Genesis 17:1-2-2
Thirteen more years had passed with no sign that the promise of God was about to happen. Ishmael had become a teenager. What a test of faith, of the belief in the promise of God. It had been 23 years since the original promise to Abram that he would bear a son. Abram was 99 years old and his barren wife was 89 when the Lord (Jehovah) appeared to Abram again. This appears to be another another Old Testament appearance of Jesus.
Note: It's interesting that the previous chapter said an 'Angel of the Lord' and this is taken as the preincarnate Christ. Here he is Jehovah.
Jehovah said to Abram that he was El Shaddai. El Shaddai means God Almighty or God the most powerful. This interpretation doesn't come from the Hebrew though, it comes from Septuagint's translation of the same word in Job 5:17; 8:5. 'God Almighty' seems to be the commonly accepted meaning, though 'God of the mountain' could be closer to the Hebrew.
God Almighty said to Abram to 'walk before me and be blameless'. This was a call to give his whole self over to God, to be found without defect in thought, word or deed. The 'walk' was to walk back and forth. It was to 'live out your life' before God. For Abram to know that He was the Almighty God and that He seemed to be ever present in his life, certainly helped him in his walk. Have you ever angered someone and then found out they were six foot six and muscle bound? When we understand the height and strength and power of someone, it changes how we deal with them. How much more should it change our actions when we understand how high and holy God is?
I remember hearing the 1st rule of faith: "He is God, I am not." This is the rule that Satan broke and the same rule that the serpent used to tempt Eve. We can't be like God. We must remember our place; walk with him, wholly and completely. Never forgetting Him and the power he possesses.
As for Abram, this walk would bring forth a reminder of the covenant He had made to him. Do you suppose Abram thought that God had forgotten about the covenant? It had been about 23 years ago that God had first made this covenant. What was God waiting for?
A famine stumbled Abram after the promise of land. Sari's barrenness stumbled them again after the promise of an heir. Would Abram and Sarai's age stumble them for a third time?
Genesis 17:3-8
As we look at this 99-year-old man, we know he's walked with the Lord many years. His life has had many ups and downs, as well spiritual highs and lows. We see him becoming this man of great faith. But he also had to entertain a tinge of doubt. He was 99 years old and still saw no indication he would have a son. Each day that passed, it became less likely as far as he could tell. However, each passing day brought him closer to God's perfect timing. In the presence of the Lord, Abram took a posture of humility. Face down seems to be where we all belong when we find our self before Him.
God renewed the covenant promise of many nations coming from Abram's blood line. He added to the thought by promising kings would come from the nations of his offspring. With the renewal, God brought change to Abram's life, but not the change of the promise, not what he might have expected or hoped for. Abram meant 'exalted father' and now God changed his name to Abraham which meant 'father of a multitude'. He was a childless 99-year-old man who would tell people his name had changed to 'father of a multitude.' We can imagine how that went. There would be no doubt at this point that becoming a father would be an act of God. Notice God spoke as though it has already happened: I have made you a father of many nations. It is a sure bet because it is ordained from the Almighty.
The covenant promise was eternal, standing true and solid from generation to generation, to the descendants of Abraham.
Note: Names were more than a means of identifying people. They had meaning, identifying the character or inclination of a person. Names identified, origin, purpose or focus of life. When God renamed Abram and Sarai, He was re-establishing his sovereignty over their life. Linking their lives and destiny to Him.
Genesis 17:9-14
God said it was His covenant and we know it was made unilaterally. With that covenant, there was an obligation which Abraham was to keep. He wasn't asking Abraham if he agreed. Abraham's opinion and thoughts on the matter don't come into play. Abraham and his descendants were to be obedient. Did Abraham not have the free will to accept or deny this covenant? Yes, of course he did, the generations coming after him prove it. However, to 'walk with God' was to 'live out your life' in His presence. This 'walk' then negates our will and desire. To walk with him is to let him lead the way, yielding to Him. It's fascinating to consider that we sometimes forget our place as we walk with God and offer Him advice on how to walk and where to walk.
God gave the command to circumcise every male child as a sign of the covenant. Circumcision wasn't new in the world. It had been around several hundred years, particularly in Egypt. It was not the covenant, but a 'sign' of the covenant. It served as a reminder that the covenant promise was only possible by God's supernatural provision. Circumcision is cutting away of the flesh. The male organ was associated with the seed that produced depraved sinners; circumcision was symbolic of cutting away sin and being cleansed. The bible uses this term metaphorically of other body parts:
- Lev 26:41 – refers to the uncircumcised hearts of the unrepentant
- Deuteronomy 10:16 – calls for the stiff-necked to 'circumcise their hearts'.
