The gospel according to Abraham: Covenant Faithfulness

Genesis 17:1-27 ESV

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham,  for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year." When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old 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. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Rev. Dwight Yoo

This passage is the formalizing of the covenant between God and Abraham.

The call of the covenant

God promises all these things at first. Then, now, we see Abraham's part of this agreement. God calls Abraham to walk before me and be blamelessly before Him. This really means God wants Abraham to reorient his entire life around God. A life fully dedicated to God.

In those times, there are often these king-vassal agreements. The king sets the terms and the vassal must agree. There is no negotiating. The greater king has the full right to demand everything. God is the king of kings. He has every right to demand this. But God approaches this differently. He promises to make a great multitude of nations of Abraham. Kings will come from him. The promises of God grow more expansive over time. Not only this, but He promises to be a personal God to these people. God wants a relationship like marriage. Close and intimate love relationship like no other. Marriage is an illustration of what God wants with His people. God yearns to be with His people.

The sign of the covenant

God gives a physical tangible sign of His promises. But why circumcision? It was a reminder to Abraham that God had marked His people. It also reminded Abraham that God promised much to his descendants. Not only this, but to reject this, was to reject God. It is the equivalent of rejecting a proposal. The ring is a sign to marriage... To reject it, means that they are not bound. That is why rejecting this sign is so serious. Not only this, but these say something of the heart of God. God is a romantic. He leaves love notes for His people. And He is a reassuring father. He loves us no matter what we have done.

The fulfillment of the covenant

What is the sign for us today, if it is no longer circumcision?

God promises a son to Abraham through Sarai at the ages, respectively, of one hundred and ninety. An impossible promise.  Through Jesus, a descendent of Abraham, another impossible circumstance. Born of a virgin and God.  So now households are no longer circumcised. They are now baptized. There is no longer blood, because we are covered by the blood of Christ. Communion reminds us that God is near. The Holy spirit testifies that we are children of God.