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A Ministry for Hungry Saints, Series on the Book of Genesis, Lesson #26, Meeting #471– in its 19th year

GOD’S THIRD APPEARANCE TO ABRAM

TRANSLATION LEGEND: ABP=Apostolic Bible Polyglot m(1992); ALT=Analytical-Literal Translation (2005), AMPLIFIED=Amplified Bible (1965), ABP=Apostolic Bible Polyglot with Greek Interlinear (2003); ASV=American Standard Version (1901), BBE=Biblein Basic English (1949), BRENT=Brenton’s English Septuagint; CEV=Contemporary English Version (1995); DRA=Douay-Rheims (1899),ERV =English Revised Version (1885), ESV=English Stand Version (2001), GENEVA=Geneva Bible (1599), GNB=Good News (1966),GWN=God’s Word (1995), IE= International English (1973), ISV=International Standard Version (1967), JPS=Jewish Publication Society(1917), KJV=King James Version (1611), L.ITV= Literal Translation of the Bible (1976), LIVING=Living Bible (1971), MESSAGE=TheMessage (1993), MKJV= Modern KJV (1962), MONTGOMERY=Montgomery’s New Testament (2001), MRD=Peshitta-James MurdockTranslation (1852), NAB=New American Bible (2002), NASB=New American Standard Bible (1977), NAU=New American Standard Bible(1995), NIB=New International Bible, NIV=New International Version (1984), NJB=New Jerusalem Bible (1985), NKJV=New King JamesVersion (1979), NLT=New Living Translation (1996), NRSV=New Revised Standard Version (1989), PHILLIPS=J B Phillips NewTestament (1962), PNT=Bishop’s New Testament (1595), RSV=Revised Standard Version (1952), TNK=JPS Tanakj (1985),WEB=Webster Bible (1833),WEYMOUTH=Weymouth’s New Testament (1903), WILLIAMS=William’s New Testament (1937),TYNDALE=Tyndale’s Bible (1526), WYCLIFFE=Wycliffe New Testament (1382), YLT =Young’s Literal Translation (1862)

---------- GREEK LEXICON LEGEND ----------- LEXICON LEGEND: FRIEBERG = Friberg Lexicon, UBS = Barclay-Newman, LOUW-NIDA = Louw-Nida Lexicon, LIDDELL SCOTT= Liddell Scott Lexicon, THAYER = Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, LEH = LEH Lexicon, GINGRICH = Gingrich Lexicon

Lesson Number 26

The Book of Genesis

A MINISTRY INITIATED INMAY 1993, AND DEDICATEDTO STRENGTHENING THOSEWHO ARE IN CHRIST, BYBUILDING THEIR FAITH,ENHANCING THEIR JOY, ANDSTABILIZING THEIR HOPE, ENABLING THEM TO WORKOUT THEIR SALVATION WITHFEAR AND TREMBLING.

THE INSPIRED RECORD OFTHE BEGINNING OF ALLTHINGS: THE HEAVENS ANDTHE EARTH, MANKIND, SIN,THE FIRST CHOSEN ANDBLESSED NATION, THE FIRSTCURSE, THE FIRST PROMISE,AND THE FIRST FAITH.

DISCLAIMER: The quoting of other translations is not to be taken as a condoning of them. My purpose is rather to show the remarkable diversity, and sometimes outrightcontradictions that exist among these various versions of Scripture. Our understanding of the Word of God ultimately depends upon our comprehension of the LordHimself and His eternal purpose. Where this understanding is not present, we are shut up to scholasticism and conjecture, both of which are of the world, not of God.

Gen 17:1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am theAlmighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and willmultiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for Me, behold, Mycovenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram,but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful,and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me andthee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed afterthee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan,for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenanttherefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Meand you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the fleshof your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt Me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall becircumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of anystranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needsbe circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man childwhose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant. 15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kingsof people shall be of her. 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be bornunto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God,O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt callhis name Isaac: and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply himexceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant will I establish withIsaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 22 And he left off talking with him, and God wentup from Abraham. 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were boughtwith his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in theselfsame day, as God had said unto him. 24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised inthe flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of hisforeskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 And all the men of his house, bornin the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.” . . . . . . . . . . . . (Genesis 17:1-27)

In this third appearance, Abram being ninety-nine years old, God revealed for the first time that Sarai would bear the promised heir – Given O. BlakelyGod's Third Appearance to Abram - of 26


INTRODUCTION

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE TEXTTwenty-four years after Abram had

left Haran, when he was ninety-nineyears old, God appeared to him for thethird time. For the first time in humanhistory, God revealed Himself as “theAlmighty.”

To this point God has revealedHimself to Abram as:

( His “Shield” (Gen 15:1)

( “Exceeding Great Reward” (Gen15:1)

( “The LORD” (Gen 15:7) (JehovahASV – the self existing One).

( “The Almighty God” (Gen 17:1).

THE NAME “JEHOVAH”The revelation of the name

“Jehovah” (represented as “LORD” inmost versions) appears to contradictwhat God said to Moses. “And Iappeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac,

and unto Jacob, by the name of GodAlmighty, but by My name JEHOVAHwas I not known to them” (Ex 6:3).Yet, the Hebrew word for “Jehovah,” orthe English “LORD” (Yeh-ho-vaw) isused several times prior to Moses.

It is written that Abram “called onthe name of the LORD” (Yehovaw) inGenesis 13:4. He “built an altar untothe LORD” (Yehovaw) in Genesis13:18). It is written that Abram“believed in the LORD” (Yehovaw) inGenesis (15:6). God said to Abram, “Iam the LORD that brought thee out ofUr of the Chaldees” (Gen 15:7). Yet,even in these texts, the Lord referred toHimself as “LORD” (“Yehovaw”) onlyonce. Our text is the second time He soidentified Himself to Abram. He alsoidentified Himself by this name to Jacob(Gen 28:13).

Revealed Differently to MosesYet, God revealed Himself

differently to Moses, elaborating on thename “LORD,” or “Yehovaw.” Here isthe record.

“And Moses said unto God, Behold,when I come unto the children of Israel,and shall say unto them, The God ofyour fathers hath sent me unto you;and they shall say to me, What is hisname? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THATI AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou sayunto the children of Israel, I AM hathsent me unto you. And God saidmoreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thousay unto the children of Israel, TheLORD God of your fathers, the God ofAbraham, the God of Isaac, and theGod of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:this is My name for ever, and this is Mymemorial unto all generations” (Ex3:13-15).

The answer to the seemingcontradiction is found in the fact thatGod elaborated on His name to Moses,

but did not do so prior to Moses. Hisname “Jehovah” was known, but notwith the discernment that came later.

The word “Jehovah” means, “Theself-existent and eternal One,” STRONG’S

McClintok & Strong’s Cyclopedia saysof this word: “Here the Almighty makes knownhis unchangeable character, implied in hiseternal self-existence, as the ground ofconfidence for the oppressed Israelites to trustin his promises of deliverance and care

respecting them. The same idea is elsewherealluded to in the Old Testament, e.g. Malachi 3:6,‘I am Jehovah; change not.’” McCLINTOK & STRONG’S

WHY THE JEWS DO NOT WRITE THENAME OF GOD.

“Jews do not casually write any Name ofGod. This practice does not come from thecommandment not to take the Lord's Name invain, as many suppose. In Jewish thought, thatcommandment refers solely to oath-taking, and isa prohibition against swearing by God's Namefalsely or frivolously (the word normally translatedas "in vain" literally means "for falsehood").

Judaism does not prohibit writing the Nameof God per se; it prohibits only erasing or defacinga Name of God. However, observant Jews avoidwriting any Name of God casually because of therisk that the written Name might later be defaced,obliterated or destroyed accidentally or by onewho does not know better.

The commandment not to erase or defacethe name of God comes from Deut. 12:3. In thatpassage, the people are commanded that whenthey take over the promised land, they shoulddestroy all things related to the idolatrousreligions of that region, and should utterly destroythe names of the local deities. Immediatelyafterwards, we are commanded not to do thesame to our God. From this, the rabbis inferredthat we are commanded not to destroy any holything, and not to erase or deface a Name of God.It is worth noting that this prohibition againsterasing or defacing Names of God applies only toNames that are written in some kind of permanentform. Orthodox rabbis have held that writing on acomputer is not a permanent form, thus it is not aviolation to type God's Name into a computer andthen backspace over it or cut and paste it, or copyand delete files with God's Name in them.However, once you print the document out, itbecomes a permanent form. That is whyobservant Jews avoid writing a Name of Godonline: because there is a risk that someone elsewill print it out and deface it.” TRACY R, RICH

http://www.jewfaq.org/name.htm

CONTENTSCONTENTS|| INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION || WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINEWHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINE

YEARS OLD (17:1-2)YEARS OLD (17:1-2)|| GODGOD TALKEDTALKED WITHWITH ABRAMABRAM (17:3-4)(17:3-4)|| ABRAM’SABRAM’S NAMENAME ISIS CHANGEDCHANGED (17:5-6)(17:5-6)|| GODGOD ESTABLISHESESTABLISHES HISHIS COVENANTCOVENANT

(17:7-8)(17:7-8)|| THETHE COVENANTCOVENANT OFOF CIRCUMCISIONCIRCUMCISION

(17:9-14)(17:9-14)|| SARAI’SSARAI’S NAMENAME ISIS CHANGEDCHANGED (17:15-16)(17:15-16)|| THENTHEN ABRAHAMABRAHAM LAUGHEDLAUGHED (17:17)(17:17)|| O,O, THATTHAT ISHMAELISHMAEL MIGHTMIGHT LIVELIVE BEFOREBEFORE

THEETHEE (17:18-19)(17:18-19)|| ASAS FORFOR ISHMAELISHMAEL (17:20-21)(17:20-21)|| GODGOD LEFTLEFT OFFOFF TALKINGTALKING (17:22)(17:22)|| ABRAHAMABRAHAM CARRIESCARRIES OUTOUT THETHE

COVENANTCOVENANT O0FO0F CIRCUMCISIONCIRCUMCISION (17:23-(17:23-27)27)

|| CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION



THE CONCEPT OF AN ETERNAL GODThe concept of an eternal and

unchanging God transcends all humanlanguage. It presents a concept that isoutside the boundaries of humanintelligence and expression. Yet, thepromises and covenants of God are tiedto this name – representing the fact ofHis unchangeability.

The optimum clarity concerningGod has been revealed in Christ Jesus,in whom “the fulness of the Godhead”dwells “bodily” (Colo 1:19; 2:9).

FIRST REFERENCE TO CIRCUMCISIONFor the first time “circumcision” is

mentioned in Scripture, and thecovenant of circumcision was revealedat this time.

For the first time God revealedAbram would be “a father of manynations.” Sarai was renamed, and itwas revealed she would be “a motherof nations.” Abram laughed at thethought of Sarai, now 90 years old,having a child. For the first time it isrevealed that Sarah would have a child,and that he would be named “Isaac.” It

was also revealed that “twelve princes”would come from Ishmael, and a “greatnation” would be made of him.However, God’s covenant would bewith Isaac, not Ishmael. This was aDivine and unalterable determination.

At ninety-nine years of age,Abraham circumcised himself and allmales in his household. Once again, theconsistency and immediate response offaith is beheld in Abram, now“Abraham.” Remember, he is the livingexample and living definition of faith.

WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD

Gen 17:1 “And when Abram wasninety years old and nine, the LORDappeared to Abram, and said unto him,I am the Almighty God; walk before me,and be thou perfect. 2 And I will makemy covenant between me and thee, andwill multiply thee exceedingly.”

WHEN ABRAM WAS NINETY-NINE“And when Abram was ninety

years old and nine . . .”

This is the third time God has

confronted Abram directly – twice it issaid He “appeared” to him (Gen 12:7;17:1), and once “the word of the Lordcame unto Abram in a vision” (Gen15:1). The first appearance wassometime before Abram was seventy-five. The second recorded time was

following his departure from Haran,after he had dwelt in Canaan for tenyears, he was around eighty-five. Now,the third time, Abram is ninety-nine.

Calculating the time of theseappearance according to the currentrevealed average age of man (70-80),those appearances would have occurredwhen Abram was thirty-four, thirty-eight, and forty-five. By any standard ofhuman wisdom, this would not havebeen the ideal circumstance. The

patriarch had lived over 40% of hisentire life when God first appeared tohim. Add to this the fact that God’swork with Abram was an epochalbeginning that transcended everythingbefore him.

