GENESIS
CHAPTER 17
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
OBSERVATION
STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Genesis.
This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that
something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in
view.
I)
[Gen 17:1]:
A)
MORE THAN 13 YEARS AFTER HAGAR BORE A SON, ISHMAEL, TO ABRAM, THE LORD
APPEARS AGAIN TO ABRAM AT 99 YEARS OLD
********** EXCERPT
FROM CHAPTER 16 *********
HAGAR
BORE ABRAM, NOW EIGHTY-SIX, A SON WHOM HE NAMED ISHMAEL, MEANING 'GOD
SEES' WHICH IRONICALLY POINTS TO GOD SEEING ABRAM AND SARAI WORK OUT A
PROBLEM OF CHILDLESSNESS IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROMISE OF THE LORD
****** END
OF EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 16 *****
B)
THE LORD DECLARES TO ABRAM THAT HE IS "EL SHADDAY" = ALMIGHTY,
ALL SUFFICIENT GOD. WITH THIS IN VIEW, GOD COMMANDS ABRAM TO WALK BEFORE
HIM = ACKNOWLEDGE GOD’S HOLINESS, CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ALL THINGS
AND HIS SOVEREIGNTY OVER EVERY THOUGHT WORD AND DEED – AND HE SHALL
BE DECLARED BLAMELESS BY GOD AS AN ACT OF GRACE
C)
WHILE ABRAM WALKS BEFORE THE LORD, I.E., ACKNOWLEDGES HIS HOLINESS,
SOVEREIGNTY AND ALL SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO PROVIDE EVERYTHING, ABRAM IS
THUS DECLARED BLAMELESS = RIGHTEOUS BY GOD AS AN ACT OF GRACE
D)
JUST AS THE LORD DECLARED ABRAM RIGHTEOUS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE WHEN ABRAM
BELIEVED IN A MESSIAH-SAVIOR THROUGH ABRAM TO PROVIDE FOR THE SINS OF
THE WHOLE WORLD, SO THE LORD PROMISED TO DECLARE ABRAM BLAMELESS AS
ABRAM WALKS OPENLY BEFORE HIM
II)
[Gen 17:2]:
A)
FULFILLMENT OF THE LORD’S ALREADY RATIFIED COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
COMES AS ABRAM WALKS OPENLY & PASSIVELY BEFORE GOD ALMIGHTY
ACKNOWLEDGING HIS HOLINESS AND SOVEREIGNTY WHEREUPON THE LORD WILL
MULTIPLY ABRAM EXCEEDINGLY
1)
[Gen 17:4 NKJV]:
III)
[Gen 17:3-8]:
A)
WHEN THE LORD APPEARED TO ABRAM DECLARING TO BE ALMIGHTY GOD, ABRAM FELL
ON HIS FACE IN WORSHIP AND SUBMISSION TO GOD, ACKNOWLEDGING HIS HOLINESS
AND SOVEREIGNTY, WHEREUPON THE LORD CONFIRMED HIS COVENANT AND GAVE
ABRAM THE NAME, ABRAHAM WHICH NAME AND GOD’S TESTIMONY SIGNIFIED
ABRAM WAS A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS
B)
THE LORD WILL MAKE ABRAHAM EXCEEDINGLY FRUITFUL, MAKE NATIONS OF HIM,
AND KINGS WILL COME FROM HIM VIA HIS EVERLASTING COVENANT WHICH INCLUDES
ABRAM’S DESCENDANTS WHO ARE TO RECEIVE THE LAND OF CANAAN. AND GOD
WILL BE THEIR GOD
IV)
[Gen 17:9-14]:
A)
(GEN 17:9-11) ABRAHAM AND HIS HOUSEHOLD AND HIS DESCENDANTS MUST KEEP A
COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION WITH THE LORD. THIS CIRCUMCISION WAS NOT IN
ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LORD'S EVERLASTING COVENANT OF ETERNAL LIFE
IN THE PROMISED LAND; BUT AS A SIGN OF ONE BEING UNDER THAT EVERLASTING
COVENANT
1)
[Compare Ps 32:1-5]:
B)
(GEN 17:11-14) THE CIRCUMCISION COVENANT WAS TO BE A SIGN OF THE
EVERLASTING ABRAHAMIC COVENANT BETWEEN THE LORD AND ABRAM AND EVERY MALE
IN HIS HOUSEHOLD. THEY WERE TO BE CIRCUMCISED FROM 8 DAYS OLD OR BE CUT
OFF FROM ABRAM’S PEOPLE IN THE SENSE OF THE LOSS OF TEMPORAL
PROTECTION AND BLESSINGS
C)
(GEN 17:14) INDIVIDUALS IN ABRAHAM’S HOUSEHOLD WHO ARE NOT
CIRCUMCIZED AS A SIGN OF THEIR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE EVERLASTING
ABRAHAMIC COVENANT ARE CUT OFF FROM ABRAHAM’S HOUSEHOLD, I.E.,
OSTRACIZED FROM TEMPORAL BLESSINGS OF THE LORD THROUGH ABRAHAM UNTIL
THEY ARE CIRCUMCIZED. BUT THEY DO NOT LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ETERNAL
LIFE THROUGH THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT WHICH IS BY A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE
IN A COMING MESSIAH SAVIOR THROUGH THE SEED OF ABRAHAM
V)
[Gen 17:15-16]:
A)
SARAI IS NOW CALLED SARAH = PRINCESS. THE LORD WILL BLESS HER AND GIVE
ABRAHAM A SON BY HER WHEREBY NATIONS AND KINGS OF PEOPLES WILL COME FROM
HER
VI)
[Gen 17:17-22]:
A)
UPON HEARING ONCE MORE THAT THE LORD WILL ENABLE ABRAHAM TO HAVE A CHILD
THROUGH HIS WIFE SARAH, ABRAHAM FELL DOWN ON HIS FACE BEFORE THE LORD IN
WORSHIP AND LAUGHED TO HIMSELF A LAUGHTER OF JOYFUL ACCEPTANCE AND
WONDER THAT HE AT 100 AND SARAH AT 90 WOULD INDEED BEAR A CHILD
B)
GOD ANSWERS ABRAHAM'S QUESTION ABOUT ISHMAEL: "HE WILL
BLESS ISHMAEL, MAKE HIM FRUITFUL, MULTIPLY HIM EXCEEDINGLY, BEGET TWELVE
PRINCES FROM HIM AND MAKE HIM A GREAT NATION; BUT THE THE SON OF
HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM WILL BE BORN OF SARAH AT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR
AND ABRAHAM IS TO CALL HIM ISAAC WITH WHOM GOD WILL ESTABLISH AN
EVERLASTING COVENANT AND HIS DESCENDANTS AS WELL
C)
GOD'S PROMISE TO MAKE ISHMAEL A GREAT NATION IS NOT THE SAME AS HIS
PROMISE TO MAKE ABRAM A GREAT NATION WHICH THE LATTER IS CONNECTED TO
THE LORD'S PLAN OF ETERNAL RECONCILIATION FOR MANKIND AND THE
RESTORATION OF MAN'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE EARTH AND PROVIDES ETERNAL
LIFE FOR ABRAHAM
VII)
[Gen 17:23-27]:
A)
ABRAHAM (99) CIRCUMCIZED ISHMAEL (13) AND EVERYONE IN HIS HOUSEHOLD ON
THE DAY GOD COMMANDED IT
