Read the Passage: Genesis 17

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Genesis 17

Reiteration (17:1–8)

For the ninth time in the book of Genesis, God will again reiterate aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant in this chapter (cf. Gen. 12:1–3; 7, 16, 13:2, 13:14–17, 15:1–5, 12–21, 16:10). As has been the case with the previous repetitions, this chapter will focus mostly on the personal and national aspects of the covenant. This chapter begins when “Abraham was ninety-nine years old” (Gen. 17:1), which means that there is a thirteen-year gap between Genesis 16 and 17. God’s anachronistic proclamation to Abraham, “I will make my covenant between me and you” (Gen. 17:2), seems to be either: (1) a reflection upon God’s past actions, or (2) an encouragement to Abraham’s present obedience, which regulated the covenant. In any event, when God appeared, Abraham fell before Him and God reminded Abraham of the personal aspects of the covenant, including Abraham becoming a father of many nations.

Sometimes in Scripture, when covenants were ratified, the coordinating sign or symbol that accompanied the covenant involved a name-change (cf. Gen. 32:28; 35:10). When this occurred, the purpose of the name-change was to reflect the essence of the covenant that was being made. Here in Gen. 17:5 God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. Note that whereas Abram means “exalted father,” Abraham means “father of a multitude.” God had just reminded Abraham that he would be “a father of many nations” (Gen. 17:4), thus the name-change reflects this future reality. The reason for a name-change was to remind the participating parties of the essence of the covenant. Next, God told Abraham: that kings would descend from him (cf. Gen. 17:6), that the covenant was an “everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7), and that his offspring would possess the land of Canaan (cf. Gen. 17:8).

Sign (17:9–14)

While a name-change was one sign of the Abrahamic Covenant, in Gen. 17:9–14 God revealed another sign of the covenant as He instructed Abraham, “Every male child among you shall be circumcised” (Gen. 17:10; cf. Rom. 2:28–29; Col. 2:11). The fact that God prescribed two signs for the Abrahamic Covenant highlights the significance of this promise. In this passage God proceeds to give several rules regarding the practice of circumcision. First, God stipulated that males were to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth (cf. Gen. 17:12). Second, God noted that the practice of circumcision was to be applied both to native-born Israelites and to any foreigners who worked in their midst (cf. Gen. 17:13), Third, God warned Abraham, “The uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin . . . shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Gen. 17:14).

Obedience (17:15–27)

A further sign of the Abrahamic Covenant was the change of Sarai’s name to Sarah. This name-change, like that of Abraham, was reflective of God’s covenant promise as Sarai means “she who strives,” whereas Sarah means “princess of a multitude.” Note that this was the first time that God identified Sarah as the mother who would bear the offspring promised in the Abrahamic Covenant. While Scripture records that Abraham had faith in God (cf. Gen. 15:6), in the 25 years that had elapsed since God inaugurated the covenant at Gen. 12:1–3, it would be understandable if Abraham’s faith had wavered. Yet, note that Abraham’s response to God’s revelation about Sarah was likely a laugh of delight, not a laugh of distrust, for God gave him no rebuke (cf. John 8:56; Rom. 4:19–22). Next, Abraham displayed love for his first son, as he pleaded with God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” (Gen. 17:18).

God’s response to Abraham concerning his plea about Ishmael was threefold. First, in Gen. 17:19 God reiterated that Sarah would birth a son, to be named Isaac, who would be the fulfillment and inheritor of the Abrahamic Covenant. Second, at Gen. 17:20 God told Abraham that he would also bless Ishmael and make him a great nation. Third, at Gen. 17:21 God again specified that his covenant would flow through Isaac, and God disclosed that Isaac would be born in roughly one year. Note that although he was yet to even be conceived, Gen. 17:19 is the first of eighty times in the book of Genesis that Isaac is mentioned by name. After this response to Abraham, God departed (cf. Gen. 19:22) and Abraham obeyed God by invoking the sign the covenant through circumcising his family. Gen. 17:23–27 records that Abraham, Ishmael, and all the men of his household participated.

Application Questions:

1. Why does God reiterate things in Scripture such as the Abrahamic Covenant? What other things are repeated in the Bible?
2. How do the personal, national, and universal aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant relate to or depend upon one another?
3. Does God’s promise that kings would be in Abraham’s lineage refer to earthly rulers, to Christ, or to both?
4. If it was a sign of the covenant, how did the practice of circumcision reflect the essence of the Abrahamic Covenant?
5. In regard to seemingly impossible things, how can we distinguish between sincere irrationality and mature faith?