Genesis 17:1-8

The Promise Renewed

v. 1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect. Twenty-four years Abram had now been a stranger in Canaan, thirteen years had elapsed since the birth of Ishmael, and still the patience of Abram and Sarai was sorely tried, still no child came to gladden their hearts. But the Lord now appeared to Abram once more, calling Himself the almighty God, and bidding His servant walk before Him, lead his entire life so as to be without reproach. Every one that is justified by faith will so conduct himself in his entire life and actions as to give all honor to God and to place all trust in Him, even if He should delay in the fulfillment of some promise.

v. 2. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. The promise of an innumerable progeny, as based upon the covenant of God, is here repeated and intensified, particular stress being placed upon the exceedingly great number of descendants.

v. 3. And Abram fell on his face, in the humility of his faith and of overpowering joy. And God talked with him, saying,

v. 4. As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. The covenant was not here established, for it was already in power, but it was now to be realized, the Lord on His part decreeing that Abram was to be the father of a multitude of nations. The almighty Lord always fulfills in due time what He promises to His children.

v. 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. Thus Abraham is again shown the great nation which through his Seed, the Messiah, was to be gathered out of all nations, the great congregation of all the believers. Romans 4:17. In token of this double promise God changed the name of Abram, "exalted father," to Abraham, "fat her of a mass, noise, tumult of nations," Himself explaining that He had set him to be the father of a multitude of nations.

v. 6. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. Tribes and people, exalted, mighty, and rich kings were among the descendants of Abraham; and the promise is again so wide and all-encompassing that It must be taken to include especially the spiritual blessings assured to those who are the descendants of Abraham in faith.

v. 7. And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. Here also the fact that God, in the realization of the covenant, will be an everlasting Source and Fountainhead of goodness and mercy to the real offspring of Abraham, is emphasized

v. 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. The continual repetition of the emphasis upon the everlasting covenant and the everlasting possession shows that the covenant and the promised inheritance included the spiritual seed, the sum total of those that would accept God with the faith of Abraham, and also the heavenly Canaan, with all the blessings assured to US by the merits of Christ, in whom alone God is our God.