#46 And Still Creator Genesis 17

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. and I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: "as for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and You and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their  God." Genesis 17:1-8

A man with no children has his name changed to the "father of many nations". Abram is now Abraham, and he is 99 years old. God will be the upholder of the covenant, and these nations shall have this one God. It is not therefore without conditions towards man and as God has showed Abraham, his people will be captives, which will happen on more than one occasion. God is promising something that will require divine intervention in that Abraham and his wife are old and have nothing left in their own ability. Another nation could only be believed through faith in a God, who was the creator of all things and therefore the creator of procreation. Abraham is at this point still filled with doubt, but this is the intent of God to wait, and the glory of God to reveal His power to men. He will establish who He is, and His word, and the validity of the word that will go to all men. 

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." Luke 1: 18-20