17:1The LORD told Abram, “! am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithtully and live a blameless life.” God has the same message for us today. We are to obey the LORD in every respect because he is God—that is reason enough. If you don’t think the benefits of obedience are worth it, consider who God is— the only one with the power and ability to meet your every need.
Life Application Study BibleGenesisChapter 17
Genesis 17
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 30, 31, 32
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
17Genesis 17
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “Jam El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2T will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” 3At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, 4“This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 5What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham,* for you will be the father of many nations. 61 will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! 7“T will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
The Mark of the Covenant
8Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. 10This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. 11You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. '¢From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. 13All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. 14Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.” Sarai ls Named Sarah 15Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.* 16And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will biess her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.” 17Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 18So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” 19But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac,* and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” 22When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham. 23Qn that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. 26Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, 27along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.
Textual footnotes
- 17:5 Abram means “exalted father’; Abraham sounds like a Hebrew term that means “father of many.”
- 17:15 Sarai and Sarah both mean “princess.” 17:19 /saac means “he laughs.”
Life Application Notes 7 notes
17:2-8Why did God repeat his covenant to Abram? Twice before, he had mentioned this agreement (Genesis 12 and 15). Here, however, God was bringing it into focus and preparing to carry it out. He revealed to Abram several specific parts of his covenant: (1) God would give Abram many descendants; (2) many nations would descend from him; (3} God would maintain his covenant with Abram’s descendants; (4) God would give Abram’s descendants the land of Canaan.
17:5Inthe Bible, people's names were very important—a name described a person’s character or experience. Therefore, shortly before the promised son was conceived, God changed Abram’s Name (which meant “exalted father” to Abraham (which meant “father of many”). From this point on, the Bible calls him Abraham.
17:5-14God was making a covenant, or contract, between himself and Abraham. The terms were simple: Abraham would obey God and circumcise all the males in his household; God’s part was to give Abraham heirs, property, power, and wealth. Most contracts are even trades: We give something and, in turn, receive something of equal value. But when we become part of God's covenant family, the blessings we receive far outweigh what we must give up.
17:9,10Why did God require circumcision? (1) As a sign of obedience to him in all matters. (2) As a sign of belonging to his covenant people. Once circumcised, the man would be identified as one of God’s chosen people (eventually the Jews) forever. (3) As a symbol of “cutting off” the old life of sin, purifying one’s heart, and dedicating oneself to God. (4) Possibly as a health measure. Circumcision more than any other practice separated God’s people from their pagan neighbors. In Abraham’s day, this was essential to develop the pure worship of the one true God.
17:17-27How could Abraham doubt God? It seemed incredible that he and Sarah in their advanced years could have a child. Abraham, the man God considered righteous because of his faith, had trouble believing God’s promise ta him. Despite his doubts. however, Abraham followed God’s commands (17:22-27). Even people of great faith may have doubts. When God seems to want the impossible and you begin to doubt his leading, be like Abraham. Focus on God’s commitment to fulfill his promises to you, and then continue to obey.
17:20God did not forget Ishmael. Although he was not to be Abraham's heir, he would aiso be the father of a great nation. Regardless of your circumstances, God has not forgotten you. Obey him and trust in his plan.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Personality profile · page 31
Profile: Ishmael
Have you ever wondered if you were born into the wrong family? We don’t know much about how Ishmael viewed life, but that question must have haunted him at times. His life, his name, and his position were bound up in a conflict between two jealous women. Sarah (Sarai), impatient with God's timetable, had taken matters into her own hands, deciding to have a child through another woman. Hagar, servant that she was, submitted to being used this way. But her pregnancy gave birth to strong feelings of superiority toward Sarah. into this tense atmosphere, Ishmael was born. For 13 years Abraham thought Ishmael’s birth had fulfilled God’s promise. He was surprised to hear God say that the promised child would be Abraham and Sarah’s very own. Sarah’s pregnancy and Isaac’s birth must have had a devastating impact on Ishmael. Until then he had been treated as a son and heir, but this late arrival made his future uncertain. During Isaac’s weaning celebration, Sarah caught Ishmael teasing his half brother. As a result, Hagar and Ishmael were permanently expelled from Abraham’s family. Much of what happened throughout his life cannot be blamed on Ishmael. He was caught in a process much bigger than he was. However, his own actions showed that he had chosen to become part of the problem and not part of the solution. He chose to live under his circumstances rather than above them. The choice he made is one we must all make. There are circumstances over which we have no control (heredity, for instance), but there are others that we can control (decisions we make). At the heart of the matter is the sin-oriented nature we have all inherited. It can be partly controlled, although not overcome, by human effort. In the context of history, Ishmael’s lite represents the mess we make when we don't try to change the things we could change. The God of the Bible has offered a solution. His answer is not control but a changed life. To have a changed life, turn to God, trust him to forgive your sinful past, and begin to change your attitude toward him and others.
• One of the first to experience the physical sign of God’s covenant, circumcision
• Known for his ability as an archer and hunter
• Fathered 12 sons who became leaders of warrior tribes
Strengths and accomplishments
Failed to recognize the place of his half brother, Isaac, and mocked him
Weakness and mistake
• God’s plans incorporate people’s mistakes
Lesson from his life
• Where: Canaan and Egypt
• Occupation: Hunter, archer, warrior
• Relatives: Parents: Hagar and Abraham. Half brother: Isaac
Vital statistics
Key verses “But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, ‘Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants’ ” (Genesis 21:17, 18). Ishmael’s story is told in Genesis 16-17; 21:8-20; 25:12-18; 28:8, 9; 36:1-3. He is also mentioned in 71 Chronicles 1:28-31; Romans 9:7-9; Galatians 4:21-31.
🗺 This feature includes a map, chart or picture — view the original page image.