Or, Guarantees from God Almighty
Scripture: Genesis 17:1-8
Date: June 12, 2016
Speaker: Sean Higgins
13 years is a long time to get attached. Abram ages 13 years in between the last verse of chapter 16 and the first verse of chapter 17. So does his son Ishmael.
After rereading chapter 16, there isn’t anything that would make Abram think that Ismael was not the son of promise. From his perspective, the fact that the angel of the LORD turned Hagar back to him and the fact that the angel of the LORD promised Hagar an unnumbered multitude of offspring would overlap with the revelation he received.
Hagar (and Ishmael’s) presence brought conflict to Abram’s home. There’s no reason to think that the strife stopped after their return. But in light of the amount of time since Ishmael’s birth, the lack of any further revelation from God, and the reality that Abram and Sarai had grown too old to produce children themselves would have left Abram assuming that Ishmael was his man.
Even in the first part of the dialogue in chapter 17, when the LORD appears to Abram and guarantees the covenant (17:1-8) and gives circumcision as the seal/sign of the covenant (9-14), no hint of another son is found; Abram wasn’t looking for one either.
His response in 17:18 confirms it. When God explicitly promises Abram a son through Sarai, Abram not only laughs at the idea that such an old couple could have a child, but he also asks God to choose Ishmael. God had other promises.
There are a couple ways to outline the chapter. One way is to observe two scenes in chapter 17, Scene One, verses 1-22, is a dialogue between God and Abraham wherein God explains the Covenant Responsibilities (for God Himself verses 3b-8, for Abraham verses 9-14, and for Sarah verses 15-21). Scene Two, verses 23-27, describes Abraham’s Covenant Observance.
Another way to outline the chapter is to observe the series of five speeches that God makes to Abram (verses 1-2, 3-8, 9-14, 15-16, and 19-21). We’ll look at the first two speeches in verses 1-8 this morning, though the key outline will be from the second speech. God’s first speech comes in verses 1-3.
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. (Genesis 17:1-3)
Yahweh appeared again and announced Himself as God Almighty, El Shaddai, kyrios pantokratōr in Greek, Deus omnipotens in Latin. The title speaks of His complete, total power, and appears in the Pentateuch and over thirty times in Job. It emphasizes God’s power especially in contexts of personal need, such as barrenness, rather than the cosmic governance attributed to Elohim.
This is not the first time that Abram received commands along with the promises, but walk before Me and be blameless are perhaps the first moral commands. Previously Abram was commanded to “leave” (12:1); “lift up your eyes” (13:14); “fear not” (15:1); “look upward” (15:5); and “bring Me” (15:9).
God requires ongoing obedience from Abram, a life entirely devoted to God. To walk before Me means to recognize that all one does, every step taken and word spoken, is seen by God; it happens right in front of Him. We make different decisions when we know that certain persons are watching. To the degree that we consciously ambula coram Deo—walk before the face of God—we live with a single purpose.
That is related to the second requirement to be blameless. The Hebrew word tamim refers to the idea of being whole, complete. One Hebrew dictionary defines it as “entirely in accord with truth and fact” (BDB). We would also use the word integrity; being consistent and undivided. The LORD identified Noah as blameless before the flood (Genesis 6:9). The point is not necessarily that Abram was to be sinless, but that he was “not of a deceitful or double mind” (Calvin). There were to be no inconsistencies, no hidden compartments.
I’m disappointed with the ESV at the start of verse 2 because it makes the promise sound conditional, or at least cause and effect: “ be blameless, (in order) that I may….” As if God said, “If you, Abram, obey, then I will do My part” (as the NIV translates). Most other translations make it a coordinate clause, which fits with the Hebrew conjunction: “And I will establish” (NAS, NKJV, NRSV). Obedience and promise are related but parallel, this promise is not contingent on obedience.
God Almighty has made the promise, but that doesn’t mean Abram has nothing to do. Earlier in chapter 15 God alone walked between the divided animals as a demonstration of His shouldering of responsibility. Abram has always needed to obey, but the entire enterprise was God’s.
