The LORD said to Abram: "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless...” The words Almighty God, are the translation of the Hebrew El Shaddai, which means the Mighty One that nourishes, strengthens, and satisfies.
He not only enriches, but also makes a person fruitful. To one, now deadened, He will give a numerous posterity (Hebrews 11:12).
To walk in the presence of God we need to be perfect, which is only made possible through the redemption by the blood of Christ on the cross for us.
The LORD repeated for the third time the terms of his covenant with Abram (Genesis 12 and 15), who was humbly prostrate in His presence, giving him more details:
Not only would he have a great progeny, but it would provide many nations and kings, so his name was changed to Abraham, meaning father of a multitude (Abram meant high father). Henceforth this is the name by which he is called in Scripture.
The alliance would be in perpetuity, with Abraham and his seed throughout their generations, for the LORD is their God.
The land of their pilgrimage, Canaan would be given in perpetuity to him and his descendants for the LORD to be their God.
This time God required an irreversible sign from Abraham and his descendants that they submitted to this alliance: he and all his male descendants should be circumcised. If any of them did not, this meant breaking their covenant with God and they would be eliminated from the people.
This sign identifies them as belonging to the covenant between the LORD and Abraham, accepting the LORD as God whom they worship and obey, separating them from the gentiles.
God also instructed Abraham to no longer call his wife Sarai, (my princess), a loving and personal name, but Sara, (princess): a distinguished position in a crowd, because she would be blessed with the birth of a son of her own, from whom nations and kings of people would descend.
It was humanly impossible for Abraham, now almost one hundred years old, and his wife Sara, who was barren and nearly ninety, to produce a son. There are two hypotheses to explain why Abraham fell upon his face and laughed on hearing this promise (verse 17):
God then reiterated that at the end of one year Sarah would give Abraham a son, and that he would be the heir of the everlasting covenant for his descendants. He would be called Isaac, "he laughs" certainly to remember the laughter provoked by the promise of his birth.
Ishmael, in turn (as already promised to his mother Hagar) would also a large descent starting from twelve princes (his sons, Genesis 25:12-16).
But the covenant of God would be established with Isaac, his legitimate son and heir according to the laws of that time.
So God went up from Abraham and Abraham obeyed what He commanded:
He did exactly as God had told him, without arguing.
He obeyed immediately, on the same day. Sincere obedience does not waste time. (Psalm 119:60).
Obedience was a complete, involving his son Ishmael, his slaves, and himself.
It meant a sacrifice for him: with his ninety-nine years he already enjoyed the fellowship and the promises of God; this painful operation would not seem to have a practical meaning, but:
It represented a commitment by him, his children and his slaves (considered part of his family) to God for the rest of their life, as it was irreversible: once circumcised, they could not back down.
It was an intimate sign between them and God, to remind them always of their covenant.
It was directly related to their male offspring, their children having to be circumcised eight days after birth.
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
9 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
10 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;
11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12 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.
13 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.
14 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."
15 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 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."
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"
19 Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year."
22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael;
27 and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Genesis chapter 17