Genesis 3:15 Promise as our windshield as we drive through this text. Another windshield, Genesis 15 covenant created by God. And, of course, Jesus’ statement in Luke’s Gospel that the Bible is about Him. He is the fulfillment. This is another part of the windshield.
Marked by the Promise-Keeper
Genesis 17:1-14
Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you
greatly.
v. 1 Thirteen years have passed since the events of Genesis 16 with Sarai, Hagar, and Ishmael. Thirteen
years is a LONG time (think of all that has happened in your life since 2013---some of you were born
during the past thirteen years, some of you may have graduated high school, or college, some of you may
have gotten married, had children, gotten the dream job, some of you may have retired during that time.
Some of you may have experienced the new birth in Christ and become Christians during the past thirteen
years. These are the happy things. But there’s another side. Some of you have experienced deep sorrow and
pain during the past thirteen years---unexpected divorce, the tragic loss of dear loved ones, taking on the
necessary role of sacrificial caretaker for an ongoing sickness of a loved one or friend, depression, crippling
anxiety, personal sin struggles, embarrassment, rejection, or a host of other things. A lot of life happens in
thirteen years, doesn’t it?) For Abram, a great moral failure had taken place thirteen years ago. He had tried
to make God’s promise happen for God. He had grown impatient. When the going got rough and the
waiting time increased, Abram had taken another wife. Now, of course, Ishmael was a blessing. Ishmael, as
all babies are, even outside of the one man-one woman relationship, was a blessing and he received a
promising future from God. However, this, in another sense, was rebellion against God. It resulted in great
family conflict and there must have been the nagging sense of unfaithfulness and guilt that Abram wrestled
with for years. Had he blown it? Yes. He had. He had made a mess of things. But what Abram was about to
discover afresh is that God keeps His word. He is the Promise-Keeper. Right after we hear of Abram’s age
and ponder the thirteen year gap separating chapter 16 and 17, we see the pursuit of God on full display.
God APPEARS to Abram and SPEAKS to Him.
v. 1 The LORD (“the existing One”---the Covenant God whose name is rooted in the phrase “to be”)
appears to Abram and speaks to him, saying that He is God Almighty (meaning the most powerful
One---quick side note here: the most powerful One is more powerful than any addiction, any depression,
any demonic influence, any moral failure, any doubt). There is so much beauty in God’s revelation of
Himself here.
First off, “the existing One”. He exists in and of Himself. No one or nothing created Him. He is
God. He relies on no one or nothing to keep His existence going. Abram, in the presence of the
self-existing God of all, was in good Hands, Hands perfectly qualified to handle the mess Abram
had made.
Secondly, “the Almighty” (most powerful One). The most powerful Being in existence relates to
Abram. He chooses to appear and speak to Abram. Note the transcendence and immanence of
God, here. The God who is higher than all and who is greater than we can possibly imagine
delights to draw near and have relationship with His people.
Take note of the grace of God, here, and His faithfulness. In Genesis 12, a promise is given to
Abram. In Genesis 15, the promise is reiterated and expanded on. In Genesis 16, a great failure
takes place, led by Abram. In Genesis 17, 13 years later, God is still pursuing Abram. Abram had
been set apart, chosen, called, marked by God. He was in the grip of the Promise-Keeping,
faithful God.
v. 1 We also see a sort of invitational summons here as God tells Abram to walk before Him and be
blameless. If you think about it, this sort of sounds like Garden of Eden-style language, doesn’t it? Adam
and Eve, naked and unashamed, walking with God in the Garden. There is another good reminder, here, of
the pursuit of God. He is in the business of bringing restoration---inviting us, summoning us by His grace,
to walk with Him again. This invitation is wrapped in an awakening grace, isn’t it? Who is able to be
blameless before God? To walk with Him? “None is righteous, no not one. ” (Romans 3:10) Think back to the skins provided to cover Adam and Eve. God provided the skins. Think back to Noah having favor with God. God provided the favor. God chooses and awakens. The changed hearts, righteous standing, and
obedience-driven life flows down from the work of God on the human heart.
v. 2 Following the call to walk before Him and be blameless, God continues speaking and what He says is
very interesting. At least, initially, it seems that there is a condition applied here.“
...be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.
