Genesis Chapter 17 The Adoption

Genesis 17:1 & 2

When Avram was 99 years old ADONAI appeared to Avram and said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Walk in my presence and be pure-hearted. I will make my covenant between me and you, and I will increase your numbers greatly."

Now, we see that God identifies Himself as El Shaddai, which is often translated as “God Almighty,” but it is actually made up of three Hebrew words that literally mean “the God that is enough.” This description reminds Avram, as well as us, that we know God through the experiences of Him acting in our lives.

Avram is instructed to continually walk with God and doing so will cause him to be pure-hearted. The Hebrew word “tamim” is translated here as pure-hearted, and it means to recognize your insufficiency which causes you to rely on God.

The Hebrew word “meod” is translated here as “greatly,” but it is actually used twice in the Hebrew texts and it speaks of the fact that the effect will be both in this world and in eternity.

Why did God appear to Avram again to confirm the promise that had already been given? In chapter 16, we saw Avram have a lapse of faith and the result was a son named Ishmael. Now, God appears to Avram and reminds him that He is El Shaddai, the One who has the ability to provide.

In a time of doubt, Avram had conceived a son, but God reminds him that it was not the son that He had promised. We also see how much God loves children in the fact that He tells Avram to walk before Him and be blameless even though the son was not the promised child.

Like Avram, we all have lapses of faith in our lives, but God also calls us to accept His forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ, we can also be blameless.

Genesis 17:3–5

Avram fell on his face, and God continued speaking with him: "As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Avram, but your name will be Avraham, because I have made you the father of many nations."

Avram fell facedown in worship of God, which is the normal reaction when a man comes into the presence of El Shaddai. We see God's authority over Avram's life established by the changing of his name to Avraham.

The custom of the day was that the father of a child chose the name of his child. In renaming Avram, it was established that he was adopted into the family of God. As the head of the family, it was God's right and duty to give him a new name that was fitting.

While Avram meant “exalted father,” Avraham means “father of many,” which was in keeping with God's promise to him.

As Christians, we too will be given a new name by the One who has authority. This new name will be written on a white stone and will only be known by the bearer of the stone. See Revelation 2:17. This too is a demonstration of God's love and authority over our new lives.

Genesis 17:6–8

I will cause you to be very fruitful. I will make nations of you, kings will descend from you. "I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you. I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena'an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."

Once again, we see the Hebrew word “meod” twice in the Hebrew texts and translated here as “very,” but we must remember that it is speaking of both this world and eternity.

God promises that kings would come from Avraham and, although it could refer to the kings of Israel as well as Jesus Christ, it also refers to the fact that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are a royal priesthood or servants of the King of Kings.

God gives His obligations and promises as part of the adoption contract. He renewed the promise of children and also the possession of the land of Canaan.

This land is the country of Israel today and, even though there is much arguing about who owns the land, we can say that all of it belongs to Israel. We should take note that God said it was their everlasting land and so cannot be given or taken away by any man.

Genesis 17:9–11

God said to Avraham, "As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation. Here is my covenant, which you are to keep, between me and you, along with your descendants after you: every male among you is to be circumcised. You are to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; this will be the sign of the covenant between me and you."

Every contract has rights and responsibilities and now God lays out Avraham's responsibility. This contract was to be binding on all of his descendants and they were all to be circumcised.

This physical sign was a picture of the coming circumcision of the heart.

Genesis 17:12–14

Generation after generation, every male among you who is eight days old is to be circumcised, including slaves born within your household and those bought from a foreigner not descended from you. The slave born in your house and the person bought with your money must be circumcised; thus my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who will not let himself be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin—that person will be cut off from his people, because he has broken my covenant."

We see a picture of what is known as the age of accountability in the fact that boys were not required to be circumcised until they were eight days old. Throughout the Bible, the number eight is associated with resurrection and a new creation.

This is a reminder that, with the circumcision, the males were being set apart and marked as God's people. This physical circumcision marking was a shadow of the mark that we have through the Holy Spirit as Christians.

We also see that this covenant was made available to Gentiles who were purchased by Avraham and his descendants. This was a stumbling block for the early church as they did not understand that Jesus came for the Gentiles as well as the Jews, and it was pictured in the covenant of circumcision.

Finally, we see that the punishment for not going through with the act of circumcision was that they were to be cut off, separated, from their people. In the same way, those who reject the circumcision of the heart through Jesus Christ will be separated from God for all eternity. God is just in this because they have broken the terms of the contract.

Genesis 17:15 & 16

God said to Avraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are not to call her Sarai; her name is to be Sarah. I will bless her; moreover, I will give you a son by her. Truly I will bless her: she will be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

God changed Sarai's name, which means mockery, to Sarah, which means princess, and we are reminded that, when God changes a person's name, it is a reminder that they have become His children.

He renews His promise to provide sons to carry on the covenant.

Genesis 17:17 & 18

At this Avraham fell on his face and laughed—he thought to himself, "Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah give birth at ninety?" Avraham said to God, "If only Yishma'el could live in your presence!"

We notice that Abraham fell facedown as God spoke to him, which is the normal reaction for men. Then, he laughed in unbelief as he could not get past the physical limitations of man.

In his unbelief, he asked God to bless Ishmael instead of trusting in God's promise. This unbelief has built a lasting legacy as even today the descendants of Ishmael reject the promise of God which was made known through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Genesis 17:19–22

God answered, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you are to call him Yitz'chak. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. But as for Yishma'el, I have heard you. I have blessed him. I will make him fruitful and give him many descendants. He will father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Yitz'chak, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year." With that, God finished speaking with Avraham and went up from him.

God agreed to bless Ishmael, meaning Avraham would not have to worry about producing a son like he had worried. Instead, God promised that Ishmael would be the father of twelve rulers and a great nation.

This great nation speaks of the fact that they would be great in number but not great in pleasing God. This great nation was speaking of those who follow the teachings of Islam.

Although God agreed to bless Ishmael, He made it clear that the descendants of Isaac would be known as His people. Ishmael would be the father of a great nation but not the father of the promised nation.

This was said twice in this passage and we must remember that, throughout the Bible, the number two is associated with truth as matters were established on the word of two witnesses.

Genesis 17:23–27

Avraham took Yishma'el his son, all the slaves born in his house and all who had been bought with his money, every male among the people in Avraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin that very day, just as God had said to him. Avraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and Yishma'el his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Avraham and Yishma'el his son were circumcised on the same day; and all the men in his household, both slaves born in his house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

We see that Avraham was obedient and all the males in his household were circumcised. This confirmed the covenant and was a physical sign to the world of God's giving them the land of Canaan and being their God.

This was a picture of the covenant of Christ that was to come through His blood and the circumcision of men's hearts.