We can turn with me your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 17. For our Lord's Supper meditations, we've been going through the covenants. And so we are on the second part of the Abrahamic covenant. God gives a promise to Abraham in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed. He gives, he affirms and confirms that promise by entering into that sacrifice, entering into that covenant, into that ratification in Genesis 15. There is also a condition that Abraham must fulfill and so we see the expansion, the extension We see the further sign of the covenant in Genesis 17 with the sign of circumcision. So we will look at the entire chapter, and I'll begin reading at verse one. When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am almighty God. Walk before me and be blameless, and I will make my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. For I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger. All the land of Canaan has an everlasting possession and I will be their God. And God said to Abraham, as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised, and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins. And it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. And he who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. Excuse me, and the uncircumcised male child who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant. And God said to Abraham, as for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her and also give you a son by her. And I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations. Kings of people shall be from her. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before you. Then God said, No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget 12 princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at the set time next year." Then he finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. So Abraham took Ishmael, his son, all those who were born in this house, and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and Ishmael, his son, was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very same day Abraham was circumcised and his son Ishmael, and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. Amen. Let us pray. Our great and heavenly Father, again, we're thankful for your unfolding plan of redemption. We're thankful for biblical theology. We're thankful, God, you reveal something about the promised coming Christ. And we're thankful, O God, that even in the Abrahamic covenant, we see the promise, in Abraham's seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. And we're thankful, O God, that Christ is that seed. And we're thankful, O God, because we are in Him, that we are considered sons and daughters of Abraham as well. We're thankful, O God, that this promise is fulfilled in the coming in of the Gentiles through salvation. And we're thankful, O God, even we see your fulfillment along the way as you made a great nation of Israel. We know that they broke your old covenant, we know that they broke your law, and we know, God, they paved the way for the true Israel to come, that is Christ our Lord. And so may you give us a better understanding again, O God, as we consider the Old and the New Testaments, as we consider how we put your scriptures together. We're thankful, O God, for the unity of it. We're thankful it is a divine work. We're thankful that the scriptures are God-breathed. And we're thankful, O God, that you work through these men, but we also see how the whole book fits together. And so again, O God, help us to appreciate, help us to understand, help us to recognize that we are part of that new covenant people. We're thankful, O God, that you are our God and we are your people. We're thankful, O God, for changed and circumcised hearts. We're thankful for these gifts that you do give to us, O God, the salvation you wrought. We know it's not because of us, but because of you. So we ask, oh God, that you'd strengthen your saints today with a better understanding of who you are. Be pleased to save sinners, oh God. We pray in all things you would be glorified. We pray these things in the name of Christ, amen. Well, the Abrahamic covenant is an important covenant when it comes to the unfolding revelation, when it comes to the scriptures. And it's important when we consider our relationship between us and our brothers and sisters who baptize babies. So brothers and sisters who baptize babies, use the Abrahamic Covenant to defend why they ought to baptize babies. They like to conflate. They like to say that the Abrahamic Covenant and the New Covenant are one and the same covenant, or two administrations if we use their language, or the way they package it. But it is the same. It is flat. It is connected. They are the same. So if Abraham was to circumcise himself and his seed under the old, In the New, because it's the same, it's the same covenant of grace, you baptize yourself, believers, and their seed as well. Obviously, that is wrong. That's a bold statement, isn't it? But obviously, that is not right. That is not what the Scriptures say. And even when we consider the Abrahamic covenant, it is not the same as the covenant of grace. It is not the same as the New Covenant, but the New Covenant is promised in it. That's important. I know covenant theology is important. I know covenant theology takes some time to wrap our heads around, but it's important that we go through it and understand it. I'm gonna confess, tonight's gonna be theological. There's gonna be some theology that we go through tonight concerning the scriptures. So don't tune out, please pay attention as much as you are able, but it's blessed to see how the scriptures unfold and how we understand God's unfolding revelation. And I'm gonna make another bold statement. Circumcision is never called the counterpart to baptism in the New Testament, never. And we'll talk about that as we go through as well. And just a brief recap with where we've been. We saw the covenant of works made with Adam. Adam broke that covenant of works. It was salvation through work, salvation by keeping the law. Adam failed in that. Thus, we need the second Adam. Thus, we need grace. And we see the promise gospel, the first gospel. The seed of the woman will