” It seems, at first, to be almost a different covenant from the first. Is this covenant conditional on Abram’s obedience? There are some who
believe the covenant God makes with Abram in Genesis 15 is different from the one here. I, however,
believe that what we have here in chapter 17 is the same covenant as chapter 15. The covenant, as we will
see in a little bit, is just expanding. It is progressing. All throughout Scripture, we see the Abrahamic
Covenant (singular) mentioned. There is no Abrahamic CovenantS. This means that the covenant we see
here in chapter 17 is still the unconditional covenant God created with Abram in chapter 15…it still rests
on God alone. This “multiply you greatly” should take us back to the promises of Genesis 12 and Genesis
15.
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to
the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make
your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who
dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
” Genesis 12:1-3
“And behold, the word of the Lord came to him:
“This man shall not be your heir; your very own
son shall be your heir.
” And he brought him outside and said,
“Look toward heaven, and number
the stars, if you are able to number them.
” Then he said to him,
“So shall your offspring be.
”Genesis 15:4-5 (Recall the one-sided covenant ceremony that followed this statement from God to
Abram)
Application for verses 1-2:
1. WHEN WE ARE UNFAITHFUL, GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL. God’s faithfulness never runs out. Since
becoming a Christian, have you had a season where you have fallen back into some sin? Have you begun to
have doubts, maybe? Maybe that season is right now. Hear this, church. Abram was God’s. God’s grip had not loosened. He was faithful to Abram. He will be faithful to us too, church. God completes the good work
He begins in us. Commenting on Francis Thompson‘s poem
“The Hound of Heaven“, John O’Coner writes,
“As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the
chase, with unhurrying and imperturbed pace, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His
Divine grace. And though in sin or in human love, away from God it seeks to hide itself,
Divine grace follows after, unwearyingly follows ever after, till the soul feels its pressure
forcing it to turn to Him alone in that never-ending pursuit.”
“Deeper than my deepest doubt is an even deeper grace.” “Cheer up! You’re a worse sinner than you ever dared imagine, and you‘re more loved
than you ever dared hope.”
2. GOD HOLDS ALL POWER AND HE HOLDS US. The combination of these two attributes of God are
sweet anchors for our souls during the pit and valley of despair. When, because of our own brokenness or
the brokenness of others, we are in troubling waters…we can be steadied by the truth that the God who
made the sun and moon cares for us so intimately that the number of hairs on our heads are numbered. The
One who spoke to the storm and it ceased is the same One who describes Himself as gentle and lowly and
who invites us to come to Him in order to find rest for our weary souls.
3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the
father of a multitude of nations.
v. 3 With God’s power, pursuit, and promise in front of him, Abram responds by falling to his face in
humility before God.
v. 4 It is so interesting that God, in a declaring way, states that His covenant is with Abram. Note the
progression…1) Abram, walk before me, be blameless, and there will be a covenant…2) Abram falls to his
face…3) A covenant is declared. It is as if Abram, in a posture of surrender, is yielding to God’s ability to
keep His promise.
v. 4 Abram will be the father of a multitude of nations. Notice the plural (nations). Before, in Genesis 12, it
was a nation that he would become. Now it is nations, plural. I think there is a connection between Abram
becoming nations and what we see in both Matthew 28:18-19 and Revelation 7:9-10. The promise is
expanding. Abram will not only become a great nation. He will become nations.
“And Jesus came and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19-20
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10
Application for verses 3-4:
1. HUMILITY IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO OUR FAITHFUL GOD. This humble posture before God,
this awareness of His power, pursuit, and promise, is where all good fruit begins. Bowing before God leads
to good things. The humble will be raised up. When we bow before God, He lifts us up. A sort of lifting
up/exaltation comes from our going low in humility before God. Humility before God only ever leads togood things. He is the lifter of our heads. Humbling ourselves before the LORD leads to exaltation. While pride comes before a fall, bowing low in service to God and others leads to blessing. There is something
very special here with Abram falling to His face just before God says, “My covenant is with you.”
