Written by Richard S. Thompson Sunday, 05 December :00 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 February :02

Transcription

1 Genesis Lesson 13 Genesis 17:1-18:15 In our last lesson, we saw how the LORD gave Abram both a vision and a direct prophecy related to the time it would take to fulfill the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant. The vision was portrayed by Abram's sacrifice of five clean animals (a heifer, a goat and a ram, along with a dove and a young pigeon). The first three were to be cut in half with the pieces opposite each other, but the dove and pigeon were not halved. Abram had to drive away the unclean birds of prey that tried to defile the sacrifice. Later, a fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces. In the middle of this, the LORD told Abram that it would be more than 400 years before his descendants would even begin to claim the land. We studied how the sacrifices pictured the ministry of Israel and its role of preserving the coming of the Messiah throughout the divided age of Israel until Christ (the seed) finally comes as King on earth. After that we studied the story of how Sarai gave Hagar to Abram as a wife. Hagar then gave birth to Abram's son Ishmael. At that time Abram was eighty six years old. That is where we start this lesson. Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless perfect. We have jumped forward thirteen years. The LORD evidently appeared before Abram in a physical form. The LORD here uses for Himself a new name, which is translated in the NIV here as "God Almighty." The Hebrew here is yd+"v' la {el shad dah' Ä } which 1 / 20

2 means "the God of breasts." It is derived from the Hebrew word Ö {shad} which means "breast" but is in the plural. It speaks of the LORD's feminine characteristics as the ultimate nurturer and provider. That is quite different from the concept contained in "God Almighty," even though it is true that God is almighty. Then t he LORD told Abram to "walk before me" and to "be perfect." How do we walk before Him? The Hebrew literally says "Walk before His face." This is just another way of saying keeping your eyes on our Lord. Even then, how can we be perfect? The Hebrew word here is ªÖ¼Ö žö (tä mä m') which is the word usually translated "without blemish," "without spot," "without defect," or "perfect" and used to describe the animal sacrifices which were to be offered in the Tabernacle. It is so used 41 of the 46 times the word appears in the Pentateuch. We know that the "perfect" animals that were sacrificed all were figures of Christ. This gives us the explanation of what the LORD was saying. It is only by faith in the Lamb of God that any of us can be "perfect" in the way that God was asking of Abram. His faith identified Abram with the perfection of the "lamb of God." Abram, in himself, certainly was never without sin. Indeed, in just a few verses, we will see Abram fall into an old pattern of sin. However, Abram was "perfect" because he had already been made perfect by the righteousness that was by faith (Genesis 15:3). Genesis 17:2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." The LORD is about to confirm His covenant with Abram for the fifth time since Abram left his father's household in Syria. 2 / 20

3 Genesis 17:3-4 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. Each time God had added more details to what He was promising Abram. First, the LORD had promised Abram "a land," that he would be made into "a great nation," and that all the peoples of the earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:1-3). Next, He promised Abram the land of the Canaanites (Genesis 12:7). Next, the LORD promised that the "seed" would include so many that they would be beyond counting ( Genesis 13:14-17). Next the LORD expanded the promised land from the Nile to the Euphrates and promised that Abram's heir would be a child from his own body (Genesis 15:2-21). Now the LORD is going to add something further. Genesis 17:5-6 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. Abram will be the father of more than one nation, Israel, but the father of many nations including the Midianites, Ishmaelites and Amalekites. Therefore, his name will change from "Abram," which is variously interpreted as "exalted father," "father of elevation," and "father of high and windy places." From now on he will be called "Abraham" which means "father of a multitude." 3 / 20

4 Genesis 17:7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants seed [a] after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants se ed after you. The LORD will not be the God of all the nations who come out of Abraham. He will only be the God of those who are of the "seed" because only those who have faith in the promise of the "seed" have the LORD as their God. Genesis 17:8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants seed after you; and I will be their God." Some branches of Judaism in Jesus' day and even today deny resurrection and life after death and contend that the Pentateuch [b] (which are the only books they regard as authoritative) never taught it. This verse clearly contradicts that or the LORD is lying. The LORD promises that the land will be a possession of Abraham, yet Abraham died before the Jews moved into the land. Clearly this was a promise which could only be fulfilled if Abraham was going to be resurrected. 4 / 20

