17. THE COVENANT AND THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT
Genesis 17
First: We discussed the concept of a covenant first with Noah. The Noahic covenant was established between God and all of creation, and its sign was the rainbow. Now the Lord enters into a covenant with Abraham and the nation that will come from him.
Preliminary question
• Why has the term «covenant» lost its meaning in Western cultures?
Verses 1-5. Thirteen years have passed since the birth of Ishmael (compare to verse 25).
• Why does God want to be in a covenant with people? Why isn't a «free relationship» sufficient?
• Look at the footnotes for the meanings of the names and consider why Abram's name was changed to Abraham at this point.
Verses 6-8. Note that Abraham is not only the forefather to the Jews but also to Christians.
• Compare these promises with the promise God gave to Abraham when speaking to him about the covenant previously. See 15:18. What new things does God promise him here?
• The Lord speaks of several nations that would be descendants of Abraham. What is he referring to with these nations?
• In what ways have these promises of God been fulfilled in the history of Jews and Christians?
• Abraham's descendants were promised the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance. What is the land promised as an eternal inheritance for Christians?
• God promises twice that his covenant will continue with Abraham's descendants (7b, 8b). What did this promise mean for Abraham and what does it mean for Christian parents?
Verses 9-14
• God's faithfulness in the covenant was shown so that he kept his promises. How was the faithfulness of the people supposed to be demonstrated?
• What is the biggest difference between the sign of Noah's covenant (the rainbow) and the sign of Abraham's covenant (circumcision)?
• What might have happened to Israel over the centuries if there hadn't been such a sign for the covenant?
• What does it indicate that boys were circumcised at such a young age? Why weren't they allowed to grow up and decide for themselves whether they wanted circumcision or not?
• What do you think about the fact that women weren't marked in any special way as members of the covenant?
• What does verse 14 indicate about this covenant?
• What do you think about the fact that in our European country, many people would like to prohibit male circumcision for Jews and Muslims?
• Baptism is called a covenant in the New Testament, based on Jesus Christ's resurrection, and its sign is water. What does it mean to you that you are in a covenant relationship with the Almighty God?
Verses 15-16. Sarah was now 89 years old. For the last 13 years, she had observed Ishmael's growth and her husband's relationship with the boy and his mother.
• What might these years have been like for Sarah? (What did she now think about God's promise?)
• What might Abraham's relationship with Hagar have been like during these years; no other children had been born?
• What does the name «princess» tell us about Sarah? (Why such a royal name?)
• What do you think childless Sarah thought when she heard her new name?
• What does verse 16 tell us about the woman's role in God's plan? (Why was it relevant who was the mother of the promised child?)
Verses 17-18
• What did Abraham think now about the promise of the Lord, which he had waited for so long to be fulfilled?
• Why didn't the Lord ask Abraham the same question he later asked Sarah: «Why did you laugh?»
• If God measured blessings for his children only according to their faith, how would things have turned out for Abraham at this point?
• Once again: how can Paul claim that Abraham did not weaken in faith or doubt God's promise in unbelief, even though he knew that their childbearing years were over? (Romans 4:19-21)
• What is the difference between disbelief and doubt?
Verses 19-22
• What was the difference between the promises God gave to Isaac and Ishmael?
• God promised to bless Ishmael, too. How does this appear in the history of his descendants, i.e. the Arabs?
• Why did God want to announce the birth of Isaac a year before it happened?
• In what way had God met Abraham this time (22)?
Verses 23-27. We remember that Abraham had 318 trained men in his camp a few years earlier. Now there could have been even more.
• What does it show that Abraham circumcised all the men in the camp already on the same day?
• The leader reads Romans 4:11. How does Paul justify that circumcision is not a matter of salvation?
• On his last evening, Jesus established a new covenant with his disciples: And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, «This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.» And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, «This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.» (Luke 22:19-20) Compare the old covenant with the new covenant.
Finally: Around the time of Jesus' birth, the priest Zechariah said: «Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham…» (Luke 1:68-73) Zechariah saw that Jesus' coming to this world meant the fulfillment of the covenant God had made with Abraham. That covenant is still valid. Its other party now includes the Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus and are baptized in his name.
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