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father
of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall
come from you.
v. 5 Abraham’s name communicates God’s promise---he is marked by God’s promise. The name Abram
means “exalted father” and God changes it to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude”. There is so much here.
v. 5 [As already mentioned earlier]...Abram, “exalted father”, becomes “father of a multitude”. There is
progression here. This is one reason that I believe the covenant mentioned here in chapter 17 is the same
covenant as chapter 15 (and originally seen back in chapter 12 prior to officially being a covenant). Some
teach that there are multiple covenants but I just do not think that’s what is going on. I think it is more
likely that the covenant God made with Abram is now being expanded. He is revealing a new feature of the
covenant with Abram (now Abraham). There is room for disagreement here.
v. 5 “I have made”. Notice again that God is the One doing the work. There is a heavy emphasis on His
promise, His work. (v.1, v.2, v.4, v.5, v.6, v.7, v.8) This is so important for our text today and for the whole
Biblical storyline. God is the One doing the work.
v. 6 On that note, notice God’s statement” “I will make you exceedingly fruitful.
” Compare that with His statement to Adam and Eve in the Garden,
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…”
(Gen. 1:28) and then to Noah post-flood,
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
” (Gen. 9:1). There may be some connection here. Adam and Noah: Be fruitful and multiply. Abraham: I will make you
exceedingly fruitful. Where Adam and Noah failed, Abraham will succeed…but it will be GOD’S DOING,
not his.
This may be a stretch to say, so I am not trying to say anything definitive here. But I wonder if
there is a connection between what’s going on here and then what is being said by Jesus in John
15:5. Here in Genesis 17, God is saying HE is the One who will make Abraham exceedingly
fruitful. The emphasis is on God. In John 15:5, Jesus says,
“I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing.” So we see God in both the Old and New Testament pointing to our fruitfulness being
tied to Him. Obviously, here in Genesis 17 “fruitfulness” is referring mainly to Abraham
becoming a multitude of people and in John 15:5 “fruitfulness” is mainly referring to a life well
lived in relation to God and others---love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness,
faithfulness, and self-control. The principle is the same, however.
v. 6 Another beautiful thing to notice in verse 6…kings will come from Abraham. This is so powerful! Just
to mention a few kings who will come from Abraham…King David, King Solomon, and JESUS the King
of Kings.
“And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city
authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that
there is another king, Jesus.” Acts 17:6-7
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
” Revelation 19:16
Application for verses 5-6:
1. OUR IDENTITY IS TIED TO GOD’S PROMISE. Think of the similarities with us today. What do we call
ourselves? Christians. The root word is Christ, who is Jesus, who is the promised One, the fulfillment of the
covenant to Abraham. You and I, in our title, take on a marking that communicates God’s promise. Abraham’s identity was tied to God’s promise, and so is ours. I want to encourage and remind you, as aChristian, you are not tied to your past, your present struggles, or even the mess-ups of tomorrow. No, we are tied to Christ---tied to Jesus. Abraham’s name does not mean “I took another wife”, or “I failed as a husband”, or “I sinned against God”...no, it means “father of a multitude”, a name marked with God’s seal. You and I, our names are not “Addict” “Adulterer”“Drunkard” “Liar” “Inconsistent” “Prideful”. No, our name is tied to our Good Shepherd, the King who laid His life down for our salvation.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the
life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
2. THE GOOD LIFE IS THE LIFE LIVED IN CONNECTION TO GOD. Fellowship with God breeds a
fruitful, well-spent life. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Whenever we get called home to be with
Him one day, we want to be able to say we have impacted others. True and lasting impact is intimately
connected, not to the amount of popularity, or money, or possessions we have, but rather to our connection,
our abiding, in Jesus. HE is the One who makes our lives exceedingly fruitful.”
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you
and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession, and I will be their God.
”9 And God said to Abraham,
“As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you
and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
v. 7 The nature of this covenant will be “everlasting” (a simple word with far-reaching implications. This
covenant will go on forever. It will stretch into eternity.) The covenant, in the immediate context, will go on
from generation to generation.
It certainly seems to be the case that the God of eternity was bringing heaven down here. You
cannot have an everlasting covenant without everlasting life and you cannot have everlasting life
without an everlasting God.
v. 7 The word “offspring” is worthy of our attention for a minute. This word “offspring” is “zera” (in
Hebrew) and another way it can be translated is “seed”
. Remember back to what I mentioned as our windshield as we drive through this text, Genesis 3:15. In Genesis 3:15, we see the same word (“zera”,seed, offspring). The same author, Moses (inspired by the Holy Spirit), wrote both statements. There seems to be a connection here.
