God’s Covenant With Abraham

Genesis 17:1-27

Genesis 17 is all about the covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendants which was sealed with the sign of circumcision. The word “covenant” appears 13 times in these 27 verses of Genesis 17. God has already “cut” His covenant with Abram in Genesis 15. So here in Genesis 17, the purpose is to “establish” (Gen. 17:7) the terms of the covenant relationship that God entered into with Abraham and his offspring.

As we approach the passage, think about where Abram has been with God. Twenty-four years ago, Abram had left Haran in obedience to the divine call of Genesis 12:1-3. The LORD had promised to make of Abram a great nation, to bless him and to make his name great. Abram was to be a blessing to others so that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Arriving in the land of Canaan the Lord appeared to Abram promising to give his descendants that land (Gen. 12:4).

After Abram and his nephew Lot separated the LORD again spoke to Abram and promised him all the land and descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth (Gen. 13:15-16). Then after Abram had rescued Lot by defeating the eastern alliance of kings (Genesis 14), God formally cut a covenant with Abram, specifying that his heir would come from his own body (Gen. 15:4), and giving a more exact description of the land that he would possess (Gen. 15:18-21). In addition, the LORD prophesied the fate of Abram’s offspring for the next several generations (Gen. 15:12-16). Abram believed the LORD and God accounted his faith to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).

Then in Genesis 16, Abram had taken a wrong turn. Following the advice of his barren wife Sarai, Abram attempted to produce the heir God had promised by following an established practice of his day, taking Sarai’s maid, Hagar, as his wife. This led only to disunity and heartbreak for all involved. God appeared and spoke to Hagar in Genesis 16, but not to Abram. At the end of Genesis 16, “Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram” (Gen. 16:16).

Now at the beginning of Genesis 17 thirteen years have passed. Abram is ninety-nine years old (Gen. 17:1). His son Ishmael is thirteen (Gen. 17:26). Sarai is eighty-nine (Gen. 17:17). As far as we know God has not spoken to them since He encountered Hagar on her way to Egypt. These thirteen years of silence serve to illustrate the consequences of serving God in the power of the flesh, and of acting presumptuously. They also serve to intensify the impossibility of Abram and Sarai ever having a child between them (Gen. 17:17). If Sarah bore a child at this time it would surely be a work of God, and not of man. It appears that, in the light of these circumstances, Abram had come to believe that Ishmael was his only hope for an heir.

Genesis 17 has four identifiable sections: 1) God appears to Abram, reiterates the covenant promises and changes his name to Abraham (Gen. 17:1-8). 2) God stipulates the requirements of the covenant for Abraham and the sign of the covenant (Gen. 17:9-14). 3) God specifies that the people who receive the promise would be through Sarah’s son Isaac (Gen. 17:15-21). 4) Abraham’s obedience to God’s covenant (Gen. 17:22-27).

1. Covenant Promises (Gen. 17:1-8)

¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. ² And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” ³ Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

⁴ “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. ⁵ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

⁷ And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. ⁸ Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

After thirteen years of silence, Abram must have been greatly encouraged by this encounter with God. The first thing God does here is to further reveal His divine character and attributes to Abram. The LORD said to him, “I am Almighty God.” In the Hebrew it is El Shaddai. This is the first time in the Bible that we find this name of God. Shaddai may come from a word that means “mountain,” pointing to God’s strength and stability, or from a verb that means to “destroy or devastate.” It is a designation which emphasizes God’s infinite power. Derek Kidner says: “In Genesis this name for God tends to be matched to situations where God’s servants are hard-pressed and are needing assurance” (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; 49:25). For Abraham it revealed the LORD as the Almighty God who has the power to carry out His purpose and His promises. Abraham responded to this revelation by falling on his face before God (17:3, 17). Abraham recognized the awesome power and absolute sovereignty of El Shaddai.

