Gênesis 17
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 17
Wiersbe comments on El Shaddai in Genesis 17 noting that "“El” is the name of God that speaks of power; but what does “Shaddai” mean? Scholars do not agree. Some say it comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to be strong”; others prefer a word meaning “mountain” (ED: sadu) or “breast (shad).” Metaphorically, a mountain is a “breast” that rises up from the plain; and certainly a mountain is a symbol of strength. If we combine these several ideas, we might say that “El Shaddai” is the name of “the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need. ”But why would God reveal this name to Abraham at this time, at the close of thirteen years of silence? Because God was going to tell His friend (Jas 2:23+) that Sarah would have a son. The Lord wanted Abraham to know that He is the God who is all-sufficient (ED: THE SEPTUAGINT TRANSLATION OF "SHADDAI" IN Ru 1:21+ = "ho hikanos" LITERALLY "THE SUFFICIENT/ADEQUATE" ONE!) and all-powerful (ED: THE SEPTUAGINT TRANSLATION OF ALMIGHTY [SHADDAI] IN Job 5:17 = "pantokrator" = ALL POWER, ALL POWERFUL, OMNIPOTENT [ONE]), and that nothing is too hard for Him (Ge 18:14+). God says “I will” twelve times in Genesis 17 (ED: CORRECTION "I WILL" IS FOUND IN 15X IN 9 VERSES - Ge 17:2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, 19, 20, 21); He is about to do the miraculous. After Abraham’s battle with the four kings (Ge 14:15+), God came to him as a warrior and told him He was his “shield.” When Abraham wondered about his refusal of Sodom’s wealth, God told him He was his “exceedingly great reward” (Ge 15:1+). Now when Abraham and Sarah were “as good as dead,” (Heb 11:12+) God assured them that He was more than sufficient to bring about the miracle birth. God comes to us in the ways we need Him most. (Be Obedient - BORROW) Revelation always brings responsibility -- Warren Wiersbe Walk before Me before Me - Revelation of God as El Shaddai called for a response from Abram. Before Me is literally "before the face" or "before My face." Walk to and fro before Me (see additional note below). God is saying "live the rest of your days on earth as if in My very sight" (cf Pr 15:3+, 2Ch 16:9+, Heb 4:13+, et al). This is an awesome, albeit frightening, thought for it describes living Coram Deo, "Before the Face of God" (cf the command to "conduct" ourselves in fear - 1Pe 1:17+). In the NT a "Walk" pictures the general course and direction of one's life. THOUGHT - Oh, that God's Spirit would enable each of us to daily live circumspect lives in awareness that the eyes of the LORD are ever upon us --- our thoughts, our words and our deeds --- not walking in dread, but walking in adoration and reverence and with a desire to continually be pleasing to Him (Col 1:10+). Rod Mattoon has another thought on walk...before Me - This is the place of security for us because God is behind us looking over us. Many times a child will walk before his parents in a shopping mall or store. They are happy and secure knowing that Mom and Dad are right behind them. Watch what happens though when they lose sight of their parents by getting too far ahead. The result is panic. We sometimes panic too because we get too far ahead of the Lord. Westermann on walk...before Me - God directs Abraham (who here represents Israel) to live life before him, a life in which every step is taken looking to God and every day of which is accompanied by him. (Quoted by Wenham) Reformation Study Bible on walk before me, and be blameless - These phrases denote the service due a king. Even Israel's kings were commanded to "walk before" their greater Sovereign, the Lord Himself (1Ki 9:4; 2Ki 20:3). The covenantal arrangement again surfaces: God's gracious promises call for the obedient response of Abraham. Steven
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Wiersbe writes that...Hebrew scholars traditionally have interpreted El-Shaddai to mean “God Almighty” or “God All-Sufficient,” relating it to the Hebrew word for “breast.” Thus He is the God who nourishes and provides, who sustains and enables. Recent studies have suggested “the God of the mountain” (strength, stability) or “God my destroyer” (power against the enemy). (Wiersbe, W. W. Be Authentic. An Old Testament Study. Victor Pub) Louis Berkhof (Systematic Theology) points out that whereas God as El Shaddai is indeed presented as the all-powerful One who overpowers nature, the name, where it occurs in the Bible, does not present God as an object of fear or terror, but rather as a source of blessing and comfort. NET NOTE summary of Shaddai (THESE ARE COMBINED NOTES ON Ruth 1:21 and Genesis 17:1) The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173–210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34–43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, BORROW THIS BOOK In Search of God, PAGE 69 PAGE 70-71, PAGE 72 The etymology and meaning of this divine name is uncertain but its significance is clear. It may be derived from: (1) Shadad, “to be strong”, cognate to Arabic sdd, meaning “The Strong One” or “Almighty”; (2) Shadah, “mountain”, cognate to Akkadian shadu, meaning “The Mountain Dweller” or “God of the Mountains”; (3) Shadad, “to devastate” and shad, “destroyer”, Akkadian Shedum, meaning “The Destroyer” or “The Malevolent One”; or (4) She “who” plus diy, “sufficient”, meaning “The One Who is Sufficient” or “All-Sufficient One” (HALOT 1420-22). In terms of use, Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is presented as the sovereign king/judge of the world Who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis He blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis He blesses/protects and also takes away life/happiness. In (Ruth 1:20) in light of Naomi's emphasis on God's sovereign, malevolent deprivation of her family, one can understand her use of this name for God. For discussion of this divine name, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis He blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis He both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Ex6:3). While the origin and meaning of this Name are uncertain its significance is clear. The Name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Ge 17:1–8 He appeared to Abram, introduced Himself as El Shaddai, and announced His intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (Ge 35:11 - "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you."). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (Ge 28:3 = "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples."). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (Ge 43:14 "may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man"). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see Ge 29:31; Ge 30:22–24; Ge 35:16–18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In Ge 48:3 (“God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me") Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Ge 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew MSS, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (Ge 49:25). (The direct association of the name with “breasts” suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד, shadad, “destroy”] in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus the element “El” [“God”]) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Nu 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20–21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment. Finally, the Name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign King of the world (Job 11:7; Job 37:23a) Who is the source of life (Job 33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (Job 8:3; Job 34:10–12; Job 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (Job 22:17–18; Job 29:4–6), but He can also discipline, punish, and destroy (Job 5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the Name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (Job 24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the Name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which the Hebrew שַׁד, shad, “breast”] is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 70–71 (See links below). The name may originally have depicted God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, ruled from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery. References: