Genesis 17; Matthew 16
Genesis 17
Ready:
I pickup after Abram and Sarai decide to tweak what they know to be right in order to help along what God has promised. Hagar has given birth to Ishmael and not the women are not getting along. Lord please teach me by your Spirit as I read and let me understand the implications for today and more specifically the significance for my own life.
Reading thoughts:
I see Abram waiting 13 years after the birth of Ishmael to hear anything specific from God again. Time must have been eating at him and maybe he was assuming that Ishmael was the offspring despite the trouble their sin brought. God speaks again and he come this time with a strong assertion to his power and declares that Abram is to live in communion with God and to be blameless or totally obedient. He follows this up by changing Abram’s name to Abraham (father of many nations) and he presents another element of the covenant to Abraham that is about being the God of Abraham and his offspring after him. There seems to be an implication that this group of descendants who bear the sign of the covenant are a “people” since those that do not bear the sign are to be "cut off from his people”.
I see God clarify his promised offspring to be from Sarai and he changes her name to Sarah and then God and Abraham have a dialogue about Ishmael and God makes clear his intentions to give him a specific child named Isaac through whom the covenant promise of God will extend. Abraham then follows God’s instruction regarding circumcision that day and all of Israel is circumcised…and the separate people of God are established!
Key Verses:
“1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”” (Genesis 17:1–2, ESV)
“3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 17:3–5, ESV)
“7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” (Genesis 17:7, ESV)
“9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.” (Genesis 17:9–11, ESV)
“12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,” (Genesis 17:12, ESV)
“15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”” (Genesis 17:15–16, ESV)
“18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” (Genesis 17:18–19, ESV)
“21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”” (Genesis 17:21, ESV)
“26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.” (Genesis 17:26–27, ESV)
I see the theme as- The people of God are born by taking the sign of the covenant of God to be true to his promise of 1. a particular offspring (Savior and conquerer of the serpent) and 2. nations to come (multitudes of burning lights attesting to the glory of God) and 3. a land (kingdom) and 4. ultimately that God himself would be their God (King).
Rumination thoughts:
v1-3. It has been 13 years and the story went silent until now. Perhaps Abram was settled that Ishmael was the promised offspring and suddenly now God appears with a command that Abram “walk before him” and “be blameless”. I take this to mean commune with God or live in humble relationship with God or rely on him or maybe have intimacy with God. And the second part to be obey him and do not sin in your heart toward him. This is the first thing Abram has heard since Ishmael was conceived and born 13 years earlier (so it seems by the silence of the text). Abram’s response suggests that he is fully submissive to this command and perhaps there is a sudden realization that he may have done wrong. Why is God suddenly telling him to do what he must have thought he was doing already? And now God declares that Abram must do this as a condition for God to “make” the covenant between them and to multiply him…Wait a minute! What about the smoking fire pot passing through the carcasses and the unilateral covenant? Perhaps now the nature of what God has done, and is doing, becomes a little more clear. This is the way God progresses his revelation throughout the Bible. So there is yet a condition to this unilateral covenant but we certainly know that the only one to bear the penalty of not keeping the covenant is God himself. Therefore, Abram plays a role in keeping the covenant somehow but God bears the penalty. Interesting.
v4-5. Here God give yet more detail to how this works because he declares that indeed his covenant is with him in the next breath that he speaks and he changes his name in acknowledgment of what he says next. Which is a remarkable declaration that he has already accomplished the fulfillment of the covenant! He tells “Abraham” that has has already made him the father of many nations! Talk about a head spinner. OK, so God makes a covenant that nay he bears the penalty for and it says some things I detailed above and he makes it clear that Abraham bears some responsibility to walk with God and to be blameless but God also declares that it is done or “it is finished” maybe. Here we see the explicit introduction of what is know as the “already-not yet” theme of the Bible. So I take this as an explanation of how it is that God is responsible for my salvation and how it is his work and yet I play a role and yet he is responsible and yet I can’t stop it from happening and yet I must walk blameless with him and yet its already a done deal…this is sounding like a beautiful and not fully comprehendible explanation for predestination and free will being married in the mind of God and expressed though the hearts of man. Praise the Lord that he creates in me what he requires of me!
v6-8. Here God announces that he will be the God of this multitude of nations. Interesting here how he will be God not just of the Jews but I take it to be of all the nations that come from Abraham..referring to the burning lights of all the saints of eternity past and future who have the obedience of faith. This is a big verse where God establishes that he will be their God or “king” you might take it since he describes a kingdom with a realm or land and a people and a ruler. He speaks of the land being an everlasting possession which can be seen ahead in revelation with the new Jerusalem (heaven).