Of course, this is not the last timeGod moved in such a manner. Godsaved the human race through Noah,who entered into the ark after he hadlived 65% of his total life. He wasnearly five hundred years old, Havinglived more than 50% of his total life,when he started building the ark (Gen6:14; 7:6). The forerunner of Christ, anunequaled man himself (Lk 7:28), wasraised by a couple that were wellstricken in years – Zecharias andElizabeth (Lk 1:5-7). The infant Jesuswas dedicated by an old man (Lk 2:25-35), and an old woman informed thosewho were waiting for redemption inJerusalem that the Christ had beenborn (Lk 2:36-38).

The Wrongfulness of an Emphasis onYouth

One thing we learn from Scripture,the stress is not placed on youth oryouthfulness. The concept of “thechurch of tomorrow” is not found inScripture. It is rather the church oftoday that is consistently challenged.

Since the exaltation ofentertainment, the western world hasplaced a great deal of emphasis on theyouth. Unfortunately, this emphasis haspenetrated the professing church. When

Of course, this is not the last time Godmoved in such a manner. God saved thehuman race through Noah, who entered intothe ark after he had lived 65% of his totallife.



it comes to the things of God, oldermature people are actually neglected,as though they had reached thepinnacle of spiritual experience. Whileall of this may appear quite harmless, ithas created a “Christian” culture that isdeplorable.

This does not suggest that theyounger generation is to be neglected.That is as wrong as neglecting theolder ones. They are to be raised andtaught within the framework of spiritualmaturity – like Jesus, when, at twelveyears of age, he was sitting with theexperts in the Law of Moses, “bothhearing them and asking themquestions” (Lk 2:46). By the grace ofGod, we have pursued this course inThe Word of Truth Fellowship. Theresult is a group of younger brethrenwho are growing in the Lord.

I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD“ . . . the LORD appeared to

Abram, and said unto him, I am theAlmighty God . . .” Other versions read,“I am God Almighty,” NASB God, Ruler ofall,” BBE “God all sufficient,” GENEVA “I amthe sovereign God,” NET “I am ElShaddai,” NJB “I am your God,” ABP “I amGod All-Powerful,” CEV “I am God All-Powerful,”ERV and “I am The StrongGod.” MESSAGE

This is the first time the word“Almighty” is used in Scripture, and thefirst time the Hebrew expression “ElShadday” [yD v ] is used. The lexicalmeaning of the word is “Shadday {shad-dah'-ee} Meaning: 1) almighty, most powerful1a) Shaddai, the Almighty (of God). STRONG’S

This is a fundamental andfoundat iona l v iew of God:“ALMIGHTY.” It is an aspect of Deitythat flesh cannot comprehend, for thereis no earthly parallel to it. The naturalman cannot comprehend anything thatextends beyond human experience.

Fifty-seven times the Scripturesrefer to God as “Almighty.” Most ofthose are found from Genesis throughJoel. However, in admonishing the

people of God to separate themselvesfrom all forms of iniquity, the Spiritsays, “Wherefore come out from amongthem, and be ye separate, saith theLord, and touch not the unclean thing;and I will receive you, and will be aFather unto you, and ye shall be mysons and daughters, saith the LordAlmighty” (2 Cor 6:18). It is as this factshould have been abundantly evident tothe Corinthians – but it was not. Theyhad been classified as “carnal,” andneeded to be exhorted to get to thebusiness of cutting the cord to theworld.

In the Revelation, Jesus identifiedHimself to John saying, “I am Alphaand Omega, the beginning and theending, saith the Lord, which is, andwhich was, and which is to come, theAlmighty” (Rev 1:8). The four livingcreatures that occupy the area of theThrone of God are depicted as saying,“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,which was, and is, and is to come”(Rev 4:8). The twenty elders that werearound the throne also cried out, “Wegive thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,which art, and wast, and art to come;because thou hast taken to thee thygreat power, and hast reigned”(Rev11:17). When John saw those who had“gotten the victory over the beast, andover his image, and over his mark,” heheard them singing the song of Mosesand the song of the Lamb, saying,“Great and marvelous are Thy works,Lord God Almighty; just and true arethy ways, thou King of saints” (Rev15:3). When the vials of God’s wrathwere poured out upon the earth, Johnheard a cry issuing from the alter,“Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and

righteous are thy judgments” (Rev16:7). When John saw the glorifiedChrist, and the armies that were withHim, to bring an end to all tyranny andrebellion, he said he saw this: “And outof his mouth goeth a sharp sword, thatwith it he should smite the nations: andhe shall rule them with a rod of iron:and he treadeth the winepress of thefierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev 19:15). When all enemies hadbeen forever banished from thepresence of the Lord, and the saintswere seen in serenity and peacefulrepose before the Lord, he “saw notemple therein: for the Lord GodAlmighty and the Lamb are the templeof it” (Rev 21:22).

The “Almighty God” is one thatcannot be successively resisted. Nopersonality or group of personalities canvoid or detain the fulfilling of His will.What He has purposed He will ,do,whether in heaven or earth. He has noequal or peer, and “all the inhabitants ofthe earth are reputed as nothing: andHe doeth according to His will in thearmy of heaven, and among theinhabitants of the earth: and none canstay His hand, or say unto Him, Whatdoest Thou?”(Dan 4:35).

How Marvelous that God RevealedHimself to Abram in Such a Manner!

This is the first time in history ofthe world that God revealed Himself as“the Almighty.” He would not mentionit again for several years, when Isaacblessed Jacob saying, “And GodAlmighty bless thee” (Gen 28:3). Later,when God changed the name of Jacobto Israel, He said, “I am God Almighty”(Gen 35:11). Later, before he died,

The “Almighty God” is one that cannot besuccessively resisted. No personality or groupof personalities can void or detain thefulfilling of His will. What He has purposed Hewill ,do, whether in heaven or earth.



Jacob told Joseph, “God Almightyappeared unto me at Luz in the land ofCanaan, and blessed me” (Gen 48:3).

Those Who Trust in God Have a Rightto be Confident

Because of who He is, and whatHe can and will do, all who put theirtrust in God have a right to beconfident. They have a right to be fullof assurance, fully persuaded, and filledwith joy! The prospects are bright forthem, because this is God’s world, andHe will accomplish that which He hasdetermined. Because we have been“added to the Lord” (Acts 5:14) by therichness of His grace, we aim toparticipate in the total and publictriumph of His Son.

WALK BEFORE ME AND BE PERFECT“ . . . Walk before Me, and be thou

perfect . . . ” Other versions read,“walk before Me and be blameless,”NKJV “go in my ways and be upright in allthings,” BBE “Walk in My presence andbe pure-hearted,” CJB “Live in Mypresence and be devout,” CSB “walk

before My face, and be perfect,” DARBY

“Live in My presence with integrity,”GWN “be well-pleasing before Me, and beblameless,” SEPTUAGINT “obey Me and liveas you should,” LIVING “live entirelybefore Me, live to the hilt!” MESSAGE and“walk and live habitually before Me andbe perfect (blameless, wholehearted,complete).” AMPLIFIED

How does God demand that aperson with faith live? We have theanswer in our text. Abram had faith,

and it was counted to him orrighteousness. There was no questionabout his acceptance by God Almighty.However, those who are accepted byHim to live in a certain manner. Whilethey are not justified by works, theirlives are to be lived in a certain manner.

To walk “before” the Lord is to livewith an acute consciousness of bothHis present and His will. It is likewalking in the Light – with God Himselfbeing the light (1 John 1:5,7). Stated inNew Covenant language, here is how itwould be said: “And whatsoever ye doin word or deed, do all in the name ofthe Lord Jesus, giving thanks to Godand the Father by Him” (Col 3:17). Andagain, “Whether therefore ye eat, ordrink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to theglory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). And again,“For whether we live, we live unto theLord; and whether we die, we die untothe Lord: whether we live therefore, ordie, we are the Lord's” (Rom 14:8).

ResponsibilityThere is a certain moral

responsibility that must follow Divineinsights. The Almighty God is not in thebusiness of merely passing along someinformation. Any communication withGod, particularly when it is initiated byGod Himself, carries with it certainresponsibilities. These are brieflysummarized in God’s word to Abram:“Walk before Me, and be thou perfect.”

The expression that God willaccept men with all of theirshortcomings and deficiencies is, to saythe least, a very clumsy locution. If this

were really the case, washing,cleansing, purification, justification,sanctification, and the new birth itselfwould be totally unnecessary. All ofthose have to do with a change ofidentity, which would not be required ifGod accepted us “just as we are.”

Further, there would be no need forexhortations like, “be ye holy” (1 Pet1:15), “perfect holiness in the fear ofthe Lord” (2 Cor 7:1), “cleanse yourhearts” (James 4:8), “mortify thereforeyour members that are upon the earth”(Col 3:5) . . . etc. God has never calledmen into a morally neutral state, or onethat does not require continualprogress. While men may have a vagueidea about this, the matter must bepressed upon them. If they have agenuine desire to be blessed by Godthrough Christ Jesus, certain things areexpected from them, and, like Abram,they do not have the option of ignoringthem, yet obtaining the blessinganyway.

Viewed This Side of the CrossViewed from this side of the cross, thisis why we are “called into thefellowship His Son Jesus Christ ourLord” (1 Cor 1:9), and fellowship withGod Himself (1 John 1:3). It is why weare granted “the communion of theHoly Spirit” (2 Cor 13:14), andaccounts for why we have been given“access by one Spirit to the Father”(Eph 2:18).

A life that is lived apart from Godis totally unacceptable. Living for self isunlawful in the Kingdom of God. Christ “died for all, that they which live shouldnot henceforth live unto themselves,but unto him which died for them, androse again” (2 Cor 5:15).

I WILL MAKE A COVENANT BETWEENME AND THEE

“ . . . And I will make Mycovenant between Me and thee, andwill multiply thee exceedingly.” Otherversions read, “I will establish Mycovenant,” NASB “I will confirm,” NIV “Iwill set,” DARBY “I will give you My

God has never called men into a morallyneutral state, or one that does not requirecontinual progress. While men may have avague idea about this, the matter must bepressed upon them.



promise,” GWN “I will grant a covenant,”NJB “I will prepare a contract betweenus,” LIVING “I will keep My solemnpromise,” CEV “If you do this, I will makean agreement between us,” ERV and “Iwill make My covenant (solemnpledge).” AMPLIFIED

This covenant was determined andinitiated by God alone. Abram had nopart in the formation or initiation of thiscovenant. It was not like the covenantmade with Israel. That covenant wasinitiated only after the Israelites hadconsented to its requirements. Andagreed to keep it without fail (Ex 19:8;24:3). While the Ten Commandmentswere the words of the covenant (Ex34:28), they were not the covenantitself. The covenant was the agreementof the people to live by those words.

Paul’s Statement Concerning theCovenant

When Paul expounded thecovenant made with Abraham, he madea point of the fact that it was not anagreement with Abraham. It was rathera promise. “And this I say, that thecovenant, that was confirmed before ofGod in Christ, the law, which was fourhundred and thirty years after, cannotdisannul, that it should make the

promise of none effect. For if theinheritance be of the law, it is no moreof promise: but God gave it to Abrahamby promise” (Gal 3:18).

The promise of the Seed throughwhom the world would be blessed wasnot contingent upon Abraham’sresponse. This is because Abrahamlived by faith, and faith appropriates theresources needed to please God.

The New Covenant in EmbryoThis promise was, in fact, the New

Covenant in embryo. It preceded theNew Covenant itself, as well as the OldCovenant. As it is written, “For if theinheritance be of the law, it is no moreof promise: but God gave it to Abrahamby promise. Wherefore then serveth thelaw? It was added because oftransgressions, till the seed shouldcome to whom the promise was made;and it was ordained by angels in thehand of a mediator” (Gal 3:18-19). Itwas in this sense that it is written,“And the scripture, foreseeing that Godwould justify the heathen through faith,preached before the gospel untoAbraham, saying, In thee shall allnations be blessed” (Gal 3:8). Noticethat this pertained to the justification of

the “heathen.” It was not that “theheathen,” or non-Jews, were the onlyones that would be justified. Rather, itis that from the very beginning, thecoming of a Savior, and the messagethat proclaimed it, was intended for allthe world – “all families” (Gen 12:3),and “all the nations” (Gen 18:18).