crush the head of the seed of the serpent. Now as the Old Testament unfolds, we are looking for that seed. We're looking for that one. They're pointers to the coming Christ who would come, farther steps. We're looking ahead to the new covenant. And all the other covenants along the way point ahead to that. The Noahic covenant is a common grace covenant, but in that we see destruction is delayed. And even in that, we still see a type, the ark passing through judgment on behalf of his people, but it is not a saving covenant. Then we come to Abraham. We come to the Abrahamic covenant. And there is a mixture of grace and law in the Abrahamic covenant. But nonetheless, we see God appeared to Abraham. In you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. I have a promise to give you the seed. I promise to give you a land. We see God's goodness there as well. But God also requires something from Abraham. He also requires something from this patriarch. And it's something that we see here in this sign of the covenant in circumcision. And so really in Genesis 17, God is further affirming His promises to Abraham, and He adds a condition, which is a sign, namely circumcision. We see, as Sam Renahan says, the expansion, what this covenant shall look like, further details concerning the Abrahamic So we'll look at this extension, this covenant of circumcision under three headings this evening. First of all, we'll see as for God, verses one through eight. You see that language there, as for me, then he says as for you and as for Sarah, it's covenantal language. Here's what you must do in this covenant. So as for God, verses one through eight, then as for Abraham, verses nine through 14, then lastly as for Sarah, verses 15 through 27. So as for God, what God will do, as for Abraham, what he must do, and as for Sarah, what she must do, but in reality, it's what God does for her. So let's first look at what as for God in verses one through eight. Remember when we look at covenants, there are different elements we see in a covenant. There are parties, God usually with someone else. So God and Noah, God and Adam, in this case, God and Abraham. And Abraham is acting on behalf of a specific people. We'll talk about that in just a second. And usually there's stipulations, what one must do in that covenant, whether you receive something or whether you do something, whether it's by faith or whether it is by works. It's the grid to help us ask as we think through every single covenant in the scriptures. Then as well, there's usually blessings and curses. If you do this, you'll get something good. If you don't, there'll be curses. Or if it's a gift that God gives, here's the reward, not based on anything that we do. And again, there's a mixture with Abraham. I'll talk about that. And that's important. But notice verse one. And Abraham was 99 years old. In chapter 16, verse 16, it says, Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. So it's been 13 years, some time has still passed. Remember when Abraham went out of Ur of the Chaldeans, he was 75 years old? So it's been 24 years, and there's still no child from Sarah just yet. So it's been quite some time. He thinks Ishmael's the one who's going to take the line. But anyway, time has passed. Abraham was already an old dude when he was 75. He was an even older dude when he was 86, and he's a very old dude now that he's 99. So humanly speaking, things don't look very good, and Abraham's gonna laugh about that towards the end, towards as God talks about Sarah. But in any case, he is old, 99 years old, and notice the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him. Now that might not seem like much, but the word appearing is actually very important in the story of Abraham. You see, when God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans and he came to Canaan, what does it say? God appeared to him. God revealed himself to him. So many times God appeared to him and God did what he said he will do. And when Abraham has faith, he's having faith in the promises of God that God said and God will do. And in fact, as well, when we get to Genesis 22, when he offers up Isaac and he says the Lord will provide, it's actually the language the Lord appears or the similar cognate saying the Lord will see to it. The Lord will make sure it happens. And brethren, the Lord does provide. So God appearing is very important. Certainly it is revealing Himself to him, but it is also an affirmation to Abram. You probably look back on those promises, Isaac, God appeared to me. God proved to be who He said He was, and thus He trusts in God. So God appearing is a good thing. So God appears to Abram, He speaks to him, Notice he says, I am God Almighty, or I am Almighty God. Certainly it says the Lord, Yahweh, in verse 1, when the narrator Moses is describing what's going on, the covenant name of the Lord according to Israel, the one who is I am, who I am, who does not change. But then there's also this language where he says, I am the Almighty God, I am Al Shaddai. And the reason he says El Shaddai, because it has to do with power. Well, it has to do with one who is mighty. And the reason is, it's connected with the promises. God, again, is very good to his people. I am the Lord. I am El Shaddai. I am mighty. I am strong. I will make sure the promises come to pass. I get you're 99 years old. but this shall happen, this shall be the case for I am God. Hermann Bavink says, it's first the invincible one who is not a source of dread, but one of comfort, who is guaranteeing his promises to be fulfilled. So El Shaddai, I am the mighty one, these promises shall come to pass. And then notice we even see a condition. I am a God Almighty, ergo, walk before me and be blameless. There is a conditional aspect. Abraham must do something. We'll talk about that condition when we get to verses nine through 14. So walk before me, be blameless. And God then comes and affirms the promises already given. The promises seen in Genesis 12 and 15. He says in verse two, and I will make my covenant between me and between you. Note the parties between God and Abraham. And I will multiply you exceedingly. That is God's promise. But God always holds up His end of the bargain. He is going to make this come to pass. This is going to