THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
GENESIS 17:1-27
As
we come to this chapter, it will describe the Lord coming to Abraham and
establishing His covenant with him. It
will seem at first to be merely a repetition of the covenant that was given in
chapters 12 and 15. The term “covenant”
was not actually used in chapter 12, but it was found in chapter 15 to
summarize the covenant cutting ceremony presented in that chapter.
Now
as we come to chapter 17, the covenant idea seems almost anticlimactic. We have already seen the covenant cutting
ceremony in which the presence of God moved through the pieces of the animals. We have already heard the promises of
God. We have already been told that God
entered into a covenant with Abram. But
a closer examination will note some striking differences between these
chapters.
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Genesis 12 |
Genesis 15 |
Genesis 17 |
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From Abram
would come a great nation through which all the families of the earth would
be blessed. |
Confirms a
great nation will come from Abram, then emphasizes Abram’s seed to be given
the |
Reconfirms
Abram to be the father of a great nation and given the |
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Emphasis: Great nation. |
Emphasis: |
Emphasis:
Multitude to come through Sarai. |
With
each progressive chapter and each giving of the covenant, there are additions
and enlargements as God continues His program of progressive revelation. This process of progressive revelation will
continue, not just in the case of the Abrahamic Covenant, but throughout the
entire Old Testament. God is doing
something through His people that is progressively revealed.
It
is a bit like going to a theatrical play.
You sit in the theater and there is a stage before you, but the curtain
hides the backdrop so that it is hidden from your view. Then the curtain raises a foot from the
ground and you are given a tantalizing view of just a small portion of what
lies beyond. Most of the backdrop is
still hidden from your view, but now you can see just a little. The curtain raises another foot and now you
can see more than what was previously revealed.
You still cannot see the entire scope of the backdrop, but you can see
more than you did before.
Throughout
the entire Old Testament, the curtain is gradually being raised. Bit by bit and line by line, we see a little
more of what God is doing in the world.
As the curtain becomes high enough, it becomes evident that the primary
theme of the backdrop is a picture of Jesus.
The covenant of promise is ultimately a promise of the coming of the One
who will be a blessing to the world.
This
chapter is presented in a chiastic format.
It is a format that is familiar to us in the book of Genesis. The central point of this chapter will be the
ordination of the initiatory rite of circumcision.
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Abraham is 99 years old (17:1) |
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The Lord appeared to Abram (17:1-2). |
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God will make a covenant with Abram to multiply him
(17:2). |
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Abram fell on his face (17:3). |
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Abram’s name changed to
Abraham (17:4-8).
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Circumcision commanded (17:9-14). |
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Sarai’s name changed to
Sarah (17:15-16).
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Abraham fell on his face and laughed (17:17). |
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God promises multiplication through Isaac and
Ishmael (17:18-21). |
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God went up from Abraham (17:22). |
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Abraham is 99, Ishmael is 13 years old (17:24-25). |
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This
will be a chapter of name changes as the names of Abram and Sarai are changed
to reflect their new status under the covenant.
It will also be a chapter of promises in which both Abraham and Sarah
receives promises as to their descendants.
The central theme of this chapter will be upon the initiatory rite of
circumcision.
GOD’S
COMMAND TO ABRAM
1 Now when
Abram was ninety‑nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to
him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 And I
will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you
exceedingly." (Genesis 17:1-2).
As
the chapter opens, we find that thirteen years have passed since we last saw
Abram at the close of Genesis 16. He is
now 99 years old and he has not yet had a son by his wife Sarai. Nor is he expecting such a son, for he has
Ishmael, his son by Hagar. He has come
to the conclusion that Ishmael is the son of promise and the one in whom all of
the promises of God will eventually be fulfilled.
It
is at such a time that the Lord appears to Abram. The scene is set with three statements from
the Lord.
1. A Call from the Almighty:
I am God Almighty.
The title used here is El Shaddai. By the use of this title, God is calling
attention to His omnipotence. If God is
all powerful, then He is able to keep all of His promises and He is able to
supply Abram’s every need.