This means that the opening of thedoor of faith to the Gentiles (Acts14:27) was not an after-thought. It wasnot a change of plan, or the stopping ofthe prophetic clock, as thedispensationalists affirm. God’s purposehas always included the provision ofsalvation for all men. When the Jewsrejected Jesus, and their house was leftdesolate (Matt 23:38), that did notmove the Lord to then take the Gentilesinto His purpose. It did, however, justifyGod including the Gentiles even thoughthe promise was made exclusively tothe Jews, and all of the preparatorywork was done among them. Jesusknew this was the case, and gave thisword to His hearers– a word they didnot comprehend: “And other sheep Ihave, which are not of this fold: themalso I must bring, and they shall hearmy voice; and there shall be one fold,and one shepherd” (John 10:16).

GOD TALKED WITH ABRAM

“ 3 And Abram fell on his face: andGod talked with him, saying, 4 As forMe, behold, My covenant is with thee,and thou shalt be a father of manynations.”

ABRAM FELL ON HIS FACE“And Abram fell on his face . . .”

Other versions read, “fell facedown,”NIV “went down on his face on theearth,” BBE “bowed with his facetouching the ground,” GWN “prostratedhimself,” NAB “threw himself on hisface,” TNK “fell face downward in thedust,” LIVING and “Overwhelmed, Abramfell flat on his face.” MESSAGE

This was frequently the reaction ofthose who confronted the Lord Himself,or a messenger from heaven.

( Moses “hid his face” before theangel of the bush (Ex 3:6; Acts

7:30).

( Moses fell down before the Lord(Deut 9:18,25).

( The children of Israel fell on theirface when the glory of Godappeared (Lev 9:23-24).

( Moses and Aaron fell on their facesbefore the Lord (Num 16:20-22,45).

( Joshua fell on his face before anangel (Josh 5:14).



( Manoah and his wife (parents ofSamson) fell on their faces beforean angel (Judges 13:20).

( The children of Israel fell on theirfaces when the Lord consumedElijah’s sacrifice (1 Kgs 18:39).

( Ezekiel fell on his face when hehad visions of God (Ezek 1:28;3:23; 9:8; 43:3; 44:4).

( Daniel fell on his face before anangel (Dan 8:17-18; 10:9).

( Peter, James, and John fell; ontheir faces on when Jesus wastransfigured before them, and Godspoke out of heaven (Matt 17:6).

( Saul of Tarsus fell to the groundwhen Jesus appeared to him(ACTS 22:7).

( Paul wrote of a hypothetical casewhen an unbeliever or strangerentered into an assembly where hebecame aware of God and fell onhis face (1 Cor 14:25).

( John fell as a dead man before theglorified Christ (Rev 1:17).

( John fell at the feet of an angel(Rev 19:10; 22:8).

The Fallen Nature of ManWhen man fell in Adam, a certain

enmity was formed between him andGod. A sharp variance was createdbetween man and God, asdemonstrated in the immediate reactionof Adam and Eve to the voice of theLord (Gen 3:8-10).

Men may appear to speakconfidently when they philosophizeabout God, question the validity of HisWord, or dare to disobey Him. But thatis only possible because they areunaware of the Lord’s presence. Whenthe Lord appears in all of His glory,“every knee shall bow before Him” (Isa45:23; Rom 14:11).

Even now, when the heart

becomes aware that God is confrontingthe individual, fear grips it, and thepeople are at once submissive to God(Acts 2:37; 9:6; 16:30).

The Present TimeAt this present time, the professed

Christian world is in a blinded state –one in which it is blissfully unaware ofthe presence of the Lord. God’s Word isnot held in high regard. Men arecomfortable living in a state ofdisobedience. Ignoring God’s Word.There is not enough consciousness ofGod to provoke men to seek after Him.Simulated scholars have become criticsof the Word of God, and have imposedtheir own views upon it.

What is the difference betweenAbram and this present generation? It issimply this. He was aware of thepresence of the Lord, and they are not!The truth of the matter is that anerroneous gospel is being perpetratedthat does not leave the people aware ofthe God of salvation!

GOD TALKED WITH HIM“ . . . and God talked with him,

saying . . .” Other versions read, “saidto him,” NIV “went on talking with him,and said,” BBE and “continued speakingwith him.” CJB

The idea is that when God firstaddressed Abram (17:1-2), Abram felldown with his face on the ground.Then, while he was prone before theLord, He continued speaking to thepatriarch. Of course, this means thatAbram was not unconscious. His bodywas on the ground, but his mind wasalert and active. This, of course, is quitedifferent from the mythical experienceof being “slain in the Spirit.” In everyScriptural instance of a person fallingdown before the Lord, or a messengerfrom the Lord, a message was bothdelivered and comprehended.

A Principle to Be SeenInvolvement in the working out of

the purpose of God requires some formof revelation and comprehension. While

some people have unwittingly beeninvolved in the fulfillment of a Divinepurpose (Pharaoh, Sihon, Og,Sennacherib, Caiphas, Judas, etc),productive and personally beneficialinvolvement is always within theframework of knowing the Lord andbeing aware of His purpose. In His“great salvation,” God is not conformingthe people to the image of His Sonindependently of their understanding. Itseems to me that such a working wouldnot bring the glory to God that is dueHis holy name. Candidly, what is calledbeing “slain in the Spirit” is a miserablesubstitute for the acute consciousnessof the Divine presence that is producedby faith.

AS FOR ME“As for Me . . .” Other versions

read, “Behold,” RSV “It is I,” DARBY “I AM,”DOUAY “And I,” SEPTUAGINT “For My part,” NJB

“Lo,” YLT and “This is my part of ouragreement.” ERV

The words “As for me” aretranslated from a single Hebrew word.

This is a word of emphasis – anemphasis upon the Almighty God. Incontradiction of the representation ofthe English Revised Version, this is nota statement of God’s side of thecovenant. The covenant here is not abilateral, or two sided covenant, withGod performing one part and Abram theother. As I have already said, that IS thekind of covenant mediated by Moses. Itis not the kind of covenant that involvedthe sending of a Savior and the blessingof all nations. A modicum of thoughtshould confirm this to the pure in heart.

Let us be clear about this. Thecoming of the promised Seed, and the

yn a'aniy {an-ee'} Meaning: 1) I (first pers.sing. - usually used for emphasis) Origin:contracted from 0595; TWOT - 129; perspron Usage: AV - I, me, which, for I, mine

“AS FOR ME”



consequent blessing of all nations wasNOT contingent upon anything thatAbraham did. God’s word was apromise, not an agreement. This was aunilateral covenant – one sided.

UNCONDITIONAL PROMISESThere are Divine workings that are,

as regards men, absolutely

unconditional. Just pointing out a fewof them will make this very apparent.

( The coming of Jesus in the form ofa servant to save His people fromtheir sins (Gal 4:4; Matt 1:21).

( The death of Jesus (Rev 13:8).

( The resurrection of Jesus (Psa16:9-10; Lk 24:46; Acts 3:32).

( The ascension of Jesus (Psa68:18; Eph 4:8-9).

( The exaltation of Jesus (Phil 2:9).

( The institution of the NewCovenant and the passing of theOld Covenant (2 Cor 3:9-11; Heb8:8-13).

( The second coming of Christ (Heb9:28.Heb 10:37).

( The end of the world (2 Pet 3:10-13).

( The final demise of the devil, thefalse prophet, and the beast (Rev20:10).

( The day of judgment (Acts 17:31).

( The appearance of the newheavens and the new earth (2 Pet3:13; Rev 21:1).

Therefore, when God says “As forMe,” He is introducing something thatin no way depends upon any offspringof Adam. The only Person who has adecisive part in what God is doing is“the Man, Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).

BEHOLD, MY COVENANT“ . . . behold, My covenant is with

thee, and thou shalt be a father ofmany nations.”

Here is the announcement of acovenant that was conceived,announced, and instituted by Godalone. The Lord is shaping the thinkingof men, accustoming them to be God-centered in their thinking.

God will later reveal to Abrahamthat He had determined to bless “all thenations of the earth” (Gen 18:18;22:18). Now he affirms that Abram willhave a part in the formation of thesenations. Further, his participation willtake place AFTER his body was,reproductively speaking, “as good asdead,” and Sarai’s womb was “barren”(Rom 4:19; Heb 11:11-12).

In this we have a classic illustrationof what it means for salvation to be“not of works” (Eph 2:8-9).

ABRAM’S NAME IS CHANGED

“ 5 Neither shall thy name any morebe called Abram, but thy name shall beAbraham; for a father of many nationshave I made thee. 6 And I will makethee exceeding fruitful, and I will makenations of thee, and kings shall comeout of thee.”

Now, as the time draws near forthe promised heir to be born – thebeginning of Abram’s promised lineage– both revelation and involvement beginto increase. That is a Divine manner

that has historically enabled godly mento discern the times. God desires mento have this kind of knowledge.

( As the time draw nigh for Israel’sdeliverance from Egypt, revelationand understanding was increased(Gen 50:25; Ex 3).

( When the Babylonian captivity was about over, more insightswere given through Daniel (Dan 2-5;l 9-10).

( As the time for the Messiah to beborn approached, more insightsand understanding were granted(Matt 3:1-3).

( As the time for Christ’s secondappearing draws near, there willalso be certain indicators (2 Thess2:3).

Throughout history there have beena limited number of people who could

There are Divine workings that are, asregards men, absolutely unconditional. Justpointing out a few of them will make thisvery apparent.



discern the times. The “children ofIssachar” were especially adept indiscerning the times (1 Chron 12:32).Jesus upbraided the Pharisees andSadducees for not being able to“discern the signs of the times” (Matt16:3).

A NEW NAMEKnowing that the time had come

for Abram to beget a child throughSarai, the Lord changed his name toreflect his role in the purpose of God.

“Neither shall thy name any morebe called Abram, but thy name shall beAbraham . . .”

The name “Abram” means “exaltedfather,” STRONG’S or “high father.” HITCHCOCK

As the name stood at that time, itmight have been associated only withIshmael, who Abram beget throughHagar. To accent the Messianic lineage,Abram’s name was changed.

A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE IMADE THEE

“ . . . for a father of many nations haveI made thee. And I will make theeexceeding fruitful, and I will makenations of thee.”

In Ishmael, Abram was also thefather of “a great nation” (Gen 17:20),and “many nations” as well (Gen25:16). Nations also sprang from thechildren he had later through Keturah(Gen 25:1-4). However, so far as thepurpose of God was concerned,

Abram’s progeny would be of adifferent sort. He would be the “fartherof all them that believe” (Rom 4:11) –else referred to as “the nations of themwhich are saved” (Rev 21:24).

KINGS WILL COME OUT OF THEE“ . . . and kings shall come out of

thee.”

Kings like Solomon, David,Jehoshaphat, Josiah, Hezekiah, etc,and some Gentile kings as well.

The ultimate King that would befound in his lineage would be “the Kingof kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15)– the Lord Jesus Christ, whose kinglylineage would be traced through David(Matt 1:1; Acts 2:29-36).

GOD ESTABLISHES HIS COVENANT

“ 7 And I will establish My covenantbetween Me and thee and thy seedafter thee in their generations for aneverlasting covenant, to be a God untothee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 AndI will give unto thee, and to thy seedafter thee, the land wherein thou art astranger, all the land of Canaan, for aneverlasting possession; and I will betheir God.”

This text stands on the border ofGod’s “eternal purpose.” That is, itrelates to the appointed entrance of theMessiah into the world. That entrancewill be through a specific people (Isa9:6), and in a particular place (Micah5:2), and at a fixed time (Gal 4:4). Thisis the groundwork for that scheduledappointment.

I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT“And I will establish My covenant

between Me and thee . . .”

Through this chapter, God mentions, or refers to, “My covenant”to Abram fourteen times – with thirteen

of them being in the seventeenthchapter (Gen 15:18; 17:2,4,7,9,10,11,13,14,19,21).

God identifies the covenant withHimself: “MY covenant” (Gen17:2,4,7,9,10,13,14,19,21). He is the

One originating the covenant, and He isthe One implementing it.

In the history of the world, no manever instituted or initiated a covenantwith God. It is true that Hannah made avow to the Lord, “O LORD of hosts, ifThou wilt indeed look on the afflictionof thine handmaid, and remember me,and not forget thine handmaid, but wiltgive unto thine handmaid a man child,then I will give him unto the LORD allthe days of his life, and there shall norazor come upon his head” (1 Sam

1:11). That, however, cannot be calleda covenant as mentioned in our text.