Notice the authoritative manner in which God tells Abram what is going to happen. He repeatedly states, “I will,” and “you shall” (Gen. 17:2-8). Look at these promises from God:

I will make My covenant between Me and you (Gen 17:2)
(I) will multiply you exceedingly (Gen 17:2)
you shall be a father of many nations (Gen. 17:4)
I will make you exceedingly fruitful (Gen. 17:6)
I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you (Gen. 17:6)
I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you (Gen. 17:7)
I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:8)
I will be their God (Gen. 17:8)

God holds up these promises and He says Abram, this is what I’m going to do for you. Behold, the feast that I am spreading for you. Behold the promises, remember the promises, believe the promises. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham as an assurance of His promises. The name Abram meant ‘high father’ or ‘exalted father. Abraham means ‘father of a multitude.’ God’s promises were so sure that Abraham would be named by them even before they came to pass.

Notice that God doesn’t negotiate with Abraham or ask for his opinion even about changing his name to Abraham. God announces, God commands, God reveals what He has already determined to do. Abram did not set up this interview and he didn’t determine when it would end. God appears without being summoned, tells Abram what is going to happen, and (Gen. 17:22), “Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.”

God’s command to Abraham is “walk before Me and be blameless” (Gen. 17:1). Abram is to live under the conscious gaze of God; to walk before Him. He is to be blameless, a man of integrity, a man who is whole-hearted in his commitment to God. Matthew Henry says this: “To be a Christian is to walk before God in our integrity; it is to set God always before us, and to think, and speak, and act in everything, as those who are always under His eye; it is to have a constant regard to His word as our rule and to His glory as our end in all our actions, and to be continually in His fear. It is to be inward with Him in all the duties of worship, for in them particularly we walk before God, and it is to be entire for Him, in all holy conversation. I know no religion but sincerity.”

The Almighty God has made His covenant promises to Abram, next we see the …

2. Covenant Requirements (Gen. 17:9-14)

⁹ And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. ¹⁰ This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; ¹¹ and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. ¹² He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. ¹³ He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴ And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

There is a clearly defined outline of the obligations of this covenant described in Genesis 17. In Genesis 17:4 God said, ‘As for Me.’ In Genesis 17:9 He said to Abraham, ‘As for you.’ In Genesis 17:15 we read, ‘As for Sarai.’ Finally, in Genesis 17:20, we find, ‘As for Ishmael.’ The enjoyment of the blessings of the covenant is conditional. Only by keeping these conditions can man enjoy the blessings of God as guaranteed in the covenant.

The obligation upon Abraham and his descendants was that they be circumcised: “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; ¹¹ and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”

Circumcision was not all that Abraham was required to do—rather, it was the symbol of his relationship to God and signified what his moral conduct should be. Symbolically, the flesh is put away. Abram had acquired a son in the flesh by the use of his reproductive organ. Now he submitted it to God. No Israelite could ever engage in the procreative act without being reminded of the fact that he belonged to God. Circumcision, for Abraham, meant that he had bound himself to God in this covenant. He looked forward to its blessings, and he also submitted to its stipulations.

Some have emphasized the similarities between baptism and circumcision and surely there are some (cf. Colossians 2:10-12). Both signify a union with God that has already occurred. Both necessitate the putting away of former things and living a life pleasing to God (cf. Romans 6:1ff; Colossians 3:1-11).

But there are rather obvious differences which must be kept in mind. Circumcision was performed on infants eight days old and evidenced the faith of the parents. Baptism is for believing adults, as an indication of their faith in God (Acts 16:33; 19:1-7). Circumcision was a private sign, baptism was is public sign. Circumcision was only for the males, baptism is for all believers, male and female. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant with Abraham; baptism is not the sign of the New Covenant but the Lord’s supper (cf. Luke 22:20). Circumcision was a seal of the righteousness by faith under the Abrahamic covenant (Rom. 4:11); believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13).

That brings us to the …

3. Covenant People (Gen. 17:15-21)

¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶ And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

Up to this time, God had promised Abraham a son but had not specifically identified the mother of this child. Abram had been convinced by Sarai and circumstances that it must be Hagar. It seems as though Abraham still considered this to be the case. What a shock God’s words must have been, and what a rebuke to their presumptuous actions in Genesis 16.