5 Genesis 17:9-10 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep treasure in memory my covenant, you and your descendants seed after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants seed after you, the covenant you are to keep memorialize : Every male among you shall be circumcised. The Hebrew here translated by the NIV is rm'v; {shä mar'} which here means "to observe," or "treasure up in memory." It was the LORD's unconditional covenant to Abram. Circumcision was the means of memorializing the promise to Abraham that the "seed of the woman" and the "seed of Abraham" would come through this one family. Genesis 17:11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. The memorializing of the covenant on Abraham's side was circumcision. What was God's covenant? Let's review. 5 / 20

6 Genesis 12:2-3 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 13:15-16 "All the land that you see I will give to you and your seed forever. I will make your se ed like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your seed could be counted. Genesis 15:5 "He took him outside and said, Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, So shall your seed be.'" The word "seed" in this passage is the masculine singular of [r"z < {zeh' rah}. Literally the word means "seed." The apostle Paul in Galatians makes it clear that the singular grammatical number of the word is important: Galatians 3:16 "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say and to seeds,' meaning many people, but and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ." As you can see the covenant was related to identification of many with the one seed. So circumcision in its time 6 / 20

7 also spoke of positional truth because the blessings of the people of Israel depended on their identification with the one "seed" of Abraham. Physically - what is Circumcision? Circumcision is a medical procedure that removes a male's foreskin from his penis. The foreskin is a sleeve of skin that covers the lower shaft of the penis, working to protect the head, or "glans" of the penis. As it often turned out with the provisions of the Law, circumcision was not only spiritually significant, but medically beneficial. It is a procedure performed today by doctors on most male children regardless of religion. Circumcision is typically performed one or two days after labor and birth Spiritually - what was Circumcision? Circumcision was a memorial in flesh of God's pledge to provide through Israel "the seed of Abraham" who was also "the seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15) who was the promised Messiah and Christ. After being circumcised, every Israelite who engaged in the act of procreation was to be reminded of the LORD's great promise to them, that through Israel the Messiah would come. This was their great destiny. And it was through faith in the coming of that "seed" that they, like Abraham, would be saved and share the inheritance that belonged to him. However, once Jesus Christ, "the Seed" had come, it had lost its spiritual significance. He wouldn't be born of a virgin again. So, in the New Testament, it had lost its meaning. However, many Christian Jews regarded it as either a means of salvation or a mark of their faith. However, the Covenant having been fulfilled and the "seed" having come it was as meaningless as the rituals of the Temple which had been replaced by the reality of Christ. The true mark of the Christian's faith is not physical, but spiritual, and is performed by the Holy Spirit. It is called the Baptism of the Spirit by which we are put in union with Christ. In the Old Testament, ritual circumcision was meaningless without faith. 7 / 20

8 Jeremiah 4:4 "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done-- burn with no one to quench it." Genesis 17:12 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. Circumcision was to be practiced by the generations out of Abraham. It was thus a ritual that preceded the Law, and was practiced by Israel in Egypt, though not in the wilderness. [c] It was confirmed by the Law of Moses: Leviticus 12:1-3 "The LORD said to Moses, Say to the Israelites: A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.''" 8 / 20

9 Genesis 17:13-14 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. [d] Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." It was not just Abraham and his descendants that were to be part of the promise. All of those who were members of Abraham's household were part of the promise. This is a picture of how we, the Gentiles, became a part of the household of faith. It also reminds us of a little remembered fact that the entire household of Jacob went into Egypt, and came out as part of the nation of Israel 430 years later. Genesis 17:15-16 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; [e] her name will be Sarah. [f] 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." Now the LORD revealed a little more about His promise. He had already promised that "the seed" would come out of Abraham's own body (Genesis 15:4). Thirteen years before he and Sarai had "helped" the LORD out by having young Hagar bear a child. At that point Sarai had quit ovulating, but Abram was still potent. Since then, Abraham had probably thought that Ishmael was to be the son of promise. Now, both Sarai and Abraham were sexually dead. 9 / 20

