Introduction
‘When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.’ Genesis 17:1-8
THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION
Abram is now ninety-nine years old, Genesis 17:1, and twenty-five years have passed since the first promise. God tells him who He is, ‘I am God Almighty’, ‘El-Shaddai’, Genesis 17:1. God tells him what he wants of him, ‘Walk before me’, Genesis 17:1 / Genesis 5:24 / Genesis 6:9.
The word, ‘faithfully’ simply means to try ones best to keep in step with God and His commands. The word ‘blameless’ doesn’t mean sinless, it means to do what is required to keep right with God, Genesis 6:9 / Philippians 3:6. Abram made mistakes on the way to the promise but now he is becoming a man of faith.
If Abram walks faithfully and blamelessly with God, then will make His covenant between Him and greatly increase his numbers, Genesis 17:2. Notice that Abram ‘fell face down’, Genesis 17:3, this is what anyone would do under the circumstances, especially when they realise they were in the presence of God.
The covenant is reaffirmed, Genesis 17:4, and Abram’s name is changed to Abraham, Genesis 17:5. The name Abram means father of many, but the name Abraham means father of many nations. There are many people in the Bible who have had their name changed, and a name change usually signifies a change in character. Jacob’s name is changed to Israel, Genesis 32:28, as Christians we are now called saints, 1 Corinthians 1:2, sons of God, 1 John 3:1-2, etc.
God promises to make him fruitful, and He will make nations of him, and kings will come from him, Genesis 17:6. We see God repeating the promises time and time again, here we’re reminded that there was a time limit involved in this covenant, it was until the generations of Israel ended, which they did in Christ, Galatians 3:26-29.
In other words, the ‘everlasting covenant’, Genesis 17:7, meant until it was fulfilled, it didn’t mean and doesn’t mean without end. Since the old covenant has now given way to the new, Hebrews 8, then the promises connected with the old covenant have also given way to the promises of the new covenant.
The whole land of Canaan, where Abraham now lives as a foreigner, and God promises to give him the land as an everlasting possession to him and His descendants and He will be their God, Genesis 17:8.
Willis, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Everlasting here does not mean endless time, but a relatively long period of time.’
Aalders, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When Abraham’s descendants broke their relationship to God by their disobedience, they thereby forfeited the temporal blessings.’
‘Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you must keep my covenant, you, and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.’ Genesis 17:9-14
Abraham is told that he and his descendant who will come after him must keep God’s covenant, Genesis 17:9. The covenant agreement is revealed to Abraham, every male among them is to be circumcised, Genesis 17:10. Here we see that Abraham has something to do this time, circumcision. Abraham is to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant between God and himself, Genesis 17:11.
Notice that God knew things back then that scientists today have not long discovered. God commands that those who were eight days old were to be circumcised, Genesis 17:12. Why eight days? Because according to scientists this was the earliest safe day to be circumcised because the blood was full of vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting.
It seems that even Abraham’s servants were to partake of the promises of the covenant, Genesis 17:12-13, because they too had to be circumcised which obviously meant if anyone didn’t want to be circumcised, they couldn’t be partakers of the covenant, Genesis 17:14. Any male who hasn’t been circumcised is to be cut off from his people because they have broken God’s covenant, Genesis 17:14.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God wanted Abraham to circumcise his male servants as well as his children. The reason was that the Abrahamic Covenant would affect all who had a relationship with Abraham. Consequently, they needed to bear the sign of that covenant.’
The reason for this as a covenant is simply to learn not to trust in the flesh but to trust in God. The ceremony of circumcision was to be a sign of the covenant and so, everyone who was circumcised actually shared in this covenant.
Fransico, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The rite was essential as the ritualistic confirmation of the determination to walk maturely before God, Genesis 17:11. It was no substitute for it.’
‘God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’ Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’ Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.’ When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.’ Genesis 17:15-22
Just as Abram had a name change so did Sarai, Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah, Genesis 17:15. The name Sarai means princess of many, and the name Sarah means queen of a multitude. God promises to bless her and give her a son, He will bless her so richly she will be the mother of nations and kings of people will come from her, Genesis 17:16.
When Abraham laughed, Genesis 17:17, it wasn’t so much because of doubt but because of joy, it was the laughter of rejoicing. Later we will see Sarah laughing, Genesis 18:15. Abraham will be one hundred years old, and Saria will give birth at the age of 90, Genesis 17:17.
It’s clear that Abraham didn’t fully understand, Romans 4:17-21, but the son of promise is Isaac, would remind Abraham when he laughed when he was told by God. Abraham and Sarah needed to understand that the promise was to be the work of God, not man, Romans 9:6-13.
Unger, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In the Messianic seed through Sarah, the kingdom would stand forever.’
Understandably Abraham was still thinking in human terms because he suggests that Ishmael would be the heir of the promise, Genesis 17:18, but God had other plans. Isaac, meaning laughter, will be the child of promise, Genesis 17:19. Though Abraham at first suggested that Ishmael be the heir of the promises, God reassured him that the promises would be fulfilled through his own son.
Notice how God was still going to bless Ishmael, Genesis 17:20, yes, he wouldn’t have a part in the covenant promises, but he would be the father of twelve princes and a great nation, Genesis 17:20. God says He will establish His covenant with Isaac, Genesis 17:21 / Galatians 4:21-31, whom Sarah will bear to him in a year’s time, Genesis 17:21. When God had finished speaking with Abraham, He went up from him, Genesis 17:22.
‘On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.’ Genesis 17:23-27
It was now time to put into practice what God commanded concerning circumcision and so, Abraham circumcises everyone in his household, even those who were bought as slaves, and so, everyone in his household is a part of God’s covenant He made with Abraham, Genesis 17:23. God said it and Abraham did it, in other words, what we believe will be shown in our actions. Abraham’s obedience is now growing.
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, Genesis 17:24, Ishmael was thirteen, Genesis 17:25, and they were both circumcised on the same day, Genesis 17:26. Every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household and any slaves he had purchased were circumcised too, Genesis 17:27.
As time went on some people rejected the covenant because they didn’t understand it was an act of faith. Some trusted the sign rather than the covenant.
When we move into the New Testament, we see the real value in circumcision, Galatians 5:6, tells us that it had no benefit, it’s faith that counts. Colossians 2:11-12, tells us that baptism is a sign of the new covenant and if someone refuses to be baptised, they’re effectively refusing the new covenant.