W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173–210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34–43; T. N. D. Mettinger, BORROW THIS BOOK In Search of God (CLICK FOLLOWING FOR HIS DISCUSSION PAGE 69 PAGE 70-71, PAGE 72) Below are all 48 uses of Shaddai in Scripture. Observe that 31 uses occur in Job where 16 of these uses are translated in the Septuagint with the Greek word pantokrator and 3 uses are translated with the Greek adjective hikanos which means sufficient, adequate, enough, able, competent, qualified. In summary, when one compares the way Shaddai is translated in the Septuagint , two main ideas emerge All powerful and All sufficient. Gen. 17:1; Gen. 28:3; Gen. 35:11; Gen. 43:14; Gen. 48:3; Gen. 49:25; Exod. 6:3; Num. 24:4; Num. 24:16; Ruth 1:20; Ruth 1:21; Job 5:17; Job 6:4; Job 6:14; Job 8:3; Job 8:5; Job 11:7; Job 13:3; Job 15:25; Job 21:15; Job 21:20; Job 22:3; Job 22:17; Job 22:23; Job 22:25; Job 22:26; Job 23:16; Job 24:1; Job 27:2; Job 27:10; Job 27:11; Job 27:13; Job 29:5; Job 31:2; Job 31:35; Job 32:8; Job 33:4; Job 34:10; Job 34:12; Job 35:13; Job 37:23; Job 40:2; Ps. 68:14; Ps. 91:1; Isa. 13:6; Ezek. 1:24; Ezek. 10:5; Joel 1:15 Blameless (without defect or blemish, perfect, integrity) (08549) tamim from the verb tamam = to be complete, entire or whole (literal sense in Lev 3:9, Ezek 15:5), refers to a action which is completed) has both physical (without defect) and spiritual (blameless, devout, upright) significance. Tamim has the fundamental idea of completeness or wholeness. Tamim deals primarily with a state of moral or ceremonial purity (e.g., animal sacrifices - 51x tamim refers to unblemished animals - Passover lamb in Ex 12:5 picturing of course Christ sinless perfection - 1Cor 5:7, "knew no sin" = 2Cor 5:21). Tamim can mean blameless, complete, whole, full, perfect. Tamim can refer to the "entirety" of a period of time (7 complete Sabbaths = Lev 23:15; full year = Lev 25:30). Joshua 10:13 records the miracle of the sun standing still for a "whole (tamim) day," allowing Joshua to extract vengeance on the Amorite coalition that had attacked him. Pr 1:12 refers metaphorically to the fate of the innocent being swallowed "whole" by the wicked, even as happens to those who go to the grave. The first OT use of tamim describes Noah "These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless (Lxx = teleios = "meeting the highest standard" [BDAG]) in his time; Noah walked with God." (Ge 6:9) In the second use God tells Abraham " “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless." And remember God's commandments always include His enablements! It is thus fitting that David describes the Law of the LORD" as "perfect" (Lxx = amomos = without defects) (Ps 19:7). In fact, not only is His Word perfect, but His work is perfect (Dt 32:4) and His way is blameless (Ps 18:30) David says that the man who "may abide in" God's tent and "dwell on" His "holy hill" is the man "who walks with integrity (Lxx = amomos = without fault, morally blameless)." (Ps 15:2) Joshua in some of his parting words of wisdom to Israel declared "Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity (Lxx = euthutes = rectitude, honesty, integrity, uprightness) and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD." (Josh 24:14) The psalmist offers a great prayer we would all be wise to echo "May my heart be blameless (Lxx = amomos) in Thy statutes, that (expresses purpose or result of a blameless heart) I may not be ashamed." (Ps 119:80) One of my favorite verses in Psalms uses tamim - "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Lxx = akakia = guilelessness, innocence, integrity; "state of not being inclined to that which is base" [BDAG])." (Ps 84:11) The psalmist links tamim with a state of blessedness writing " How blessed are those whose way is blameless (Lxx = amomos), Who walk in the law of the LORD. (Ps 119:1) Arthur W. Pink on be blameless (perfect) explains the kind of life we are to live before God -- “It [the word ‘perfect’] is the same word which is translated 44x ‘without blemish.’ Then, did God really say to Abram, ‘Be thou perfect?’ He certainly did. And how could He say anything less? What lower standard than that of perfection can the Perfect One set before His creatures? Only too often men whittle down the Word to make it square with their own conceptions. All through the Scriptures, the standard of perfection is set before us. The law required that Israel should love the Lord their God with all their hearts. The Lord Jesus bade His disciples, ‘Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (Mt 5:48). And the teaching of the Epistles is all summed up in that Word, ‘Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps’ (1Pe 2:21). Is not that [the steps of Jesus] the standard of perfection? Brethren, such is the standard set before us. This is that which we are constantly to strive after. With nothing short may we be satisfied. It is because such is the standard that none in the flesh have ever realized it, that each and all must say with the apostle, (Phil 3:12-14). Yet, nevertheless, the Word to us today is the same as that to Abram of old: ‘Be thou perfect.’ Does some one murmur, ‘An impossible standard!’ Then remember that it was El Shaddai who gave it. Who dares to talk of ‘impossibilities’ when the Almighty is our God? Has He not said ‘My grace is sufficient for thee’? (2 Cor 12:9-10) Then, do not charge Him with setting before us an unattainable standard: rather let us charge ourselves with failure to rest upon His Almighty arm, and confess with shame that the blame is ours through not appropriating His all-sufficient grace” Spurgeon in Your Available Power alludes to El Shaddai writing that... There are a few things that I would have you remember, and then I will be done. Remember that the Holy Spirit has His ways and methods, and there are some things that He will not do. Remember that He makes no promise to bless compromises. If we make a treaty with error or sin, we do it at our own risk. If we do anything that we are not clear about, if we tamper with truth or holiness, if we are friends of the world, if we make provision for the flesh, if we preach halfheartedly and are allied with those in error, we have no promise that the Holy Spirit will go with us. The great promise runs in quite another strain: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (pantokrator).(2Co 6:17, 18) Only in that one place in the New Testament, with the exception of the book of Revelation, is God called by the name of "the Lord God Almighty." If you want to know what great things the Lord can do as the Lord God Almighty, be separate from the world and from those who apostatize from the truth. "El-Shaddai," God all-sufficient, the God who nurtures and provides. We will never know the utmost power of God for supplying all our needs until we have cut connection once for all with everything that is not according to His mind. It was grand of Abraham when he said to the king of Sodom, "I will not take from you"—a Babylonian garment or a wedge of gold? No, no. He said, "I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet” (Ge 14:23). That was a clear-cut separation. The man of God will have nothing to do with Sodom or with false doctrine. If you see anything that is evil, cut yourself off from it. Be done with those who are done with truth. Then you will be prepared to receive the promise, and not until then. (Borrow Spurgeon's Your Available Power) A B Simpson writes...Beloved, have we learned, as we bow the knee in prayer, that we are talking with Him Who still says to us as to Abraham, "I am El Shaddai; the Almighty God"; to Jeremiah, "I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?"; to Isaiah, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding." (A. B. Simpson. The Life of Prayer) Paul Enns - GOD Is ALL-POWERFUL - page 24 in Approaching God Nothing is too difficult for Thee. (Jeremiah 32:17) Skeptics sometimes challenge Christians with questions: "Is there anything God can't do?" "No, He can do everything." "Can He create a rock so big that He can't move it?" Of course, that is a trick question. There are things that God cannot do. He cannot act contrary to His nature. But the fact is that most people have too small a concept of God, not recognizing that He is all-powerful. J. B.
