F. Genesis 17:6 – And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
1. 2nd “I will”
2. Restatement of terms of covenant, unconditional
3. Isaiah 44:7 - And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
G. Genesis 17:7 – And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
1. 3rd “I will”
2. Again, the covenant was already established in Chapter 15.
a. Leupold translates “…I will uphold my covenant…”
3. Everlasting - עולם `owlam, masculine noun, long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
4. One way, God will be a God to Abraham and his seed nothing required from Abraham in return. It could be implied here that God chose Abraham because of his faith that God had already counted as righteousness.
H. Genesis 17:8 – And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan
1. 4th “I will”
I. Genesis 17:9 – And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
1. We keep seeing the phrase “and thy seed after thee”. Is this a singular or a plurality of seed?
2. Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, “And to seeds,” as of many; but as of one, “And to thy Seed,” Which is Christ.
3. So it appears that the seed being referred to is singular pointing to the singular Christ. So when God made the covenant between man and God He was able to make that covenant with Himself, as the burning lamp, before He was born as a man yet standing in the place of man in covenant relation with the Father.
J. Genesis 17:10 – This [is] my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
1. Condition placed upon the covenant “which ye shall keep” as a token
2. Circumcised - מול muwl, verb, to circumcise, let oneself be circumcised, cut, be cut off
3. Notice that it is every male within Abraham’s household.
a. The child has no choice in the matter
b. Taught the ways of the Lord as they grow
c. How is this similar to the New Covenant commandment to be baptized?
d. Gives some support for infant baptism, children have no choice in the matter, they later “confirm” what they received in ignorance much like circumcision.
e. Since the young men have no voice as to whether they will be circumcised or not, upholding the covenant remained the duty of the parents of the child; therefore, the token/symbol was upheld through the faith and obedience of the parents.
f. We can see a difference between Old Testament instructions under law and New Testament under grace. Much more left to the imagination in the New and probably why we have thousands of denominations of Christianity.
g. Does God say only your (Abraham’s) children are to be circumcised? Does this mean that God’s covenant is upon the entire household of Abraham regardless of race? Appears so
· Remember Abraham’s household was trained in the ways of the Lord
· No evidence of any racial superiority at all
K. Genesis 17:11 – And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
1. Token - אות 'owth, feminine noun, 1) sign, signal, 2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof. The same word is translated several different ways.
a. Genesis 1:14 - And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
· Signs - אות 'owth
b. Genesis 4:15 - And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
· Mark - אות 'owth
c. Genesis 9:13 - I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
· Token - אות 'owth
2. The difference between the token/sign/mark of circumcision compared to the past is that God has now transferred the administration of it to Abraham and his seed; whereas the others God remained the administrator.
L. Genesis 17:12– And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which [is] not of thy seed.
1. Eight – the number of new beginnings
a. Octave’s in Music (ABCDEFG) A is the 1st and 8th
b. Colors (Roy G Biv) Red is the 1st and 8th
c. Days of Week (S-M-T-W-Th-F-S) Sunday is the 1st and 8th
d. David was the eighth son representing a new beginning to the Monarchy after the corruption of Saul’s reign.
e. Eight people on the ark (2 Peter 2:5), the whole world was apparently populated from these 8, a new beginning.
f. Jesus makes the number 888 by Gamatria
g. Every name of the Lord is a multiple of Eight
2. The promises of the covenant are not exclusively for Abraham’s natural children but his entire household
a. How do those who are not of Abraham’s seed become part of Abraham’s household?
· Galatians 3:6-7 – Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
· Acts 10:43-48 – To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord…”
o Genesis 12:3 – And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
o Galatians 3:26 -29 – For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
§ Didn’t we just determine that Abraham’s seed was singular in nature pointing to Christ from Galatians 3:16 how is it then that we being in Christ are all Abraham’s seed?
§ “ye are all one in Christ” as the body of Christ we are one being singular in nature with Christ and therefore become joint-heirs with Him.
b. Even though the covenant was made with Abraham and his seed being established in Christ through Isaac, the benefits that Christ brings are not only for Abraham’s family, but all who are of faith. Those who have faith are blessed through the faithfulness of Abraham and the covenant God established with Him.
c. They are adopted into the old covenant through the act of circumcision
· How can this be since the seed will be established through Isaac?
o Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
· Obligations are required from those who stand in relation with God
o Jeremiah 4:4 – Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.
