A Covenant without Conditions
GOD took such delight in Abram that He offered him a promise without conditions. We see with the Abraham Covenant (second half) that His promise does not say ‘If you do such, I will do such…’ as He does later with Moses. Here, He promises without condition,.
Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story
How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.
Genesis 17:9-16
“And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
“Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.””
GOD pronounces and says Abraham shall keep GOD’s covenant and it will be throughout the generations.
The only thing GOD has commanded is that Abraham is to walk before GOD blameless (Genesis 17:1) and that every male child shall be circumcised.
This is the root of the culture of the Jews, which has been ever since.
How will this be?
GOD makes it abundantly clear that His covenant with Abraham is about land and blessing and it is through Abraham and his wife Sarai (whose name becomes Sarah from that moment), that all this will occur.
Just as Abraham will be the father of nations, so will Sarah be mother of many nations. (Genesis 17:16)
Such is the Covenant of GOD with Abraham
There is no time frame or time limit, there is no condition nor end. This is forever.
Who inherits?
For successive generations thereafter, the blessing and the land belong to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The land that was Canaan becomes Israel. The land and the people are eternal. That’s the essence and content of Genesis 17.
Shalom, my friends. This is GOD’s will and purpose for the people of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.