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Wiersbe adds that beriyth "has several meanings: (1) to eat with, which suggests fellowship and agreement; (2) to bind or fetter, which means commitment; and (3) to allot, which suggests sharing. When God makes a covenant, He enters into an agreement to commit Himself to give what He promises. It is purely an act of grace." (Be Obedient) ISBE says that "In essence a covenant is an agreement, but an agreement of a solemn and binding force. The early Semitic idea of a covenant was doubtless that which prevailed among the Arabs. This was primarily blood-brotherhood, in which two men became brothers by drinking each other’s blood. (Ed: Now that sounds serious to me!) (See illustration in pagan culture) Covenant can be summarized as follows… (1) Between two parties (sometimes equal, other times superior to inferior) -- (a) nations -- (peace) treaty, alliance of friendship (b) individuals -- a pledge or agreement with mutual obligations to each other (c) monarch and subjects (2Sa 3:21, 5:3, 1Chr 11:3) -- a constitution (d) God and man -- Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New Covenants. TWOT adds that… Apart from blood ties the covenant was the way people of the ancient world formed wider relationships with each other The accounts of the relationship between David and Jonathan are the only unequivocal mention of a compact between two individuals in the Old Testament (1Sa 18:3; 20:8; 23:18). It is spoken of as “a covenant of the Lord” because the Lord witnessed the transaction and protected the legal order. (2) Accompanied by (a) signs (also witnesses, memorials, shared meals) (b) sacrifices, (c) solemn, binding oaths -- sealing the relationship with promises of blessing for keeping the covenant and curses for breaking the covenant (d) Sometimes with written document on which the words of the covenant, its terms in the form of promises and stipulations were spelled out, witnessed to, signed and sealed. Behm (TDNT) notes that in ancient times "There is no firmer guarantee of legal security peace or personal loyalty than the covenant (e.g., Amos 1:9)." (3) Is depicted in the idiomatic phrase "make (cut) a covenant" in which there is was a blood sacrifice as part of the covenant ritual. Almost 100 years ago, Andrew Murray motivated by a waning understanding regarding the truth and power inherent in the Biblical truth of covenant wrote that… One of the words of Scripture, which is almost going out of fashion, is the word 'Covenant'. There was a time when it was the keynote of the theology and the Christian life of strong and holy men. We know how deep in Scotland it entered into the national life and thought. It made mighty men, to whom God, and His promise and power were wonderfully real. It will be found still to bring strength and purpose to those who will take the trouble to bring all their life (Ed: and their marriages) under control of the inspiring assurance that they are living in covenant with a God who has sworn faithfully to fulfill in them every promise He has given. (Two Covenants - Index - Andrew Murray) Related Resources on Covenant: Covenant: As It Relates to Marriage Covenant: Why Study It? Covenant: Introduction Lesson 1 Covenant: Summary Table Lesson 2 Covenant: The Exchange of Robes Lesson 3 Covenant: The Exchange of Armor and Belts Lesson 4 Covenant: Solemn and Binding Lesson 5 Covenant: A Walk Into Death Lesson 6 Covenant: The Oneness of Covenant Covenant: Oneness Notes Lesson 7 Covenant: Withholding Nothing from God Lesson 8 Covenant: Abrahamic versus Mosaic Lesson 9 Covenant: New Covenant in the Old Testament Lesson 10 Covenant: Why the New is Better Lesson 11 Covenant: Abrahamic vs Old vs New Puritan Daily Readings - Genesis 17:2 As Christ stands between the two parties, He is the great Lord Mediator of the new covenant. He is called “Lord, the Son of David.” By condition of nature, He has something of God, as being true God, and something of man, as sharing with us. Hence is He mediator by office, and lays His hands on both parties, as a days-man does (Job 9:33). In which, He has a threefold relation: First, of a friend to both; He has God’s heart for man, to be gracious, and satisfy mercy; and a man’s heart for God to satisfy justice. Second, of a reconciler, to make two one; to bring down God to a treaty of peace; to take Him off law, and high demands of law, which sought personal satisfaction of us; and in His body, to bring us up to God by a ransom paid, and by giving us faith, to draw near to His Father. So He may say, Sister and spouse, come up now to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God; and Father; come down to my brethren, my kindred, and flesh. Third, He is a common servant to both: God’s servant and our servant, “He came not to be served, but to serve, and give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Alas! both parties did smite Him: “It pleased the Lord to bruise him” (Isa. 53:10); “God spared not his own Son” (Rom. 8:32); and the other party, His own, smote Him: “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize on the inheritance” (Matt. 21:38). This was cold encouragement to sweet Jesus. If it had been referred to us, for shame, we could not have asked God to be a suffering Mediator for us. There is more love in Christ than angels and men could fathom in their conceptions. Genesis 17:3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, Ge 17:17 Ex 3:6 Lev 9:23,24 Nu 14:5 16:22,45 Jos 5:14 Judges 13:20 1Ki 18:39 Eze 1:28 3:23 9:8 Da 8:17,18 10:9 Mt 17:6 Rev 1:17 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ABRAHAM HITS THE GROUND IN AWE Abram fell on his face - NLT = "Abram fell face down in the dust." Abram “fell on his face,” and there he stayed throughout the entire revelation. He assumes a posture humility, gratitude and reverence upon hearing the promises of the LORD to establish His covenant with him and multiple his descendants exceedingly. Abram knew God was treating him with grace which he did not deserve. THOUGHT - Have you ever had a special time in the Word and prayer and you sensed His presence in such a unique and special way that all you could do was bow before Him? And God talked with him, saying - A Holy God speaking with a sinful man (even one who is "blameless" Ge 17:1) is nothing short of absolutely amazing grace mixed with mercy and divine condescension! John
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Wiersbe - God’s everlasting covenant also included an everlasting possession: the land of Canaan. This land is a battleground today and always will be until the Lord returns to reign. But as far as God’s covenant is concerned, the land belongs to Israel. The Jews ’ ownership of the land depends solely on God’s gracious covenant with Abraham: God gave them the land. But their possession and enjoyment of the land depends on their faithfulness to obey the Lord. This was the theme of Moses’ messages in Deuteronomy. More than sixty times in that book, Moses told the people they would inherit or possess the land, and at least twenty-five times, Moses reminded them that the land was a gift from the Lord. God’s name was there (Deut. 12:5, 11, 21), and He would watch over the land to bless it, if His people walked in His ways. The only piece of ground all the patriarchs possessed was the cave Abraham purchased from Ephron, the son of Zohar, to become a family burial place (Gen. 23; 49:29–31). Jacob and his family had to leave the land and go to Egypt (Ge 46), but God had promised that they would return to Canaan at the appointed time (Ge 15:13–17). Joshua led them into their land where they conquered the inhabitants and claimed their inheritance. But the people did not stay true to the covenant, so God had to discipline them in the land (Jdg. 2:10–23). He raised up enemy nations to defeat Israel and put her in bondage. Israel was in the land, but she did not control it or enjoy it (Dt. 28:15ff.). During the reigns of David and Solomon, the people enjoyed their inheritance and served the Lord faithfully. But after the kingdom divided, Israel and Judah both decayed spiritually (except for occasional interludes of revival) and ended up in bondage: Assyria defeated Israel, and Babylon conquered Judah. It was then that God disciplined His people outside their land. It was as though He were saying, “You have polluted My land with your idols, so I will put you in a land that is addicted to idols. Get your fill of it! After you have been away from your land for seventy years, maybe you will learn to appreciate what I gave you.’’ (2Ch 36:21, Jer 25:11, 12, Jer 29:10, Da 9:2) God permitted a remnant to return to the land, rebuild the city and the temple, and restore the nation, but it never became a great power again. However, whether Israel is faithful or faithless, the land belongs to her, and one day she will inherit it and enjoy it to the glory of God. Israel’s title deed to the land is a vital part of God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham. (Bible Commentary) And I will be their God - This reiterates Ge 17:7 (to be God to you and to your descendants) and speaks of God's will to be in communion and fellowship with Abraham's offspring. Amazing grace! See the same thought in Ex. 6:7+ and Dt. 29:13+. Possession (property, site) (0272) ahuzzah/achuzzah from achaz = to grasp, to take hold, take possession) is a feminine noun meaning something seized or grasped a picture of the root verb achaz we see when Jacob "took hold" of Esau's heel (Ge 25:26); Samson "took hold" of the city gate (Judges 16:3) and Ruth "held" the cloak as Boaz poured six measures of barley into it (Ruth 3:15). Given this meaning of the root (achaz to seize) it is a somewhat ironic wordplay that the land of Canaan (Israel's inalienable possession) was conquered by Israel "seizing" the promised land as ordained by God. In Psalm 2 the Father makes a promise to His Son declaring "Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the [very] ends of the earth as Your possession. " (Ps 2:8). Ahuzzah is usually translated possession (slaves only in Lev 25:45, 46) or property and has the nuances of either "personal property" or more frequently, "landed property." Jehovah rather than giving the Levites land (although they did own houses in the Levitical cities) would be their possession (Nu 18:20; Ezek. 44:28). In regard to property, ahuzzah refers primarily to the possession of Promised Land in Canaan by Israel. While the Promised Land is said to be the possession of Israel, the true Landlord is the Lord Himself ("for the land is Mine" Lev 25:23) Who Alone is strong and sovereign enough to give Abraham and his seed the land as an everlasting possession. (Ge 17:8), this being the first use of ahuzzah. Ahuzzah refers to a burial site in Ge 23:4,9,20, these burial plots serving the patriarchs as a foretaste of the eventual possession of Canaan by their descendants. Most occurrences of 'achuzzah are in the Pentateuch, Joshua, and Ezekiel 44-48, where this topic is in the forefront. The word is often associated with another noun translated as "inheritance" (nachalah), since the Israelites' land was God's gracious gift to be handed down from generation to generation (Nu 32:32). Ahuzzah - 66x in 58v - possession(40), possessions(2), property(19), site(5). Gen. 17:8; Gen. 23:4; Gen. 23:9; Gen. 23:20; Gen. 36:43; Gen. 47:11; Gen. 48:4; Gen. 49:30; Gen. 50:13; Lev. 14:34; Lev. 25:10; Lev. 25:13; Lev. 25:24; Lev. 25:25; Lev. 25:27; Lev. 25:28; Lev. 25:32; Lev. 25:33; Lev. 25:34; Lev. 25:41; Lev. 25:45; Lev. 25:46; Lev. 27:16; Lev. 27:21; Lev. 27:22; Lev. 27:24; Lev. 27:28; Num. 27:4; Num. 27:7; Num. 32:5; Num. 32:22; Num. 32:29; Num. 32:32; Num. 35:2; Num. 35:8; Num. 35:28; Deut. 32:49; Jos. 21:12; Jos. 21:41; Jos. 22:4; Jos. 22:9; Jos. 22:19; 1 Chr. 7:28; 1 Chr. 9:2; 2 Chr. 11:14; 2 Chr. 31:1; Neh. 11:3; Ps. 2:8; Ezek. 44:28; Ezek. 45:5; Ezek. 45:6; Ezek. 45:7; Ezek. 45:8; Ezek. 46:16; Ezek. 46:18; Ezek. 48:20; Ezek. 48:21; Ezek. 48:22 Skip Heitzig has a lengthy discussion on the promise of land to Abraham's descendants - 300,000 square miles God promised them. Now they have never, ever occupied all that God gave to them. They have only, at the peak of the kingdom under Solomon, occupied 30,000 square miles. They wouldn't have much luck going to all these neighboring countries now, like Egypt and Jordan and Syria and Saudi Arabia and Iraq and Iran, and saying, 'This is our land. God promised it to us. Kindly move out of here.' But I want you to see is this, what God said they would have, they only took one fraction, one tenth, of all that God said He would give to them. And what God told them is this, 'Every place that your foot walks is yours.' They obviously, evidently, didn't believe God for all of it. So even at the peak of their kingdom, under King Solomon, when he expanded the borders, one-tenth of all that God promised they enjoyed. Does that at all sound familiar to you? Think of all the promises that God has made you. How many of them are you enjoying? All of them? Half of them? A small fraction of them? What kind of victory are you living in? What kind of cache of God's promises are you enjoying? I tend to believe we're just living on a small fraction of all that God has for us. Now God, one day, will allow them to enjoy all of that border that He promised them. And that will be in the earthly kingdom outlined so often the Old Testament called the millennium in the New Testament. A thousand year reign of Christ upon the earth. It will be then that their borders will be expanded to all that God gave to them......The covenant that God promises to Abraham for the land that is today the land of Israel, and for the people, what kind of a covenant is it? Unconditional. 'I will bless you, I will make your name great, I will do this, I will do that'. Five times God says, 'I will' and He repeats that same kind of terminology. It's unilateral. It's unconditional. Now we have a problem because God promises them the land through this covenant with Abraham, but later on, in the covenant of Moses, which is a conditional covenant, there are conditions for them in the land. Do you follow me? In Deuteronomy 28-30, God says, 'If you obey Me and you keep My laws, I will bless you in this land. You'll get a lot of rain and crops in this land. You'll subdue all your enemies. If you disobey Me, your enemies will subdue you. In fact, you won't have good crops, you won't have good rain, your enemies will come and take you from this land and you'll be in captivity.' That's chapters 28 and 29 of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 30, the Lord says, 'When you are in captivity, in another land, and there you pray to Me because you realize you've been disobedient and you sort of come to and wake up, and when you're in captivity and you pray to Me and repent and turn back in your heart, then I will take you out of the land to which you were taken captive and bring you back into this good land that I promised to you and to Abraham.' So here's how it works, here's the solution to the problem. The land given to Abraham unconditionally would be theirs unconditionally, perpetually, forever. But their tenure in the land, their occupation of the land, was conditional. How does that work? Doesn't one negate the other? No. God says, 'Here you are. I'll put you in the land. You will disobey me. I will take you out of the land.' That's called the Babylonian captivity. 