Tuesday 3 November 2026

Psalm 15

Background
Today, technology gives those who can afford it instant access to communication and entertainment through emails, mobile phones, video calls and streaming services. While this makes life more convenient, I think it has also made waiting harder. This is what strikes me in today’s story. In Genesis 12, God calls Abram and promises to make him a great nation. At this point, Abram and Sarai are childless, Sarai is unable to have children, and Abram is 75 years old. In today’s reading, 24 years have passed. That is a long time to wait!

The theme of promise is key to this text. God reiterates his promises to Abram of both land and offspring. I wonder how Abram holds on to the promise when it remains unfulfilled for so long? In chapter 16, he becomes impatient, and Abram and Sarai decide to take matters into their own hands. Sarai gives her slave Hagar to Abram as his wife, and when Abram is 86, Hagar bears him a son, Ishmael, whose name means ‘God hears'. Yet Ishmael is not the promised offspring.

Names are highly significant in these stories. Abram, whose name means ‘exalted father’ or ‘ancestor’ is given a new name, Abraham, meaning ‘father’ or ‘ancestor of a multitude'.

The concept of a covenant with God is key here. A covenant denotes a formal agreement in which both sides have obligations and expectations. Covenant is a primary metaphor for understanding Israel’s life with God. God promises that Abraham will be the ancestor of a multitude of nations, will be exceedingly fruitful, and that kings will come from him. He promises that Abraham’s descendants will inherit Canaan, where Abraham is now a foreigner or alien. The sign of the covenant for Abraham and his descendants is circumcision: the removal of the foreskin of every male descendant. This remains a key practice in the Jewish faith today.

To Ponder:

• Have you ever looked up the meaning of your name, if there is one? Did you find this helpful or unhelpful?
• Did you notice that the sign of the covenant in this passage is specifically for Abraham and his male descendants? Do you think this is significant or not?
• Waiting can be difficult. Psalm 27:14 encourages us to ‘Wait for the Lord’. What do you think this means? Are there any spiritual practices you use to help you wait for the Lord?

Prayer
Lord, it is not always easy to wait. Please teach me to wait on you and help me to trust in your promises, especially when life is hard and they are difficult to hold on to. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Kate Cambridge
Kate is a presbyter in the Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey Circuit. In her free time she enjoys doing laundry (!), spending time with her family and wrestling ball point pens off her miniature poodle.