Shadowland: Beginnings: Week 22

Genesis 17

The Convenent of Circumcision

• 17:1 It has been 13 years since Abram hearkened to Sarah in unbelief. 13 typifies unbelief or rebellion, for example 14:4 "in the 13th year they rebelled".

  Noah and Enoch walked with God (5:24,6:9) as friends.
  Abraham is bidden to walk before Me as a child.
  Israel is told to walk behind Me (Deuteronomy 13:4) as a servant.
  The Church is told to walk in Him (Colossians 2:6) in union.

  "Be thou perfect" - entire, whole, no longer compromised by the expedients of unbelief. Matthew 5:48
• 17:5 Abram gets a new name. Abram means "great father", Abraham means "great father of many".
• 17:6 Seven I Wills (compare Exodus 6:6-8)
  1. I will make my covenant between me and thee. (17:2)
  2. I will multiply thee exceedingly.
  3. I will make you exceedingly fruitful. (17:6)
  4. I will make nations of you.
  5. I will establish my covenant between me and your seed for an everlasting covenant. (17:7)
  6. I will give to you and your seed all the land of Caanan for an everlasting possession. (17:8)
  7. I will be their God.

• 17:9-14 God has more (unpleasant) instructions for Abraham. We need a volunteer to report next time on: What is the figurative meaning of circumcision? Deuteronomy 30:6
• 17:15 Sarai gets a new name. Sarai is the construct of "princess": "princess of", i.e. princess of Abram or "My Princess". Sarah is simply "Princess" (feminine of Sar, "Prince") - no longer a possession. Women's lib in 2000 BC.
• 17:17 Abraham does not believe, but God helps his unbelief.
• 17:19 Isaac means "laughter". Abraham (and Sarah) laughed.
• 17:20 Ishmael begets 12 princes. Jacob has 12 sons.
• 17:23-27 Abraham may have laughed, but he obeys promptly and completely.