§ God speaking to the men of Judah
o Deuteronomy 10:16 - Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
o Deuteronomy 30:6 – And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
o Romans 2:29 – But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
o Colossians2:9-12 - For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
3. Females not excluded from the covenant, but excluded from the token
4. So why circumcision? What is the significance?
a. Possibly a constant reminder of God’s promise
b. Possibly to teach the responsibility of being a father
M. Genesis 17:13 – He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
N. Genesis 17:14 – And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
1. “cut off” - כרת karath, verb, to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant
2. In essence the uncircumcised man is circumcised from his people under this covenant
II. God’s Promise to Sarah (Genesis 17:15 -19)
A. Genesis 17:15 – And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [shall] her name [be].
1. Sarah – שרה Sarah, "noblewoman" as opposed to “princess”
2. Changed from שרי to שרה by changing י to a ה
3. God placed his stamp upon both Abraham and Sarah by inserting the “breath of God” in their very names.
a. John 20:22 - And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
b. Genesis 2:7 - And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
c. H is common letter to both יהוה Yĕhovah and אלהים 'elohiym
B. Genesis 17:16 – And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother] of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
1. 5th & 6th “I will”
2. First instance where God specifically states that Sarah will bring forth the promised son.
a. It could have and should have been pre-supposed under the implication of a God ordained monogamous marriage.
b. Note that this promise to be a mother of nations can only be through Isaac as he was her only child, Ishmael and the sons of Keturah therefore cannot be of the nations that this promise specifies.
C. Genesis 17:17 – Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
1. Laughed - צחק tsachaq, verb, to laugh, mock, play
2. To us this would seem impossible, but remember Noah was still around for some part of Abraham’s life didn’t have Shem, Ham and Japheth until he was 500 years old so with regard to Abraham’s ancestry this doesn’t seem to be all that big a deal.
3. Though Abraham laughed, he did so falling on his face which is an act of humility and worship and not a lack of faith
D. Genesis 17:18 – And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
1. It seems that Abraham is under the impression that Ishmael is to die by reason of this covenant in order to make way for Isaac.
2. Abraham is interceding on behalf of Ishmael that God may direct good will toward him, God hears this request in vv. 20
E. Genesis 17:19 – And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him.
1. 7th “I will” pertaining to Abraham’s covenant
2. Isaac - יצחק Yitschaq, masculine noun, "he laughs"
3. Covenant “established” in Isaac for an everlasting covenant, because the covenant that God made with himself who is also the Seed of Isaac.
III. Ishmael’s Blessings (Genesis 17:20 -22)
A. Genesis 17:20 – And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
1. Note 12 princes of Ishmael compared to the 12 tribes of Israel
2. Non-circumcision was a reproach to Israelites as well as Ishmaelites
a. Joshua 5:9 - And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt
· Interesting that this verb ‘galal’ is used here which means to roll away and throughout most of the OT refers to rolling stones.
b. Luke 24:2 – And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
· Just as uncircumcision was a reproach and an obstacle of the children of Israel
3. They were reproached because of their uncircumcision
4. I have heard thee- A response to Abraham from vv. 18
B. Genesis 17:21 – But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
1. Set time – מועד mow`ed, masculine noun, appointed place, appointed time, meeting
a. Genesis 1:14 - And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
· For seasons - מועד mow`ed
b. Genesis 18:14 – Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
· At the time appointed - מועד mow`ed
c. Genesis 21:2 – For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
· At the set time - מועד mow`ed
C. Genesis 17:22 – And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
IV. Enactment of the Token of Circumcision (Genesis 17:23 -27)
A. Genesis 17:23 – And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
B. Genesis 17:24 – And Abraham [was] ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
C. Genesis 17:25 – And Ishmael his son [was] thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
1. The number 13 stands in connection with rebellion, apostasy, defection, corruption, disintegration, revolution, or some kindred idea. Bullinger
2. Contrast Ishmael being 13 years old when he was circumcised vs. 8 days old for Isaac
D. Genesis 17:26 – In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
1. Abram was 99 when he was circumcised
E. Genesis 17:27 – And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
1. Foreshadowing of the adoption of all those who believe in Christ Jesus.
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