God made a covenant with Noah,declaring He would never again destroythe world with water (Gen 9:12-17).That, however, is a covenant of a lower

order than the one mentioned in ourtext. It deals with the stability of theearth, while the covenant God madewith Abraham is related to preparationsfor the salvation of men.

By saying “I will establish Mycovenant,” the permanency of thecovenant is accented. Nothing will beallowed to interfere with it. This is thekind of covenant God made with Noah(Gen 6:18; 9:9,11).Nothing would beable to void that covenant!

When using this kind of language toIsrael, it was always conditional.



When using this kind of languageto Israel, it was always conditional.Here is an example: “If ye walk in Mystatutes, and keep My commandments,and do them; THEN. . . I will haverespect unto you, and make you fruitful,and multiply you, and establish Mycovenant with you” (Lev 26:3-9). Andagain, “But thou shalt remember theLORD thy God: for it is He that giveththee power to get wealth,” [in order]“that He may establish His covenantwhich He sware unto thy fathers, as itis this day” (Deut 8:18).

However, with the covenantreferred to in this text, there were noconditions. The word “if,” as regardsthe covenant God made withAbram, is not found in thetwel f th through theseventeenth chapters ofGenesis. It is true that them a l e s w h o w e r euncircumcised would be “cutoff from his people” (Gen17:14), but that would notvoid the covenant made withAbram. It would onlyexclude certain from itsprivileges.

IN THEIR GENERATIONS “ . . . and thy seed

after thee in the i rgenerations . . .” Otherversions read, “throughouttheir generations,” NASB “forthe generations to come,” NIV

“ g e n e r a t i o n a f t e rgeneration,” CJB and “yourdescendants.” CEV

This phrase does notequate to saying “all Jews,”or “all of the people who arein your lineage. The“generations” would bechosen ones.

Isaac, who was yet tobe born, would bedistinguished from Ishmael,Zimran, Jokshan, Medan,Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

Jacob would be distinguished fromEsau. After that, the promise would beto the twelve tribes of Israel in general.So far as the promised Savior wasconcerned – the Seed through whom“all the nations of the earth” would beblessed – the generations were chosenby God. After Jacob, that would beforty-nine generations, with a singleindividual standing for each of them.

This circumstance, among manyothers, confirms the absolute andunquestionable government of God. IfHe was not over all, and if His will wasnot the preeminent will, the Wordwould never have become flesh anddwelt among us (John 1:14).

The Thrust of Sound TeachingThe thrust of sound teaching must

be the Lord God and His “eternalpurpose.” All teaching must relate toHim and His purpose. If it does not, itmust be discarded by the teachers, andignored by the hearers.

AN EVERLASTING COVENANT “ . . .for an everlasting covenant,

to be a God unto thee, and to thy seedafter thee . . .”

The word “everlasting” is usedseventy-one times from Genesisthrough Malachi. We read of an“everlasting covenant” (Gen 9:16),“everlasting possession” (Gen 17:8),“everlasting hills” (Gen 49:26),“everlasting priesthood” (Ex 40:15),“everlasting statute” (Lev 16:34),“ e v e r l a s t i n g d o o r s ” ( P s a24:7)”everlasting remembrance” (Psa112:6), “everlasting foundation” (Prov10:25), “everlasting burnings” (Isa33:14), “everlasting joy” (Isa 35:10),“everlasting sign” (Isa 55:13),“everlasting name” (Isa 56:5),“everlasting confusion” (Jer 20:11),and “everlasting reproach” (Jer 23:40).

Some of these have exclusively todo with God Himself: “Everlasting God”(Gen 21:33), “from everlasting toeverlasting” (Psa 41:3), “everlastingarms” (Deut 33:27), “everlasting

kingdom” (Psa 1456:13), “everlastingrighteousness” (Psa 119:142), “theway everlasting” (Psa 139:24),“everlasting strength” (Isa 26:4),“everlasting salvation” (Isa 45:17),“everlasting kindness” (Isa 54:8),” e v e r l a s t i n g l i g h t ” ( I s a60:19)”everlasting King” (Jer 10:10), and “everlasting love” (Jer 31:3).

The Concept of “Everlasting” Was NotYet Fully Developed

It was not until later that God wasreferred to as the “everlasting God”(Gen 21:33), and centuries later whenMoses referred to Him as “the eternalGod” (Deut 33:17). It is thatassociation that served to define theword “everlasting” more particularly.Until that time, It was understood todenote something that was stable andunchanging.

I WILL GIVE THE LAND FOR ANEVERLASTING POSSESSION

“ . . . And I will give unto thee,and to thy seed after thee, the landwherein thou art a stranger, all the landof Canaan, for an everlastingpossession . . .” Other versions read,“perpetual holding,” NRSV “eternalheritage,” BBE “permanent possession,”CJB “perpetual possession,” DOUAY “inperpetuity,” NJB “forever,” NLT

“everlasting holding,” TNK “a possessionage-enduring,” YLT “to own forever.”MESSAGE

JudahPharezEsromAramAminadabNaasonSalmonBoazObedJesseNathanMattathaMenanMeleaEliakimJonanJosephJudahSimeonLeviJorimEliezerJoseErElmodamCosamAddiMelchiNeriSalathielZorobabelRhesaJoannaJudahJosephSemeiMattathiasMaathNaggeEsliNaumAmosMattathiasJosephJannaMelchiLeviMatthatHeli

“I AM WHO I AM” is a very literal renderingof the Hebrew text, expressing God’s real,perfect, unconditional, independentexistence. God exists in a way that no one andnothing else does. He is without beginning orend. He is the only Being who is self-existent. All other existence is dependentupon His uncaused existence. Jesus is thissame God [cf. John 8:58; Col 1:15-17; Heb13:8; Rev 1:8]. God is not the abstract beingof Greek philosophy; rather He is the active,infinite, personal Being who reveals Himselfas Redeemer and covenant-making Lord. Hecan only be defined in terms of Himself, butHe is revealed by what He says and what Hedoes (cf. Isa 45:5-7,18-25]. God’s namesurely includes the idea of His continuingpresence [cf. Ex 3:12]. The whole content ofBiblical history is a commentary on themeaning of this name [Gen 2:4]. BELIEVER’S STUDYBIBLE

BELIEVER’S STUDY BIBLE ON “I AM THAT I AM”



Again, I want to emphasize thatthe concept of “eternal,” “everlasting,”or unending, as defined by “theeverlasting God” Himself (Gen 21:33) is not found in any human language.The reason is that it extends beyondthe border of human experience. Inmatters pertaining to life and godliness,valid human knowledge cannot extendbeyond revelation. That ought to beabundantly apparent. Therefore, whenGod spoke to Abraham concerning“everlasting,” he simply could notunderstand that word as those of later

generations could, when there wasmore revelation.

The Lord would reveal to Mosesthe fact that He is and has always been– “I AM THAT I AM” (Ex 3:14). Thatexpression was most unique, to say theleast. It was so unexampled that itproved most challenging to put it intothe language of the people.

Later the Lord would speak ofthings that were “without end” (Isa45:17; Eph 3:21). I want to againstress that no human language iscapable of encapsulating the Scripturalidea of “eternal” or “everlasting.”

The English definition of the word“everlasting” is as follows: “lasting orenduring through all time. Synonymsamaranthine, ceaseless, endless, eternal,immortal, never-ending, unending, world-without-end. Related Words lasting, perdurable,

permanent, perpetual; boundless, infinite,limitless, termless. Synonyms CONTINUAL,ceaseless, constant, continuous, endless,perpetual, unceasing, unending, uninterrupted.”MERRIAM-WEBSTER

You see how the concepts of self-existent, without beginning, andindependent of all causes are not in thisdefinition. The definition has strictly todo with endurance.

I am persuaded that the newheavens and the new earth willprobably bear a remarkable similarity tothe present earth. With that in mind, I

can see how Abraham will probablyfully inherit the land he was promised,yet never came to inherit during hislifetime. The same may very well havesome application to the saved remnantof Israel in the world to come. Else thephrase “nations of the saved of theearth” (Rev 21:24) is an exceedinglydifficult one to comprehend.

Notwithstanding these cursoryobservations, these concepts wereunknown to Abraham or anyone elseduring that time. The promise,therefore, was intended to convey theidea of permanency – that no externalpower or influence could negate whatGod had promised.

I WILL BE THEIR GOD“ . . . and I will be their God.”

Other versions read, “will be a God untothem,” DARBY “I will be your God,” GWN “I

have become their God,” YLT “I Myselfwill be to them for God.” ABP

There is a sense in which God isthe God of everyone – whether theyknow it or not. As He affirmed, “Lookunto Me, and be ye saved, all the endsof the earth: for I am God, and there isnone else” (Isa 45:22). However, in thistext, the point is that the people willknow He is their God, and will consentto receive Him as such. The prophetsspoke of this experience as God saidthrough them, “and thou shalt knowthat I am the Lord” (Isa 49:23; 60:16;Ezek 16:62; Hos 2:20; Zech 2:11, etc).

One of the marks of the NewCovenant is that all of its constituents“know” the Lord– i.e. None are ignorantof Him (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20).

There is no such thing as aprofitable association with the LivingGod in which God Himself remainsfundamentally unknown. I do notbelieve this is commonly known in ourpresent generation. Within theprofessed church there is a startlingdegree of ignorance concerning GodHimself, His nature, His will, and Hispurpose. This is precisely why thenominal church is severely lacking evenin matters of observable morality. It iswhy there is a glaring absence of thelove of the truth, a sub-normal degreeof spiritual understanding, and a lot ofconfusion concerning sound doctrine and a proper emphasis. It is whymundane matters have captured theattention of professed believers, andsocial and domestic concerns haveupstaged a prevailing interest in thesalvation of God.

THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION

“ 9 And God said unto Abraham,Thou shalt keep My covenant therefore,thou, and thy seed after thee in their

generations. 10 This is My covenant,which ye shall keep, between me andyou and thy seed after thee; Every man

child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh ofyour foreskin; and it shall be a token of

Within the professed church there is a startlingdegree of ignorance concerning God Himself, Hisnature, His will, and His purpose.



the covenant betwixt Me and you. 12

And he that is eight days old shall becircumcised among you, every manchild in your generations, he that isborn in the house, or bought withmoney of any stranger, which is not ofthy seed. 13 He that is born in thyhouse, and he that is bought with thymoney, must needs be circumcised: andMy covenant shall be in your flesh foran everlasting covenant. 14 And theuncircumcised man child whose flesh ofhis foreskin is not circumcised, thatsoul shall be cut off from his people; hehath broken my covenant.”

Notice that immediately uponAbram’s name being changed to“Abraham,” the Spirit ceases to refer tohim as “Abram.” The last time thepatriarch is referred to as “Abram”historically is in Genesis 17:5, wherethe fact that his name was beingchanged is mentioned. The two othertimes the word “Abram” is used (1Chronicles 1:27 and Nehemiah 9:7), itis only to point out that his name waschanged to “Abraham.”

THOU SHALT KEEP MY COVENANT“And God said unto Abraham,

Thou shalt keep My covenant therefore,thou, and thy seed after thee in theirgenerations . . .”

Here God will point out the “token”(Gen 17:11) or “sign and seal” (Rom4:11) of the covenant, and not thecovenant itself. Paul makes a point ofthe fact that the covenant was madeprior to the commandment of the “signand seal” of the covenant, which isnow under consideration (Rom 4:11-13). There he equates the “covenant”with “the promise,” which was theGospel in embryo. “And this I say, thatthe covenant, that was confirmedbefore of God in Christ, the law, whichwas four hundred and thirty years after,cannot disannul, that it should make thepromise of none effect. For if theinheritance be of the law, it is no moreof promise: but God gave it to Abrahamby promise” (Gal 3:17-18).

The covenant made with Abrahamdiffers from the covenant made withIsrael at Sinai, where the people had toagree with the stipulations of thecovenant before it was actually “made.”After the agreement of the people (Ex19:8), Moses took blood and sprinkledboth the book of the covenant and thepeople. As it is written, “he took theblood of calves and of goats, withwater, and scarlet wool, and hyssop,and sprinkled both the book, and all thepeople” (Heb 9:19).

This is not the manner of covenantthat God made with Abraham. Thiscovenant was a Divine commitment,not an agreement.

Keep My CovenantHere the word “keep” means

“guard, to protect, attend to . . . becircumspect, take heed to, mark, regard,preserve, save, watch.” STRONG’S

This is a word that has to do withthe mind and heart – with perspectiveand interest. It involves not forgettingthe covenant, pondering it, andfrequently musing upon it.