2. A Call to Walk: Walk
before Me.
This calls to mind what the writer of Genesis has
already said of Enoch who walked with God (Genesis 5:24). Abram is to live his life in the presence of
God, trusting Him and obeying Him. We
are called to do the same thing. In
Colossians 1:10, Paul calls you to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to
please Him in all respects.”
3. A Call to be Blameless: And be blameless.
The call to be blameless—the KJV renders it as
“perfect”—is a call to moral wholeness and integrity. It is the same quality that characterized
Noah (Genesis 6:9). This sort of spiritual
wholeness is to be characteristic of the Christian. There are too many who seek to be spiritual
without a corresponding emotional wellness.
The Bible knows nothing of such a spiritual schizophrenia. Emotional health and spiritual health are
inseperable. A Christian cannot be
spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.
A
NEW NAME FOR ABRAHAM
3 And
Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 "As
for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you shall be the father of a
multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your
name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of
nations. 6 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will
make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. 7 And I
will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you
throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and
to your descendants after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your descendants after
you, the land of your sojournings, all the
It
had been more that thirteen years since the Lord had last spoken to Abram, but
God had not forgotten His promises. He
once again confirms that He is going to establish His covenant with Abram. Yet there is more to this promise in this
newer revelation. In the past, God has
promised that Abram’s descendants will be greatly multiplied and that they will
be innumerable. Now we read that he will
be the father of a multitude of nations.
It is not only a single nation that shall come from him, but many
nations that shall be his descendants.
This
new revelation will be commemorated by a new name. His name will be changed from Abram to
Abraham.
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Abram |
“Father of
heights”, “Father of high places.” |
|
Abraham |
“Father of a
multitude.” [1] The accent in
Hebrew normally falls on final syllable.
In this case, the maqqef between ab; (“father of”) and hamon
(“a multitude”) in the name changing clause joins them together so there is
only one accent between them (on the final syllable). If you speak it out loud to yourself
quickly and without any undue emphasis (av‑ra‑HAM / av‑ha‑MON),
you hear the play on words. |
The
name Abram looked back to
The name Abraham is a play on
words. Verse 5 says that he shall be
called Abraham; because
God will make him the father (Ab) of a multitude (hamon). Abraham’s new name is to serve as a reminder
of his new God-given heritage.
1. Nations
and Kings are to come from Abraham.
This has been
literally fulfilled in nations and kings of
2. This
is to be an Everlasting Covenant: And
I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you
throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant (17:7).
The apostle Paul
makes it clear that the later giving of the Law does not nullify the eternal
aspects of this everlasting covenant (Galatians 3:17-18). God has made a promise and He will not break
it.
How does this
eternal promise impact our understanding of the promise of a land? That promise had been initially very
specific. In Genesis 15, we were told
that it comprised the land extending from the
That promise saw
partial fulfillments in the reigns of David and Solomon. The Scriptures are specific in 2 Chronicles
9:26 to say that Solomon was the ruler over all the kings from the
On the one hand,
we can say that there were conditional aspects to this covenant. It was not a promise that unbelieving and
apostate descendants of Abraham would inherit the kingdom. The kingdom was torn from Solomon’s
descendants because of his sin in worshiping other gods.
The good news is
that there is One who came to fulfill the covenant requirements as well as the
covenant promises. Jesus is the Son of
Abraham who was completely blameless in all His ways. He is the One who is a blessing to all the
nations so that all who believe in Him the way Abraham believed find that they
have been blessed with Abraham
7 Therefore, be sure that
it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 And the
Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached
the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be
blessed in you." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with
Abraham, the believer. (Galatians 3:7-9).
This means the land promises are not fulfilled only in
reference to a parcel of land between the
CIRCUMCISION
— THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT
9 God said
further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and
your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is
My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants
after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And you
shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of
the covenant between Me and you. 12 And every male among you who is eight days old shall
be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house
or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.