10 Romans 4:19b "He (Abraham) faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead." Now that things were hopeless, from a human standpoint, the LORD was ready to show his power. [g] Genesis 17:17 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?" The forbearance of the LORD is amazing. After all the years of God's provision Abraham still had such little faith. He did have the good grace to at least keep his thoughts unspoken, but of course, the LORD heard all his thoughts, just as He hears all of ours. Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" 10 / 20

11 It is as if Abraham is thinking that the LORD has bitten of more than He can chew and Abraham is giving Him a fallback position. Besides, Abraham had gotten used to thinking Ishmael was the one. The LORD had evidently never rebuked Abraham and Sarah for going outside of monogamy. Genesis 17:19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants seed after him. The LORD reiterates that Sarah would bear the son. For it to be any other way would seem to countenance more than one wife. Genesis 17:20 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, [h] and I will make him into a great nation. 11 / 20

12 Ishmael was not going to suffer for Abraham and Sarah's mistake. Unlike Esau, who we will study later, neither he nor Hagar rejected the LORD. God would bless Ishmael in his own way, he was just not the promised line of the Messiah. Genesis 17:21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." God's covenant would be established (but not fulfilled) in Isaac. It would only be fulfilled when Jesus Christ, having been born of the line of Abraham (the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17) takes possession of the promised land. Genesis 17:22-26 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 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. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. It is worth noting that Ishmael was thirteen, the age that was later, in the time of Israel, considered the age a boy had become a man. Abraham must have explained to Ishmael what it was all about. I am sure it must have been hard for Ishmael to swallow his pride, and understand that he was going to be relegated to second place. Ishmael may also have been 12 / 20

13 reconciled by the knowledge that he had his own special destiny. Genesis 17:27 And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him. When you consider that in Genesis 14:14 Abraham's household included 318 men of fighting age, you will begin to understand the commitment it took to follow God's command. The circumcision of adult males is a very painful and debilitating process. According to Genesis 34:24-25, when the men of Shechem in Jacob's time were circumcised, they were in such pain those three days later that they could not even defend themselves. [i] When I was in the Army I saw grown men in line to receive a simple inoculation faint dead away. I wonder how many fainted that day in Abraham's camp as they waited in that line. I think this is a good time to comment on the households of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It seems indicated that Abraham had left his father and brother in Haran with a relatively small household. Over the next 215 years until Jacob entered Egypt, the "household of the circumcised" continually increased until it numbered in the thousands by the time they entered Egypt as the household of Jacob, and the people of Israel. Did these people just accidentally become associated with the covenant? I suggest not!! Nothing is God's plan is accidental. I suggest that the LORD drew all the people in the Middle East who were seeking Him into the periphery of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I suggest that these patriarchs did not keep what the LORD had promised a secret from these people. They were God's chosen people because they had chosen Him. In the same fashion, when the people of Israel left Egypt, many Egyptians were circumcised and went with them because they had chosen to associate themselves with the people of God. 13 / 20

14 Genesis 18:1-2a The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre [j] while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. We know that this appearance to Abraham took place within the year after the previous appearance and probably within a month as Sarah was not yet pregnant. Here the LORD confirms the same message as before. The difference is that this time Sarah herself hears it. The story does not tell us how Abraham knew one of the three men was the LORD. He saw three men. One of them was God, two of them were angels (perhaps Gabriel and Michael). However, we know that before the LORD had appeared to Abraham in bodily form. The appearance He chose then was probably the same as on this occasion. The next chapter indicates that the two "men" with Him were "angels." It should not be overlooked that these "men" appeared in solid bodies in the middle of Abraham's large camp, and must have been seen by Abraham's people. We know that Sarah saw them. I can only imagine how many of Abraham's people, who must have numbered nearly a thousand, lingered nearby to witness Abraham's meeting with these remarkable persons. Remember, Abraham was not the only one circumcised into the covenant. All of his people were as well. Genesis 18:2b-5 When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. [k] He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." 14 / 20