Genesis 3:15 tells us that the offspring (zera, seed) of Eve will bruise/crush the head of the serpent.
Now we see that an everlasting covenant will be made with Abraham and his offspring (zera,
seed--same word).
v. 8 The everlasting covenant will include everlasting possession of land. This seems to have new heavens
and new earth implications. Obviously, Abraham and his offspring are promised, here, the land of Canaan.
It is land, we know from the rest of Scripture, that Abraham’s family, Israel, eventually controls…but not
forever. The Kingdom splits and conquering kingdoms carry Israel off into exile, right? So, this
“everlasting possession of land seems to point to a future day when all who are joined to the Abrahamic
Covenant will have the land of Canaan (and a whole lot more) in a better, more full, and restored way (new
heavens and new earth).
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
” Matthew 5:5
“The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
” Psalms 37:29
v. 9 We do indeed see responsibility on Abraham’s part---God says to him,
“you shall keep my covenant”.
We already know that God had chosen Abraham and given him His promise. We know that Abraham
believed God (and God counted it to him as righteousness). And now, like a little earlier in the passage, we
see what seems to be a role that Abraham is to play. And there really is. There is indeed a required response
that is clear as day here in the text. This required response, however, is intimately connected with the
choosing of Abraham and with the declaration that he is righteous. I think we see this sort of thingdescribed way later, in the book of James. In James 2:26, we see that faith without works is dead. Evidence
that one has indeed been chosen by God and saved by God is that they obey God. Belief leads to actions.
So, what actions is the chosen and justified Abraham called to do here?
Application for verses 7-9:
1. ETERNAL LIFE DESERVES OUR DAILY ATTENTION. Anytime “everlasting” is mentioned, or
eternity, or forever, it would do us some good to pause…and meditate on forever. This is a forever covenant,
by the forever God, that you and I have grabbed hold of in Jesus. It is a gift we have received. Our lives will
never end. I think we would do well to think more often about our destiny of spending forever with God in
the new heavens and new earth. The dark cloud of “now” hangs over us daily, but there is so much joy to
be gained from casting our eyes to the glorious future that awaits us.
2. THE EARTH BELONGS TO JESUS AND HIS PEOPLE. In a very real sense, the earth is ours. Who are
the meek? All who are in The Meek One, Jesus. Who are the righteous? All who are in The Righteous One,
Jesus. This is encouraging to me for so many reasons. Example: We only have enough money to own a little
tiny piece of land and, though we will take some trips to see some cool places from time to time, there will
be so many places that go unseen on this side of eternity. BUT THERE WILL BE A DAY…a day when
exploration of the beautiful new heavens and earth can go on forever and ever. Meditating on our future
cures much present discontentment. Our abundant future eclipses our lacking present.
3. AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE CALLED TO GOOD WORKS. As people of the promise, we are called out of
darkness into light. Abraham was called to obey and so are we. We are called to good works. The good
works don’t save us, but we pursue them joyfully and naturally as people who have been chosen, called,
redeemed. One example (that we don’t have time to discuss in depth) is baptism. Baptism is a mark we
receive as believers in Jesus. Baptism does not save us, but we do it because we have been saved. It’s
something we are called to do as God’s rescued, redeemed, and now, obedient people.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male
among you shall be circumcised. 11 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
throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is
not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely
be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who
is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
v. 10-11 Why circumcision? The short answer is…God said so. The longer answer is…this is a mark on the
male reproductive organ. This mark on the male body acted as a sign of the covenant. Think of the purpose
of a sign. Signs point. Signs give direction. (Example: Foosackly’s sign tells me that there is a Foosackly’s
closeby). So what did this sign communicate? Why did God choose this sign? Shout out to Matthew Sewell
(he and I were talking about this a couple years ago) and he says he got it from Bible scholar Tim Mackie
(and I am not sure where Tim Mackie got it from)...but it’s really good. This sign, this mark, served as a
reminder to Abraham and future generations that GOD would be the One to fulfill His promise to Abraham.
It was a visible mark that communicated, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke
18:27) Think about it…these mark-taking instructions come after Abram and Sarai had taken matters into
their own hands and tried to make God’s promise happen for Him by making Hagar Abram’s second wife.
