Genesis 17:1-27
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him. “I am God Almighty[a]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
The covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner.
As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day.
God confirms the covenant once again, giving new names to Abram and Sarai. Most ancient peoples, including the Hebrews, attached great significance to the names of people and places. People's names often said something about their origins or expressed a prayer. The change of name here indicates a new beginning. So Abram is changed to Abraham. and Sarai becomes Sarah.
The physical sign of circumcision gathers not only Abraham but also Ishmael and the whole multi-racial household into the covenant. Twenty-four years after the departure from Harran the birth of Sarah's son Isaac is announced.
Why?
Abram was 99 years old when God said to him, he will have his son and called him Issac. This is the work of God and the time of the Lord. To man, it is impossible to be a father. this is the promise of the Lord to Abraham.
God makes a covenant - circumcision in his people as a sign of the covenant.
Each name has its meaning before the Lord. for we are the sons of the Lord.
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神吩咐亞伯拉罕行割禮,為了以實馬利有13年沒有和亞伯蘭說話。這裏的立約神有要求。信必須完全依靠、完全信服,不另外想辦法,完全按照神。完全的放心。耶和華說我是全能的神,當在我面前做完全人。神是全能的,可靠的,人可以放心,做完全不是瑕疵無暇,完全相信神,面對面困難仍然能夠站穩。
v4-8 應許的內容,提到國度、君王,土地,後裔。有後裔,國度、君王、土地才能永久擁有。
v9-14 割禮不是以色列人專有的。用這個禮做記號、除去肉體、血氣的依靠。反應了夏甲事件。男人要做頭,在神面前也不能做頭,割禮象徵除去男人的象徵才能依靠神。受割禮很痛,必須下決心,也是隱蔽的地方在神面前完全敞開。提醒人要放下自己做頭的身份,才能真正做王、君王、掌權。在耶和華面前沒有主人,都是僕人,每個人都要受割禮。
v15-19 將以撒的事啟示出來。亞伯蘭信心的弱點仍然無法相信他妻子會生孩子。神是使無變有的神。
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How?
God is my Lord, my shield and my fortress. Praise to the Lord and give thanks to the Lord.
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