In the seventeenth chapter of Genesis, God establishes the Jewish rite of circumcision, but not before again assuring Abraham, by now all of ninety-nine years old, of his calling and promises:
This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What';s more, I am changingyour name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! (Genesis 17:4–6)
God had made a promise, an agreement with Abraham and with all those who would come after him. Abraham';s part in the deal was that he and all of his male descendants be circumcised, an act that would have great spiritual significance:
From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant. (Genesis 17:12–14)
In giving this command, God had appointed circumcision as a special symbol for His chosen people, a badge of their dedication and devotion to Him. And though Abraham was nearly a century old, he and his son Ishmael, who was thirteen years old at the time, were circumcised (Genesis 17:24–27).
The change from the name Abram to Abraham for the father of the Jewish andChristian faith is very significant because the name Abraham means “the father of many” or “father of a multitude.” That was in keeping with God';s promise that his descendants would number in the millions.
Though there were still episodes ahead in Abraham';s life (for example, his intercession for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their destruction as recorded in Genesis 18–19), he would live to one day see the miraculous birth of the son God had promised him.
Study Questions
Read 1 Corinthians 7.:17., Galatians 6:15, and Colossians 3:11. What is the New Testament approach to circumcision? What, if anything, has taken its place in the life and heart of the believer?
Read Genesis 18:23–33. What does this tell you about the importance of praying for others, even those who don';t seem to deserve it?
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