THIS IS MY COVENANT“ . . . This is My covenant, which

ye shall keep, between Me and you andthy seed after thee; Every man childamong you shall be circumcised. 11 Andye shall circumcise the flesh of yourforeskin; and it shall be a token of thecovenant betwixt Me and you. 12 Andhe that is eight days old shall be

circumcised among you, every manchild in your generations, he that isborn in the house, or bought withmoney of any stranger, which is not ofthy seed. 13 He that is born in thyhouse, and he that is bought with thymoney, must needs be circumcised: andMy covenant shall be in your flesh foran everlasting covenant . . .”

In the covenant made with Israel,there had to be a continual outwarddoing of the Law among the people –

an every day activity. The covenantmade with Abraham required a one-timeperformance among all the males. Thiswas performed eight days after birth,and was not intended to beaccomplished after rationality haddeveloped. It was not a repetitiveactivity in the sense of the Mosaic Law.

CircumcisionAdmittedly, this was a humbling

“token” of the covenant. Severalobservations can be made concerningthis rite. It will at once become evidentthat in it there was a depiction of thecircumcision of the heart – the mark ofthe New Covenant.

( With the possible exception ofAbraham himself (Gen 17:24-26),the circumcision was accomplishedby someone other than the onecircumcised.

( The “token” of circumcision wasknown only to the one receiving it.

( T h e c i r c u m c i s i o n w a s

Admittedly, this was a humbling “token” ofthe covenant. Several observations can bemade concerning this rite. It will at oncebecome evident that in it there was adepiction of the circumcision of the heart –the mark of the New Covenant.



accomplished in a private part ofthe person.

( The circumcision of one personcould not be performed vicariously,or for another person.

( There was a separation of a part ofthe person from himself.

( What was separated was not kept,or maintained. It had to bediscarded.

( Circumcision itself was the sort ofthing that was not conducive topersonal pride.

( Everyone who qualified forcircumcision was required to becircumcised.

( Every male in the household had tobe circumcised.

( Once the covenant was in place,the circumcision had to beaccomplished eight days afterbirth. There could be no delay.

( Every male who was notcircumcised was cut off from thepeople, and could gain noadvantage from the covenant.

The Nature of God RevealedIn this arrangement we are being

exposed to the Divine nature. This ishow the Lord thinks, and we do well totake due note of it.

( God will not allow for exceptionsto His requirements.

( Divine requirements are notvarying, nor do they differ fromperson to person.

( God will not permit his people tocontinually ignore His Word.

THE PENALTY FOR NOT OBEYING “And the uncircumcised man child

whose flesh of his foreskin is notcircumcised, that soul shall be cut offfrom His people; he hath broken Mycovenant.”

One might imagine that a covenantthat is made by God cannot be broken. As in the case of Abraham, thecovenant itself will be fulfilled, butsome would be excluded because oftheir disobedience. As a nation, Israelbroke God’s covenant, and thus wholegenerations of them were “cut off,”with only a remnant being left. Thus itis written, “Not according to thecovenant that I made with their fathersin the day that I took them by the handto bring them out of the land of Egypt;which My covenant they brake,although I was an husband unto them,saith the LORD” (Jer 31:32; Heb 8:9).Those people were excluded from theland that was promised to them (Heb3:19).

Those, therefore, who boast thatonce a person is saved they cannot belost, have made God “a liar” (1 John1:10). They have introduced a theology

that contradicts what God has saidabout Himself and His dealings withpeople. Is it merely a misunderstanding?Indeed, it is not! Or, is there theremotest possibility that “cut off”means the individual of reference willstill participate in the promisedbenefits? Hear Paul expound thismatter: “And if some of the branchesbe broken off, and thou, being a wildolive tree, wert grafted in among them,and with them partakest of the root andfatness of the olive tree; Boast notagainst the branches. But if thou boast,thou bearest not the root, but the rootthee. Thou wilt say then, The brancheswere broken off, that I might be graftedin. Well; because of unbelief they werebroken off, and thou standest by faith.Be not highminded, but fear: For if Godspared not the natural branches, takeheed lest he also spare not thee. Beholdtherefore the goodness and severity ofGod: on them which fell, severity; buttoward thee, goodness, if thou continuein his goodness: otherwise thou alsoshalt be cut off” (Rom 11:17-22).

This is to be seen in light of thewords of the Head of the churchHimself. “I am the true Vine, and MyFather is the Husbandman. Everybranch in Me that beareth not fruit Hetaketh away: and every branch thatbeareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it maybring forth more fruit. . . If a man abidenot in Me, he is cast forth as a branch,and is withered; and men gather them,and cast them into the fire, and theyare burned” (John 15:1-2,6).

The Circumcision of ChristAnswering to the type of

circumcision, the antitype is “thecircumcision of Christ” (Col 2:11-12).This is also accomplished at thebeginning of spiritual life, even as thecovenant of circumcision wasaccomplished at that time. This is thecircumcision of the flesh– the cuttingaway of the sinful, or Adamic, naturefrom the one who is in Christ. It is acircumcision of the heart, as stated inapostolic doctrine: “But he is a Jew,which is one inwardly; and circumcision

Those, therefore, who boast that once aperson is saved they cannot be lost, havemade God “a liar” (1 John 1:10). They haveintroduced a theology that contradicts whatGod has said about Himself and His dealingswith people.



is that of the heart, in the spirit, and notin the letter; whose praise is not ofmen, but of God” (Rom 2:29). At thepoint the heart is circumcised, the heartis no longer described as “deceitfulabove all things, and desperatelywicked” (Jer 17:9).

The parallel is to spiritual life, andthe circumcision of the flesh, or sinfulnature. Once circumcised, the heart is“purified” (Acts 15:9).

From another vantage point, “theold man” is crucified, or taken out ofdominating activity (Rom 6:6). While“the flesh” remains an integral part ofthe body, it is not a part of “the newman, which after God is created inrighteousness and true holiness” (Eph4:24), or the “new creation” (2 Cor5:17). The part of us that is “in Christ”

(1 Cor 1:30) is not “spotted by theflesh” (Jude 1:23). In Christ, ouressential persons, while dwelling in a“vile body” (Phil 3:20-21), is totallyseparate from “the flesh,” which hasbeen cut away by Christ’s circumcision.

Here a sleight difference exists.Under the Law, when the foreskin wascut away, it was cast out upon a heap. Thus we read of “the hill of foreskins,”associated with the circumcisioninitiated by Joshua after the people hadcome into Canaan (Josh 5:3). “Theflesh,” however, is not discarded in aisolated place. Rather, it is pinionedupon the cross – crucified, in order thatit might finally expire, or be “destroyed”(Rom 6:6).

The Alarming ImplicationsIf it can be established that a

person is still under the dominion of sin,or that he has lapsed back to such astate, all of the benefits of the NewCovenant have been forfeited. Thecovenant has been broken. Thisprinciple is seen in the covenant madewith Abraham (which was the NewCovenant in embryo), and in the OldCovenant as well. Now it is also true inChrist Jesus. The professing believerwho desires to be “the friend of theworld” becomes, by virtue of that want,“the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Notwithstanding all objectingarguments, it remains true: “In this thechildren of God are manifest, and thechildren of the devil: whosoever doethnot righteousness is not of God, neitherhe that loveth not his brother” (1 John3:10). That as not written to the world,but to the churches!

SARAI’S NAME IS CHANGED

“ 15 And God said unto Abraham,As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not callher name Sarai, but Sarah shall hername be. 16 And I will bless her, andgive thee a son also of her: yea, I willbless her, and she shall be a mother ofnations; kings of people shall be ofher.”

For the first time in all of Hiscommunications with Abraham, Godbrings up Sarai. He has not mentionedher a single time until this time – whenAbraham is ninety-nine years old! Up tothis time, Sarai has been mentionedsixteen times in Genesis (12:5.,11,17;16:12,3,5,6,7; 17:15). The angel thatappeared to Hagar mentioned Saraionce (16:8). However she is notmentioned once in any word addressedto Abraham – until at this time, whenAbraham was ninety-years old –twenty-four years after he left Haran(12:4). However, what a marvelousthing was made known at that time.

SARAI’S NAME IS CHANGED

“And God said unto Abraham, Asfor Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not callher name Sarai, but Sarah shall hername be . . .”

The meaning of the name “Sarai” is “My lady, my princess.” The meaning of thename “Sarah” is “princess of the multitude.”HITCHCOCK Sarai accented her relationshipto Abraham. Sarah, like Abraham, was

associated with the promise andpurpose of Almighty God.

So far as their immediate person’s

were concerned, neither Abraham norSarah could be considered as having amultitude of children. So far as the finalrecord is concerned, Abraham begeteight children. Sarah only conceivedand birthed one. Yet, they wereconsidered parents of a vast multitude.Both Abraham and Sarah had amultitude of offspring through legal andappointed means – succeeding

generations.

A Type of Christ JesusSo far as the flesh is concerned,

For seventy-four generations – from Adam toJoseph and Mary – there had been flesh-andblood offspring, or generations. But theultimate Offspring, Jesus Christ, had nonatural children.



Jesus is the ultimate barren one. Hewas “cut off” without begetting anychildren in the flesh. Thus Isaiah wrote,“He was taken from prison and fromjudgment: and who shall declare Hisgeneration? for He was cut off out ofthe land of the living: for thetransgression of my people was Hestricken” (Isa 53:8). For seventy-fourgenerations – from Adam to Joseph andMary – there had been flesh-and bloodoffspring, or generations. But theultimate Offspring, Jesus Christ, had nonatural children.

However, Isaiah continued in thenext chapter of his prophecy: “Sing, Obarren, thou that didst not bear; breakforth into singing, and cry aloud, thou

that didst not travail with child: formore are the children of the desolatethan the children of the married wife,saith the LORD. Enlarge the place of thytent, and let them stretch forth thecurtains of thine habitations: spare not,lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thystakes” (Isa 54:1-2).

Jesus would have more childrenthan anyone in history! In the end, all ofthem will be with Him in the glory. Thatis why He is depicted as saying,“Behold I and the children which Godhath given Me” (Heb 2:13). His childrenwere not begotten by men, but given toHim by God. They were all “begotten”by God (1 John 5:1,18), “through theGospel” (1 Cor 4:15), then given to

Christ to bring to glory (Heb 2:10).

I WILL BLESS HER“And I will bless her, and give thee

a son also of her: yea, I will bless her,and she shall be a mother of nations;kings of people shall be of her.”

Now, for the very first time, it isrevealed that Abraham will have a sonthrough Sarah – the year before thatson was born. This means thatAbraham and Sarah acted upon thatpromise immediately. Scripture statesthat “by faith also Sarah receivedstrength to conceive seed” (Heb11:11). Not only was she “past age”(Heb 11:11), but she had been barrenfrom the very first day she was marriedto Abram (Gen 11:30). In fact, she isthe first woman of Scriptural recordthat was said to have been “barren”(Gen 11:30).

Previously, she rightly stated, “theLord hath restrained me from bearing”(Gen 16:2). Now, however, she willtake hold of the Word of God and thinkdifferently about the matter.

THEN ABRAHAM LAUGHED

“ 17 Then Abraham fell upon hisface, and laughed, and said in his heart,Shall a child be born unto him that is anhundred years old? and shall Sarah, thatis ninety years old, bear?”

ABRAHAM LAUGHED“Then Abraham fell upon his face,

and laughed, and said in his heart, Shalla child be born unto him that is anhundred years old? and shall Sarah, thatis ninety years old, bear?”

Note, the name of Abram wasinstantly changed to Abraham. This isthe first time the narrative refers to himas “Abraham” (17:5,9,15,17). He isnever again referred to as “Abram,”except in First Chronicles 1:27 and

Nehemiah 9:7, where the change of hisname to “Abraham” is reported.

Although the word delivered toAbraham was a promise, it was also atest of his faith. In such a case, his firstreaction will not be the final one.Notwithstanding, his first reaction isrecorded to accent the greatness of thepromise, and to confirm that it wasevident it could not be fulfilled unlessDivine enablement was given.

Keep in mind that nothing of thismagnitude had been promised before –to anyone. This was equivalent tositting in a den of lions, walking aboutin a furnace of fire, walking on water,or raising the dead.

