And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
The verse marks the close of God's direct conversation with Abraham at the solemn establishing of the covenant in his household. It follows God's assurance that Sarah would bear Isaac at the appointed time and that the everlasting covenant would stand in Isaac and his descendants, not through any humanly devised heir. That covenant carries the promise that Abraham and his seed would inherit the world, not through law but through the righteousness of faith, to be fulfilled in Christ and in all who belong to Christ by faith, whether Jew or Gentile. Read with Genesis 15:18, Genesis 16, Genesis 21, and Galatians 4:21-30, it helps show the difference between the old and new covenants, with Isaac born by promise representing freedom through the new covenant as opposed to human scheming.
Setting and Wording
The verse belongs to the account of Abraham's sojourn and trials of faith with constant and remarkable evidences of God's overruling providence, covering the time from B.C. 2247 to B.C. 1872. With Genesis 15 and 16 it falls on Tuesday, January 9. It is part of lessons given over and over because Abraham did not come at once to fullness of faith, and it presses the question whether readers are children of Abraham.
The verse marks the end of God's conversation with Abraham during the solemn establishment of the covenant in Abraham's family. Circumcision was instituted then as its outward sign. Prayer includes talking with God.
The chapter shows God speaking of what exists in His purpose as though it already exists because it is certain to come to pass. So Abraham was called the father of many nations before he had a son. The verse falls in the renewing of the promise to Abraham and the revealing that Sarah would bear the promised child. Though the promise seemed incredible to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac was born in their old age as the promised son.
The verse belongs to the account of God's covenant with Abraham which called for Abraham to circumcise the males of his household. Abraham obeyed God's command on the very day it was given. The verse thus belongs to the account of circumcision's origin in Abraham's family. Circumcision marked Israel as set apart to God and was a sign that God's righteousness was upon them, and it should have pointed them to the need for clean hearts.
Covenant Promise and Heirs
The departure in Genesis 17:22 closes God's assurance that Sarah would bear Isaac at a set time and that His everlasting covenant would be established with Isaac and his descendants, not through a humanly devised alternative. That going up from Abraham follows the assurance and confirms that the promised seed through whom salvation would come depended on God's way and power rather than human schemes and effort. Abraham's attempt to secure the promised heir through Hagar was such human scheming, not God's plan, while Isaac by contrast was born through God's promise and represents those who receive freedom through the new covenant.
The chapter belongs with Genesis 15:18 and Genesis 16 and Genesis 21 as the covenant record that must be read to understand the two covenants, with Galatians 4:21-30, especially verse 24, giving their meaning as the old and new covenants. It is one of the covenants made with Abraham, included in the everlasting covenant in Christ, and the promise connected with this covenant is life, salvation, and the kingdom through Jesus Christ. The covenant in Genesis 17, of which circumcision was the seal, is distinct from the covenant with Abram in Genesis 15, which was fulfilled to literal Israel. Genesis 17 refers not to the literal seed but to the spiritual seed, and because it was made with Abraham before he was circumcised, it teaches salvation and equal title to the promises of Abraham for all who share the faith of Abraham, whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. The promise that he should be heir of the world comes not through law but through righteousness of faith, by grace, to all the seed, both of the law and of the faith of Abraham, who is father of all believers.
The chapter repeats the larger promise first given in Genesis 13 that Abraham and his seed forever would be heir of the world, distinct from the separate promise of earthly Canaan with fixed boundaries in Genesis 15:13-21 to be possessed in the fourth generation. That Genesis 17 promise comes not through law but through righteousness of faith and includes the restored kingdom of the new earth and the city which hath foundations whose builder is God, which Abraham understood and joyfully waited for as a pilgrim and stranger without receiving it in his lifetime. The covenant promise to Abraham includes the whole world and promises a restored earth as an inheritance, to be realized through Abraham's Seed, Christ, and those who belong to Christ by faith are Abraham's heirs according to that promise.
The chapter records God's covenant of promise to Abraham, the father of the faithful, making his natural seed the chosen people of God and heirs of the kingdom, whose promises are claimed on the ground of natural descent from Abraham, but wicked works disqualify from claiming them. The record of the promises to Abraham is the blessings of the gospel, the law is the basis of the Abrahamic covenant, and keeping that law secures to the Gentile a covenant interest in the promises to Abraham, making him a Jew inwardly and counting his uncircumcision for circumcision. The chapter makes circumcision perpetual and everlasting, yet that period has expired, for the words perpetual and everlasting there are no stronger than commanded to a thousand generations, so they do not prove unending obligation.
