Genesis 17:9

The Bible says in Genesis 17:9, “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.” In the previous chapters God had spoken to Abraham over and over about the covenant that God had made with Abraham. Great promises were made to Abraham. God confirmed the promises and restated them many times, and Abraham believed the promises. Because Abraham believed, it was accounted unto him for righteousness. But not only are we to believe in God and His promises, we are to act upon our belief in Him by obeying His will, which sometimes requires making changes in our life. That is the point that is being made in this verse and also in the following verses. God will do something wonderful for us, and there is often something for the believer to do also. “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.”

What specifically did God want Abraham to do? God wanted Abraham to be circumcised because of the symbolic meaning to circumcision. The Bible says in Genesis 17:10-14, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” To correctly interpret this passage on circumcision and to understand the symbolic meaning to circumcision; it’s important to know the correct meaning of the word “token” in Genesis 17:11.

By the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul explained the meaning of the word “token” in Romans 4:9-12. Paul wrote, “Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.” God said in Hebrews 17:11 that circumcision “shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.” By the Holy Spirit Paul wrote of the “sign of circumcision.” The word that is translated “token” means “sign” in the Hebrew language. In this context a “sign” is something that symbolizes something else. Circumcision symbolizes the need to put aside the sinful deeds of the flesh. But faith came before circumcision, and it was the faith that justified Abraham, not the circumcision.

Circumcision is the cutting away of the flesh. The flesh symbolizes the sinfulness of man. Therefore, circumcision symbolizes the cutting away of the sinfulness of man. The Bible says in Romans 2:28-29, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” The message here is that God wants believers to change their lives and to become better people. “Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord.” Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” There is nothing more important than to believe. But once you believe, God’s will is for you to start improving your life. Beware of not having a true commitment. Remember that God said to Abraham, “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”

Of course, Paul is making the point in Romans 4:9-12 that circumcision has nothing to do with being made righteous before God. Righteousness comes by faith. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. And Abraham believed God many years before Abraham was circumcised. This fact alone proves that circumcision does not help a person to be justified. Justification does not come by any works of any kind. Justification comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible says in Genesis 17:15-16, “And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.” The name Sarah means “princess.” Kings are born from a princess. Abraham was given his new name, and now God gives Sarah a new name also. God was emphasizing that Abraham’s promised heir would come through the unity of Abraham and Sarah: not from an adopted child, or from another relative, or from any other means. God decided that kings would be born from Sarah and Abraham. This decision of God’s gives us some insight into the destiny of human beings. Not everything is decided by our own behavior or the consequences of our behavior. Some things are decided beforehand by God’s own choices and decisions.

Though Abraham and Sarah were very old, God very clearly told Abraham that Sarah and Abraham would have a child. Abraham’s response is found in Genesis 17:17, “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” This initial response was not the response of faith. Sadly, Christians sometimes respond to God with a lack of faith. When confronted with some difficulty, we often tend to look at it from a human standpoint, and we forget for a while that God can do anything and that He knows what is best. Jesus reminded us, “With God all things are possible.” We all have things that are impossible for us to do in our own human strength, but Jesus can do them. We might have to wait many years just like Abraham had to wait, but we must look at things from the eyes of faith. We must always remind ourselves that God can do all the things that we cannot do ourselves.

Abraham was still trying to impose his will upon God. The Bible says in Genesis 17:18, “And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!” Abraham was still convinced that he and Sarah could not have a son, and so maybe Ishmael could be named the heir. But maybe the reason that God waited so long to give the son to Abraham was because of the lessons that Abraham needed to learn. God wants us to grow in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our personal relationship with Christ is what is important. That is why God is constantly working in our lives, leading us in paths that will challenge our faith so that our faith in Him can be exercised and become stronger. God was patient with Abraham, and He is patient with us. The Bible says in Genesis 17:19, “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.” Since our lives on this earth are so short, it is wonderful to have an everlasting covenant from God. After all, a covenant that is only good for this life is not of much value compared to one that is for eternity. That is why Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man should he gain the whole world but lose his own soul, or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

God said to Abraham in Genesis 17:20-21, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.” God made a promise concerning Ishmael and a promise concerning Isaac. It was a great promise to Ishmael: a promise concerning life on this earth. We all need God’s care and help and guidance in our lives on this earth, but a promise about eternity is greater than a promise about this life. The promise concerning Isaac was a greater promise, because it was the promise that ultimately had to do with the plan of salvation for the human race. That is what Abraham’s seed was all about. The Messiah would come, but before he would come a people would be established. Out of that people, the nation of Israel, the Messiah would be born. And in Him would all the nations of the earth be blessed. Everyone can find salvation through faith in Jesus Christ because God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham.

The Bible says in Genesis 17:22-27, “And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.” It is good to hear the promises of God, and of course, it is important to believe the promises. But it does not do any good to say that you believe, if you do not also obey. God commanded that circumcision take place, and Abraham obeyed. We live in a day when people compromise the truth. We live in a day when people justify their disobedience. The commands of God are very clear. If you believe, then obey them. Jesus said in Mark 10:19, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.”

The Bible says in Genesis 18:1-8, “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.”

The Lord visited Abraham, and these verses go into great detail to explain how much Abraham welcomed the Lord and received the Lord with enthusiasm. There is a spiritual symbolism to this passage. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to visit everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to receive the Lord. Not receiving and not welcoming Christ is the biggest mistake that anyone will ever make. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

___________________________________________________