Genesis chapter 17
Abram is renamed as Abraham. The mark of the covenant. Sarai is renamed as Sarah.
ABRAM IS RENAMED AS ABRAHAM
VERSE 1. 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.
Abram was ninety-nine years old. Abram is about to be told that, at age 99, he will father a child!
God Almighty. The Hebrew words are אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י (“El Shadday”).
VERSE 2. I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
God Almighty re-iterates the promises to Abram.
We humans often need to hear things more than once.
VERSE 3. Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,
VERSE 4. “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
VERSE 5. Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
Abraham. The Hebrew word is אַבְרָהָם (“’aḇ·rā·hām”). It means “the father is exalted.”
VERSE 6. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
Kings will come out of you. King David, for example. As well as the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.
VERSE 7. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you.
VERSE 8. I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
THE MARK OF THE COVENANT
VERSE 9. God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
VERSE 10. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
Every male among you shall be circumcised. This is new. It is a sign of the Covenant.
Later, this possibility will be extended to non-Hebrew people:
Exodus 12:48. When a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, and would like to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. He shall be as one who is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
Going back to this requirement for circumcision, it seems Moses did not keep it. And in so doing, angered the LORD God:
Exodus 4:24. On the way at a lodging place, the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.
VERSE 11. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.
VERSE 12. He who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.
VERSE 13. He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
VERSE 14. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
SARAI IS RENAMED AS SARAH
VERSE 15. God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.
her name will be Sarah. Sarai is given a new name. The Hebrew word is שָׂרָ֖ה (“śā·rāh”). It means princess. She will be the mother of kings.
VERSE 16. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”
VERSE 17. Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”
Genesis 23:1. Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
VERSE 18. Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
VERSE 19. God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
Isaac. The Hebrew word is יִצְחָק (“yiṣ·ḥāq”). It means “he laughs.”
VERSE 20. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
VERSE 21. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”
Isaac, whom Sarah will bear. Even though she is 90 years old, Sarah will give birth within the next year.
VERSE 22. When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
VERSE 23. Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money: every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.
in the same day, as God had said to him. Right away, on that very same day, Abraham circumcised all the males in the household.
Abraham’s faith is “action faith.” He did things.
VERSE 24. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
VERSE 25. Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
VERSE 26. In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.
VERSE 27. All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
GENESIS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
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