Genesis 17

Abraham and Sarah

Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Jehovah appeared before Abram. It had been 24 years since the LORD made the first mention of the covenant.

I AM -- Almighty God; El Shaddai; walk before me, and be perfect.(tamiym (taw-meem') without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright(-ly), whole.)

Be a faithful servant of the LORD, without blemish or without being two faced.

Gen 17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

The covenant still stands through the seed of Abram and Sara and their spiritual seed through Jesus Christ.

John 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
John 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Gen 17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

Abram fell on his face, as other great men would do in the presence of God.

Josh 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Mat 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Gen 17:4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Gen 17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Abram meant high father, Abraham meant a father of a multitude, although Israel remained a separate people. There would be many nations through Jesus Christ, people of faith from the Gentile nations.

Gen 17:6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;Abraham would have only two sons; one of flesh and one of faith, and promise. From the Seed, Jesus would come many children of faith. From Abrahams descendants their would be kings, especially David and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

In their generations, refers to the children of Isaac, and Jacob. God is king and father to Spiritual Israel and Israel the nation.

Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Jerusalem is in the land of Canaan.

The LORD's side of the Promise:

1. Abraham will be very fruitful,[vs 8] with nations and kings as his descendents.
2. The covenant is of everlasting duration, between not only God and Abraham, but God and all of Abraham's descendents.
3. God promises to be Abraham's God and the God of all his descendants.
4. The whole land of Canaan will be an everlasting possession to Abraham and his descendents.

The covenant with the physical lineage of Abraham through Isaac was circumcision. The New Covenant was by faith in Jesus. Children of faith are cleansed by the blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is the sign of the new covenant.

Gen 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Gen 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

Science has confirmed that by the 8th day, the baby has better protection to prevent bleeding.

Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Gen 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

The circumcision rite and the law would characterize the Covenant with Moses. The everlasting covenant through Abraham required the outward circumcision and the inward obedience by faith.

Gen 17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Sarai meant, my princess, a princess of one family. Sarah, meant princess of a multitude.

Gen 17:16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Sarah had to be part of the blessing, for the heir would be born through her, a miracle at her age and being barren.

Gen 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

That would be funny, except God said it. We must be careful to respect God's word and commands. It was joyful laughter, the kind that follows good news and blessings.

Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

What about Ishmael? He was concerned about him.

Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Sarah is to be the mother, not a slave. And the covenant will be established through your son, Isaac, meaning laughter.

Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

God was merciful to Ishmael too. He is concerned even more so about people than we are. Twelve princes and he shall be a great nation. Jacob would have 12 princes too, and from his lineage the Prince of peace, the Lord of Lords.

Gen 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The time of the birth is announced; through Sarah and this would be the establishing of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Gen 17:22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

God went up, or the angel speaking for God. Some think it was Jesus who appeared before the incarnation.

Gen 17:23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
Gen 17:24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Gen 17:25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Gen 17:26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
Gen 17:27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

All obeyed the covenant through circumcision. The covenant was entered by a work of the flesh, through obedience and faith in the promises. The law of Moses would continue with this sign, adding to it obedience to the laws. Jesus made a new covenant through his cut and torn flesh for us. It was no longer required of us to be circumcised or to do the works of the law, but it was through faith in the work of Jesus that we are saved, by faith we receive grace. We follow in baptism and the heart is circumcised. God works in us to do his good pleasure.

Requirements of Abrahamic Covenant Keepers

1. God expects us to be honest and guileless towards him, in our willingness to keep the terms of his covenant with us. We must be blameless, not hypocritical and two-faced (17:1).
2. We must respond to God's covenant towards us by taking on the sign of the covenant -- for the Jew, circumcision, for the Christian, baptism (17:10).
3. We, like Abraham, should be immediately obedient to do what God tells us to do, and not put it off, no matter how difficult. One sign of Abraham's faith is his immediate obedience to confirm God's covenant with him through circumcision (17:23).

Genesis 18
Genesis 1 Table of Contents
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