WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday September 10, 2017
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A
COVENANT AGREEMENT
(GOD’s
covenant with Abraham)
(Genesis
17:1-14)
In Genesis 17 the LORD pays a visit to a 99 year-old Abram and
commands, once again, that he serve HIM faithfully, and, that he, from that
point forward, live a blameless life, or as JESUS would say many years later,
“Go and sin no more”. HE also tells Abram once again that HE will make a
Covenant with him, by which HE would guarantee to make him the father of a
mighty nation. In fact, GOD informs him that he will become the father of many
nations, not just the Jewish nation of the future “Israel”.
History now tells us that Abram, from that
time, went on to become the towering figure, to whom, the Jews trace their
origin as GOD’s chosen people. He was born in the fabled city of Ur more than
4100 years ago. Ur was a Sumerian cultured city located on the banks of the
famed Euphrates River. It was known for its monumental architecture, wealth,
music, and art.
Growing up, Abram and his family had
worshiped many other gods (Joshua 24:2-3), however, when the ALMIGHTY GOD, our
CREATOR called him, HE instructed him to leave his father’s house and go to a
land that HE would show him at a later time (Genesis 12:1). Abram then left and
traveled to the land of Canaan, where he lived a nomadic life for nearly 100
years, dying at the ripe old age of 175!
In the Old Testament Hebrew, the word used
for “covenant” is “briyth” (pronounced “ber-eeth”), and it is an ancient form
of compact that is sealed by passing between two pieces of flesh, in the same
sense as a knife in the process of cutting meat into halves. In Genesis 17,
when Abram is around 99 years old, GOD comes to him to reveal to him more
details of HIS previously promised covenant (Genesis 12:1-3 & 15).
Here in this passage, as I stated earlier, GOD
tells Abram to serve HIM faithfully and live a blameless life. Hearing this,
Abram fell prostrate to the ground, and at that point, GOD informs him that HE
was changing his name to “Abraham”, which is interpreted “father of many
nations”. And so it was that, thereafter, every time Abraham heard his own name
called, he would be reminded of GOD’s covenant promise to greatly multiply his
descendants into a mighty nation.
In verses 9-14 GOD reveals to Abraham yet
another confirming sign, however, this revelation would apply, not only to
Abraham, but to all males who shared the Jewish promise of the everlasting
covenant. Here the LORD institutes the, now famous ancient ritual of
“circumcision” into the Jewish doctrine.
Circumcision involves the cutting away of
the foreskin from the tip of the male’s penis, and it was to be performed on
every Jewish male child on the eighth day of his life. And even though
circumcision had been practiced elsewhere in the ancient world, here it was to
take on a new meaning.
Among the Jews, circumcision would serve as
an everlasting reminder, from generation to generation, of GOD’s sacred
covenant with his chosen people. It would be a “cutting” reminder that
symbolized how GOD wished for the Israelites to lay aside the impurity of their
nature and remain loyal to the family of GOD forever. Circumcision would also
serve to remind the Israelites that all mankind is dependent upon GOD for the
reproduction of life, and that any Jew, who refused to be cut in this way,
would be “cut off” from his people because of his disobedience to GOD’s
command.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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