The only rational explanation is that: the Bible is the Word of God; it is true even in the area of science. Such is the mystery (and the beauty) of grace: it is not dependent upon what we do, or in the language of Eph. 1:18, 20). As the psalmist says, “… our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free Bible study E-book of Hebrews. 22 God finished speaking to Abraham and then left. For one thing, it is merely a speculation without any Scriptural basis. In Genesis 17:10–14, God establishes a covenant with Abraham. Despite all his failures, let us give credit to him for being such an unlikely man of faith who walked by faith, not by sight. Circumcision also has a metaphoric connotation. Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' For each of these three occasions where God made known to Abraham His promise (Gen. XII, XV, and XVII), Abraham believed God. ( Log Out /  She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings. He simply obeyed, knowing that obeying God in and of itself is right, and best. 16 I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. In other words, not only many kings, but, more importantly, the King of kings shall come from the line of Abraham (Gal. (Gen 17:1-2) God appears to Abram when he is 99 years old. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Supersessionism believes that the biblical promises of God made to the children of Israel (specifically the land promises to Israel, the Messianic Kingdom and the universal reign of Christ on earth) had been nullified by the New Testament. If you obey me and always do right, 2 I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.”. Abram was 75 years old when he first received God’s promise, and was called to leave Ur for the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1-4). 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? It happens thirteen years after the previous chapter. 1 When Abram was 99 years old, the [Lord] appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. As long as it is God’s command, he just does it the minute he understands it. 4-5  I promise that you will be the father of many nations. The Shechemite circumcision and other circumcisions in the Old Testament are similar in that the Israelites are empowered through the act. And then, we would be tempted, following such line of thinking, to work hard to serve God so that we could receive more blessings from Him. According to the Pentateuch, all males—both Israelites and other males living with them—must be circumcised. 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. This portion of Genesis possibly isn’t in strict chronological order. In fact, he did not even ask questions, let alone bargain or complain! Brief Summary: Abram is commanded by the Lord to walk perfectly, and God will make him a father of many nations, his name was changed to Abraham, the LORD makes a covenant to be a God to Abraham and to his seed for ever, God also promises to give Abraham the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, circumcision becomes the token of God's everlasting … An act of violence is countered with another act of violence—in this case, that violence includes a ritual which is part of God’s covenant with Abraham. This theme was repeated in the New Testament, as Paul speaks of circumcision “not in the flesh” but “of the heart” is true circumcision (Rom. 2 Then I will make my covenant between … Over 50,000 words of in depth discovery questions, teaching points, and applications cover each chapter in 23 lessons. Commentary on Genesis 9:8-17. Psalm 25 is the reading for the first Sunday in Lent, the season in which Christians prepare themselves for the passion of Jesus. We may thank ourselves for the guilt and grief that follow us, when we go out of the way of our duty. Com’on! This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of … This phrase was not mentioned in earlier Covenant statements in Gen. XII and Gen. XV. 20 However, I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He was 99 years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was 13. In fact, this is a sophisticated topic of theology, namely, how do we see Israel today? 6 I will give you a lot of descendants, and they will become great nations. Abram could not be “made into a great nation” (Gen. 12:2) unless these two conditions are met. Much of what is said in chapter 17 was new and exciting to Abraham. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. In Genesis XVII here, when God gave Abraham instructions on circumcision as the sign of the Covenant, the next verse says, “Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him” (Gen. 17:23). Men do not deserve to be involved in the Covenant. Remember, this man had multiple blemishes in his life records: cheating about his wife, marrying the slave-maid… Despite all his failures, God was still gracious to this unlikely man of faith. ninety years old and nine--thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael [ Genesis 16:16]. Hence, the index question can be rephrased and broken down into the following two questions with regards to our understanding of God and of ourselves: (1) Is God obligated to make Covenant with men? The ritual act of incising or removing the foreskin of a male’s penis. . in viewing both the unilateralside and the conditional side of the glorious works of redemption in the New Covenant: God had freely decreed to saved sinners, and used the death of Christ as the necessary means to achieve salvation; sinners are, upon hearing the Gospel, to repent and put their faith in Christ, receiving Him as the Savior of their souls and Lord of their lives. 15 Abraham, from now on your wife’s name will be Sarah instead of Sarai. Abraham obeyed God without reserve. 10-11  As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family. Your letter may also be posted in our advice column. Abraham showed us an outstanding example of obedience. Because the Greeks did not circumcise, those who were circumcised could be shunned socially. This chapter contains articles of agreement covenanted and concluded upon between the great Jehovah, the Father of mercies, on the one part, and pious Abram, the father of the faithful, on the other part. Genesis chapter 17 KJV (King James Version) 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,. Yet most commentators unanimously see this as an anticipation of the reestablishment of Creation mandate, which will one day culminate in the Messianic Kingdom (cf. In other words, spiritual circumcision is deemed more important than the physical procedure. How can God’s Covenant be unilateral if there are responsibilities for the recipients attached to it? Some commentators believe this reveals God’s sense of humor. There are basically two schools of thoughts. Genesis 17 Explained Posted on July 6, 2012 by Mrs Esoteric 1 When Abram was 99 years old, the [Lord] appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. Mosaic Law commands that (in order to participate in Passover) a male must be circumcised—this includes any slaves or alien residents (Exod 12:43–49). In Genesis XXII, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his own son Isaac, the next verse says, “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him” (Gen. 22:3). Abraham was commended as the “father of faith”. Coming back to the question: how can God’s Covenant be unilateral yet conditional at the same time? If you obey me and always do right, 2 I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.” Before God made a three-fold reaffirmation of His Covenant, He commanded Abraham to “walk before me, and be blameless” (v.1). 6, 8). Similarly, Deuteronomy 30:6 promises that the Lord will circumcise the Israelites’ hearts so that they will love Him. It is here said to be the covenant which Abraham and his … Please allow me to quote my own notes and with some minor modifications made: … the Abrahamic Covenant is a covenant of nationhood. See Special Topic at 13:14. The Bible is true even in the area of science. In a nutshell, Dispensationalism believes that not only God has not casted away Israel and replaced them by the Church, but one day what He had promised to the children of Israel shall surely come to pass. It means "into the hidden future," not "forever and ever." We often talk about the heroes of faith in the Bible with admiration. They show us that Abraham did exactly as God had told him. The promise was officially ratified some years later (Gen. 15:1-21). When the Shechemites are in a weakened state after the circumcision, Jacob’s sons kill them and plunder the city. Subsequently, some may ask, does the New Testament become an “extension” of the Old Testament in a way that God’s Promises to the Israelites in the OT have been nullified? Abraham obeyed God without delay. Why did God name Abraham and Sarah’s son “He laughs” (v.19)? This must be a joke. 9:26); Judah and Jerusalem were warned to circumcise the foreskins of their hearts in order to avoid God’s wrath (Jer. "an everlasting covenant" This is the same Hebrew term 'olam (cf. Acts 7:8 also mentions that Isaac was circumcised on the eighth day, and Paul identifies his own circumcision in Phil 3:5. But one mistake we often make is that we would be tempted to think it was their spiritual “achievements” that prompted God to give them something in return as a reward, e.g. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”, wrote Paul (Eph. They are the personal study of notes of a very good doctor friend of mine. 8  I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. Why did God change Sarai’s name into Sarah (v.15)? The token of the covenant is circumcision, for the sake of which, the covenant is itself called the covenant of circumcision, Acts 7:8. 30:6) by God. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1. Immediately following the circumcision, the Israelites observe Passover. According to the Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, the Abrahamic Covenant was foundational to other covenants: The promise of land in the Palestinian Covenant (Deut. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1..fusion-button.button-2{width:auto}Support. One may very well ask why? We are to see ourselves as the undeserving beneficiaries, thrilled to know that we are to receive an inheritance from our Father. Adding 1,000,000,000 to or subtracting the same amount from infinite simply would not make any difference. Dispensationalists, on the other hands, would act in favor of Israel. When Abraham reasoned in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? His native tongue is Mandarin, but his English is amazing as you will see below. Nonetheless, through His providential circumstances, and as we become progressively perfected in Christ-likeness, we will gradually comprehend what He has done, is doing, and perhaps will do in our lives. In Jeremiah 4:4, Judah and Jerusalem are warned to circumcise the foreskins of their hearts in order to avoid God’s wrath, and in Jer 9:25 the Lord warns that He will call to account all who are circumcised in the foreskin. We want to help you study the Bible, obey the Bible, and teach the Bible to others. ), a resounding NO. Genesis 17:7, NASB: "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you." 18 Then he asked God, “Why not let Ishmael inherit what you have promised me?”. CIRCUMCISION (מל, ml; περιτομη, peritomē). If Sarah were to conceive, when the baby is born I will be 100 and she will be 90! The method of circumcision seems to have involved an incision of the foreskin rather than complete removal (Sasson, “Circumcision in the Ancient Near East,” 474). 13:5). Circumcision took place in ancient Egypt and Syria-Palestine. 7  I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. 19 Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife … 8:16) and lovingly obeyed Him in every matter (“be blameless”, cf. These verses reveal contention with Greek society, which shunned circumcision, and Jews who turned from the Mosaic Law. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. According to the NIV Study Bible, Shaddai occurs 31 times in the book of Job and 17 times in the rest of the Bible. God’s promises are the central feature of the Abrahamic story. Why did God reveal His Covenant to Abraham in such progressive manner? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Egypt and Syria—Palestine. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all the other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. In addition, such “karmic” thinking of causatively linking specific sufferings with specific sins is foolish and dangerous, as we see from the biblical example of Job’s three friends. Therefore, for God to stoop down and to make Covenant with His creatures, this is a free act of divine mercy. If we really think about it, these things were in no way easy to do (the offering of Isaac was even counterintuitive!). See note at Gen. 17:7. A comprehensive note on the topic of circumcision, quoted from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, is attached at the rear end of this study note as an appendix. 19 But God answered: 7:12-16) The promise of blessing in the Old and New Covenants (Ex. His old name is retrospective, speaking of his aristocratic progenitor; his new name is prospective, speaking of his theocratic progeny. Isaac, the name of the promised son, literally means, “he laughs”. Nevertheless, for Abraham and his offspring, as a physical sign of the covenant, circumcision bore special religious significance and remained a manifest theocratic distinctive. He is the sovereign ruler of the universe, accountable to none but Himself, and has the independent freedom to do whatever He wills, whenever He wills, wherever He wills, and however He wills. Probably, the transition point is in Genesis 37:2: This is the genealogy of Jacob. For this reason, the ritual may have been associated with male fertility or in preparation for marriage. Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments. 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. Circumcision is also a sign of God’s covenant and the blessing it brings. During that interval he had enjoyed the comforts of communion with God but had been favored with no special revelation as formerly, probably on account of his hasty and blameable marriage with Hagar. This statute is reinforced in Josh 5, when Joshua circumcises all the uncircumcised Israelite males in the wilderness. 1. Abraham obeyed God by promptly carrying out the command. For oriental people, names carry significant meanings as well as anticipations by the one who gives the name (e.g. Commentary on Genesis 16:4-6 (Read Genesis 16:4-6) Abram's unhappy marriage to Hagar very soon made a great deal of mischief. ‘I... 2. Deut. The story of Noah and the flood is one of those biblical narratives that we are so familiar with we think we know the whole story. And I tend to agree. But that is beyond the scope of our present study. 