the stars and believed God's promise (15:5-6).
But Sarai had no child. So she gave her servant Hagar to Abram, and Hagar had Ishmael (16:1-4, 16:15). Thirteen years passed.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. "I am God Almighty" | 17:1-2 | God appears to ninety-nine-year-old Abram |
| 2. Abraham | 17:3-8 | God gives Abram a new name and an everlasting promise |
| 3. A sign | 17:9-14 | God gives a sign of the covenant |
| 4. Sarah | 17:15-16 | God gives Sarai a new name too |
| 5. Abraham laughs | 17:17-22 | Abraham can't believe it, and God names the son Isaac |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 5"I Am God Almighty"
When Abram was ninety-nine, the LORD appeared to him.
"I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless" (17:1).
God Almighty means God who can do anything. Blameless means living faithfully with God.
"I will establish My covenant between Me and you" (17:2). A covenant is a binding promise.
Scene 2 of 5Abraham
Abram fell facedown.
God said, "No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations" (17:5).
Abram means "exalted father." Abraham means "father of many." He had only one son, and God was already calling him the father of many.
God promised kings would come from him. And God promised, "to be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (17:7).
Scene 3 of 5A Sign
God gave a sign of the covenant, to mark his people.
Every boy in Abraham's family would be circumcised when he was eight days old. Circumcision is a small cut on the male body.
It was a sign, carried in their bodies, that they belonged to God's promise.
Scene 4 of 5Sarah
Then God said Sarai would have a new name too: Sarah. Both names mean "princess."
"And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her" (17:16).
"She will be the mother of nations" (17:16).
Scene 5 of 5Abraham Laughs
Abraham fell facedown again. And he laughed.
"Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?" (17:17).
He asked God to bless Ishmael instead.
God said, "Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac" (17:19).
Isaac means "he laughs."
God promised to bless Ishmael too, and make him a great nation. But the covenant would go through Isaac, born next year.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "I am God Almighty" (17:1) | God can do what seems impossible. |
| "Your name will be Abraham" (17:5) | God gave him a name that matched the promise. |
| "An everlasting covenant" (17:7) | God's promise would never end. |
| "A sign of the covenant" (17:11) | God marked his people as his own. |
| "She will be the mother of nations" (17:16) | Sarah was part of the promise too. |
| "Then he laughed" (17:17) | Even faithful Abraham found it hard to believe. |
Back Then
Names showed who you were. A new name meant a new identity.
Ishmael became the father of a great people. Many Arab peoples trace their family line back to him.
Sarah laughed too. When God repeated the promise, she laughed to herself (18:12). When Isaac was born, she said, "God has made me laugh" (21:6).
Literal Reader Alert
Do Christians still practice circumcision as a sign? No. The New Testament teaches that baptism is the sign of God's covenant now, for boys and girls alike (Colossians 2:11-12).
Did God forget Ishmael? No. God heard Abraham's prayer and promised to bless Ishmael (17:20).
Was it wrong for Abraham to laugh? God didn't scold him. God answered by naming the child "he laughs."
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham | Awed | He fell facedown before God (17:3) |
| Abraham | Doubtful | He laughed at the idea of a son at 100 (17:17) |
| Abraham | Worried | He asked God to bless Ishmael (17:18) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What does your name say about you? Tap one.
God gives new names
In baptism, God calls you his child.
It's too late
Abraham was ninety-nine. It wasn't too late for God.
I laughed too
Abraham doubted. God kept his promise anyway.
Belonging
God marks his people as his own.
You Might Have Heard
"God only works with young, strong people."
What's true: God gives energy and strength to young people.
What the story is mainly about: God promised a son to a ninety-nine-year-old man and an eighty-nine-year-old woman. He gave them new names to match. God Almighty does what seems impossible.
Where Jesus is: Paul wrote that Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:3). Through Abraham's family, Jesus came to bless every nation.
Good News
God gave Abraham and Sarah new names before the baby was even born. His promise was that sure.
"I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God" (17:7).
In baptism, God gives us a new name too: his beloved child. His covenant is everlasting.
God Almighty gave Abraham and Sarah new names and promised them a son. His covenant to be their God would last forever.
Big Idea
When Abram was ninety-nine, God Almighty gave him and Sarai new names, Abraham and Sarah, and promised them a son. God's covenant lasts forever.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther taught that God's promise comes first, and faith simply trusts it. Abraham didn't earn the promise. He received it.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year B, it reads Genesis 17:1-7 and 15-16 on the Second Sunday in Lent.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I am God Almighty.
How did that feel?
You finished Abraham and Sarah Get New Names.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Second Sunday in Lent Year BFirst reading, Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Abraham and Sarah Get New Names, explained in plain words. At ninety-nine, Abram gets a new name and a promise that makes him laugh. About 8 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/abraham-and-sarah-get-new-names/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church