At this point, we have to bringPaul’s comment into our consideration.He wrote, “And being not weak in faith,he considered not his own body nowdead, when he was about an hundredyears old, neither yet the deadness ofSarah's womb: he staggered not at thepromise of God through unbelief; butwas strong in faith, giving glory to God;and being fully persuaded that, what Hehad promised, He was able also toperform. And therefore it was imputedto him for righteousness” (Rom 4:19-22).

At the very least, this confirms thatAbraham did not continue thinking inthis manner. However, there is evenmore here than that. The fact that he

Jesus would have more children than anyonein history! In the end, all of them will be withHim in the glory. That is why He is depictedas saying, “Behold I and the children whichGod hath given Me” (Heb 2:13).



was not rebuked for laughing, as Sarahwould be for seemingly doing the samething (Gen18:12), suggests this wasnot the same kind of laughter.Incidentally, this is the first record inthe Bible of someone laughing.

Some notable Bible scholars are ofthe opinion that this was an expressionof joy and wonderment, not of unbeliefor mockery (Augustine, Calvin,Delitzsch, Keil, Murphy, Jerome,Chrysostom, and Kalisch). Calvin andWordsworth add that this was a“suggestion of natural reason that wasoverruled by faith” PULPIT COMMENTARY John Gillwrites, “not through distrust and diffidence ofthe promise, as Sarah did, for he staggered notat that through unbelief, but for joy at suchgood news; and so Onkelos renders it, “and herejoiced”, with the joy of faith; it may be ourLord refers to this in John 8:56; he saw Christin the promise of Isaac, and rejoiced that heshould spring from his seed: the Targums ofJonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it, “and he

wondered”; he was amazed at the grace of Godthat gave him such a promise, and he wasastonished at the power of God that must beexerted in the fulfilment of it.” JOHN GILL

Albert Barnes adds, “The followingquestions of wonder are not addressed to God;they merely agitate the breast of the astonishedpatriarch. Hence, his irrepressible smile arisesnot from any doubt of the fulfillment of thepromise, but from surprise at the unexpectedmode in which it is to be fulfilled.” ALBERT BARNES

It is not that commentators addany weight to the Scripturesthemselves. I only cite these referencesto confirm that my own observationsare not out of synch with those of other

generations.

I base this view on the fact thatAbraham was not rebuked, and thatPaul attests he did not consider his ownbody, or the deadness of Sarah’swomb. I can only conclude that thiswas not a sinful expression, or one ofdoubt. It does seem reasonable toassume that it was a reaction of humanreasoning that was immediately castdown to the ground. To take any otherview of the text will greatly complicateour view of faith, its trials, and itstriumphs. It suffices to say that the textand context justify a cautious view.

O THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE BEFORE THEE

“ 18 And Abraham said unto God, Othat Ishmael might live before thee! 19

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bearthee a son indeed; and thou shalt callhis name Isaac: and I will establish mycovenant with him for an everlastingcovenant, and with his seed after him.”

O THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVEBEFORE THEE

“And Abraham said unto God, Othat Ishmael might live before thee!”Other versions read, “If only Ishmaelmight live under Your blessing!” NIV

“might live in Your sight,” NRSV “If onlyIshmael's life might be your care!,” BBE

“Why not let Ishmael be my heir? GWN

“Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!,”NAB “May Ishmael live in your presence!That will be enough,” NJB “Yes, do blessIshmael!,” LIVING “Why not let Ishmaelinherit what you have promised me?”CEV “I hope Ishmael will live and serveyou,” ERV “Oh, keep Ishmael alive and

well before you!” MESSAGE

Several differing views arepresented by the various translations.

( That Abraham is asking for Ishmaelto continue to live. NAB

( That Ishmael might live underGod’s care. BBE

( That Ishmael might live in God’spresence. NJB

( That Abraham asks why Ishmaelcannot be his heir. GWN

( That Ishmael would live a life ofservice to God. ERV

( That Ishmael might be blessed byGod. NIV

( That Ishmael might be kept alive

and well. MESSAGE

This Is Not A Petition for Ishmael toBe the Heir

This is not a petition for Ishmael tobe the promised heir. God has justfinished telling Abraham, “And God saidunto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife,thou shalt not call her name Sarai, butSarah shall her name be. And I willbless her, and give thee a son also ofher” (Gen 17:15-16). It is inconceivablethat “the father of all who believe”would contest that word by pleading forIshmael to be the promised heir. Weknow from God’s answer that this isnot what Abraham meant.

It is quite probable that he thoughtGod could possibly take Ishmael’s life –or that He would withdraw protectionfrom him, throwing him to theadversary, so to speak. So, in my ownunderstanding, he pled for Ishmael’s

It does seem reasonable to assume that itwas a reaction of human reasoning that wasimmediately cast down to the ground.



life, knowing that he would not be thepromised heir any more than the sonsKeturah bore to him years later.

From this we also learn thatAbraham had come to love Ishmael,being a father to him.

If Jesus taught us to pray for thosewho “despitefully” use us (Matt 5:44),and apostolic doctrine admonishesbelievers to “bless” their persecutors(Rom 12:14; 1 Pet 3:9), why wouldanyone chide or despise Abraham forpraying or God’s eye to be uponIshmael?

SARAH SHALL BEAR A SON “And God said, Sarah thy wife

shall bear thee a son indeed; and thoushalt call his name Isaac . . .” Otherversions read, “Then God said: "No,Sarah your wife shall bear you a son,and you shall call his name Isaac,”NKJV/CEV/ERV/GNB “Nay, but Sarah thy wifeshall bear thee a son,” ASV “No, butSarah your wife shall bear you a son,”NASB/CJB/CSB “Yes, but your wife Sarahwill bear you a son, and you will callhim Isaac,” NIV “Nevertheless, Sarahyour wife shall bear you a son,” TNK

“‘No,’' God replied, ‘that isn't what Isaid. Sarah shall bear you a son. LIVING

“Yes, behold, Sarah your wife will bearto you a son,” ABP “Yea, behold, Sarrhathy wife shall bear thee a son,” BRENTON

“Your wife Sarah truly shall bear you ason,” LITV and “That's not what I mean.Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, ason,” MESSAGE

Here again there is totaldisagreement in the varioustranslations. Some have God saying“No,” NKJV/CEV/ERV/GNB/ASV/NASB/NAU/NET whileothers have Him saying “Yes,”NIV/NIB//NJB/ABP/ BRENTON and still others“nevertheless.” NAB/TNK Some even read,“That’s not what I mean,” MESSAGE and“that isn’t what I said.” LIVING

However, God reaffirms Hispromise, elaborating upon it bydeclaring what the name of Sarah’s sonwas to be: “Isaac,” which means

“laughter,” HITCHCOCK – not as in mockery,but as in joy and jubilation. In doingthis, God gave room for Abraham’sfaith to become more strong – to grow,for “faith cometh by hearing” (Rom10:17). If Abraham had been temptedby some distracting thoughts, God’sstrong affirmation would enable him tothrow them off.

I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANTWITH ISAAC

“ . . . and I will establish Mycovenant with him for an everlastingcovenant, and with his seed after him.”

The most important thing was thecovenant, not the son with whom itwould be identified. This has to do withthe coming of the Messiah, throughwhom all the nations of the earth wouldbe blessed. Therefore the attention isthrown upon the covenant rather thanthe one fleshly offspring with whom itis established. Yet, the one throughwhom the covenant would beimplemented was already appointment,and that appointment would not bechanged.

I have already shown thegenerations through whomthe Savior came, fromAbraham forward. All of themwere chosen, just as Isaacwas. The generations involvedfrom Adam to Abraham, wereas Divinely chosen, asindicated in the chart to theright.

Enough cannot be madeof this Divine arrangement.Throughout church historymen have debated concerningthe choice or election of God.However, it is all needless andout of order, for in the genealogiesleading up to Jesus, every singlegeneration, with not a single exception,was chosen by God. Further, the choicewas made between multiple offspring,sometimes of rather staggering numbers– such as from Adam through Noah.

This concept continues on into thesalvation of God, which, by revelation,is associated with Divine choice (Matt20:16; Eph 1:4; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet2:9), predestination (Rom 8:29-30; Eph1:5,11), and election (Matt 24:22,24;Rom 8:33; 11:5,28; Col 3:12; 1 Thess1:42 Tim 2:10; Tit 1:1; 1 Pet 1:21;5:13; 2 Pet 1:10; 2 John 1:1,13).

Of course, the Savior Himself iscalled “Elect” (Isa 42:1; 1 Pet 2:6).Jesus told the twelve they had notchosen Him, but He had chosen them:“Ye have not chosen me, but I havechosen you, and ordained you, that yeshould go and bring forth fruit, and thatyour fruit should remain: thatwhatsoever ye shall ask of the Father inmy name, he may give it you” (John15:16). In His Gethsemane prayer, Heacknowledged that God had given thesemen to Him (John 17:9,11). He alsoaffirmed that He would give eternal lifeto as many as God had given to Him(John 17:2).

Also consider that every leadingand key person in Scriptural history waschosen by God. This includes men likeNoah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,Moses, Aaron, David, and all of theProphets.

There was also the nation of Israel,which is declared to have been chosenby God, and that without any qualifyingmerit on their part (Deut 7:6; 14:2;26:18-19).

Thus Divine choice, or election, isassociated with:

( The progenitors of the Messianiclineage (Seth, Enos, etc).

( Noah and his family.

( The progenitors of Israel (Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob).

( Israel itself

( Key men in Israel, like Moses andAaron, Joshua, Solomon, David).

AdamSethEnosCainanMaleleelJaredEnochMethuselahLamechNoahShemArphaxadCainanSalaEberPhalecRagauSaruchNachorTera



( All of the Prophets

( John the Baptist

( The parents of John the Baptist.

( The Lord Jesus Christ

( The mother of Jesus

( The apostles

( The church

( Individuals that are saved.

Throughout Scripture we arecultured to think of God as a Chooser,One who elects, and One whopredestinates. I do not see how anyperson of intellectual integrity canjustify being opposed to such a view ofGod. God has revealed Himself in thiscapacity, and are to accept it.

AS FOR ISHMAEL

“ 20 And as for Ishmael, I haveheard thee: Behold, I have blessed him,and will make him fruitful, and willmultiply him exceedingly; twelveprinces shall he beget, and I will makehim a great nation. 21 But my covenantwill I establish with Isaac, which Sarahshall bear unto thee at this set time inthe next year.”

We know from this answer thatAbraham was not praying that Ishmaelwould be the heir with whom thepromised covenant would beestablished. While some versionsrepresent God as saying “No” toAbraham’s request, the text actuallyfocuses on a positive answer.

I HAVE HEARD THEE“And as for Ishmael, I have heard

thee . . .” Other versions read, “I havegiven ear to your prayer,” BBE “I haveheard your request about Ishmael,” GWN

“I am heeding you,” NAB “I grant youyour request,” NJB “I have heard whatyou asked me to do for Ishmael,” CEV

“Yes, I heard your prayer for him,”MESSAGE and “I have heard and heededyou.” AMPLIFIED

As used in this text, the word

“heard” indicates a favorable responseto Abraham’s request. God will give thepatriarch what he has asked – whichnecessarily means he did not ask forIshmael to be the promised heir.Instead, he asked for God to bestow ablessing upon Ishmael, as compared tocursing him as He did Cain.

I HAVE BLESSED HIM“ . . . Behold, I have blessed him, andwill make him fruitful, and will multiplyhim exceedingly; twelve princes shall hebeget, and I will make him a greatnation . . .”

Notice the strength of the Lord’sreply. “I have heard thee . . . I haveblessed him . . . I will make him fruitful. . . I will multiply him exceedingly . . .twelve princes shall he begat . . . I willmake him a great nation.”

If we were being confronted withanything but the promise of God, thatcommitment would be considered anunparalleled blessing. There are menwho would give anything – even theirown souls – to be guaranteed suchbenefits. But when it comes to thepurpose of Almighty God, such benefitsare paltry. All of the benefits given toIshmael were for this world, andtherefore would pass away. Further,although he “blessed” Ishmael, he didnot say his seed would be blessed, orthat all families of the earth would beblessed through him.

You may recall that when Joseph

was sold by his brothers into slavery, itwas to a band of Ishmaelites, who were“bearing spicery and balm and myrrh,going to carry it down to Egypt” (Gen37:25-28).

BUT MY COVENANT WILL BE WITHISAAC

“But My covenant will I establish withIsaac, which Sarah shall bear unto theeat this set time in the next year.”