How did Abraham react to this news? “¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?””

Laughter was Abraham’s inner and immediate response to God’s proclamation. He was incredulous! But think about it. The promise was an incredible one—too much to take in one dose. Laughter is often the response to things which catch us off guard.

Abraham’s words to God also reflect a failure to fully grasp what has just been promised: “And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”” (Genesis 17:18). Why should another child be born, when Abraham already has one? Couldn’t God choose to bless Ishmael rather than to provide another child? God’s plans would not be changed. God had purposed to give Abraham and Sarah a child and through this child to bring about His promises. No substitute son was satisfactory, especially when he was the result of self effort. Indeed, Sarah would bear a son and the spiritual blessings could only come about through him:

¹⁹ Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.”

Why not Ishmael? Because Ishmael represented man’s effort helping God out (Gal. 4:29). In Ishmael, Abram could boast, because he was able to produce a son. But by the time Isaac came along, both Abraham and Sarah were humanly beyond their ability to reproduce. They could take none of the credit. All the glory went to God. God’s delay with Abraham and Sarah brought them to the end of themselves so that His grace got all the credit. If our proud flesh can grab any glory for itself, it will. That’s why God waits until we come to the end of ourselves.

While the spiritual blessings must come through Isaac, God will not overlook the love of Abraham for his son nor of His own promise to Hagar (cf. 16:10ff.).

²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. ²¹ But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

Ishmael would become a great nation, and of him would come 12 princes, but the spiritual blessings could only come through Isaac, the son of promise.

Finally Genesis 17 ends with the …

4. Covenant Obedience (Gen. 17:22-27)

²² Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. ²³ So 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 foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁵ And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁶ That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; ²⁷ and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

That must have been quite a day in Abraham’s household. Certainly there were hundreds of men—probably over 400 men—who where a part of his clan by this time who needed to be circumcised on that day. I wonder what they thought? It must have been quite a scene. It was certainly a bloody scene (which I think is significant in itself). But the point is this: Abraham believed and he obeyed, and so did those who were with him.

Think about the important role of obedience in our Christian lives. It is precious to God. Because of this, He recorded the circumcision of Abraham, Ishmael, and all of Abraham’s household. The response of faith to a relationship with God is always obedience to His commands.

What does this lesson have to do with us today? Let me suggest three things:

1)- Because the LORD is El Shaddai He is able to keep His promises. Can God really save us from sin, death and hell through the death of His Son Jesus Christ? Absolutely! He promised it. He finished it. He is El Shaddai, Almighty God. Nothing is impossible with Him. You have not sinned too much that Jesus is unable to save you. You cannot go so far that God cannot call you, justify you, sanctify you, and glorify you. He is El Shaddai, He is mighty to save!

Have you heard His call today? Turn in repentance and believe in Jesus Christ who died for your sins and was raised for your justification. Do it now. Don’t wait. He will keep His promise to save you.

2)- We all need to be circumcised today. But the circumcision God requires is the circumcision of the heart. Moses will later write to the descendants of Abraham: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deut. 30:6).

Circumcision—although it was a physical mark on the body—was never meant to be an end in itself. The physical mark was meant to be accompanied by a deep spiritual commitment in the heart to God. This is what God promises in the New Covenant. The LORD God says in Jeremiah 31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– … But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jer. 31:31, 33). Notice the emphasis on their hearts.

Romans 2:28-29 clearly teaches this: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Again Paul writes in Colossians 2:11-13: “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”

This is what happens when God saves you through Christ’s death and resurrection. At the Last Supper Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Christ died and rose so that you could have a circumcised heart, a new heart. Do you have that new heart?

3)- Our faith relationship with God will result in obedience. Obedience was painful for Abraham. It wasn’t easy, but it was the path of blessing. Let me give you a sentence to chew on: If God is in charge, we can do the difficult because He can do the impossible (Ray Pritchard). Are you living a life of obedience to God because Jesus has saved you and given you a new heart?