Genesis 17 (The covenant of Circumcision)
Abram-Exalted father
changes to
Abraham-Father of a multitude
(17:5) No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham,[c] for I have made you a father of many nations.
6I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
*God affirms his promise to Abraham and his descendants once again!
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenantbetween me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
*Not as fun to think about, but God uses circumcision to symbolize that the people were accepted by God because of His gracious covenant.
We must remember it was not circumcision itself, or the very act of Baptism, Communion... But stands for something MUCH deeper, our relationship to God!
Please understand I am not denying the power of baptism and communion, but want to stress that these things do not serve as the MEANS of our salvation, but the MARK of our separation from sin and salvation from God!
We must totally devoted to Him in love & obedience!!
(17:15-18)
God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
*Sarai (we are not sure exactly what this meant, but is believed to have meant "to mock", or "to be contentious").
changes to
Sarah (Princess) -Mother of Kings
Both Abraham & Sarah trusted God and desired to accomplish His purposes.
We can learn so much from each!
Abraham- Models the need to walk by faith, trust in God and BELIEVE He will accomplish and fulfill ALL He says He will!
Sarah-Serves as a great example for Christian wives, as well as single women to admonish as she trusts in the Lord and His perfect timing and serves as a mother to the Jewish people.
*Like Abraham,the Christian husband should treat his wife like a princess because that is what she is in the Lord!!
Also, Christian wives should serve, submit, and be led by their husbands like Sarah was to Abraham. Though she did not hear all of the promises God made to Abraham she too believed IN FAITH, they would come to pass!
Also, Christian wives should serve, submit, and be led by their husbands like Sarah was to Abraham. Though she did not hear all of the promises God made to Abraham she too believed IN FAITH, they would come to pass!
Genesis 17 continued...
3 different kinds of laughter associated with Isaacs birth.
1. (Laughter of JOY) Abraham-When he heard his wife would give birth to the promised son. (Gen. 17:17)
2. (Laughter of UNBELIEF) Sarah- When she heard the news. (Genesis 18:9-15)
3. (Laughter of JOY) Sarah- When Isaac was born.(Genesis 21:6-7)
Isaac- 'He laughs'
*Motherhood should be HIGHLY esteemed and the birth of a baby welcomed with Joy!
(This rings VERY close to home, as my sister is due to deliver my sweet niece ANY DAY!!)
We see Gods heart for Parents/Children through the following verses...
Psalm 113:9
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
4
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Psalm 139:13-18
13
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17
How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.[d] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.
**Ishmael & Isaac were the first two babies named prior to being born. (How important names are)
*Ishmael (God hears)
Represents our first birth. Living a life after the flesh
Focuses on the past
*Isaac (He laughs)
Represents our second birth. A life lived through the Spirit.
Focuses on the future.
Looking at both lives represents our constant battle between flesh and Spirit, which we will continue to battle until Christ Jesus returns.
*Galatians 4:28-31
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[a]31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
*Beautiful truth which foreshadows the freedom to come through Christ!
Can I get an amen!!
Joyfully,
Hannah
No comments:
Post a Comment