This was the covenant that Paulalso calls “the promise” (Gal 3:17), andit is associated with the coming ofChrist into the world, to “save Hispeople from their sins” (Matt 1:21).

Notice the particular language thatreflects Divine determination andworkings.

( “I will establish.”( “Isaac, which Sarah shall bear.”( “At the set time.”( “Next year.”

Paul Makes A Point of ThisReferring to this passage of

scripture, Paul makes a point of thecovenant being established with Isaac.“Not as though the word of God hathtaken none effect. For they are not allIsrael, which are of Israel: Neither,because they are the seed of Abraham,are they all children: but, In Isaac shallthy seed be called. That is, They whichare the children of the flesh, these arenot the children of God: but the childrenof the promise are counted for the seed.

MEANING OF “HEARD”

[m;vshama` {shaw-mah'} Meaning: 1) to hearwith attention or interest, listen to 2) tounderstand 3) give heed 4) to consent, agree5) to grant request 6) to listen to, yield to.STRONG’S



For this is the word of promise, At thistime will I come, and Sarah shall have ason” (Rom 9:6-9).

Beginning with the case of Isaac,Paul establishes that everyone withfleshly roots to Abraham are notnecessarily “children” – i.e., children ofthe covenant. His argument is thatthere is a “remnant” within the Jewishnation that, as God reckons things, canbe traced back to Abraham (Rom 9:27;11:5).

As Jesus spoke to the Jews, Hespoke in terms of a people within apeople – an accepted people with agreater mass of people.

( “Therefore say I unto you, Thekingdom of God shall be takenfrom you, and given to a nationbringing forth the fruits thereof” (Mat 21:43).

( “Then said Jesus to those Jewswhich believed on him, If yecontinue in my word, then are yemy disciples indeed; And ye shallknow the truth, and the truth shallmake you free” (John 8:31-32).

( “He that is of God heareth God'swords: ye therefore hear them not,because ye are not of God” (John8:47).

( “My sheep hear My voice, and Iknow them, and they know Me”(John 10:27).

( “ . . . He goeth before them, andthe sheep follow Him: for theyknow his voice” (John 10:4).

The Same Principle Declared to theChurch

The same principle applies toprofessing Christendom. Among thishodgepodge of professing “Christians”there are some who are genuinely thepeople of God. Writing to professingbelievers, several statements are madethat serve to distinguish the remnantthat is truly identified with Christ.

( “For they that are after the flesh domind the things of the flesh; butthey that are after the Spirit thethings of the Spirit. For to becarnally minded is death; but to bespiritually minded is life and peace.Because the carnal mind is enmityagainst God: for it is not subject tothe law of God, neither indeed canbe. So then they that are in theflesh cannot please God” (Rom8:5-8).

( “Wherefore come out from amongthem, and be ye separate, saith the

Lord, and touch not the uncleanthing; and I will receive you, Andwill be a Father unto you, and yeshall be my sons and daughters,saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor6:18).

( “And they that are Christ's havecrucified the flesh with theaffections and lusts” (Gal 5:24).

( “Little children, it is the last time:and as ye have heard thatantichrist shall come, even now arethere many antichrists; wherebywe know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but theywere not of us; for if they hadbeen of us, they would no doubthave continued with us: but theywent out, that they might be mademanifest that they were not all ofus” (1 John 2:19).

( “If ye know that He is righteous,ye know that every one that doethrighteousness is born of Him” (1John 2:29).

( “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth

not: whosoever sinneth hath notseen Him, neither known Him” (1John 3:6).

( “We know that we have passedfrom death unto life, because welove the brethren. He that lovethnot his brother abideth in death” (1John 3:14).

( “Beloved, let us love one another:for love is of God; and every onethat loveth is born of God, andknoweth God. He that loveth notknoweth not God; for God is love”

(1 John 4:7-8).

These qualifying statements are tobe taken seriously, and not glossed.This brief sampling confirms that Goddoes not take men’s professedaffiliation with Him for granted. We areliving in an era when men takediscipleship for granted, even thoughJesus spoke quite specifically aboutthose who could not be one of Hisdisciple (Matt 10:37-38; 16:24-25; Lk14:26,33). There are people – peoplewho have been singularly blessed byGods – yet who also return fruit to Himas is appropriate (Rom 7:4). The Spiritlikens them to ground that has beenadequately prepared for an abundantharvest. Here are His words: “For theearth which drinketh in the rain thatcometh oft upon it, and bringeth forthherbs meet for them by whom it isdressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns andbriers is rejected, and is nigh untocursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded betterthings of you, and things thataccompany salvation, though we thusspeak” (Heb 6:7-9).

We are living in an era when men takediscipleship for granted, even though Jesusspoke quite specifically about those who couldnot be one of His disciple



GOD LEFT OFF TALKING

“ 22 And He left off talking withhim, and God went up from Abraham.”

Other versions read, “finishedtalking,” NKJV “having said these words,”BBE “when He was done speaking withhim,” T N K “That ended theconversation,” LIVING “He completedspeaking to him,” ABP and God stoppedtalking with him.” AMPLIFIED

After He had finished speaking withAbraham, God “went up” from him,signifying the conclusion of the onesided conversation. The only wordsAbraham spoke to God were, “O thatIshmael might lie before Thee” (Gen17:18). The only other words Abrahamis recorded as saying to God are, “LordGOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing Igo childless, and the steward of myhouse is this Eliezer of Damascus? AndAbram said, Behold, to me Thou hastgiven no seed: and, lo, one born in myhouse is mine heir” (Gen 15:2-3).

In Abraham the words of Solomonare certainly fulfilled: “Be not rash withthy mouth, and let not thine heart behasty to utter any thing before God: forGod is in heaven, and thou upon earth:therefore let thy words be few” (Eccl5:2).

Observe that all of God’s words toAbraham were concerning His ownpurpose, and how it would be carriedout. On the other side, Abraham onlyspoke to God about things related toHis purpose. None of his words werethe expression of unbelief, and theyalways conformed to the revelation that

he was given.

A LESSON TO BE LEARNEDI realize this is a very sensitive

subject, and yet it is something thatshould be addressed. During the lastfew decades, there has been a greatstress placed on a “personal God” – ofGod’s relationship with the individual.Little of this stress takes the purpose ofGod into account. God is set forth ashaving an intense interest in thepersonal affairs of men – even down to

the jots and tittles of life. It all soundsgood – but how should the saints ofGod view such an accent. I do want topoint out that I am speaking of anEMPHASIS of the details of living in thisworld, as compared with Divineobjectives that outlast the world.

While I by no means am suggestingthat God should not be brought intoevery aspect of our lives, it is necessaryto say that our lives must not beallowed to receive the accent. Thisshould be very apparent fromstatements like the following.

( “And that He died for all, that theywhich live should not henceforth

live unto themselves, but unto Himwhich died for them, and roseagain” (2 Cor 5:15).

( “I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, butChrist liveth in me: and the lifewhich I now live in the flesh I liveby the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave Himselffor me” (Gal 2:20).

( “For we which live are alway

delivered unto death for Jesus'sake, that the life also of Jesusmight be made manifest in ourmortal flesh” (2 Cor 4:11).

For those in Christ, there is a highercause for living, and a more profoundand profitable objective than self-satisfaction. The difficulties that weface often introduce unique needs forgrace, and we should never be hesitant to present them to the Lord. When weare actually living for the Lord it willimpact on the kind of experiences we have, and why they are introduced intoour lives.

ABRAHAM CARRIES OUT THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION

“ 23 And Abraham took Ishmael hisson, and all that were born in his house,and all that were bought with his

money, every male among the men ofAbraham's house; and circumcised theflesh of their foreskin in the selfsame

day, as God had said unto him. 24 AndAbraham was ninety years old and nine,when he was circumcised in the flesh

I do want to point out that I am speaking ofan EMPHASIS of the details of living in thisworld, as compared with Divine objectivesthat outlast the world.



of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his sonwas thirteen years old, when he wascircumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abrahamcircumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27

And all the men of his house, born inthe house, and bought with money ofthe stranger, were circumcised withhim.”

Notice the thoroughness thatcharacterizes Abraham’s obedience.Remember, the command of the Lordconcerning circumcision included thefollowing.

( Every man child “among you,” or inthe household of Abraham, was tobe circumcised (Gen 17:10).

( Abraham himself was to becircumcised (Gen 17:11).

( He that was born in his house was

to be circumcised (Gen 17:12).

( Every man child born in his house(17:12a).

( Any male bought with money froma “stranger,” or foreigner, NIV whowas nor Abraham’s offspring (Gen17:12-13).

Any male who “is notcircumcised,” God said, “that soul shallbe cut off from his people; he hathbroken My covenant” (Gen 17:14).

Now, behold with what precisionAbraham carried out this Divinerequirement.

( Ishmael was circumcised (Gen17:23a).

( All that were born in his house was

circumcised (Gen 17:23b).

( All that were bought with moneywere circumcised (Gen17:23c).

( At the age of ninety-nine Abrahamhimself was circumcised (Gen17:24).

It is then stated that all of this wasdone in the selfsame day. The summaryis stated in these words, “In theselfsame day was Abrahamcircumcised, and Ishmael his son. Andall the men of his house, born in thehouse, and bought with money of thestranger, were circumcised with him”(Gen 17:27).

Here we are given to see the natureof obedience that proceeds from faith –it is thorough and immediate; instant,with no delay.

CONCLUSION

We have been exposed to “the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us al l” (Rom 4:16). Showing therelevancy of Abraham’s faith to thosewho are in Christ Jesus, Paul writes thefollowing. “Know ye therefore that theywhich are of faith, the same are thechildren of Abraham. And the scripture,foreseeing that God would justify theheathen through faith, preached beforethe gospel unto Abraham, saying, Inthee shall all nations be blessed. Sothen they which be of faith are blessedwith faithful Abraham” (Gal 3:7-9).

I want to stress that any faith thatis not harmonious with the faith ofAbraham is spurious. It is neither realnor accepted by God. Abraham is aliving definition of faith, and how itimpacts those possessing it. This is thekind of faith we are expected to have –to “walk in the steps of our fatherabraham” (Rom 4:12).The promise ofGod that concerns salvation, orreceiving the blessing that comes



through Christ, is pointedly said to be to that person “with is of the faith ofAbraham, who is the father of us all”(Rom 4:16). The Amplified Bible readsthis way: “Therefore, [inheriting] thepromise is the outcome of faith anddepends [entirely] on faith, in order thatit might be given as an act of grace(unmerited favor), to make it stable andvalid and guaranteed to all hisdescendants—not only to the devoteesand adherents of the Law, but also tothose who share the faith of Abraham,who is [thus] the father of us all. As itis written, I have made you the fatherof many nations. [He was appointed ourfather] in the sight of God in Whom hebelieved, Who gives life to the dead andspeaks of the nonexistent things that[He has foretold and promised] as ifthey [already] existed.”

For the informed and honest soul,the rarity of this kind of faith is glaringlyevident. This is the revelation of thekind of generation in which are living.Although it is a Gentile generation, itbears remarkable similarity to thegeneration to whom Jesus ministeredwhen He “went about doing good, andhealing all that were oppressed of thedevil; for God was with Him” (Acts10:38).

Jesus Himself said of thatgeneration: “But to what shall I likenthis generation? It is like little childrensitting in the marketplaces who call totheir playmates, We piped to you[playing wedding], and you did notdance; we wailed dirges [playingfuneral], and you did not mourn andbeat your breasts and weep aloud”

AMPLIFIED (Matt 11:16-17).

Speaking of a condition that wouldafter he had left the scene of warfare,Paul said much the same thing asJesus: “For the time will come whenthey will not endure sound doctrine; butafter their own lusts shall they heap tothemselves teachers, having itchingears; and they shall turn away their earsfrom the truth, and shall be turned untofables” (2 Tim 4:3-4).

This describes a circumstancewhere the people have preferences thatpertain to their private assessment oflife. They will turn their ears from thepreacher or teacher who fails to givethem what they want: “their own lusts”– and their desires have little, ifanything at all, to do with eternity andthe revealed purpose of God.

All of this is to be compared withthe faith of Abraham. It will confirmthat we are living in the “falling away”that was foretold by Paul (2 Thess 2:3).

It is to be acknowledged that thisfalling away has come at differing timesand in various stages.

( First, there was the declining thattook place in apostolic times.

