Active Partnership
Read This Week: Genesis 17
Abram fell facedown, and God said, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. – Genesis 17:3-7 NIV
We have journeyed quite a long way with Abram and Sarai, and now, we come to another pivotal point in their story. Chapter 17 starts with an unbelievable setting where the Lord appears to Abram and announces Himself as God Almighty (v.1). It is beautiful to imagine being a part of this moment, to think about the Lord giving us the honor to speak to us in this manner, to bestow upon us the esteem to renew His covenant promises with us. But that is exactly what He does to and for Abram and what he did for us through Christ.
God is the covenant holder and the main character in this exchange with Abram. He supplies the supernatural promises, and He alone has the power and authority to fulfill them. It is important not to lose sight of this as we engage with Abram and Sarai’s narrative and the miraculous things that are foretold and happen in this section. It is not because they are divine or transcendent but because God is. All Abram has to do is be obedient and fully committed to walking with God.
The Lord tells Abram if you continue to walk before me faithfully and be blameless, then I will make my covenant between me and you. God grants His covenant, and Abram accepts through faithfulness and obedience to His word. These are the things that God promises Abram:
• To be the father of many nations (v.4)
• Change his name to Abraham to signify the promise (v.5)
• To be very fruitful (v.6a)
• That nations and kings will come from him (v.6b)
• To establish His covenant with Abraham for generations to come (v.7)
• Give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession (v.8)
• Change his wife’s name to Sarah (v.15)
• To bless Sarah as the mother of nations (v.16)
• Give them a son named Isaac (v.19)
• To establish a covenant with Isaac and his descendants (v.19)
That is quite an amazing and glorious list of blessings and promises. The Lord simply tells Abraham to keep walking in righteousness, be faithful, and undergo circumcision as a sign of the covenant (v.11). We saw in Chapter 15 that Abraham was more of a passive partner in the covenant, but here he is called into active partnership with the Lord. He is to be blameless, live in dynamic fellowship with God, conduct himself with integrity, and walk upright in order to experience and enjoy the blessings and benefits of the covenant. Abraham is an active partner, living out an active faith and enjoying its active blessings.
The same is true for us. We do life with God through the new covenant of Jesus Christ and are called to obey His word and believe His promises. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we enjoy an active faith and an intimate relationship with the Lord. Through Him, we also take part in a multitude of blessings and provisions not because we deserve it but because we are beneficiaries of His grace and active partners on His mission.
24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised.
26 On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son as well.
27 And all the men of his house, both those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him.
“There are only two ways to go about learning with Me. Listening or not listening. How far will you take your trust? As challenges arise it is imperative that you know that it is Me you are speaking with, wholeheartedly.”
We have options; we can learn to listen and act with God or to not. We have all gone through what its like to do the latter and it does not end well. Imagine being so full of unwavering faith like Abraham at 99 years old, willing, ready and able to jump at what God needed. Then imagine finding out endless lifetimes later that what God had asked has many sanitary/health benefits. God never acts selfishly even though He could. He ALWAYS has our back. It is simply up to us to see it.
Genesis Chapter 17 Verse 11
And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token or sign of the covenant (the promise or pledge) between Me and you.
Genesis Chapter 17 Verse 13
He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant..
Genesis Chapter 17 Verse 14
And the male who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.
~The Circumcision Of New~
God Is Saying To Me:
My children, from the beginning I promised Abraham a son from which all nations will rise. My covenant promise to all born from Israel and the loin of Abraham will require circumcision. The act of circumcision represents cleanliness, unity, and the removal of flesh, just like each of you later descendants will require a pure and clean heart, obedience to Jesus and the removal of fleshly desires. Circumcision represents a symbol of righteousness both physically and spiritually to gain the acceptance and salvation from father God.
What This Means To Me:
We must circumcise and remove fleshly desires to cleanse and purify our hearts for Christ by continually seeking Him, believing by faith in righteousness and putting off and leaving behind all fleshly desires. Christ is the only way to sanctity and salvation, thus removing all fleshly desires and ways of the world. Faith and total reliance on the blood of Christ is the new covenant of old. Man’s works and labors of the hand do not signify and represent Abraham’s covenant but rather ratifies the cleansing and new birth from God above. Only God can circumcise our soul, heart and spirit through belief and faith in the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Thank you God that the new covenant represents our hearts, beliefs in Christ and the eternal plan of salvation! ❤️❤️❤️
Genesis 17: 17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said,
“I am God Almighty;
Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me].
God was saying to me
It doesn’t matter how old you are, I am God Almighty, Your Father God who loves you very much ❤️
Continue to walk habitually before Me, and with Me knowing in your heart you are always in My Presence.
I have chosen you to reach out to those who I put in your life. I will make you fruitful in the Spirit, to mother and to be friend to those who desire Me, never give up on anyone keep praying for them, keep helping and loving on everyone for Me, they will know it’s Me flowing through you. I love you my daughter
What this means to me is
God Almighty El Shaddai is my Father and He loves me. He has chosen me to be a helper in this world.
I can trust Him, I believe in Jesus Christ who came to save us. So I must stay close to Him. I need to remember I am complete in Him Full, I am filled with His love in my heart.
Thank you Father God Almighty for Jesus and Your Holy Spirit and for Your Love and we get to be fruitful for You I love you all so much ❤️
This Week in the Life: Genesis 17
For the best experience, we suggest you listen to the first song, the message, and the second song.
1. Sunday Worship – First Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231105-Worship1.wav
2. Sunday Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231105-Message.wav
3. Sunday Worship – Second Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231105-Worship2.wav
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This week in Genesis chapter 17 I got a song.
Seek him
Let’s come together to worship our Lord let’s come together to worship our Lord, being blessed, blessed, because we were chosen by our Lord the more we seek him the more closer we get the more we seek him the more we hear him the more we seek him the more we feel his spirit in us yes we are blessed, blessed, walking hand-in hand, doing our life with our Lord. Spreading his word his peace joy, and love yes, let’s come together to worship our Lord worship our Lord. Amen.
Our Lord loves us so much he only wants us to be fulfilled in our life to have his joy,His peace his love his comfort. We are blessed.
This is what I got from God in Genesis 17. After I proclaimed My name as El Shaddai, I told Abram what was expected of him. It was first revelation, then expectation. You can only do what I expect you to do when you know who I am, and you know it in a full, personal and real way. I also reminded Abram I had not forgotten My covenant made with him. I changed Abrams name to Abraham, as he was suppose to be a father of many nations. This was the first time I said multiple nations would come from him, and the first time I told him that kings would descend from him. I told him My covenant I promised with him, would be passed on to his descendants. “It is an everlasting covenant.” I also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. When I reminded Abraham that Sarah would have his son, Abraham laughed, but it was more of him rejoicing in something he knew was impossible by all outward appearance, but it was something only I could perform. Abraham did not waiver at My promise through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith and giving glory to Me.
What this said to me was God makes promises to us and we are to be obedient and have faith. One of the missions He has given me, is to bring many others to faith in Him. I am one of God’s chosen daughters. I need to be hungry for Him and stay close to Him to build my faith, and others will see Him in me.