In Genesis 17, the LORD appears again to Abram and confirms the covenant promises to him and his descendants. What unfolds here is not a new covenant, but the deepening of one that God had already given to Abram, which would shape all of human history.
Five Covenant Promises to Abram
God begins by calling Abram to walk before him and be blameless (Gen. 17:1). Then he outlines a fivefold promise that reveals both the scope and permanence of his covenant love:
#1 Fruitfulness and nations: God promises to multiply Abram so that he becomes a multitude of nations (v. 2-6).
#2 A new name: Abram becomes Abraham — “father of many.” His identity is transformed by God’s word, just as ours is when we step into covenant relationship through Christ.
#3 Royal descendants: Kings will come from his line (v. 6) — from David to the ultimate King, the Son of David, Messiah Jesus.
#4 An everlasting covenant: YHWH himself — not the lesser spiritual rulers mentioned in Deuteronomy 32:8-9 or Psalm 82 — will be the God of Abraham and his descendants forever (v. 7). The covenant is called a berit olam, an “everlasting covenant.” It still stands with Israel today.
#5 An everlasting possession: The land of Canaan is given as an ahuzza olam, an “everlasting possession” (v. 8). God’s promise of the land is not temporary or symbolic. It remains part of his redemptive plan.
As a sign of this covenant, Abraham and every male in his household—whether born to him or bought with money — had to be circumcised (v. 10-14). Even the servants were included into this covenant. In God’s family, we do not belong because of our lineage, but because of his gracious covenant love.
The Covenant Line Continues Through Isaac, Not Ishmael
When Abraham pleads for Ishmael to be the heir of these promises (v. 18), God responds with both kindness and clarity:
“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.” (Gen. 17:19, ESV)
The covenant line continues through Isaac, not Ishmael. Yet God also shows compassion to Ishmael:
“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.” (Gen. 17:20, ESV)
Ishmael is blessed — but not chosen as the covenant heir.
The Falsified Narrative of Islam
Centuries later, Islamic tradition claimed that Muhammad descended from Ishmael, attempting to attach Islam to Abraham’s covenant legacy and find credibility as an Abrahamic religion. However, there is no historical or genealogical evidence for this claim. Even early Islamic sources disagree on the lineage, and the Qur’an offers no verifiable connection.
The pattern is familiar: the enemy often imitates what God establishes. Yet imitation can never replace revelation. God’s covenant purposes flowed through Isaac’s line, leading ultimately to Messiah Jesus, the true heir of Abraham’s promise and the one through whom all nations are blessed (Gal. 3:16).
In him, Jews and Gentiles alike — including descendants of Ishmael — are invited into Abraham’s family by faith. The covenant expands, not through human lineage, but through the Spirit of adoption that the Son pours out on all who believe.
So let’s not be swayed by competing claims or counterfeit stories. The God who made an everlasting covenant with Abraham is faithful to fulfill it — through Isaac’s seed, through Israel’s Messiah, and through the global family of Abraham — Jew and Gentile alike — being restored in him.
Scholarly Note
The Hebrew phrase berit olam (“everlasting covenant”) and ahuzza olam (“everlasting possession”) underscore the permanence of God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants. The covenant’s continuity through Isaac aligns with Paul’s interpretation in Galatians 3:16, where the singular “seed” (sperma) points to Christ as the ultimate heir.
The background of Genesis 17 also reflects the divine council worldview of Deuteronomy 32:8-9, where YHWH alone claims Israel as his inheritance, distinguishing his covenantal faithfulness from the delegated authority of other nations’ spiritual rulers.
See: Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015), 113-120; John H. Walton, The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 513-520.
Featured image by David Trinks on Unsplash
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