Genesis 17
17
Circumcision, the Sign of the Covenant
1When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the Almighty God. Obey me and always do what is right. 2I will make my covenant with you and give you many descendants.” 3Abram bowed down with his face touching the ground, and God said, 4“I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations. 5#Rom 4.17Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham,#17.5 Abraham: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “ancestor of many nations”. because I am making you the ancestor of many nations. 6I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.
7 #
Lk 1.55
“I will keep my promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant. I will be your God and the God of your descendants. 8#Acts 7.5I will give to you and to your descendants this land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan will belong to your descendants for ever, and I will be their God.”
9God said to Abraham, “You also must agree to keep the covenant with me, both you and your descendants in future generations. 10#Acts 7.8; Rom 4.11You and your descendants must all agree to circumcise every male among you. 11-12From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a covenant between you and me. 13Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that my covenant with you is everlasting. 14Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of my people, because he has not kept the covenant with me.”
15God said to Abraham, “You must no longer call your wife Sarai; from now on her name is Sarah.#17.15 Sarah: This name in Hebrew means “princess”. 16I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become the mother of nations, and there will be kings among her descendants.”
17Abraham bowed down with his face touching the ground, but he began to laugh when he thought, “Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah have a child at ninety?” 18He asked God, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?”
19But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son and you will name him Isaac.#17.19 Isaac: This name in Hebrew means “he laughs”. I will keep my covenant with him and with his descendants for ever. It is an everlasting covenant. 20I have heard your request about Ishmael, so I will bless him and give him many children and many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation of his descendants. 21But I will keep my covenant with your son Isaac, who will be born to Sarah about this time next year.” 22When God finished speaking to Abraham, he left him.
23On that same day Abraham obeyed God and circumcised his son Ishmael and all the other males in his household, including the slaves born in his home and those he had bought. 24Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen. 26They were both circumcised on the same day, 27together with all Abraham's slaves.
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Genesis 17: GNBDC
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Genesis 17
17
The Covenant of Circumcision
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, # 17:1 Thirteen years elapsed between chs. 16 and 17. Abram and Sarai were incapable of conceiving a child. See Rom. 4:19. Yahweh appeared to him again and said, “I am the God who is more than enough. # 17:1 Or “I am El Shaddai.” This is the most frequently used name for God prior to the Law being given at Sinai. El is one of the words for God. Shaddai (šadday) is taken from a Hebrew root word that carries multiple expressive meanings. It can mean “God of the Holy Mountain,” “God of the Wilderness,” “God the Destroyer of Enemies,” “God the All-Sufficient One,” “God the Nurturer of Babies [the Breasted One],” “God the Almighty,” “the Sovereign God,” or “the God who is more than enough.” The combination of El (Almighty) with Shaddai describes the tender heart of God, one who cares for his beloved ones. To a man ninety-nine years of age, God All-Sufficient was a revelation that would sustain Abraham. Live your life in my presence # 17:1 Or “before me.” Living consciously before God frees us from the false self that lives only before others. and be blameless. # 17:1 The Hebrew word tamim can also mean “perfect,” “complete,” “whole,” or “full.” The more-than-enough God is telling Abram to walk continuously in the fullness of God’s presence, which will make him perfect and complete. A new revelation of God’s goodness (The God of more than enough) will always be followed by a new challenge (walk blameless before God). Because he is Almighty, we can live in holiness, following his ways. 2I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants.”
3Then Abram fell on his face in awe before God, # 17:3 When man bows in the dust, God will speak in grace. Abram’s posture is a picture of his humility as he ponders this revelation in the presence of God. and God said to him, 4“I establish my covenant with you:
“You will become a father of many nations.
5You will no longer be named Abram
because I am changing your name to Abraham, # 17:5 Abram means “exalted father”; Abraham means “father of a multitude.” The church today does not need exalted fathers; we need fathers who will multiply themselves in their sons and daughters. Generational transfer is in the heart of God and was here revealed to Abraham.
for I have made you a father of many nations.