13 "A
servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely
be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant. 14 But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in
the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has
broken My covenant." (Genesis 17:9-14).
The
sign of the Abrahamic Covenant is appropriate to the nature of that
covenant. This is seen when we contrast
it to the sign of the Noahic Covenant.
The sign of the Noahic Covenant was the rainbow. This was appropriate to a covenant that was
made universally with mankind, with animals and with the earth itself. This universal covenant had a corresponding
universal sign.
By
contrast, the Abrahamic Covenant is a personal covenant. It deals with certain individuals. It is therefore appropriate that the sign is
found in the body of those individuals which whom it deals.
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The Noahic Covenant |
The Abrahamic Covenant |
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Involves men, animals and
the entire world. |
Involves Abraham and his
descendants. |
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The sign is the rainbow and
relates to the entire creation. |
The sign if circumcision
and relates to Abraham’s descendants. |
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A universal sign. |
A personal sign. |
The
sign of circumcision was only know to the individual, his parents, and his
wife. It was not a sign that would be
shown to people in general. This
indicates the personal nature of both the covenant and the sign of that
covenant.
The
sign of the Abrahamic Covenant is also appropriate when we remember that the
covenant was centered around the promise of the seed. It was a promise that involved the
reproductive organs and the sign of the covenant was consistent with this
theme.
The
sign of circumcision involved the surgical “cutting” of the foreskin of the
male organ. This was later to become an
illustration of
Circumcise
then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more (Deuteronomy 10:16).
Furthermore,
the Lord promises that He Himself will accomplish this spiritual cutting in the
hearts of His people.
Moreover
the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants,
to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order
that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6).
Circumcision
was a sign of faith. This is taught by
Paul as he described the experience of Abraham in receiving circumcision — he
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith
which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who
believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them
(Romans 4:11). This means
circumcision was to the Abrahamic Covenant what baptism is to the New Covenant.
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Abrahamic Covenant |
New Covenant |
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The sign of the
covenant is circumcision. |
The sign of the
covenant is baptism. |
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Circumcision
was a sign of faith. |
Baptism is a
sign of faith. |
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Physical
circumcision represented the spiritual process of cutting away sin. |
Water baptism
represents the identification with Christ and the spiritual cleansing that
comes through the new birth. |
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Circumcision
was limited to males. |
There is no
distinction in Baptism between male or female. |
It
is because of this correlation that the church has historically engaged in
infant baptism. Whether this is an
appropriate correlation is the topic for another venue, but it should be noted
that the correlation between circumcision and baptism is referenced in the New
Testament by the Apostle Paul as he speaks of our identification with Christ in
His death, burial and resurrection.
11 ...and
in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the
removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having
been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And
when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions
(Colossians 2:11-13).
It
could be argued that baptism is not exact in its correlation to
circumcision. After all, only male
children were circumcised. In this
regard, circumcision was less inclusive than is baptism. Baptism is more inclusive because it includes
women as well as men. The New Covenant
is always WIDER in its scope than the old covenant. In the New Covenant there is there is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither
male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Both
the outward physical rite of circumcision and the outward physical rite of
baptism are symbols of the salvation that we have in Christ. Those outward rituals are meant to reflect an
inward spiritual reality into which we have entered through faith.
Notice
that the one who refused the rite of circumcision was to be cut off from the
people of God—an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of
his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My
covenant (17:14). In the same way,
the Bible knows virtually nothing of an unbaptized Christian. The only example one might be able to find in
the Scriptures is the extreme case of the repentant thief upon the cross.
This
does not mean we are to regard any special saving benefit in the act of water
baptism. The Scriptures do not support
the idea of baptismal regeneration. The
baptism which saves is not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal
to God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21).
A
NEW NAME FOR SARAH
15 Then
God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name
Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a
son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings
of peoples shall come from her." (Genesis 17:15-16).
Sari’s name is changed to Sarah. If there is any specific meaning behind this
changed name, it has been lost to us.
