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| 1 And it came to pass that, when Abram was ninety and nine years old, Yahweh appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I, am GOD Almighty,–Walk thou before me, and become thou blameless: |
And when – About the year 1900 BC. R5178:3
The LORD appeared – Jehovah appeared. E67
The Almighty God – "He is to be feared above all gods." (1 Chron. 16:25) E68
And be thou perfect – Do your best to be perfect. R5244:1
God could not set an imperfect standard, although he clearly states in his Word that none can attain perfection in the flesh under present conditions. R3939:1
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| 2 That I may set my covenant betwixt me and thee, And may multiply thee, exceedingly. |
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| 3 And Abram fell on his face,–and God spake with him, saying: |
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| 4 As for me, lo! my covenant is with thee,–So shalt thou become–father of a multitude of nations; |
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| 5 And thy name shall no more be called Abram,–but thy name shall become Abraham, for, father of a multitude of nations, have I appointed thee; |
Be called Abram – High Father. R3935:3
Abraham – Father of a multitude. R3935:3, R5169:3 Representing God in a figure. R5909:5
Of many nations – Represented in the many tribes of Israel. R4389:6
All who love righteousness and truth. OV154:2
All the nations of the earth. F119; R4454:3, R3945:2; CR59:6; Q171:T, Q622:T
"In becoming thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves." R5909:5
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| 6 And I will make thee fruitful, exceedingly, and grant thee to be nations,–Yea, kings, out of thee, shall come forth; |
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| 7 And I will confirm my covenant betwixt me and thee, and thy seed after thee to their generations, for an age-abiding covenant,–to become to thee a God, and to thy seed after thee; |
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| 8 And I will give, to thee and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings–all the land of Canaan, for an age-abiding possession,–And I will be to them, a God. |
Give unto thee – Stephen implied that Abraham will yet receive that land. R5182:5
Thy seed after thee – An implication that the Ancient Worthies will pass to the spirit nature. R5182:5
The land of Canaan – Not a heavenly Canaan, but an earthly one. C244
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| 9 And God said unto Abraham, But, as for thee, my covenant, must thou keep, thou and thy seed after thee, to their generations:– |
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| 10 This, is my covenant, which ye shall keep, betwixt me and you, and thy seed after thee,–To circumcise to you, every male: |
Be circumcised – It was obligatory upon every Jew, and still is. R2158:1
Symbolizing a cutting off, a separation, from the flesh--its aims, hopes and desires. R3022:3, R5170:1, R2032:3
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| 11 So shall ye be circumcised, in the flesh of your foreskin,–So shall it become a sign of a covenant, betwixt me and you. |
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| 12 And, he that is eight days old, shall be circumcised to you, every male to your generations,–he that is born of the house, and he that is bought with silver, of any son of a stranger, who is, not of thy seed, |
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| 13 He must surely be circumcised, born of thy house, or bought with thy silver,–So shall my covenant be in your flesh, for an age-abiding covenant. |
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| 14 But, as for the uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin,–that person shall be cut off from among his people,–my covenant, hath he made void. |
Cut off – An argument against Anglo-Israel concepts. R2086:1
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| 15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name, Sarai,–but, Sarah, is her name; |
Said unto Abraham – Type of Jehovah. F170
But Sarah – Type of the Abrahamic covenant. F170
The name signifies Princess. R5169:6, R4371:6
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| 16 And I will bless her, yea moreover will give–from her–to thee, a son,–And I will bless her, and she shall become nations. Kings of peoples, from her, shall arise. |
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| 17 And Abraham fell on his face, and laughed,–and said in his heart, To one a hundred years old, shall a child be born? And shall, even Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth? |
And laughed – The name Isaac means "Laugther," symbolizing the glad tidings of great joy yet to come through the anti-typical Isaac. R3952:3
The name also symbolizes our joys in the Lord in the present time. "We brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." (Gal. 4:28) R2861:5
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| 18 And Abraham said unto God,–Oh that, Ishmael, might live before thee! |
O that Ishmael – Type of natural Israel. F170; R5178:2
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| 19 And God said–Truly, Sarah thy wife, is about to bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name, Isaac,–and I will establish my covenant with him, as an age-abiding covenant, to his seed after him. |
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| 20 Yet, as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo! I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and multiply him, exceedingly,–twelve princes, shall he beget, and I will grant him to be a great nation; |
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| 21 But, my covenant, will I establish with Isaac,–whom Sarah shall bear, to thee, by this set time, in the next year. |
With Isaac – Type of Christ. F170
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| 22 And he left off speaking with him,–and God went up from Abraham. |
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| 23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all born of his house, and all bought with his silver–every male among the men of the house of Abraham,–and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin, on this selfsame day, according to that which God had spoken with him. |
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| 24 Now, Abraham, was ninety-nine years old,–when he was circumcised, in the flesh of his foreskin. |
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| 25 And, Ishmael his son, was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. |
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| 26 On this selfsame day, was Abraham circumcised,–and Ishmael his son; |
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| 27 and, all the men of his house, born of his house, and bought with silver, from the son of a stranger, were circumcised with him. |
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