Now God is requiring a mark to be placed on Abraham’s body, a mark that communicates God’s ability to
keep His promise.
v. 12-13 Notice the covenant provision for anyone who took the mark. This is beautiful. Anyone outside of
Abraham’s bloodline who took the mark would share in the provisions of the covenant.
v. 14 To reject the sign was to reject the covenant and be cut off from the people of Abraham and the
promise of God.Application for verses 10-14:
1. GOD’S PROMISE IS FOR ANY WHO BELIEVE HIM. The Kingdom of God does not alienate on the
basis of ethnicity but rather on whether one believes God’s promise. Heaven will be multi-colored,
multi-ethnic. So, oh Lord, may our church begin to look more like this as time goes on. We want to be a
little microcosm of God’s kingdom here on earth. Heaven will not be all white, all hispanic, all black. The
Good News is for the nations, plural.
In conclusion…GOSPEL
This mark on the male body, along with Abraham’s name (“the father of a multitude”) pointed forward to a
day when this promise would be fulfilled. Initially, it is fulfilled in Isaac (sneak peak to next week). But that was not
all there was to the promise. Not by a long shot. Abraham would eventually become a great nation, just like God
said. And this great nation would bless the world. We know Isaac has a boy named Jacob (who is renamed “Israel”).
Jacob then has twelve sons and these twelve sons become the twelve tribes of Israel. From one of these tribes, Judah,
arises King David---who has a son, who has a son, who has a son (you get the point)---who has a son named Joseph,
who is the adopted father of JESUS. This Jesus was no ordinary human. He claimed to be God Himself come down
to earth. Jesus, fully human and fully God, lived a life of perfect obedience. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus was tempted in
every way we are tempted, yet he never sinned. He was perfect. He lived the life we could never live (perfect
obedience to God), and then He did the unthinkable…He sacrificed His own life on a Roman cross. He died for our
sins and then, the backbone of our faith, three days later HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
This mark, circumcision, is a painful, bloody operation that communicated God’s promise. I want to argue
that circumcision was fulfilled in Jesus. New Testament authors speak of a circumcision of our hearts that must take
place in order for us to be joined to the promises of God. How can one have their heart circumcised? Answer: trust
in Jesus who underwent the most painful, bloody operation one can imagine for our salvation. It has always been
about Jesus. A mark, bloody and painful, that communicated GOD WILL DO IT. What happened on the cross?
What does Jesus say on the cross? IT IS FINISHED, in other words, GOD HAS DONE IT. Done what? Everything
necessary for you and I to be made right with our Father in heaven. Every single one of our past, present, and future
shortcomings, failures, bad things, and sins placed onto Jesus on that cross. Down into death He went…and OUT
OF THE GRAVE HE CAME, proving to be the Promised Offspring of Eve, the Promised Offspring of Abraham, the
Crusher of the serpent’s head. The Reverser of the curse. The One to put death in a casket. Purchasing our
everlasting salvation.
What is our responsibility? Have our hearts circumcised by believing in Jesus---receiving Him as the Gift
we need to be made right forever, to be restored and destined for the new heavens and new earth.
Church, you have trusted in Jesus, be reminded of your permanent status as a Heaven-destined member of
God’s family. Remember that HE is the One who will fulfill His promise. There will be a day when we are
celebrating together, forever, in the new heavens and new earth. We, too, have been marked by the
Promise-Keeper.
If you are here this morning, and you would describe your life as lost. You are aching for deliverance, for
restoration, for hope in this dark world we currently find ourselves in. You feel the weight of your wrongdoing
against God and you long for forgiveness, for healing, for wholeness. Talk to me, talk to someone around you. We
would love nothing more, this morning, than to introduce you to the One who has changed our lives. We would love
to introduce you to Jesus.
I want to end with the lyrics to a pretty popular worship song…we sing it often here.
God of Abraham, You're the God of covenant
And faithful promises
Time and time again
You have proven
You'll do just what You said
Though the storms may come, and the winds may blow, I'll remain steadfastAnd let my heart learn when You speak a word, it will come to pass
Great is Your faithfulness to me
Great is Your faithfulness to me
From the rising sun to the setting same, I will praise your name
Great is Your faithfulness
Great is Your faithfulness
Great is Your faithfulness to me.
I put my faith in Jesus
My anchor to the ground
My hope and firm foundation
He'll never let me down.
Pray.