Genesis Chapter 17

"The Start of Great Nations Through a Covenant"

​Context:

Chief People:

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​Choice Verses:

GENESIS 17:1 ​

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.​

  • ​Ishmael, Abram’s son with Hagar, is not roughly 13 years old, and as far as we know, this is the first time since prior to the birth of his son Abram has spoken to God. For the first time in Scripture God refers to Himself as "God Almighty," translated in Hebrew as El Shaddai. God gives two commands to Abram; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. His commands are for Abram to walk in God’s presence, and do no wrongdoing. Rather than viewing this as a command, this was more of an expectation God was placing on Abram. Blameless is the same term God used with Noah in (Genesis 6:9)

GENESIS 17:2 ​

Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.

  • One has to wonder if Abram had not already been faithful and blameless as God is putting conditions on his covenant. The start of this verse is “Then’, which implies a change needs to occur.​

GENESIS 17:3 ​

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,

  • Obviously taken back by God’s appearance, this can be taken several ways. First, as far as we know, this is the first time in many years God has spoken to Abram. Second, perhaps Abram knew he hadn’t been living a sinless life between his talks with God, he fell facedown in a remorseful way. Lastly, throughout history and in many cultures, this has been the ultimate expression of humility and submission to God, and maybe that's all this was.​

GENESIS 17:4 ​

As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

  • Although a covenant with Abram was made many years ago, God promised Abram would have countless descendants, more than the stars in the sky. This promise differs slightly. Here God tells Abram he will be the father of many nations.​

GENESIS 17:5 NO

 longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

  • Historic moment, for the first time God changes someone's name. One can only conclude that something big is about to happen, and perhaps all these years Abram followed God Faithfully was God’s test, and Abram has passed. The name Abram, given by Abram's father Terah, means "exalted father." It was likely meant to suggest that Abram came from a royal line. This new name, Abraham, sounds similar to the Hebrew phrase meaning "father of a multitude," exactly matching God's revelation of what Abram would become. Another argument can be made for the name change. When God named “man” Adam he gave authority over all on earth to Adam, and instructed Adam to name all animals. Hence his naming of the animals sealed his authority over animals. Here I think what is significant is that God is saying that Abram’s father Terah named him, giving him authority over Abram. God renaming Abram Abraham signifies that God now has authority.​

GENESIS 17:6 ​

I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

  • This reminds me of an infomercial where they introduce the product, and keep saying “but that's not all”, and keep adding things to make the product more amazing.  With Abram, we’ve gone from countless descendants, to father of many nations, and now God promises kings from among his descendants. However, to this point, Abraham can only assume these descendants will come from his son Ishmael.​

GENESIS 17:7 ​

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.

  • This is in history where God makes Abraham’s descendants (Jews) “His” people, they are the chosen ones. God also puts no timeline on this covenant, once established it will be locked in forever. What I believe is this is a two way covenant as it’s God’s task to keep the Jews alive, and it will be the Jews task to keep knowledge of God alive in the world (Isaiah 43:10). What is amazing about this is that Israel is the only nation that lives on the same land, speaks the same language, and practices the same religion as their ancestors did 3,000 years ago. They are the only nation that can make that claim. This is confirmation that God has indeed kept his promise to Abraham.

GENESIS 17:8 ​

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.

  • Any current dispute over land rights in Israel of the “Promised Land” should end here, this is a binding contract with God that these lands are His peoples lands, and this covenant is forever. This should not be confused with God claiming He is now only the God of the Jews, he is still God of all. Much of Israel's suffering in the Old Testament occurs when they fail to honor God, either in their worship or their actions (Jeremiah 7:13) ( Malachi 1:6–7). And yet, despite those failings, and despite God's correction, He will maintain His promises.​

GENESIS 17:9 ​

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 a promise God will keep, regardless of how faithless Abraham's offspring may be in the future. God may judge them, and punish them, but He will never violate His promises.​

GENESIS 17:10 ​

This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

  • This is a physical expression of a covenant between God and His people, but only to males.​

GENESIS 17:11 ​

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

  • ​Abraham himself would also need to be circumcised, which dispels some claiming they’d be too old should they convert to Judaism, Abraham was 99. The ritual of circumcision presents several important symbols of their relationship to God. It involves the "setting aside" or removal of a naturally-born part of the person. It creates a permanent change in the person making that commitment. It's an outward, visible representation of a spiritual covenant.

GENESIS 17:12 ​

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.

  • God instructs Abraham that this circumcision must be done when the baby boy is 8 days old. This differs from some religions, Islam in particular, where it's a ritual performed at or just after puberty, where it's more of a right to manhood. It is said Judaism does this on the 8th day as a continuation of God’s 7 days of creation; he created the first 6 days, rested on the 7th, and on the 8th day man continues this creation. What is also important to note here is this covenant extends to all those in the household of Abraham and their descendants, including slaves and indentured servants. Slaves and indentured servants are referred to those bought with money from a foreigner, and not offspring.​

GENESIS 17:13 ​

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.

