17.1-27

Genesis

Why "walk BEFORE Me" (v1)? "Set yourself to walk" (13:17) in My presence, conscious of My inspection, seeking My approval. Not behind Me, as if mindful of your shortcomings, seeking to avoid observation. In response to the Almighty God, Abram falls on his face in awe and worship (v3). In reaffirming His covenant, God changes Abram's name, meaning "exalted father," to Abraham, "father of a multitude" (v4). Later, Abraham again falls on his face, but with laughter צְחַק "tsachaq" (v17). This is often mistaken for sarcastic laughter and doubt, similar to when Gabriel announced Zechariah's pending old age fatherhood (Luke 1:20). But neither is Abraham struck mute for doubt (as Zechariah was) nor is his response irreverent. This was the laughter of rejoicing. The question that followed didn't wait for an answer because it was an expression of holy wonder, with natural reason overruled by faith. Abraham's statement for his son, "O that Ishmael might live before You" (v18), wasn't a protest, but a plea for a place, and for the life of his 13-year-old son, whom he feared God might remove now that an heir was coming through Sarah. God responds with the second naming of a child before his birth, honoring the sound of rejoicing that came from Abraham at God's declaration: "you shall call his name Isaac" יִצְחָק "Yitschaq" (vv19, 21:6). Removing Abraham's fears for Ishmael, God restates the prophecy of Ishmael's name "I have heard" and issues a blessing of becoming the father of a great nation and 12 princes (v20). But the covenant will be established with "Yitschaq" (Isaac) (v21), who will become the father of nations, peoples, and kings (vv6,16).

CHAPTER 17

Circumcision, the Sign of the Covenant

1 Now it happened that when Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Walk before Me and be blameless,
2 so that I may confirm My covenant between Me and you,
And that I may multiply you exceedingly.”
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God spoke with him, saying,
4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,
And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 “And 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 “And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will go forth from you.
7 “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you.
8 “And I will give to you and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
9 God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
10 “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12 “And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, one who is born in the house or one who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your seed.
13 “A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 “But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

Sarah Will Bear Isaac

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 “And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Will a son be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!”
19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”
22 So He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all 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 spoken with him.
24 Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 Now all the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.