Abram
God's Promise to Ishmael, Hagar's future child.
Although God promised Abram a son, Sarai did not believe; therefore, she gave one of her servants, Hagar to Abram, who could produce a child, an heir.
When Hagar became pregnant, a conflict arose between the two women. So, Sarai treated Hagar poorly, causing her to run away.
Then an angel intervened and found Hagar in the forest near the water. The angel told her not to run away, instead to return home and submit to Sarai. The angel also told Hagar to name the child Ishmael, who will have many descendants because God will be with him since he is Abram’s child. The angel predicts Ishmael will be untamed and very wild-mannered, constantly at war with his neighbors.
So Hagar went back home to Sarai, then later she delivered a baby boy and named him Ishmael, as the angel instructed.
Biblical History:
The 12 tribes of Islamic nations were descendents of Ishmael. (Genesis 25:12-18): Starting with the oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them.
God's changes the names of Abram and Sarai.
Here, we get to learn a new Hebrew word for God – El-Shaddai, which means God Almighty. The Almighty God comes to Abram, and two things take place. 1) Their Names are changed. 2) New Jewish tradition called “circumcistion” takes place.
Two new names are introduced with the understanding that it is God who gives the definition and meanings to these names. Thereby, Abram becomes “Abraham,” which means “Father of Many Nations.” While Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah, which would mean “Mother of many Nations.”
After a child is born, all boys must be circumcised on the eighth day. During those days, after sin was introduced, sacrifice was always necessary. Circumcision was one of the sacrifices between a man and God. This tradition still exists today for Jewish people, but it is not required because Jesus Christ came to earth and paid the price to atone for all sins of humankind.
Therefore, if you are not a Christian, I hope you will accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and get saved. Jesus Christ is the only one who can help you break away from the curse/sin which keeps all of us in captivity; at the same time, he is the only one who can prevent us from going to hell, as it is written (John 14:6) Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes unto the Father, but by Me.
Holy Bible
Abraham (Genesis 16-17)
Ｇｅｎｅｓｉｓ 16：1－15
(New Living Translation – NLT)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)
So Abram had relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”
Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.
The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”
And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”
So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael.
Source: Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2016&version=NLT
Ｇｅｎｅｓｉｓ 17：1－22
(New Living Translation – NLT)
Abram and Sarai names are changed.
“This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
The Mark of the Covenant – the circumcision tradition starts
Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”
Sarai Is Named Sarah
Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
God’s promises and blessings for future son Issac, and also Ishmael
But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.
Source: Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2017&version=NLT