( Second, a falling away acceleratedwhen the church was popularized,and Christianity became thereligion of the Roman Empire.

( Third, it was seen in theinstitutionalization of the church,when there was an attempt to co-mingle the world, certain aspects

of Judaism, and apostolic doctrine.

( Fourth, when human reason wasexalted in the Enlightenment,further corruption crept in, and thefalling away became even worse.At that time men – religious men –became judges of God and HisWord.

( Fifth, with the advent of theIndustrial Revolution, time wascreated in which men could bemore discreet about theirinvestment in it. Rather thanchoosing to give God more time,men – even religious men – gavemore time to self-satisfaction. Nowthe falling away added the elementof entertainment to religion,feeding even more the lusts ofmen.

( Sixth, in harmony with the theoryof evolution and its rapid spread, abody of knowledge was developedcalled psychiatry. It focused on theindividual providing explanationsfor human conduct that were notharmonious with Scripture, andproviding a supposedly rationalexplanation for the love of self.

We are now living in the fullaftermath of these diversions. As aresult, the significance, nature, andnecessity of faith are hardly known inany church circles. Truth, as it did inIsaiah’s day, has “fallen in the street”(Isa 59:14). As we might expect, in thistime Abraham is not set forth as thepremier example of faith. In fact,relatively little is known about him.

Our next Hungry Saints Meeting will be held on Friday, 1/27/12. We will continue our series of lessons in the book ofGenesis. The twenty-sixth lesson will cover verses 1 through verse 27 of chapter Seventeen: “GOD’S FOURTHAPPEARANCE TO ABRAM.” This appearance took place when Abram was ninety-nine years old – twenty-four years afterhe had left Haran. During this occasion, Abram’s name was changed to “Abraham,” and Sarai’s to “Sarah.” Thecovenant of circumcision was instituted at this time. Abraham, still not knowing that the intended “seed” would beborn through Sarah, pleads for Ishmael to be considered. God then, for the first time, reveals that Sarah would bearthe promised child. Ishmael was thirteen years old at the time. Following the revelation, all of the males in Abraham’shousehold were circumcised as God commanded. Our meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. You are invited to bring yourfamily and friends for fellowship around the Word of God. Refreshments are served afterward, with a time of extendedfellowship for everyone.



FIRST THINGS IN GENESIS (Gen 1:1-17:27)

1. First mention of God (Gen 1:1)2. First use of the word “created” (Gen 1:1)3. First circumstance of chaos and disorder (Gen 1:2)4. First mention of darkness” (Gen 1:2)5. First mention of the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:2)6. First commandment (Gen 1:3)7. First mention of “light” (Gen 1:3)8. First none-heavenly orderliness (Gen 1:4-10)9. First Separation (Gen 1:4,7)10. First Day and night (Gen 1:5)11. First mention of “evening” and “morning” (Gen 1:5)12. First mention of “firmament” (Gen 1:6)13. First use of the word “appear” (Gen 1:9)14. First Terrestrial substance (Gen 1:10)15. First Vegetation life (Gen 1:11-12)16. First Celestial substance (Gen 1:16)17. First sea-life (Gen 1:20-22)18. First fowl (Gen 1:20)19. First Animal life (Gen 1:24-25)20. First language of plurality in the Godhead (Gen 1:26)21. First Man (Gen 3:19)22. First Warning (Gen 2:17)23. First Display of human wisdom (Gen 2:19-20)24. First Woman (Gen 2:21-22)25. First Marriage (Gen 2:22-24)26. First Exposure to Satan (Gen 3:1)27. First Temptation (Gen 3:1-5)28. First delusion (Gen 3:6)29. First Sin (Gen 3:8)30. First Knowledge of nakedness and its shame (Gen

3:7)31. First Divine interrogation (Gen 3:9-13)32. First Vicarious death (Gen 3:21)33. First Divinely provided clothing (Gen 3:21)34. First Promise (Gen 3:15)35. First Curse among men (Gen 3:17)36. First expulsion (Gen 3:23-24)37. First Birth (Gen (Gen 4:1)38. First Offering (Gen 4:3)39. First accepted sacrifice (Gen 4:4)40. First rejected sacrifice (Gen 4:5)41. First human reaction to a rejected sacrifice (Gen 4:5)42. First time a man became angry (Gen 4:5-6)43. First Divine response to human anger (Gen 4:6-16)44. First Murder (Gen 4:8)45. First wanderer or vagabond (Gen 4:12)46. First mark put on a man (Gen 4:15)47. First man to go out from the presence of the Lord

(Gen 4:16)48. First city built (Gen 4:17)49. First case of bigamy (Gen 4L19)50. First instance of retaliation (Gen 4:23)

51. First human substitute (Gen 4:25)52. First Calling on the name of the Lord (Gen 4:26)53. First genealogy (Gen 5:1-32)54. First person said to have walked with God (Gen 5:22)55. First Translation into heaven – Enoch (Gen 5:24)56. First unequal yoke (Gen 6:2)57. First men of the Spirit striving with men (Gen 6:3)58. First reference to a society of ruthless men (Gen 6:4)59. First reference to man’s thoughts being corrupt (Gen

6:4).60. First reference to God repenting (Gen 6:6).61. First reference to a universal judgment (Gen 6:2).62. First reference to a person finding grace (Gen 6:).63. First reference to a man who was just and perfect in

his generation (Gen 6:9).64. First reference to the total corruption of humanity

(Gen 6:12).65. First reference to “the end of all flesh” (Gen 6:13).66. First Large building project (Gen 6:4-16).67. First boat built (Gen 6:14-15).68. First reference to a flood (Gen 6:17).69. First Covenant made with a man (Gen 6:18).70. First reference to someone being saved (Gen 6:18).71. First reference to the gathering of animals (Gen 6:19-

20).72. First reference to the gathering and storage of food

(Gen 6:21).73. First reference to someone doing all that God had

commanded (Gen 6:22).74. The first person God affirmed He saw as “righteous”

(Gen 7:1).75. First Salvation of a family (Gen 7:1).76. First record of someone being saved because of

another (Gen 7:1).77. First record of animals being saved (Gen 7:8).78. First rain (Gen 7:12). 79. First and only universal flood (Gen 7:18-20).80. First opening of the fountains in the earth (Gen

7:2,11).81. First opening of the windows of heaven (Gen 7:11).82. First global curse (Gen 7:21-23).83. First destruction of every living substance (Gen 7:23).84. First time God is said to have remembered someone

(Gen 8:1).85. First record of a drying wind (Gen 8:1).86. First confirmation of newness of life following a curse

(Gen 8:11).87. First record of a deliverance (Gen 8:18-19)88. First building of an altar (Gen 8:20).89. First known sacrificial offering of multiple creatures

(8:20).90. First time God is said to have been pleased with an



offering (Gen 8:21).91. First promise of continued seedtime/harvest,

summer/winter, day/night (Gen 8:22).92. First Deliverance from the world (Gen 8:18).93. First New beginning (Gen 9:21-22).94. The first mention of animals fearing mankind (Gen

9:2).95. The first addition to the human diet (Gen 9:3).96. The first approval of eating meat (Gen 9:3-4).97. The first prohibition of eating blood (Gen 9:4).98. The first authorization of capital punishment (Gen

9:5-6).99. The first covenant established with the seed of a

principle person (Gen 9:9).100. The first covenant with living creatures (Gen 9:10).101. The first promise to never again cut off all living

beings with a flood (Gen 9:11).102. The first token of a covenant (Gen 9:12.103. The first reference fo a rainbow (Gen 9:13-17).104. The first reference to God remembering a covenant

He made (Gen 9:15-16).105. The first reference to a husbandman (Gen 9:20).106. The first reference to a vineyard (Gen 9:20).107. The first reference to wine (Gen 9:21).108. The first reference to a person becoming drunk (Gen

9:21).109. The first curse uttered by a man (Gen 9:25).110. The first blessing uttered by a man (Gen 9:26). 111. The first reference to a servant (Gen 9:25-26).112. The first reference to the enlargement of one’s

territory (Gen 9:27).113. The first mention of the “Gentiles” (10:5).114. The first mention of “nations” (10:5).115. The first mention of “families,” tribes, or classes of

people (10:5,1820,31,32).116. The first mention of “isles,” or maritime countries

(10:5).117. First mention of a hunter (Gen 10:9).118. First mention of a kingdom (10:10).119. First mention of Babel (Gen 10:10).120. First mention of Nineveh (Gen 10-:12).121. First mention of Canaanites (Gen 10:18).122. First mention of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 10:19).123. First mention of “tongues,” or languages (Gen

10:5,20,31). 124. The first mention of different nations “divided in the

earth” (Gen 10:32).125. The first mention of a group of people traveling (Gen

11:2).126. The first example of agreement among men (Gen

11:3).127. The first mention of “brick” (11:3).128. The first mention of “mortar” (Gal 11:3).129. The first mention of the tempering of brick (11:3)130. The first mention of a “tower” (11:4).

131. The first mention of a fear of being “scattered”(11:4).

132. The first mention of the Lord coming “down” (11:5).133. The first mention of human potential (11:6).134. The first record of God’s assessment of a collective

work (11:5-6).135. The first record of God’s response to a collective

work (11:6-7).136. The first record of God scattering a people (11:8).137. First Judgment of a human project (11:8).138. First Dispersion of humanity (11:8).139. First record of a son dying before his father (11:28).140. The first barren woman (11:30).141. The first mention of the land of Canaan (Gen 11:31).142. First Calling from one place to another (Gen 12:1)143. First Divine direction concerning a move (Gen 12:1)144. First Covenant of blessing (Gen 12:2-3)145. First mention of a Divinely created nation (Gen 12:2)146. First mention of acquired wealth (Gen 12:5)147. First mention of servants, or slaves (Gen 12:5)148. The first time God is said to have “appeared” to

anyone (Gen 12:7).149. First Famine (Gen 12:10)150. First trip from Canaan to Egypt (Gen 12:10)151. First person to treat another person well for the sake

of another person (Gen 12:18)152. First example of God cursing those who cursed

Abram (Gen 12:17)153. First examples of plagues coming from the Lord (Gen

12:17)154. First trip from Egypt to Canaan (Gen 12:20-13:3)155. First man mentioned who was rich: Abram (Gen

13:2)156. The first example of a territory being unable to

sustain those in it (Gen 13:6)157. The first example of a dispute among employees (Gen

13:7)158. The first separation of kindred spirits (Gen 13:8-12)159. The first commanded perusal of the land of Canaan

(Gen 13:17)160. First use of the word “Hebrew” (Gen 14:13)161. The first military initiative by a man of faith (Gen

14:14-15)162. The first mention of Melchizedek (Gen 14:18a)163. The first mention of a “priest of the most High God”

(Gen 14:18b)164. The first mention of a king who was also a priest

(Gen 14:18)165. The first mention of “bread and wine” (Gen 14:18)166. The first mention of enemies being delivered into

ones hand by the Lord (Gen 14:20a)167. The first mention of “tithes” (Gen 14:20b)168. First Vision (Gen 15:1).169. First record of the words “Fear not” (Gen 15:1)170. First revelation of God in a protective capacity (Gen



15:1).171. The first reference to God as a “Reward” (Gen 15:1).172. First reference to someone believing God (Gen 15:6).173. First mention of righteousness (Gen 15:6).174. First mention of man inheriting something (Gen 15:7).175. First prophecy of a being judged (Gen 15:14).176. First reference to iniquity being “full” (Gen 15:16).177. First use of the word “handmaid” (Gen 16:1).178. First mention of “Hagar” (Gen 16:1).179. First mention of God restraining a woman from

bearing children (Gen 16:2).180. First time a wife’s handmaid bore children to her for

her husband (Gen 16:4).181. First mention of an angel (Gen 16:7).182. First mention of “the angel of the Lord” (Gen 16:7),183. First message delivered by an angel (Gen 16:8-12).184. First time a name was given to a child according to

revelation (Gen 16:11).185. First time someone gave a name to God (Gen 16:13).186. First time “Almighty” is mentioned (Gen 17:1).187. First time God is expressly said to have “talked”

extensively with someone (Gen 17:3-22).188. First time a person was told he would be the father of

“many nations” (Gen 17:4-5).189. First time someone was told “kings” would come out

of him (Gen 17:6).190. First time abraham was told Sarah would bear the

heir (Gen 17:19,21).191. First time “circumcision” is mentioned (Gen 17:10-

13).192. First time circumcision was performed (Gen 17:23-

27).



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