Everything in God’s pursuit of Abram and promises to Abram are gracious (undeserved) and generous (beyond what we could ask or think). And isn’t it gracious again in light of Abram (and Sarai’s) lack of faith in chapter 16?
Though Abram was commanded to a certain kind of life by God the Powerful, this life is also in response to God the Promise-fulfiller, Future-Maker. This is not a new covenant different than that in chapter 12 or 15; it reaffirms those revelations. The word covenant occurred only once in chapter 15 but, in chapter 17, it occurs thirteen times (verses 2, 4, 7 [twice], 9, 10, 11, 13 [twice], 14, 19 [twice], 21) (Hamilton, 463).
[It is] as if God had said, ‘See how kindly I indulge you: for I do not require integrity from you simply on account of my authority, which I might justly do; but whereas I owe you nothing, I condescend graciously to engage in a mutual covenant.’ (Calvin)
How else would we expect Abram to respond? He fell on his face. Before, in chapter 15, he questioned. If this is fear, it is reverent fear and awe-driven worship of such a Creator and covenant Maker.
Then we come to God’s second speech, and there are three guarantees from God Almighty.
The first guarantee regards specificity to the multitude of offspring coming from Abram.
And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:3b-4)
I really like the visible pattern in the NAS in verses 4, 9, and 15. In verse 4, As for Me, then in verse 9, “As for you,” and verse 15, “As for Sarai your wife.” Though verse 4 is more precisely translated, “I, behold, my covenant is with you,” the emphasis is that God puts Himself first. “For My part, I myself will do this.”
You shall be the father of a multitude of nations It is true that a nation and many princes came from Ishmael (see verse 20). At this point, I think we should assume Abram still had Ishmael in mind as the fulfillment of the covenant. For us, however, who also read the apostle Paul, we know that Abraham is the father of all those who believe (Romans 4:17-18), even among the Gentiles.
Names often mean something, this is the first time in the Bible that a name is changed.
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. (Genesis 17:5)
The LORD changes Abram’s name to designate and always remind him of the promise. Ab means “father,” Abram meant “exalted father.” Abraham means “father of a multitude.” God changes his name based on a future yet to be seen; Abram still doesn’t have even one child.
God refers to a multitude of nations again.
I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. (Genesis 17:6)
Previously Abraham was promised that a nation would come from him, now nations and kings. A multitude of offspring, a multitude of people groups, a multitude of men excising dominion as image bearers taking dominion and ruling on earth. He will be exceedingly fruitful, which must have seemed as possible as an orchard growing in a rock quarry.
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. (Genesis 17:7)
God’s promises to be God to Abraham and to his offspring forever, that He will be their God (verse 8) is the sleeper but supreme promise of all these guarantees, similar to being the shield and reward in 15:1. Sons and offspring are good. Land is good, too, promised previously and again in verse 8. But this covenant relationship tops all.
An emphasis is also that this is an everlasting covenant, a permanent one. This confirms that the promise from God is God’s purpose even though Abram has responsibilities.
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.” (Genesis 17:8)
God called Abram from Ur to the land of Canaan and He brought Abram back to the land of Canaan from Egypt. Yahweh has promised the land to Abram. It is part of the package. There is no reason to see the land as a metaphor any more than interpreting sons or kings or nations as metaphors. It will be an everlasting possession.
The rest of chapter 17 adds responsibility for Abraham as he receives the covenant sign of circumcision. Sarai is also a key piece as the child of the covenant will come from her; it won’t be Ishmael. God continues to exercise their faith.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. (Hebrews 11:8–12)
In Christ, we who believe are adopted as children of Abraham. The expansion of God’s blessing to the Gentiles does not mean, however, that God’s promise to bless His elect nation through Abraham (and Isaac) is canceled. He is still El Shaddai, He is still at work, and by grace He is now our God. We have every reason to walk before Him in faith and obedience.