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| 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. |
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 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
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| 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, |
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| 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. |
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| 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made 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 exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. |
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| 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. |
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| 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their 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, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. |
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| 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. |
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 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. |
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| 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. |
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| 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. |
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| 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. |
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 shall her name be. |
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, 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. |
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| 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? |
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, O that Ishmael might live before thee! |
O that Ishmael – Type of natural Israel. F170; R5178:2
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. |
With Isaac – Type of Christ. F170
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| 22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. |
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| 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. |
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| 24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, 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 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. |
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| 27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. |
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