4 vols. GENESIS CHAPTER 17. During the Alexandrian Empire (ca. Even if that connection is made, it is important to note that one was genetically born into the covenant described here in Genesis 17. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 4:4). 6:15 being the summary statement, “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation”. Thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael the son of Abram, God appears to Abram. So now I’m changing your name from Abram to Abraham. Pingback: Exegetical Research Paper Genesis 22:1-19 | KEVIN NUNEZ. "an everlasting covenant" This is the same Hebrew term 'olam (cf. There may be textual evidence of circumcision of bridegrooms in Ugarit in the second millennium BC (Wyatt, “Circumcision and Circumstance,” 421–22). These attempts to assimilate caused discord with Jews who viewed circumcision as essential to Jewish identity. Note the revelation of God’s character, and of our consequent duty, which preceded the repetition of the covenant. “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you”, says the Lord (Heb. In Joshua 5, they are circumcised just before the Battle of Jericho, and they win; in Genesis 34, they are victorious by circumcising the Shechemites. 17:20 See Genesis … The love with which God loved us is infinite, in the sense that it is uncountable, borrowing the concept from Mathematics. It means "into the hidden future," not "forever and ever." “Private Life in Ancient Egypt.” Pages 363–81 in Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. One is not genetically born into the new covenant; one is born into it by God’s grace through faith. So, God has already loved us in the supreme way. In Exodus 4, God tries to kill Moses. We may never know all the nuances behind God’s progressive revelation to Abraham, but we definitely can understand the maturing work He must have wrought in the life and faith of the patriarch. The prescription of circumcision at 8th day after birth is perhaps the most famous of all. “So the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matt. See it in this case, Passionate people often quarrel with others, for things of which they themselves must bear the blame. That doesn’t make any sense! Pastor Paul LeBoutillier continues teaching through the Bible in the book of Genesis. The Response to the Covenant – Immediate Obedience. By the way, the command was given millennia before the dawn of modern medicine! : Hendrickson Publishers, 1995. The Egyptians circumcised males when they were adolescents; it was probably required to serve in the temples in later periods (Pinch, “Private Life in Ancient Egypt,” 378). XVII 1-8. Whether it was to leave his own country to head for the unknown, or to perform a minor surgery of unknown hygienic significance at the age of 99, or to sacrifice the son he had waited for a quarter of a century, … he just obeyed it the minute God finished speaking. Circumcision became of focal point of contention in the early church (cf. We'll explore Abraham’s reaction to God and the remainder of chapter 17 next week. 1:5). Te Velde, Herman. Such a practice was later reiterated in the Mosaic Law (Lev. What does it mean when God spoke to Abraham in His promise, “kings will come forth from you” (vv.6, 16)? Gen. 17:6, 8). He obeyed willingly. On the positive side, we need to remind ourselves that our seeking and serving God ought to be a spontaneous response of heartfelt gratitude, not of reluctance, not of compulsion, not of peer pressure, not of pastoral intimidation, and most certainly not in exchange for some divine favor. With hatred, they would see Jews as the culprit of crucifying Jesus. The swiftness of Abraham’s obedience is by all means staggering. GENESIS 9:12-17. By taking away the personal pronoun “my”, the honor of the matriarch shall no longer be confined to one family only, for she shall be “the mother of nations”, from whom “kings of people will come” (v.16). There are no explicit arguments against circumcision in the Old Testament, but circumcision of the heart is sometimes deemed more important than physical circumcision (Jer 9:25–26). Last time I check, I can barely make it for 5 good seconds. Only from the next verse can we glimpse at the true intentions of the patriarch, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” (v.18) By saying that, Abraham was in effect saying, “Lord, you must be kidding. : Hendrickson Publishers, 1995. In Genesis … One may ask, why did Abraham laugh? We are too old to have children. a promise of nationhood, a triumph in battle, a kingdom to rule, a legend that lasts, etc. Paul wrote in Rom. Of course, that does not mean that we thenceforth have the license to keep on living in a sinful lifestyle. His obedience was uncut and unabridged. Preached on February 22nd, 2015 at Tweed St. Andrew’s & Roslin St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Churches by Rev. Three things about Abraham’s obedience are most impressive: Abraham obeyed God without challenge. 