Genesis 17 has several significant events. Here are the first two: another confirmation of the promise and changing Abram’s name to Abraham:

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.” (Genesis 17.1 – 8, ESV)

It’s all there: nations, an everlasting covenant with God, and the land.

The next new thing in Genesis 17 is Abraham’s part of the covenant:

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. (Genesis 17.9 – 11, ESV)

“Every male…shall be circumcised.” It’s an odd sign, I think, but what I think is irrelevant. Two things stand out to me:

• Abraham obeyed immediately

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. (Genesis 17.22 – 23, ESV, emphasis mine)

• The requirement of circumcision did NOT carry over to Gentile believers in Jesus.

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question….Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God… (Acts 15.1, 2…19)

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but…

• keeping the commandments of God (1 Corinthians 7.19)
• faith working through love (Galatians 5.6)
• a new creation (Galatians 6.15)

There’s more in Genesis 17. Stay tuned!