v9-14. Here God speaks more of Abraham’s responsibility. He tells Abraham that there will be a sign to mark this people to whom Almighty God will be their God. Abraham is to circumcise all the men of his house and this is to include foreigners who are from outside his offspring but who are brought into his house by purchase…interesting. Jesus purchased me from outside the people of God and I was adopted into the family of Abraham (1 Cor 6:19-20, Eph 2:11-14, Eph 1:5, Gal 3:7)! I have a circumcised heart (Rom 2:28-29, Deut 30:6)! Even this physical circumcision was only a sign of a spiritual circumcision of the heart that had to occur by the Spirit of God in order for any individual to actually be part of the remnant to be saved (Rom 2:28-29, Rom 11:5-8) and so we know that outward profession or belonging to a people group is not the matter but it is transformation of the heart by the Spirit of God that makes anyone a child of God (Rom 9:6-8). Further there is some significance to the sign that God chose to separate his people from the world. It is a sign given to the men only but that the women partake of in marriage through physical intimacy. The sin nature is passed down by the man and yet it impacts the women. The part of a man that will procreate (give offspring though intimacy) and that will mark his devotion to his marriage covenant (blamelessness) or else his adultery and rebellion against this covenant will carry the mark of the covenant of God to accomplish what he has promised to accomplish through the very walking with God and blamelessness of the man of God. This covenant will be kept to the hurt of the one bound to the promise and it shall be accomplished!
v15-21. Here God changes Sarai’s name to Sarah and declares with certainty that is will be her who bears the promised offspring who will be named Isaac. He also refers to her here as his wife twice. God does not acknowledge Hagar as a wife to Abraham in this text. There is a teaching on marriage and divorce here that there is not time to get into. God describes how Ishmael will receive some blessing of God due to his relation to Abraham and we see a picture of God keeping the promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham. A picture of common grace perhaps. Here in verse 21 is the promise that Sarah will bear a son this time next year! This is the very promise that Paul refers to in Romans 9:9 and it seems to be related to the children of God coming by the promise of God and the keeping of that promise rather than by human actions like taken by Abram and Sarai with Hagar. They are now the people of God and known as Abraham and Sarah and now Abraham will be intimate with his newly named wife bearing now for the first time the seal of the covenant of God upon himself (circumcision) and they will conceive miraculously the promised child!!! We are children of promise and not children of the flesh! God is good.
v22-27. Now Abraham here follows though and does as God has required in circumcision…and then probably hurried off to his tent with Sarah! The chapter closes with the refreshing statement that Abraham circumcised the foreigners of his house.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
No time!
Response:
“Private”
Reaction:
“Private”
Matthew 16
Ready:
The previous chapter was about human traditions vs the purposes of God and about salvation reaching outside the Israelites and about the power of God.
Reading thoughts:
In this chapter I see Jesus explaining that there are signs already given and to come that have been specifically designed to reveal the promised offspring to the world and that we need to not request our own personal signs that simply announce our arrogance and ignoring of the intended signs. I also see Jesus teach that the disciples are to be careful about to letting the teaching of the Pharisees to get mixed in with his message that they will carry. I see a pivotal point where Peter confesses Jesus to be the Christ, or the promised offspring to save God’s people…the Messiah. Things seem to change here because then Jesus starts telling them about the plan of his death and resurrection and he makes it clear that his purpose is to suffer and die in order that the many may live and escape the coming judgement.
Key Verses:
“1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.” (Matthew 16:1, ESV)
“4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.” (Matthew 16:4, ESV)
“11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:11–12, ESV)
“13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”” (Matthew 16:13, ESV)
“15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15–17, ESV)
“21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21, ESV)
“23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”” (Matthew 16:23, ESV)
“24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24–25, ESV)
I see the them as- Those who look and listen will see him but indeed it will be God who convinces us of the truth and brings us into union with Christ in his suffering and death and resurrection unto life.