'You will get spiritually spanked in that land. You will cry out and ask forgiveness in that land. I will bring you back into this land. Now you'll be good girls and boys in that land.' But that wasn't the only time they got expelled. The Romans came in (70 AD), subjugated them, and when the Romans came in and destroyed the temple and destroyed Jerusalem, there were 2,000 years of the Diaspora. Ever heard of the term Diaspora? (ED: SEE Dt 28:64+) The dispersion of the Jews around the world in hundreds of different countries. So they were dispersed and did not have a homeland and people were looking at that and saying, 'You know what? There's not going to be a literal regathering of a literal people in a literal land. All of that is spiritual and figurative and it doesn't matter anymore.' Until May 14, 1948 when Palestine was now called Israel and Jews from all over the world were allowed to go back to their homeland, fulfilling many promises, including Isaiah 11:11, where God says, "I will bring you back the second time into the land." QUESTION - What is the land that God promised to Israel? ANSWER - There is probably no more disputed real estate on earth than the land of Israel. Even calling it “Israel” will raise objections from some quarters. The Jewish people lay claim to the land because they first held possession of it millennia ago and because God directly gave them the land, as recorded in the Bible. In Genesis 12:7, God promises Abram, who had just arrived in Canaan, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Later, in Genesis 15:18, God expands on that unconditional promise: “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (NASB). Then, in Genesis 17:8, God reiterates the promise to Abraham, adding that the land gift is irrevocable: “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.” God later repeats the promise to Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 26:3–4) and Isaac’s son Jacob (Genesis 28:13), whose name God later changed to Israel. In the Abrahamic Covenant, then, God laid out the extent of the land that would belong to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a territory including all of Canaan and stretching from Egypt to modern-day Iraq. Several centuries later, when it came time for the Israelites actually take possession of the Promised Land, God again spoke of a vast area “from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites” (Joshua 1:4, NLT). The promise of land belonging to the children of Israel is permanent. Even when Israel was expelled from their land, which has happened twice in history, God promised they would return: “Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it” (Deuteronomy 30:4–5). This promise is part of what is today sometimes called the Palestinian Covenant or the Land Covenant (Deuteronomy 29:1—30:10). In foretelling the removal of Israel from their land, the Palestinian Covenant anticipated the Babylonian Captivity (586 BC) and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70). In both cases, the promise of the covenant held true: the Jews regained their land and their nation in 537 BC and again in AD 1948. Israel is still in their land, despite the fact that their conquerors, Babylon and Rome, are long gone. All of this reinforces the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that God would establish Israel in their land as His chosen people (Deuteronomy 29:13). The Land Covenant also contains some special promises to Israel that many believe will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial reign of Christ. According to Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4, the land God gave to Israel included everything from the Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (west to east). On today’s map, the land God has stated belongs to Israel includes everything modern-day Israel possesses, plus all of the territory occupied by the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Thus, Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God has promised; the rest of their inheritance likely awaits the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God has given His word that the nation of Israel will never cease as long as the sun still shines by day and the moon and stars still shine by night (Jeremiah 31:35–37).GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Did God give Israel the Promised Land for all time (Deuteronomy 4:40)? ANSWER - In Deuteronomy 4:40 the Lord gave the Israelites this command: “Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.” Does this mean God gave Israel the Promised Land in perpetuity? This passage contains a conditional offer. Israel would have the Promised Land as they kept God’s “decrees and commands.” The Israelites had to obey God’s statutes in order to remain in the land. History reveals that the Israelites often disobeyed, resulting in temporary times of exile from their land. However, the end of this passage notes that God is giving Israel the Promised Land “for all time.” The Hebrew phrase translated “for all time” is a general statement, likely in reference to God’s original promise of a land to Abraham in Genesis 12. There are both a conditional and unconditional aspect to God’s promise. God offered blessings within the Promised Land conditionally, related to the Israelites’ obedience. Yet God also made an unconditional vow that Israel would have the Promised Land “for all time.” (ED: THIS PROMISE IS NOT FOR THE CHURCH WHICH IS NOT THE NATION OF ISRAEL!) How long is “for all time”? In the book of Revelation, we see Israel as a central focus. In the end times, Israel faces many difficulties, yet that tribulation concludes with the Messiah reigning from His throne in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. The book concludes with a new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem. The promise of Deuteronomy 4:40 is a far-seeing promise, extending to the end of this world’s existence and even into the time of the new earth. Many other passages of Scripture support the fact that Israel will possess the Promised Land forever. For example, God spoke to Isaac in Genesis 26:3, saying, “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.” The Lord also spoke to Jacob in Genesis 28:13–14 with similar words: “There above it stood the Lord, and he said: ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.’” See also Psalm 132:14; Isaiah 14;1; and Zechariah 2:3–5, 10–13. Some have suggested that, because of God’s promises to Israel concerning the Promised Land, Christians should support the modern nation of Israel without reservation. Christians have many reasons to support the people of Israel, but this does not mean Christians must agree with every political decision made by the modern Israeli government. Instead, the focus is on God’s spiritual restoration of Israel (Romans 11:26) and the enduring promise to His chosen people.GotQuestions.org Related Resources: What is the Promised Land? | GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is the Palestinian Covenant? (ED NOTE: Some of the provisions under the Palestinian covenant, for example, imposed conditions whereby Israel could continue occupancy of the promised land, but those provisions did not alter the provisions of the Abrahamic agreement. All such additions were of a temporary nature and could not annul the awesome pledge of God to ultimately make good on every single phase of His everlasting promise to Abram. Moreover, the agreement focused on a nation, not a church. The day will assuredly come when Israel will be established before all men in full covenant relationship before God as promised to Abraham here.) ANSWER - The so-called Palestinian Covenant is recorded in Deuteronomy 29:1–29 and Deuteronomy 30:1–10 and was made between God and Israel right before Moses died and Israel entered the Promised Land. The Bible never uses the term “Palestinian Covenant,” and Moses certainly never would have called the land “Palestine,” but the term has become common usage. This covenant is also called the Land Covenant because many of the promises relate to Israel’s possession of the land. God made this covenant with Israel after the Mosaic Covenant and after Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years. God made this covenant with Israel while they were in Moab waiting to go into the Promised Land, and the covenant would serve this new generation of Israelites as a reminder of their special covenant relationship with God. The Palestinian Covenant has many similarities to the Mosaic Covenant made at Mount Sinai but is a separate and distinct covenant as clearly seen in Deuteronomy 29:1. “These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.” Before making this covenant with Israel, God reminded them that if they obeyed the Mosaic Law, He would bless the nation abundantly and warned them that disobedience to the Law would result in His cursing the nation (Deuteronomy 28:1-68). Besides the promises that God would bless them if they obeyed His commandments and curse them if they disobeyed, the Palestinian Covenant also contains some special promises to Israel that many believe will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial reign of Christ. First, God promised to gather the scattered Israelites from all over the world and to bring them back into the land He had promised to their ancestors (Deuteronomy 30:3-5). Second, God promised to regenerate the Israelites of that time and their