The verse marks the close of God's direct conversation with Abraham at the solemn establishing of the covenant in his household. It follows God's assurance that Sarah would bear Isaac at the appointed time and that the everlasting covenant would stand in Isaac and his descendants, not through any humanly devised heir. That covenant carries the promise that Abraham and his seed would inherit the world, not through law but through the righteousness of faith, to be fulfilled in Christ and in all who belong to Christ by faith, whether Jew or Gentile. Read with Genesis 15:18, Genesis 16, Genesis 21, and Galatians 4:21-30, it helps show the difference between the old and new covenants, with Isaac born by promise representing freedom through the new covenant as opposed to human scheming.
Setting and Wording
The verse belongs to the account of Abraham's sojourn and trials of faith with constant and remarkable evidences of God's overruling providence, covering the time from B.C. 2247 to B.C. 1872. With Genesis 15 and 16 it falls on Tuesday, January 9. It is part of lessons given over and over because Abraham did not come at once to fullness of faith, and it presses the question whether readers are children of Abraham.
The verse marks the end of God's conversation with Abraham during the solemn establishment of the covenant in Abraham's family. Circumcision was instituted then as its outward sign. Prayer includes talking with God.
The chapter shows God speaking of what exists in His purpose as though it already exists because it is certain to come to pass. So Abraham was called the father of many nations before he had a son. The verse falls in the renewing of the promise to Abraham and the revealing that Sarah would bear the promised child. Though the promise seemed incredible to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac was born in their old age as the promised son.
The verse belongs to the account of God's covenant with Abraham which called for Abraham to circumcise the males of his household. Abraham obeyed God's command on the very day it was given. The verse thus belongs to the account of circumcision's origin in Abraham's family. Circumcision marked Israel as set apart to God and was a sign that God's righteousness was upon them, and it should have pointed them to the need for clean hearts.
Covenant Promise and Heirs
The departure in Genesis 17:22 closes God's assurance that Sarah would bear Isaac at a set time and that His everlasting covenant would be established with Isaac and his descendants, not through a humanly devised alternative. That going up from Abraham follows the assurance and confirms that the promised seed through whom salvation would come depended on God's way and power rather than human schemes and effort. Abraham's attempt to secure the promised heir through Hagar was such human scheming, not God's plan, while Isaac by contrast was born through God's promise and represents those who receive freedom through the new covenant.
The chapter belongs with Genesis 15:18 and Genesis 16 and Genesis 21 as the covenant record that must be read to understand the two covenants, with Galatians 4:21-30, especially verse 24, giving their meaning as the old and new covenants. It is one of the covenants made with Abraham, included in the everlasting covenant in Christ, and the promise connected with this covenant is life, salvation, and the kingdom through Jesus Christ. The covenant in Genesis 17, of which circumcision was the seal, is distinct from the covenant with Abram in Genesis 15, which was fulfilled to literal Israel. Genesis 17 refers not to the literal seed but to the spiritual seed, and because it was made with Abraham before he was circumcised, it teaches salvation and equal title to the promises of Abraham for all who share the faith of Abraham, whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. The promise that he should be heir of the world comes not through law but through righteousness of faith, by grace, to all the seed, both of the law and of the faith of Abraham, who is father of all believers.
The chapter repeats the larger promise first given in Genesis 13 that Abraham and his seed forever would be heir of the world, distinct from the separate promise of earthly Canaan with fixed boundaries in Genesis 15:13-21 to be possessed in the fourth generation. That Genesis 17 promise comes not through law but through righteousness of faith and includes the restored kingdom of the new earth and the city which hath foundations whose builder is God, which Abraham understood and joyfully waited for as a pilgrim and stranger without receiving it in his lifetime. The covenant promise to Abraham includes the whole world and promises a restored earth as an inheritance, to be realized through Abraham's Seed, Christ, and those who belong to Christ by faith are Abraham's heirs according to that promise.
The chapter records God's covenant of promise to Abraham, the father of the faithful, making his natural seed the chosen people of God and heirs of the kingdom, whose promises are claimed on the ground of natural descent from Abraham, but wicked works disqualify from claiming them. The record of the promises to Abraham is the blessings of the gospel, the law is the basis of the Abrahamic covenant, and keeping that law secures to the Gentile a covenant interest in the promises to Abraham, making him a Jew inwardly and counting his uncircumcision for circumcision. The chapter makes circumcision perpetual and everlasting, yet that period has expired, for the words perpetual and everlasting there are no stronger than commanded to a thousand generations, so they do not prove unending obligation.