653) I’ve mentioned before that words and their meanings fascinate me. This may be a reason one specific word stands out to me in Genesis 17. In the New International Version of the Bible, “will” is used 31 times. As I read through this passage, I also notice that the word, “promise” is not used. Why? I’m not a Hebrew scholar, but in my understanding of the word promise is that it is used to give reassurance about something. Instead, God told Abraham He will do several things. God’s word is not dependent on whether we believe and/or need reassurance. God always keeps His word and, sometimes, He gives extra reassurance to His people, not because He needs to validate what He says, but because He knows we need it.