descendants by circumcising their hearts so that they would love Him totally (Deuteronomy 30:6). Third, God promised to judge Israel’s enemies (Deuteronomy 30:7), and, fourth, He promised that the Israelites would obey God and that God would prosper them in their obedience (Deuteronomy 30:8-9). While some might see these promises being fulfilled when Israel was returned from captivity in Babylon at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, there seem to be some aspects of this that have not been fully realized yet. For example, the promised restoration of Israel to the land would not happen until all the blessings and curses promised them were fulfilled (Deuteronomy 30:1), and we know that Israel as a nation rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah and was once again cursed and cut off from the land when the Romans conquered Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Second, we see that one of the promises in this covenant was that God would circumcise their hearts (Deuteronomy 30:6) so that they and their descendants would obey Him (Deuteronomy 30:8). These same promises are repeated in Jeremiah 32:36-44 and Ezekiel 36:22-38 and are part of the blessings and promises of the New Covenant. Also, it seems that the final or ultimate restoration of Israel to the land and to an everlasting relationship with God is what Paul is looking forward to in Romans 11:25-26 when he says that “a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in and thus all Israel will be saved.” The Palestinian Covenant also serves to reinforce the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob The Palestinian Covenant also serves to reinforce the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that God would establish Israel as His chosen people (Deuteronomy 29:13). Even though God set before Israel the promise of His blessings for obedience and His curses for disobedience, He knew full well they would turn from Him and His covenant and turn to idols. This is why He also promised to one day restore them to the land and have compassion on them (Deuteronomy 30:1-3). Therefore, the ultimate outcome of this covenant does not depend on Israel and its obedience, but instead it depends on God and His faithfulness. The Palestinian Covenant focuses on what God is going to do more than what Israel is supposed to do. While Israel’s prosperity is closely tied to her obedience to God’s commands, and they will still be punished for their disobedience to God, there is coming a day when God will return them to the land (the full extent of the land as outlined in Genesis 15:18-21), and they will possess it, and God will bless them forever. At that time God will circumcise their hearts so they will obey Him (Deuteronomy 30:6). This covenant is again reaffirming the Abrahamic Covenant in that someday the seed of Abraham will possess the Promised Land forever. Unlike the Mosaic Covenant whose promises are conditional upon Israel’s obedience to the Law, ultimate fulfillment of the promises of the Palestinian Covenant are not dependent upon Israel’s obedience. Instead, the Palestinian Covenant is an unconditional, eternal covenant (Ezekiel 16:60) because it is a part of the Abrahamic Covenant and an amplification of it.GotQuestions.org Genesis 17:9 God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. Ps 25:10 103:18 Isa 56:4,5 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ABRAHAM'S RESPONSIBILITY IN THE COVENANT God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep (shamar; Lxx - diatereo) My covenant (beriyth; Lxx = diatheke), you and your descendants after you throughout their generations - Keep (shamar) means to observe conscientiously and is translated in the Septuagint with the verb diatereo which means to keep something mentally (Mary in Lk 2:51 where it is rendered "treasured,"; Jacob in Ge 37:11) with the implication of duration and so to keep carefully (as in use in Acts 15:29 - "keep yourself...") or continually (Thayer). Note that in Ge 17:4, God said, “As for Me” but here He says, “As for you”! While the Abrahamic covenant is considered to be an unconditional covenant, Abraham still had a part to play in the covenant by obeying God and circumcising the males in his house with this sign of the covenant. This is another example of the relationship between faith and works. He could have said "I believe your promises in the covenant," but then refuse to circumcise the males which would have been tantamount to disbelieving (disobeying). In other words, his faith (belief) was demonstrated to be authentic by his obedience ("works"). Faith without works is dead! Note that circumcision was not a new rite in the ancient world, but God gave it new significance. For the descendants of Abraham, circumcision was not an option; it was an obligation. The blessings of the Abrahamic covenant were conditioned on obedience as indicated by the following passages: Genesis 18:19 “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” Genesis 22:18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 26:4-5 “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.” Keep (careful, guard, kept, observe, watch) (08104) shamar means to keep, watch, preserve, to guard, to be careful, to watch over, to watch carefully over, to be on one’s guard. The basic idea of the root is "to exercise great care over." In combination with other verbs the meaning is "do carefully or diligently". Thus Pr 19:8, "Give heed to understanding"; Dt. 11:32, "Be careful (shamar; Lxx = phulasso) to do (asah) (i.e. perform carefully) all the statutes and ordinances) and in Numbers 23:12, speak carefully or faithfully. The first use of shamar in Ge 2:15 is instructive as Adam was placed in the garden (a perfect environment) and was commanded to "keep" it which in the Septuagint is translated with phulasso (which is used to translate many of the OT uses of shamar) which means to guard like a military sentinel would at his post. Clearly Adam did not do a good job at "keeping" the garden safe from intruders! And because of this failure he was cast out of the garden and angels stationed to "guard (Lxx = phulasso) the way to the tree of life" so that he would not eat of it (Ge 3:24+). After Cain murdered Abel he answered God "Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Ge 4:9+) Shamar in Genesis - Gen. 2:15; Gen. 3:24; Gen. 4:9; Gen. 17:9; Gen. 17:10; Gen. 18:19; Gen. 24:6; Gen. 26:5; Gen. 28:15; Gen. 28:20; Gen. 30:31; Gen. 31:24; Gen. 31:29; Gen. 37:11; Gen. 41:35 Theodore Epp - Flesh and Spirit in Conflict Genesis 17:9-21 God did not refuse to bless Ishmael, but He caused Abraham to clearly understand that the covenant would be established with Isaac, who was not yet born. Ishmael was not to be an heir with Isaac. The Scriptures build on this principle in showing that the flesh (Ishmael) cannot be heir with the Spirit (Isaac). In the New Testament the Apostle Paul referred to Ishmael and Isaac and drew a parallel to Christians. Paul was emphasizing that the Christian is made mature through the freedom of the Spirit and not through the bondage of the Law. He wrote: "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free" (Gal. 4:30,31). Paul continued the parallel in Galatians 5 when he said, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal 5:16,17). In this same chapter Paul also wrote: "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal 5:24,25). "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Rom. 7:18). Genesis 17:10 “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. Every: Ge 17:11 34:15 Ex 4:25 12:48 De 10:16 30:6 Jos 5:2,4 Jer 4:4 9:25,26 Ac 7:8 Ro 2:28,29 3:1,25,28,30 4:9-11 1Co 7:18,19 Ga 3:28 Ga 5:3-6 6:12 Eph 2:11 Php 3:3 Col 2:11,12 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries GOD REQUIRES CIRCUMCISION This is My covenant (beriyth; Lxx = diatheke), which you shall keep (shamar; Lxx - diatereo), between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around"). Thus, the Abrahamic covenant, although conveying unconditional promises to Abraham, also included obligations by which individual descendants would express their faith and enjoy the blessings. Circumcision was an act of obedience and faith, but in no way was the Abrahamic promise obtained by fleshly means. It is interesting to note that circumcision was the only surgery mentioned in the Bible outside of God’s surgery on Adam. Note that in this context “Your descendants” refers to Abraham’s “biological” or physical descendants, specifically the nation of Israel. In other words, this obligation does not apply to the spiritual descendants of Abraham as described in Gal 3:29. Wenstrom on My covenant you shall keep - “You shall keep” is the verb shamar (Lxx - diatereo), which means, “to observe conscientiously” in the sense that Abraham and his descendants were to be careful, thoughtful, heedful, attentive, and meticulous in conforming their actions in compliance with the practice of circumcision. (ED: AKA "TO OBEY"!) John