6I will make you abundantly fruitful, more than you expect.
I will make nations out of you,
and kings will trace their lineage back to you. # 17:6 David, Solomon, and Hezekiah, for example, were kings and leaders who came forth from Abraham’s blessed relationship with God. He has likewise made us kings and priests! See Rev. 1:6; 5:10.
7Yes, I will establish my eternal covenant of love between me and you,
and it will extend to your descendants throughout their generations.
I will be your children’s # 17:7 Or “descendants’.” God, just as I am your God.
8I will give to you and your seed
the land to which you have migrated.
The entire land of Canaan will be yours and your descendants’ # 17:8 Or “seed.”
as an everlasting possession.
And I will be their God forever!”
9God explained to Abraham, “Your part of the covenant is to obey its terms, you and your descendants throughout the ages. 10So here is the sign of the covenant that you are to keep, so that it will endure between you and me and your descendants: circumcise # 17:10 The Hebrew word for “circumcision” (muwl) means “to cut short,” “curtail,” “to blunt,” “to cut off,” or “to destroy.” With a new name, Abraham was to perform circumcision on the eighth (number of new beginning) day. This external sign of circumcision would set the Israelites apart for God. The New Testament truth of heart-circumcision is the cutting away of our flesh (our rights to ourselves), in dedication to God (see Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:11–12). every male among you. 11You must undergo cutting off the flesh of your foreskin as a special sign of the covenant between me and you. 12Throughout your generations, each male child must be circumcised eight days after his birth. This includes those not of your descendants—those born in your household and foreign-born servants whom you have purchased; 13they must be circumcised, homeborn and purchased alike. In this way, you will carry in your flesh the sign of my everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male who does not have the foreskin of his flesh cut off will be cut off from his people, for he has broken my covenant.”
15God also said to Abraham:
“Concerning your wife Sarai,
you are not to call her Sarai anymore, but Sarah, # 17:15 The names Sarai and Sarah appear to be dialectical variations of the word for “princess” or “queen.” God was emphasizing to Abraham and Sarah that the past, with its season of waiting, was over. Their new names signified a new era, a new fulfillment of promises, and a new destiny calling them forward.
‘My Princess,’ will be her name.
16I will wonderfully bless her,
and I will certainly give you a son through her.
Yes, I will bless her greatly,
and she will become a mother of nations;
kings of nations will arise among her children!”
17Then Abraham laughed so hard he fell to the ground, saying to himself, “How in the world can a hundred-year-old man become a father? How can my wife Sarah get pregnant at ninety?” 18And then he spoke out loud: “O, that Ishmael might prosper with your blessing!” # 17:18 Or “O, that Ishmael might live in your sight!” a metaphoric way of saying that he longed for Ishmael to prosper and live under God’s favor. Ishmael was Abraham’s “plan B,” and Abraham is still hoping that the promises God had given to him could transfer over to Ishmael. God, however, has no “plan B.” He will always accomplish his original, perfect plan.
19God said, “Listen to me. I promise that you and Sarah will have a son, and you will call him Isaac. # 17:19 Isaac means “he laughs.” It can mean “he [God] laughs” or “he [Abraham] laughs.” I will confirm my everlasting covenant of love with him and his seed. 20And regarding Ishmael, I have heard your cry and I will indeed bless him. I will cause him to have many, many descendants. He will father twelve rulers, # 17:20 Or “princes.” See Gen. 25:12–18; 1 Chron. 1:29–31. and I will make him into a great nation. 21But my everlasting covenant relationship is with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” 22When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God ascended up to heaven. # 17:22 Or “God rose from upon” (lit. Hb.) or “God went up from Abraham.” The implication is that God ascended, returning to heaven after coming down to meet with Abraham.
23So without delay Abraham obeyed God and took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or foreign-born servants) and circumcised them that very same day. 24Abraham was already ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen. 26They were both circumcised on the same day, 27along with all the men of his household (whether born in his house or foreign-born servants).
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