15 Evidently, the LORD and His two companions are standing on the heights where the great trees of Mamre are located, looking down 4500 feet into the great valley where Sodom was located about 30 miles away. They are not looking as if they have come to see Abraham, but as if they are on their way somewhere else. Of course, the LORD had arranged that Abraham would see them and knew what he would do. Abraham invites them to stay and visit. Seems like a no brainer. We have the same opportunity every day. How often do we take advantage of it? Genesis 18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." Three seahs of flour is thought to be equivalent to what would fill up five one gallon containers. This would make a lot of bread. It is far more that they could eat at a sitting. Abraham was evidently making this as an offering. Genesis 18:7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 15 / 20

16 Clearly, an entire calf is also more than can be eaten at a meal. Genesis 18:8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf [l] that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. I am sure Abraham must have invited them inside, but they ate out under a tree while Abraham watched. Evidently, angels can eat, just as the risen Lord could eat. [m] Genesis 18:9-10 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. What the LORD is telling Abraham, He has already told him before (Genesis 17:15). This time, it was clearly meant for Sarah's ears. 16 / 20

17 Genesis 18:11-12 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" When Sarah heard the prophecy Sarah laughed, just as Abraham had laughed in Genesis 17:17. It makes one think that although Abraham had been circumcised, and had every male in his camp circumcised, he had not let it be known to Sarah or anyone else the exact details of the LORD's promise concerning Sarah. Genesis 18:13-14 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." Sarah's reaction is unfortunately all to characteristic of believers. We need to remember that there is nothing to hard for the LORD if it is in His will. Genesis 18:15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh." 17 / 20

18 Evidently, after the LORD made this comment, Sarah emerged from the tent. She was embarrassed and lied, but the LORD knows every thought. Next week we will study the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. [a] The word here is not "descendants", but the masculine singular of the Hebrew word [r"z < {zeh' r ah} which means "seed" as in "one seed." We explained the importance of this translation in the last two lessons. The "one seed" in Genesis as Paul explained in Galatians 3:16 is Christ. The translators made the same mistake seven times in this Chapter, which I have corrected. They evidently don't believe Paul or are just careless. The King James has it right. [b] The first five books of the Bible- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. [c] Joshua 5:2-5 "At that time the LORD said to Joshua, Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.' So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt--all the men of military age--died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not." 18 / 20

19 [d] Here again God is confirming his covenant by means of a ritual. This ritual is circumcision by which the male member of regeneration is to be bloodied by having the foreskin cut off. This confirms the promise that through Abraham's descent is to come "the seed" (Jesus Christ) who will become greater in number than the stars in the Heavens. Here is God's shadow of His great irony. By injuring the member of regeneration, regeneration will be guaranteed, even as the death of one (Jesus Christ) shall bring life to many. This also places the mark of the covenant where it will be remembered in the generation of the race. [e] Sarai comes from the same root as Israel, and means "one who contends." [f] Sarah means "princess," and is also from the same root as "Israel." Israel means "Prince or contender of or for God." From this Princess would come the "Prince." [g] 2 Corinthians 12:9b "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." [h] Listed in Genesis 25:13-16 and 1 Chronicles 1: Note that this is also the number of Jacob's sons. [i] Genesis 34:24-25 "All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male." [j] The Hebrew word here is!9// {mam-ray'} which means "strength" or "fatness." It was the name of the Amorite who owned the land (Genesis 14:13). [k] It is clear from Abraham's response that Abraham recognizes the LORD. 19 / 20

20 [l] According to current Jewish Kosher Law, milk products should not be eaten with meat (based on Exodus 23:19). This passage would seem to show that is a misapplication. [m] Luke 24: / 20