Every Woman's Bible Genesis sampler - Flipbook - Page 37
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The Mark of the Covenant
Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility
is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all
your descendants have this continual responsibility. 10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: each male among you must
be circumcised. 11 You must cut off the flesh of your
foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and
you. 12 From generation to generation, every male
child must be circumcised on the eighth day after
his birth. This applies not only to members of your
family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have
purchased. 13All must be circumcised. Your bodies
will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. 14Any
male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from
the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”
9
Sarai Is Named Sarah
Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your
wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now
on her name will be Sarah.* 16And I will bless her and
give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly,
and she will become the mother of many nations.
Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but
he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And
how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years
old?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live
under your special blessing!”
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give
birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac,* and
I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20As for Ishmael, I
will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make
him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants.
He will become the father of twelve princes, and I
will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will
be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and
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GeNeSIS 18
Sarah about this time next year.” 22 When God had
finished speaking, he left Abraham.
23 On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including
those born there and those he had bought. Then he
circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as
God had told him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years
old when he was circumcised, 25and Ishmael, his son,
was thirteen. 26Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael,
were circumcised on that same day, 27along with all
the other men and boys of the household, whether
they were born there or bought as servants. All were
circumcised with him.
A Son Is Promised to Sarah
The Lord appeared again to Abraham near
the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day
Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them,
he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing
low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for
a while. 4Rest in the shade of this tree while water is
brought to wash your feet. 5And since you’ve honored
your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food
to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures* of your best
flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.”
7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took
some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he
served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on
them in the shade of the trees.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about
18
17:15 Sarai and Sarah both mean “princess”; the change in spelling may reflect the difference in dialect between Ur and Canaan.
17:19 Isaac means “he laughs.” 18:6 Hebrew 3 seahs, about half a bushel or 22 liters.
17:10-14 Male circumcision was the sign of membership in
the covenant community. However, women were equally part
of the covenant. They were the daughters, wives, and mothers
of circumcised men and participated under their membership.
The prohibition of intermarriage with uncircumcised peoples
was not motivated by prejudice but was a means of protecting
covenant continuity in Abraham’s family. Foreigners who lived
among the Israelites were also circumcised to show that they
shared in the covenant.
17:15-16 God renamed Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah)
to underscore his determination to bless their descendants,
despite their unbelief and their highly dysfunctional family
(see 16:1-16). Sarai and Sarah both mean “princess”; the
change in spelling may reflect the difference in dialect
between Ur and Canaan. The new name, fitting for one who
would be the mother of kings, was a milestone in Sarah’s
calling and would serve as a constant reminder to her of
God’s promise.
18:5-8 Hospitality was a cardinal virtue in ancient culture. In an
age before restaurants and grocery stores, travelers depended
heavily upon the hospitality of people along their route. As
the manager of a large household, Abraham coordinated the
preparation of bread, meat, yogurt, and milk, and personally
served his distinguished guests.
18:9-15 God had already promised that Sarah would bear a
son (see 17:15-19). In that account, the narrator referred to God
using his divine title, the Hebrew word Elohim (“God” in English
translations). Here, Abraham experienced a physical visitation from a speaker who identified God by his covenant name,
Yahweh (“Lord” in our English translations). Sarah’s response
to the promise mattered. Her incredulity prompted a poignant
question: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (18:14).
