Genesis 17:1-26

17:1 | In telling Abram to walk before Him, God asked for Abraham’s submission and silence - his wholehearted obedience. Abram could not become the person he should be until he stopped trusting in himself and his schemes and strategies. In the Hebrew, Almighty God (El Shaddai) suggests a majestic mountain, lofty and lasting - in which there is a crevasse for protection.

Abram and Sarai’s original names honored pagan dieties. Now that God had promised they would be father and mother of nations, including the Hebrew people, He gave them new names that signified their relationship with the one true God. The Lord changed the name of Abram from “Exalted Father” to Abraham “Father of Multitudes” and changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. Both Sarai and Sarah mean “Princess” but the new name has a new dimension: she would henceforth be a Princess of God.

17:7-8 | This was an everlasting covenant - so even if Abraham’s descendants proved faithless, God would remain faithful in fulfilling His promises (Gal. 3:17; Rev. 21:7).

17:10-12 | Circumcision was the symbol of the Lord’s gracious covenant with Abraham, just as the Sabbath symbolized His gracious covenant with Moses (Ex.20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15). Every Jewish male child was to be circumcised eight days after birth (Lev. 12:3) - just the right time biologically speaking. The eighth day presents fewer concerns of infection, and some also suggest that an infant’s blood coagulates better at this time.

17:17 | Both Abraham’s laughter here and Sarah’s in 18:12 anticipate the wonderful conclusion to the story in 21:1-7; the Lord would ultimately laugh with them in indescribable joy.

17:18-21 | For the first time, God revealed the identity of the son of the covenant: Isaac. The Lord also clarified that Sara… shall bear him. Although Ishmael was not the promised son, God kept His word to make him fruitful: his descendants are citizens of some of the wealthiest nations in the world today.

17:23-27 | Abraham obeyed precisely, both as a parent and personally.