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Wiersbe on circumcision - Unfortunately, the Jewish people eventually made this ritual a means of salvation. Circumcision was a guarantee that you were accepted by God. (Some people today place the same false confidence in baptism, Communion, and other religious rites that can be very meaningful if rightly used.) They did not realize that circumcision stood for something much deeper: the person’s relationship to God. God wants us to “circumcise our hearts’’ (SEE NOTE ABOVE) and be totally devoted to Him in love and obedience (Dt. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Ro 2:28–29). Romans 4:9–12 makes it clear that the physical operation had nothing to do with Abraham’s eternal salvation. Abraham had believed God and received God’s righteousness before he ever was circumcised (Gen. 15:6). Circumcision was not the means of his salvation but the mark of his separation as a man in covenant relationship with God. The legalistic element in the early church tried to make circumcision and obedience to the law a requirement for salvation for the Gentiles, but this heresy was refuted (Acts 15:1–35). In his Galatian epistle, Paul argues convincingly for salvation by grace alone John
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Wiersbe - Three different occasions of laughter are associated with Isaac’s birth: Abraham laughed for joy when he heard his wife would give birth to the promised son (Gen. 17:17); Sarah laughed in unbelief when she heard the news (18:9–15); and Sarah laughed for joy when the boy was born (21:6–7). The name Isaac means “he laughs.’’ Matthew
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Wiersbe writes that "God had already promised to bless Ishmael (Ge 16:11), and He kept His promise (Ge 25:12–16), but the covenant blessings were not a part of Ishmael’s heritage. Isaac alone was to be the heir of all things (Ge 25:5–6; Rom. 9:6–13). THOUGHT - There is a practical lesson here for all who seek to live by faith: When God is preparing a bright future for you, don’t cling to the things of the past. Ishmael represented the past, Isaac the future. Ishmael symbolized man’s fleshly way of accomplishing something for God, but Isaac was a miracle baby, born by the power of God. Ishmael brought dissension into the home, but Isaac brought laughter. If you have an “Ishmael’’ in your life, yield it up to God. God has a perfect plan, and what He plans is the best. It may pain you to give up your cherished dreams, but God’s way is always the right way. Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, wrote to a friend who was perplexed about a painful experience, “I will say what our Heavenly Father said to me long ago, and says to me still very often: ‘See in it a chance to die.’” (ED: If you want a challenge, borrow Elisabeth Elliot's biography of Amy Carmichael "A Chance to Die.") Perhaps we all need to pray, “Oh, that Ishmael might die within me!’’ (Wiersbe) John
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Wiersbe adds an interesting note - Ishmael did not get a new name, because he represents the flesh, and the flesh cannot be changed. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh’’ (John 3:6) and always will be flesh. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing’’ (Ro 7:18). “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing’’ (John 6:63 nkjv). The old nature can be disciplined, subdued, and even to some extent controlled, but it cannot be changed. Until we receive our glorified bodies in the presence of the Lord, the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit will continue (Gal. 5:16–26). Genesis 17:21 “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” my: Ge 21:10-12 26:2-5 46:1 48:15 Ex 2:24 3:6 Lu 1:55,72 Ro 9:5,6,9 Ga 3:29 Heb 11:9 at: Ge 18:10 21:2,3 Job 14:13 Ac 1:7 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Romans 9:6-13+ But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” GOD PREDICTS BIRTH OF ISAAC NEXT YEAR But - Term of contrast. In this case a "change of direction" from Ishmael to Isaac. My covenant (beriyth; Lxx = diatheke) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” God emphasizes a third time that He was establishing His covenant with Isaac and not Ishmael. This is the 9th mention of the phrase "My Covenant" in this chapter alone and the second time God states that the recipient of the covenant would be Isaac! Apparently God wants to make it absolutely clear who is to be the recipient of His covenant promises. Legally, the natural son became the heir, even though born after the son of a slave-wife, but God sovereignly states not so in this case, but with the second born son who was from Sarah not Hagar. To state it another way, in this passage we see God's choice of Isaac is a clear illustration of His doctrine of election, that uncomfortable topic that describes God's choice of who will be saved. NIV Study Bible (BORROW - see page 38) - Paul cites the choice of Isaac (and not Ishmael) as one proof of God's sovereign right to choose to save by grace alone (see Ro 9:6-13 - ED: SEE ABOVE). QUESTION - What is the doctrine of election? ANSWER - An election is a time when people choose who they want to fill certain positions from President on down. An election is a choice. The biblical doctrine of election teaches that God chooses to save some, and, by necessity, if He does not choose everyone, then there are some who are passed over. Those whom He has chosen to save are referred to as “the elect” (see, e.g., Mark 13:20). The Bible teaches that God chooses people based on His own purposes and His desire to show grace to undeserving sinners. Ephesians 1:4–6 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” He chose in love, in accordance with His pleasure and will, so that He would be glorified. God’s election has nothing to do with what the elect would or would not do. God did not choose everyone. If He had, then everyone would come to faith in Christ. He chose some, and He left others to their own desires. Left to ourselves, all of us would continue in our rebellion and reject Christ. God chose to pursue some, convict them of their need, and lead them to faith. It is because of God’s choice that anyone comes to faith in Christ. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44). This is a tough truth to get our minds around. We are tempted to think that we are more just and gracious than God and that He should have chosen everyone. We need to reject that temptation. We are in no place to judge God! It is not as though some are desperately crying out to Him for salvation and He rejects them because He has not chosen them. Those whom God does not choose continue doing exactly what they want—they rebel against God and try to stay as far away from Him as possible. He simply allows them to continue on the path they have freely and willfully chosen. He has, however, chosen to intervene in the lives of some and win them over. He does this so that He might show His love and kindness to people who are undeserving. Some people think that God “chooses” based on the choices that He knows that the elect will make: He knows who will and who will not receive Christ, and He makes His choice based on that. But that would make people the ultimate choosers, with God simply following our choice. Biblically, it is the other way around. God chooses some based on His own purposes, and then, in response to His work in their lives, they choose Him. His choice is first and foundational. Without God’s election, no one would ever turn to Him. Many Christians recoil at the doctrine of election the