18 And Abraham said to God, 'If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!' Many Christians who supported Israel financially and politically then, were influenced by a dispensationalist understanding of Israel, God’s Promise and the future, knowing that the Church is not a definitive “replacement” of Israel, that the Jews are still the Covenant people of God, and that God’s promise to them are still waiting to be fulfilled. CHAPTER 17. In a time when medical science and technologies were virtually non-existent, the only way to minimize post-operative trauma was to rely on our body’s own systems to heal. In a word, Abraham gave us an extraordinary example to follow: obedience to God should be without challenge, without reserve and without delay. On the negative side, we need to remind ourselves that our falling and stumbling in sin, albeit causing loss of joy in and usefulness for Him, as well as temporal consequences and divine chastisement, will not be the reason for God to cast us away definitively. Both verses in the Septuagint translate not with the common Greek word for circumcision, but with a verb associated with purity—περιτέμνω (peritemnō) and περικαθαρίζω (perikatharizō). And the only thing we need to do is, figuratively speaking, believe in Him that He will grant us that inheritance, and to live like His son. ◄ Genesis 17:1 ► 1. This appointed Genesis text is focused on promise, spoken regarding both Abraham (verses 1-7) … Continue reading "Commentary on Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16" The answer is no. This is the first time in the Bible where God changed someone’s name. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 4 vols. From the perspective of man, God waited quite a long time in unfolding His will and fulfilling His promise. (Read Genesis 17:7-14) The covenant of grace is from everlasting in the counsels of it, and to everlasting in the consequences of it. The other school of thoughts, in contrast, sees that God’s promises to Israel are yet to be fulfilled in the future. (2) How can men be a part of this Covenant? Matthew Henry :: Commentary on Genesis 17 ← Back to Matthew Henry's Bio & Resources. This is the first time God reveals Himself as "El Shaddai," God Almighty. Circumcision, sign of the covenant, Sarai's name changed Genesis Chapter 17 Genesis 17:1 "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to … Introduction: In the Bible, certain figures are noted, above all, for one or two particular aspects of their demeanor and disposition.Job is the Bible’s best known example of patience in suffering. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Form is being submitted, please wait a bit. It is here said to be the covenant which Abraham and his seed must keep. Genesis 17:1-8 A Father of Many Nations. The restoration of the state of Israel in 1948, for example, is a good illustration of this. But God didn’t make the Covenant with him on account of his virtue: it was God’s free and unmerited favor. The practice of circumcising males, in agreement with the Pentateuch, continues in the New Testament—both John the Baptist and Jesus are circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 1:59; 2:21). For me, I am comfortably n the Dispensationalist’s camp. 115:3). Such is a distorted view of the Covenant People of God, resulting from a misunderstanding of the God of the Covenant. 4:29, Prov. The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and logic which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Genesis. Moses’ wife, Zipporah, circumcises her son and touches Moses’ feet with the foreskin. He didn’t take a minute to catch his breath, or give it a second thought, or use some stalling tactics as we do today, “Wow, this one is tough. We could pray that God could use us to achieve great things, but ultimately it is His sovereign choice. Some commentators believe it not as perpetual royalty for his offspring, but as human beings’ exercising dominion (as “kings”) over the earth. 2:28-29, Phil. Greece and Rome. The Faithlife Study Bible, however, arguing lexically, suggests that there is little evidence to justify the common translation ofEl Shaddai as God Almighty. 1. How can she have a child?” So he started laughing. Watch our Wednesday service at 7pm, and our Sunday services at 9am & 11:30am. You may read Genesis 17 here: Bible… Genesis 14:17-24 Melchizedek (Greater than Levi) Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of every biblical picture and figure which looks forward to the coming Messiah. 12-13 From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. From the scientific standpoint, there are two noteworthy points: (i) vitamin-K—dependent coagulant factors in the circulation peaks precisely at the 8th day after birth [ref], theoretically resulting in the least hemorrhage; (ii) epidemiologic studies show that Jewish women had the lowest rate of cervical cancer [ref]. 3:3, Col. 2:11; Acts 7:51). The act of sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross for you, in and of itself, speaks volumes to the unfathomable depth of grace.
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