Here’s audio, and here’s notes:
Genesis 17 “Abrahamic Covenant”
Intro: None of us are going to heaven unless we have surgery—we must go under the knife.
-We must have our old hearts removed and be given a new heart by Christ.
-SPIRITUAL SURGERY: God supernaturally removing the old heart and giving a new heart of a sinner.
-We have the first glimpse of this in our passage in concept of circumcision
-A right understanding of circumcision and its fulfillment in Christ is greatly helpful in follow Christ!
-It will help us to say no to sin, to love our neighbor, and to treasure Jesus.
CONTEXT: Abram (12-25); God called out of his land to come to Caanan at age 75.
-Promise and Protection: God makes a promise to bless Abram, give land, and descendants.
-Abram’s response is mix of faith and folly: sometimes trusts and other times acts out of fear, sin and folly.
-God continues to protect his promise even when Abram sins.
–Today: God’s promise is restated and filled, along with a call to respond in faith; also key idea of circumcision
- GENESIS 17: PROMISE RESTATED & ELABORATED AND A CALL TO RESPOND THROUGH CIRCUMCISION
1. God’s Promise Restated and Elaborated (1-8)
-God has already promised to give Abram the land and make him a great nation multiple times (12, 15)
-Today, we see the promise restated and elaborated with more details.
-Abram is 99 (1a): 24 years since he first heard the promise, and 13 years since his misstep with Hagar and birth of Ishmael
-You and I think we have to wait a long time… but Abram had to wait 25 years!
-LORD Appears to Abram (1b-2)
-“God Almighty”=El Shaddai
-Name speaks of God’s OMNIPOTENCE: All-powerful
-“Walk before me, and be blameless” (1c)
-Call to live a holy life before God
-“that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly” (2)
-God is going to seal the covenant he already spoke of in Genesis 12 and 15
-Abram Falls on his face (3)
-Right response to a holy God
-God’s Covenant with Abram and a new Name (4-8)
-God is making his covenant with Abram—his solemn agreement (4a)
-Abram will be a father of a multitude of nations (4b)
-Expansion of previous promise—now he will father nations!
–NEW NAME: Abraham (5)
–ANE: Name was attached to your destiny.
–Winter Olympics: Illia Malinin “Quad God”
-God’s promise elaborated and added to (6-8)
-“Kings will come from you” =David, Solomon, Josiah, JESUS!
-“Everlast covenant”=will continue to Abraham’s future generations.
-“to be God to you and to your offspring after you”=first time stated. Greatest privilege of believer
-“Give to you…land of Caanan”=land is specified!
2. God Calls for a Response (9-14)
-Abraham is called to respond to the covenant: “every male shall be circumcised” (10)
-Circumcision= cutting off foreskin of the penis.
-Practiced by some cultures, but not where he was from, or Philistines around him.
*NOTE: God using a cultural practice and giving it a new meaning for his people
-All of Abraham’s household and future generations were to practice this.
-Circumcision=SIGN OF THE Covenant between God and Abraham. (11)
-Severe Consequences if neglected (14)
-ABRAHAM’S FAITH: To get circumcised (at 99) and circumcise all his males=required large trust/faith
3. God Clarifies the Promise and Gives Sarai a New Name (15-21)
-Sarai is now SARAH (15), and God will “give you a son from her” (16)
-Abraham LAUGHS and wonder how this is possible, maybe God could use Ishmael instead? (17-18)
-God reiterates and clarifies (19-21)
-Sarah will have a son named Isaac (19)
-God will also bless Ishmael, but the promise is through Isaac (20)
-Isaac will be born in about a year (21)
***CLIMAX: What will Abraham do? Will he obey God and be circumcised?
4. Abraham trusts God and shows his faith through circumcision (22-27)
-Abraham, his son, and ALL the males of his household are circumcised
-“That very day” (23, 26); “all those born in house…every male…all the men of his house” (23, 27)
–OBSERVE: Abraham trust and obedience: right away, all the way.
-Here, Abraham is a great example for us: trusting and obeying God. - IMPORTANT THEME OF CIRCUMCISION
1 OT Continuance and Application
-God’s people are to continue to be physically circumcised (sometimes obey, other times don’t): Josh 5:2
-Moses and Prophets advance the concept: Israel must be have their hearts circumcised too
-Deuteronomy 10:12-16; 30:6
-Jeremiah 4:4
-Movement from the physical to the spiritual.
2 JESUS
-Circumcised physically.
-Lived, died and rose again.
-All who believe in Christ are saved.
3 NT
-Gospel advances and Gentiles become Christians.
-Must they get circumcised too? Acts 15—no!
-Also Galatians 6:15
-MOVEMENT FROM PHYSICAL TO SPIRITUAL FULFILLED IN GOSPEL!
–Col 2:11
-In Christ, we experience a cutting away of the old man and old way of living.
–SPIRITUAL SURGERY! We’re given a new heart and new identity
APPLICATION FOR US
Unbeliever: YOU NEED SPIRITUAL SURGERY!
-The old man/way of life and thinking, must be put off
-You cannot put it off yourself, but through Christ you can experience a deliverance
-The sickness of sin is worse than cancer, but Christ can remove it.
-Come to Christ in faith, repent of your sins and believe in him.
Believer: You have experienced the circumcision of Christ!
**A proper understanding of circumcision and its fulfillment in Christ will help us to say no to sin, to love our neighbor, and to treasure Jesus.**
1 A proper understanding of circumcision and its fulfillment in Christ helps us to say no to sin,
-Because we have experience the circumcision of Christ we have motivation to say no to sin (Rom 6:1-14)
-Still a fight and struggle due to the Old Nature (Rom 7), but a decisive break has taken place
-Holy Spirit helps us live out our new life: saying no to sin and yes to Christ.
-When tempted this week, say, ‘Why give in to this? I’m dead to this now!’
2 A proper understanding of circumcision and its fulfillment in Christ will helps us to love our neighbor,
-Our unbelieving friends need spiritual surgery that only Christ can perform
-This surgery is free and Christ will give it.
-Let this shape how you pray and love your family, neighbors and friends.
3. A proper understanding of circumcision and its fulfillment in Christ will help us to treasure Jesus.
-Isn’t Christ amazing?
-He did this for you and me because he loves us!
-He did because of His grace!
CLOSE: Thank God for His wonderful redemption He has given us in Christ!