- Deuteronomy 30:6 – the Lord will circumcise your hearts
- Exodus 6:12,30 – Pharaoh won't listen because of his (Moses) uncircumcised lips.
- Jeremiah 6:10 – They cannot hear with their uncircumcised ears.
This idea carries into the New Testament:
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh s was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col 2:11-12)
Note: see Romans 4:11 – Abraham was saved by faith, not from circumcision. He was uncircumcised when he believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
From Abraham's time forward, every male would be circumcised on the eighth day. The significance of the 8th day is unclear; some see a link to the 7 days of creation. The covenant extended to all within the household. The uncircumcised people were to be cut off from His people as one who broke God's covenant. This promise of the covenant being everlasting is repeated three times in this passage.
Genesis 17:15-16
The Lord changed Sarai's name to Sarah. She is the only woman renamed by God in the bible. Sarai means 'princess', but can also mean 'struggle'. Sarah can also mean 'princess' but can also mean 'noble woman'. The 'princess' label is limited to one family where the noble woman is nobility to many families. Sarah hasn't ever felt very noble or womanly. She waited and hoped, while trying to believe, for a long time. It seems she had long since given up.
It will become apparent that Abraham did not share this with Sarah. Why? Maybe because he was sure she would laugh at him and not believe him.
It might be hard for us to really grasp just how ridiculous this must have sounded to them since we know that many kings did come from Sarah, the most significant being the King of Kings. If she only knew or understood.
Genesis 17:17-18
Abraham fell facedown. Why? Was this thankfulness, worship and praise? Was he also hiding the laughter? Why was this great man of faith laughing? He thought God had made a mistake, lost track of his promises and gave the wrong one to the wrong person. How in the world was this impossible? We live in a world of natural order and understanding, this declaration simply didn't fit in our world. How can this happen to a 100-year-old man and 90-year-old woman? He asked 'will Sarah bear a child' but probably meant 'could she bear a child'. It's a valid question, even if he could father a child, she was way beyond child bearing years. When this happened, there would be no doubt that this miracle came from Him.
When things fall outside the established parameters of normal, our faith is tested. God does miracles. He does things that make no sense to us and He does them on His timetable, for His purpose and glory.
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." o He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." t 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:17-22)
Abraham's laughing was amazement, astonishment and shock. Could God really pull this off? His struggle was enough that he offered Ishmael as his son, as if to let God off the hook of this seemingly ridiculous promise. Abraham in essence laughed at God's plan and once again offered man's plan (Ishmael) as a solution. If this conversation came true then Ishmael would be excluded from covenant. God continued to speak of this other son being the one by whom the promises would come. Ishmael was blessed but he was not the one.
Abraham's faith was still growing. It wasn't quite to the point of believing this without doubt.
Genesis 17:19-22
God let Abraham know that he was going to go ahead with his plan; Sarah would bear a son. He would be the first son of a covenant people. He would be named Isaac, meaning laughter. This entire event, from God's announcement to the reality of the birth, was characterized by laughter. The opportunities for people to laugh at this idea might even include the physical and physiological part of the process.
As for Ishmael, he would be blessed and he would produce great numbers of heirs – but he wasn't God's chosen one. He represented the son of the flesh; man's plan, not God's.
Several more months would pass before Sarah would discover she was pregnant. In one year, she would bear the promised child. God finished talking to Abraham and 'went up'. What a great picture this is.
Genesis 17:23-27
Abraham was obedient to the command of God to circumcise all the males. God said it, he did it. Our faith is revealed in our actions.
The closest thing we can relate this to is baptism. It's not quite the same but similar in that it is an outward sign of the inward change. Circumcision didn't save the Jews, it was an act of obedience and acknowledgment of God. Baptism won't save you either, but it is an act of obedience to God in making a public declaration and identification with Jesus.
Paul had much to say about circumcision in Colossians:
11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh s was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col 2:11-12)
And again in Romans:.
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God. (Romans 2:25-29)
Circumcision was the indication you knew the law. When not keeping the rest of the law, it became a testimony against the Jew, proving they didn't act in ignorance. The outward sign didn't indicate what was happening in the heart.
©2009 Doug Ford
Revised & updated 2019
[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 4:17–22). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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