  •  God repeats his circumcision requirement, it’s every male within the household, regardless of their status within the household. There is no confusion, or at least there shouldn't be.​

GENESIS 17:14 ​

Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

  • Circumcision is only one of two positive commandments for which the Torah ordains the punishment of (karet) being “cut off” from one's kin. The other is failure to bring Passover sacrifice (Numbers 9:13). Although there are widely differing explanations as to what “cut off” means, the most widely held belief is that anyone not circumcised will no longer be under God’s covenant. Although the New Testament speaks of circumcision, it is not required in the physical sense, The Apostle Paul writes that it is a circumcision of the heart, and through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:6) (Romans 2:29).​

GENESIS 17:15 ​

God also said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.

  • As with Abram being renamed to Abraham earlier, it’s Sarai’s turn now. Sarai will now be known as Sarah, and signifies that God now has authority over her too. This was the only time in the Torah a woman had a name change, so this is significant.​

GENESIS 17:16 ​

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.

  • This is very similar to God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 17:6 but here he specifies the “mother of nations” will indeed be Sarah. One has to wonder why God wasn’t more specific earlier with Abram and Sarai, and had he been, would the saga with Hagar even have happened. Either way, all was part of God’s plan.​

GENESIS 17:17 ​

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?

  • Almost in disbelief perhaps, Abraham is emotional with this news. More importantly, what this shows is Abraham has a close relationship with God, and should be an example to us. We can fear God, worship him, and praise him, but we can also be angry with him as well as laugh with him. The point is all our emotions show He is real to us.​

GENESIS 17:18 ​

And Abraham said to God, 'If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!

  • Even with the news that Abraham and Sarah will have a son of their own, Abraham is still concerned with the welfare of his son with Hagar. Abraham still wants God to bless Ishmael, perhaps recalling God’s covenant that all of Abraham’s descendants will be blessed, and wanting to make sure this blessing includes Ishmael.​

GENESIS 17:19 ​

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.

  • God makes clear that he will still bless Ishmael, but not under the earlier covenant he made with Abraham. God then instructs Abraham to name his son Isaac, which translated in Hebrew is “one who laughs/ he laughs”. God obviously has a sense of humor, and this name is not without a purpose, as Abraham laughed when God told Abraham he and Sarah would have a son together. Abraham and Sarah may have laughed, but God had the last laugh.​

GENESIS 17:20 ​

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.

  • Abraham is told Ishmael will be blessed, and will make a separate covenant with Ishmael. He too will be the father of 12 rulers, and a great nation. Ishmael is known in Islam as a Prophet, and the father of Islam. To the surprise of many, Abraham is the father of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. There are the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 tribes of Islam, and with Christianity the 12 Apostles. Ishmael, translated in Hebrew means "God hears.", and apparently, God heard.​

GENESIS 17:21 ​

But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.

  • In case there was confusion, God explicitly affirms the original covenant will be with Isaac.​

GENESIS 17:22 ​

When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

  • God has finalized his plan with Abraham, and ended the conversation. Interesting to note is this is the first time in scripture it is said that God has “went up”. God came. God spoke. God left​

GENESIS 17:23 ​

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 wastes no time, he immediately follows God’s instruction on circumcising all males, which would also include Ishmael. This willingness to follow God's instructions, and to do so immediately, is a key aspect of Abraham's character. This will not be God’s only test on Abraham’s faith.​

GENESIS 17:24 ​

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,

  • This verse repeats again that Abraham was 99 years old on the day God appeared to him and he was circumcised.

GENESIS 17:25 ​

and his son Ishmael was thirteen;

  • The fact that Ishmael was 13 may account for why in Islam circumcision often occurs around puberty, as a ritual to manhood.

GENESIS 17:26 ​

Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day.

GENESIS 17:27 ​

And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

  • This chapter closes with the task being completed. Being this happened in a single day would suggest there was no conception going on that day, and I'd think for not many after. Just a meaningless thought.

​Crucial Words

  • Circumcised - It was a sign and seal of the covenant of grace as well as of the national covenant between God and the Hebrews. Circumcision marked a covenant established with Abraham. Shortly before Isaac was born, God directed Abraham to circumcise all the males of his household, including himself, Ishmael, and his servants (Genesis 17:1-14). A minor medical procedure performed on males, where they cut off the foreskin of an infants, but sometimes as teens or older. as a religious rite, especially in Judaism and Islam.

Cross Reference

​(Genesis 6:9) 

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

(Isaiah 43:10) 

You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

(Jeremiah 7:13) 

While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.

(Malachi 1:6–7) 

6 A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ 7 “By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.

(Numbers 9:13) 

But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

(Galatians 5:6) 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

(Romans 2:29)

 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.

Questions:

  • Genesis 17:1 Why does God refer to himself as “God Almighty” here for the first time?
  • Genesis 17:5 Why did God change Abram’s name?
  • Genesis 17:8 What does exactly mean when he says I will be their God.?
  • Genesis 17:10 Why was there no physical expression of the covenant for females?
  • Genesis 17:12 Do slaves and indentured servants become Jews once they were circumcised?
  • Genesis 17:20 Why the differences in the 3 largest religions of our time (Judaism, Islam, & Christianity) when we are all children of Abraham?
  • Genesis 17:22 Why is it important that it was said “God went up from him”?

​Christ seen (or mentioned)?

No

​Central Lessons(s), and Timeless Truth(s):

  • Faith is a never ending action, and our desires happen in God’s time, not ours

Conclusion:

  • Never give up on your prayers, God always answers in his way, and in his time.

Sidenotes:

  • In the Qur'an it is suggested that it was actually Ishmael God instructed Abraham to sacrifice, and not Isaac.