Both renditions of her name seem to come from the Hebrew sar,
meaning “prince.” The feminine version
could be alternately Sarai or Sarah which would refer to a
princess.
She
is given a new name because of the accompanying promise that she will bear a
son. This had not been previously
revealed. This was a new truth. In the same way that Abraham would be a
father of nations and of kings, so also Sarah would be a mother to those
nations and kings. She who had
previously been barren and unable to conceive would give birth to a son from
who would come a multitude.
ABRAHAM’S
UNBELIEVING REACTION
17 Then
Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child
be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years
old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might
live before Thee!" (Genesis 17:17-18).
Up
to this time, Abraham had though God was going to fulfill the promises of His
covenant through Ishmael. The Lord’s
words regarding Sarah bearing a son came as a shock. Abraham must have experienced a barrage of
emotions running from shock to humor. He
begins to laugh. The very idea of old
Sarah becoming pregnant!
Abraham
says two things. The first he says to himself—we
read that he said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one
hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" He knew better than to say such things to
God, but he could not help but to say them to himself. However, God knows our hearts.
What
Abraham says to God is quite different.
It is given in the form of a prayer:
"Oh that Ishmael might
live before Thee!" After all,
Ishmael was Abraham’s son. He was his
only son. He had watched the boy grow up
into a young man and he had high expectations for his son.
ISAAC
AND ISHMAEL
19 But God
said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call
his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant for his descendants after him.
20
"And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will
make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the
father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My
covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this
season next year." (Genesis 17:19-21).
Abraham
had laughed at hearing the prophecy of another son, but it will be God who gets
the last laugh. He instructed Abraham
that this new son is to be named Isaac.
It is a name that means “laughter.”
Ishmael
will not be without blessings. He will
also be fruitful and will multiply and become the father of twelve
princess. Notice the pattern.
• Ishmael
will become the father of 12 princes.
• Jacob,
the son of Isaac, will become the father of 12 tribes.
Ishmael
will be blessed, but it will be Isaac who will enjoy the benefit of a covenant
with the Lord. That special covenant
relationship is reserved for Isaac and for his descendants.
This
will be an ongoing theme throughout the rest of the book of Genesis. It is a theme in which the older son is
bypassed in favor of the younger son.
This was completely contrary to the normal way things were done in the
ancient world. The firstborn had all of
the rights; the second born had only the hand-me-downs.
ABRAHAM’S
OBEDIENCE
22 And
when He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then
Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house
and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's
household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as
God had said to him.
24 Now
Abraham was ninety‑nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of
his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he
was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the
very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 And all
the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from
a foreigner, were circumcised with him. (Genesis 17:22-27).
Abraham’s
response to the Lord’s promises and the Lord’s covenant was obedience. He had both himself and his son and all of
his servants and relatives and hired hands circumcised. This was the covenantal idea. It was a covenant community. All who were related to Abraham would benefit
from their relationship to him.
That
is not to say that you can be saved by having a Christian mother or a Christian
father. But you DO enjoy certain
benefits from having Christian parents.
You are set apart for certain special blessings by being in a covenant
community. Paul makes reference to this
when he speaks of the importance of remaining in a marriage.
13 And a
woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her
not send her husband away. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for
otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. (1 Corinthians
7:13-14).
The
spouse and children of a believer are said to be sanctified by their
relationship to that believer. This
reference to being sanctified means only that they are set apart for certain
blessings. They have the blessing of
being able to experience the life of a Christian and to see the Holy Spirit at
work in a life.
The same way that Abraham’s extended family enjoyed
the benefits of the covenant blessing through their relationship to him, so
your extended family can enjoy the benefits of your relationship to
Christ. You are called to share your
blessing, to speak words of blessing, and to be a blessing to others.
Return to
Stevenson Bible Study Page
[1] You shall be the father of a multitude (!Amh>;
ba;l.) of nations. No longer shall you
be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you a father of
a multitude (!Amh]-ba;) of nations.