Rumination thoughts:
v1. Here the Pharisees do not come with sincerity to seek God but they come to challenge Jesus.
v2-4. Jesus responds by educating them that they already have signs that they are ignoring and that there will be one sign to come that is ultimate. He refers of course to his resurrection from the dead after three days as Jonah came from the great fish after three days. Jonah, of course felt that it was wrong for God to forgive the people of Nineveh because they were wicked and Jonah tried to avoid being the messenger of God to lead them to repentance. Jonah wanted God’s justice to be manifested and he did not desire mercy. Jesus, however, desired both. He desired that the perfect justice of God be executed and that this be the very vessel to bring the mercy of God upon the world. Jesus wants us to repent. Jesus wants us to be forgiven and he died to make that happen. Jonah was taken into the belly of the fish for three days against his will but Jesus went to he belly of death for three days in perfect obedience. Jonah brought one message to Nineveh and it was a message of coming judgement. This message was the message that John the Baptist prepared and Jesus continued. The bridegroom is here and we are an unclean bride. Judgement is upon us! For the one who is looking to the signs of the scriptures and the promised Messiah the answer is clear…trust in the offspring and repent of your sins. See the four chapters of the book of Jonah.
v5-12. Here Jesus warns of the teaching of the Pharisees which is an external righteousness based on outward appearances and what enters the body. Jesus has been teaching that what matters is the heart and what comes out of us. Jesus warns them to not mix the teaching of the pharisees or else it contaminates the entire message and makes it unclean and unworthy and powerless to save (Gal 1:6-9, 15-16). Jesus also teaches that the feeding of the multitudes (both instances) was not about bread but about the teaching of God. He helps us see that indeed he was teaching about the apostles delivering the message of God to the multitudes to feed their souls.
v13-20. Here is a specific location Jesus inquires of his disciples regarding their opinion of who he is. Peter hits it on the head and pegs Jesus as the Messiah. This is a more specific confession that was made by the group in chapter 14 where they said “truly you are the Son of God”. What is better about this confession is that he is recognized as the promised offspring and therefore he has a specific purpose. Sometimes the term “son of God” may be used to refer more generally to a believer or someone sent by God and although I have not studied that last confession at depth I can tell that this one is more absolute. In this passage is also the controversial stamens about Peter and what the Catholic church takes to be the establishment of Peter as the first Pope. However, Peter was not only corrected by Paul but also reported under James and was only one voice on the council and there is zero evidence of his total authority over the early church. Perhaps it is on the rock of the confession of faith that the church will be built upon? Perhaps it is on the witness of the apostles that the church will be built upon and Peter is the first to make this confession? Options abound for exactly how to interpret this but the establishment of the Papency does not fit. The phrase about binding on heaven and earth is used again shortly in the next chapter and it is speaking of church discipline which again is not such an easy thing to figure. Not only Peter but other apostles as well were binding the enemy and loosing people from their sins and their bondage not by their own initiative or innate authority but only in following the lead of God as messengers.
v21-23. Here Jesus begins to give specific revelation to the disciples that they understand to mean that his is going to suffer and die. Peter speaks up and his flesh immediately says no to this idea. He does not want to loose Jesus and like Abram and Sarai warning to help accomplish the promise of the offspring now Peter, who just confessed Jesus to be the offspring, wants to protect him and help to bring about the promise of deliverance by this offspring. Peter, like Abram and Sarai do not realize that God is in control and it is he who will do the work in his own way that will leave no glory to be had by man but only glory to God alone. Man cannot fathom what God will do in the keeping of this covenant he made with Abram by passing through the carcasses alone. The author of life will indeed be offered up on a cross for the sins of his people (people by promise, not by the flesh) and he will pay for their failure to keep the covenant with death and judgement and the full wrath of God to vindicate the justice of God and provide a righteous ground for his mercy. Peter thinks it is right to stop this sacrifice…because he is looking at the situation from the flesh. Jesus rebukes him and tells him essentially that the lie of the devil has contaminated his thinking. He will not turn the rock into bread, he will not jump form the mountain top, he will not bow to the devil and he will not detour from his walk up the calvary road. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is the promised offspring and he is on mission and he will not be stopped. The sky will darken, the earth will shake, the curtain will tear, hell will be raised and heaven opened before he fails to fulfill the mission given to him by his Father.
v24-28. Now Jesus re-orients Peter and the other disciples to the right view of the world and to suffering. He explains to them that it is only the one who bears this cross and who follows Jesus into a death that will ever know life. He explains that we can either life for this life in the world or we can die to his life in order to live for the sake of Christ. Gain the world and death and judgment along with it or instead gain communion with God. There will be a judgement where we are judged for our actions…and the context here is our actions regarding living for self or dying to self for the sake of the Christ. He concludes with another hotly contested statement about some of these disciples not dying until they see the “Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” I take this to be Jesus transfigured, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Judas for sure is dead before all of this transpires and these things surely mark the Kingdom of God being firmly established on the earth, as promised in the curse of the garden by the crushing of the head of the devil and the establishment of the church by the indwelling Spirit of God unifying his people in a way more powerful than circumcision of the flesh.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
No time!
Response:
“Private”
Reaction:
“Private”
Soli Deo Gloria!