first time they hear it. But, upon further reflection, most believers will admit that God was at work in their lives, drawing them to Himself long before they were even aware of it. They will recognize that, if He had not intervened, they would have continued in unbelief. The hand of God, working in big ways and little ways, becomes more evident in hindsight. Some object to the doctrine of election on the grounds that it stifles missionary and evangelistic activity. After all, if God has chosen to save some, then they will be saved whether or not anyone takes them the gospel—so why bother? This objection overlooks the truth that hearing and believing the gospel is the means that God uses to save those He has chosen to save. Paul believed and taught election (it is a New Testament doctrine), yet he was zealous like no other in his missionary endeavors. Because he knew that God had chosen to save people through the gospel, Paul proclaimed it boldly and was persecuted for it. He explains, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:10). Paul endured persecution so that the elect will be saved, because the elect cannot be saved without hearing and believing the gospel. Through evangelism, God allows people to participate in His great plan of drawing a people unto Himself from every nation and language on earth. The doctrine of election frees us to share the gospel without pressure or fear of failure. When we share the gospel clearly, we have been obedient, and that is a success. The results are left to God. GotQuestions.org Related Resources from Gotquestions.org Is it possible for a person to be saved but not predestined? What is predestination? Is predestination biblical? What does it mean for something to be foreordained? How are predestination and election connected with foreknowledge? How can I know if I am one of the elect? Who are the elect of God? | GotQuestions.org What is conditional election? | GotQuestions.org Unconditional election - is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org What is corporate election? | GotQuestions.org What does Peter mean when he tells us to make our calling and election sure in 2 Peter 1:10? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 17:22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Ge 17:3 18:33 35:9-15 Ex 20:22 Nu 12:6-8 De 5:4 Judges 6:21 13:20 Joh 1:18 10:30 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries GOD MAKES A DRAMATIC EXIT When He finished talking with him, God (Elohim) went up from Abraham - God's counsel concerning the covenant and circumcision is complete. Went up means basically movement from lower to higher place. The Septuagint uses the verb anabaino which speaks of upward movement as when the two witnesses in Revelation went up into heaven in the cloud (Rev 11:12+). Genesis 17:23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants 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 said to him. circumcised: Ge 17:10-14,26,27 18:19 34:24 Jos 5:2-9 Ps 119:60 Pr 27:1 Ec 9:10 Ac 16:3 Ro 2:25-29 4:9-12 1Co 7:18,19 Ga 5:6 6:15 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Romans 4:9-12+ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. ABRAHAM'S OBEDIENCE IS IMMEDIATE Then - This marks progression in the narrative. God leaves. Abraham obeys. I like the NIV which has "On that very day" which emphasizes that his obedience was immediate. Remember beloved, delayed obedience is disobedience. Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants 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 (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around") the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God (Elohim) had said to him. Abraham's obedience was immediate, for he circumcised himself and his household that same day. Genuine faith obeys. Or stated another way faith that is real, that really saves one's soul, is faith that has works. Faith alone saves, but true faith that saves is never alone! We see this relationship in Hebrews 3:18-19+ which says "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient (apeitheo)? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief (apistia)." Note that disobedient parallels unbelief, as the result is the same for both - they are not allowed to enter God's (salvation) rest! James also uses Abraham as a prime example of faith and works writing "Was not Abraham our father justified (DECLARED RIGHTEOUS) by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” (Ge 15:6) and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (James 2:21-24+) The phrase that causes folks difficulty is "justified by works," but in this context the sense of the verb is shown to be righteous, which is the same way dikaioo is used in Ro 3:4+ which describes God as "justified." Clearly God does not need to be declared righteous but in context is shown to be righteous, the same sense as in James 2:24. Streams in the Desert - “In the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.” (Gen. 17:23) INSTANT obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Every time God call us to any duty, He is offering to make a covenant with us; doing the duty is our part, and He will do His part in special blessing. The only way we can obey is to obey “in the selfsame day,” as Abraham did. To be sure, we often postpone a duty and then later on do it as fully as we can. It is better to do this than not to do it at all. But it Is then, at the best, only a crippled, disfigured, half-way sort of duty-doing; and a postponed duty never can bring the full blessing that God intended, and that it would have brought if done at the earliest possible moment. It is a pity to rob ourselves, along with robbing God and others, by procrastination. “In the selfsame day” is the Genesis way of saying, “Do it now.”—Messages for the Morning Watch. Luther says that “a true believer will crucify the question, Why? He will obey without questioning.” I will not be one of those who, except they see signs and wonders, will in no wise believe. I will obey without questioning. “Ours not to make reply, Ours not to reason why, Ours but to do and die.” Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience, the bloom on the fruit.—Christina Rossetti. Genesis 17:24 Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Ge 17:1,17 12:4 Ro 4:11,19,20 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ABRAHAM'S CIRCUMCISION AT AGE NINETY-NINE Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around") in the flesh of his foreskin - This is quite old to be circumcised for the first time. Apparently men prior to Abraham, like Noah, Enoch, Adam, etc were not circumcised. In Abraham's case, there would seem to be something symbolic about his circumcision at this age for he would soon father a son at age 100. Genesis 17:25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ISHMAEL CIRCUMCISED AT AGE THIRTEEN And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around") in the flesh of his foreskin. Not only the Jews, but the Arabs, who are the descendants of Ishmael, retain the rite of circumcision to this day and follow this Biblical pattern performing circumcision at the age thirteen. Genesis 17:26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. Ge 12:4 22:3,4 Ps 119:60 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ABRAHAM AND ISHMAEL CIRCUMCISED SAME DAY In the very same day Abraham was circumcised (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around"), and Ishmael his son - This fact again emphasizes Abraham's immediate obedience. In John 14:15 Jesus said “If you love Me, you will observe conscientiously My commandments.” Abraham’s obedience demonstrated his love for God in the sense that he honored, respected, revered God and was dedicated and devoted to Him to the point of self-sacrifice. Abraham’s obedience was also confirmation that he indeed was obeying the command to “walk before Me, and be blameless” in Genesis 17:1 and experiencing fellowship with the Lord. Genesis 17:27 All the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. circumcised: Ge 18:19 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ALL MALES WITH ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED All the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him - Presumably they were also circumcised on the same day.