Genesis 17:14-27

Ge 17:14

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

There were to be no exceptions to the law of circumcision.  Any male child who is not circumcised will be cut off from the Lord’s people.  To be cut off from God’s people is to be excluded from the fellowship of God’s people and because they have broken the covenant, it could mean a violent or untimely death.  Circumcision was the sign that a man was in dedication and consecration to the LORD.

Ge 17:15

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Then the LORD turns to Abraham’s wife and as he changed the name of Abram to Abraham, he is now changing Sarai’s name to Sarah.  The name “Sarai” means “a princess” but the name “Sarah” means “princess of the multitude.”

Ge 17:16

And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Then the LORD once again tells Abraham that he is going to bless Sarah by her being able to conceive a child in her old age.  She shall be a mother of nations as God repeats the fact that he is going to bless her.  She shall give birth to Isaac who will give birth to Jacob and he will give birth to twelve patriarchs.  She will be the mother of Israel and Judah and the kings which will come from her will be David, Solomon, and of course, king Jesus.  The spiritual kings will be the true believers who will come from the line of Abraham.  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6) 

Ge 17:17

Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Then Abraham fell upon his face and had laughed.  This was not a mocking laughter but it was one of joy as he was looking at the fact that he was old and Sarah probably went through menopause already.  He thought that here he was an old man and he was still going to be able to sire a son.  Remember, the promise of God was now 25 years old and was now coming to fruition.  Abraham was joyful at the prospect of having a child of his own.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (John 8:56) 

Ge 17:18

And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Abraham asks the LORD if Ishmael would live before him since for 13 years Ishmael was Abraham’s only son up to this point and he was still insisting that Ishmael be the child of promise.  Abraham probably did not know about the prophecy concerning Ishmael that God gave to Hagar at the well.   Hagar and Ishmael were not in the messianic line and therefore were disqualified.

Ge 17:19

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

God was really patient with Abraham as he continued to try and divert the child of promise from his own son to the son of Hagar.  God was now removing all doubt from Abraham and told him once again that he would have a son of his own and his name will be Isaac which means “laughter.”  Then God assures Abraham that he will continue to establish the everlasting covenant of grace with Isaac and to his seed after him which would include the nation of Israel because it would be through Judah, the son of Jacob, that the LORD Jesus Christ would come.  Then all those in Christ would receive the circumcision of the heart which means circumcision continues but in a different manner.

This is why the belief that water baptism has taken the place of circumcision is erroneous because circumcision continues but it is of the heart and the LORD is the one who does it.

Ge 17:20

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

God then assures Abraham that he did not forget about Ishmael.  He now expands on the promise he gave to Hagar in Genesis 16:10.  Ishmael will have many descendants which will occupy the Arab countries.   The prophecy of the twelve princes is listed in Genesis 25:13-16 which give the names of the twelve princes.

¹³ And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, ¹⁴ And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, ¹⁵ Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: ¹⁶ These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. (Genesis 25:13-16)

Ge 17:21

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The eternal covenant of grace will be continued through Isaac because Ishmael was not in the messianic line.  The blessings on Ishmael were of a temporal nature.  Then God sets a date for the fulfillment of his promise that at the same time next year, Sarah will give birth to Isaac.

Ge 17:22

And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Then apparently God had appeared to Abraham like he did to Hagar and when the conversation was finished and all details conveyed to Abraham, the LORD then departed from his presence and ascended back to heaven in the earthly presence he spoke to Abraham with.

Ge 17:23

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

Then Abraham immediately obeyed the voice of the LORD and had every male in his home including those who were not of his family circumcised.  Even though Ishmael was circumcised, he was not in the messianic line which meant that his descendants, even though circumcised, would not partake of the spiritual blessings of the eternal covenant unless there was some in his lineage who would become saved.

Ge 17:24

And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in obedience to the LORD’s command.  He did not resist by means of his age but remained obedient to the command.  It is not known who circumcised him but that he was obedient is the important element.

Ge 17:25

And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Then Ishmael at the age of thirteen was circumcised and probably Abraham was the one who circumcised him being the head of the household.  Circumcision is still practiced among some of the Arab nations as they emulate Ishmael.

Ge 17:26

In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

Abraham wasted no time in being obedient to the LORD.  He did not want to risk being cut off from his people and neither did he want Ishmael cut off from the people of God.  Since Abraham did not waste any time, it showed that his obedience to God was serious and as God commanded, Abraham wasted no time in being obedient.

Ge 17:27

And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.