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The Sign Of The Covenant: Genesis 17:4-27

October 26, 2008

After 13 or more years the Lord appeared to Abram

Genesis 17:1 And when [after 13 or more years] Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make [“confirm,” Net or “give,” YLT] my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

The covenant was already cut

Genesis 15:18 In the same day the LORD made [cut] a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

“As for Me…” God’s side of the covenant

Genesis 17:4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you (Abram), and you shall be a father of many nations.

Genesis 12:2 “And I will make of thee a great nation…”

Genesis 13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

The Lord changes Abram’s name to Abraham

Genesis 17:5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram [exalted father], but your name shall be Abraham [father or chief of a multitude]; for I have made you a father of many nations.

Overcomers are given a new name

Revelation 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."

Abraham’s seed shall rule the world

Genesis 17:6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign [as kings] with him a thousand years.

The seed of Abraham is Christ the King

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

The church is Abraham’s seed – heirs to the promise

Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s [if you belong to Christ], then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Abraham’s promise

Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise…10 For he [Abraham] looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

The city is for kings

Revelation 21:23-24 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Inherit the land

Genesis 28:4And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Inherit the earth

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth [“inherit the land,” YLT].

Inherit the world

Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants [seed] that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. (NET)

Inherit the promises

Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Inherit the kingdom

James 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (NIV)

The new covenant

Luke 22:20,29 And—the cup, in like manner, after the taking of supper, saying—This cup, is the new covenant in my blood, which, in your behalf, is to be poured out. 29 And, I, covenant unto you—as my Father hath covenanted unto me—a kingdom,

The Abrahamic covenant is age-lasting- it necessitates faith

Genesis 17:7-8 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants [seed] after you in their generations, for an everlasting [LXX age-lasting] covenant, to be God to you and your descendants [seed] after you.

8 "Also I will give to you and your descendants [seed] after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting [LXX age-lasting] possession; and I will be their God."

The age-lasting kingdom

Daniel 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given [as an inheritance] to the people of the saints of the most High [the seed of Abraham], whose kingdom is an everlasting [age-lasting] kingdom, and all dominions [of the earth] shall serve and obey him.

2 Peter 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting [age-lasting] kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“As for you…,” Abraham’s side of the covenant

Genesis 17:9-11 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.10 "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;

A covenant has laws and commandments

2 Kings 23:3 Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.

Psalm 132:12 If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore."

Nehemiah 1:5 And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,

Psalm 78:10 They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law,

Circumcision is a sign of the covenant

Genesis 17:11 "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

More than physical

Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

Romans 2:25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

A permanent reminder of the covenant

Genesis 17:12-13 "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 "He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting [LXX age-lasting] covenant.

The sign of the covenant is not an option

Genesis 17:14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

Baptism is the sign of the New Covenant

Colossians 2:11-13 In whom [in Christ] also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Abraham’s seed are baptized members of local churches

Galatians 3:27-29 For as many of you [in the churches of Galatia] as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's [since you belong to Christ], then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

“As for Sarai…”

Genesis 17:15-17 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [princess] shall be her name.16 "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."17 Then Abraham fell on his face [in worship] and laughed [in joy and surprise], and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Isaac is the heir of the covenant promises

Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting [LXX age-lasting] covenant, and with his descendants after him.

“As for Ishmael…”

Genesis 17:20-22 "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year." 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Abraham’s obedience – “…that very same day…”

Genesis 17: 23-27 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.

24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael;

27 and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.