happen. Again, it recalls God's former promises to multiply you, Genesis 12, but also the confirmation in Genesis 15, your seed shall be as numerous as the stars of the heavens. So he's recounting all the things that have already come to pass. When we consider the Abrahamic covenant, we really consider all three of those chapters, 12, 15, and 17 together. And so God is recounting the promise already given unto him by way of covenant. by way of an oath-bound commitment. A covenant is an oath-bound commitment with divine sanctions. Sanctions are blessings and curses. So God binds himself in Genesis 15 to fulfill his end of the bargain, his end of the covenant. He affirms this. Abram comes and falls on his face before God and speaks with him. He worships, that is right. He worships God. He falls on his face. Thank you, God. Again, it's been 13 years. It's been some time before God has supposedly spoken. Again, I think we read the Bible and we just go, hey, God spoke, God spoke, God spoke. Then we forget to read the actual fine details, 86, 99, 13 years later. So God speaks again, and Abraham, thankfully, God's speaking to me again. I've been waiting some time here, Lord. God speaks again to him. He falls, he worships. Then notice in verses really four through eight, but specifically verses four through six, we see what God does. That covenantal language, as for me, God is saying, here's what I'm going to do for you, Abram. Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many children. Again, recall Genesis 12, Genesis 15 and affirming what shall go forward. Again, he's done it twice already. He wants him to be reminded. Eyes for me, behold my covenant is with you and you shall be the father of many nations. And verse five, he needs a name that is becoming of one who is the father of many nations. Abram means one of noble character. Abraham means one who is the father of many nations. What's in a name? Well, names are very important, even in the scriptures. And it's probably important to think about not just how the name sounds when we name our little children, but also what that name means. Sometimes we think about how it sounds without thinking about how it means. So we definitely thought about what Lucy's name meant before we named her Lucy, but I digress. No longer, verse five, shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations. So he's recapping the gospel. He's recapping that all the Gentiles shall be brought in through Abraham's seed. The spiritual seed shall come in, but in the way that's going to happen is through a natural seed. The distinction between natural and spiritual seed is very important when it comes to the Abrahamic covenants. Our great Baptist forefather, Nehemiah Cox, who probably was one of the editors of the Confession of Faith, he says, before separating the people from others in a natural, physical way, God is reminding Abraham that in due time, the whole earth would be brought in. Not ready to have the whole earth brought in just yet. It's gonna take some time to do that. In fact, if you were looking at the scriptures, it's very much broad, narrow, broad, right? All man sinned, blood, and God makes a covenant with all of creation. Oh, we see the Tower of Babel, everyone's scattered, and then God is gonna unite all in Abraham. How's that gonna happen? It's gonna happen through his physical seed that shall come. We're waiting for that guy to come. He finally comes in the Lord Jesus Christ, Jew first, Also the Greek. The Bible is just that broad, narrow, broad. That's a bird's eye view of what the scriptures are doing. And so you see that before we have the natural seed come or the promise, before we have that promise of the natural seed, we do have the promise of the whole world shall be brought in. So your name shall be Abraham. I made you a father of many nations, but notice the further extent for what's going to happen with these nations. These perhaps literal nations as well shall come in, not just spiritual, but literal as well. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. Exceedingly fruitful. He is going to be exceedingly fruitful by way of the New Covenant, but brethren, He is exceedingly fruitful by way of the Old Covenant as well, by way of the Kingdom of Israel. Another way to set apart covenants is by way of kingdoms. Sam Renahan does wonderful work with this. And when we see the covenant of works is made with what? Creation. The Kingdom of Creation has two covenants, covenant of works and the Noahic covenant. Then we have the kingdom of Israel, the Abrahamic, the Mosaic, and the Davidic covenant. They're all part under that kingdom of Israel. Then we have the kingdom of Christ, the covenant of redemption made between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit before the foundation of the world, and the covenant of grace, which is the new covenant, that is God offers salvation to sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. So kingdoms. And what's beautiful is covenants are the kingdom charter. Covenants are how we ought to live. Covenants set forth what is required, so to speak, or what is given in those various covenants. So it's good to ask ourselves, what covenants are we under? As God's new covenant people, we're under the new covenant, and we are still under the Noahic covenant as we live in this present evil age. We're no longer under the old covenant. But in any case, The exceedingly fruitfulness, even in a temporal sense, shall be fulfilled with the Abrahamic or with the Mosaic and the Davidic covenant as well in that kingdom of Israel. In fact, Genesis 49, when we see the blessings given to the 12 tribes, they speak of one who has a scepter of righteousness that shall not depart, right? The king that shall come from Judah. the king that shall come from his line. In fact, Genesis, the rest of it unfolds the making or the growing or the building of the people into a great nation. So there is going to be kings. There's going to be great ones who come. Again, God's not against giving a king to Israel. It's the fact that Israel want to be, and Samuel, want to be like the other nations. So kings shall come from you kings your children shall be exceedingly fruitful and i will make you nations again there is this spiritual this idea and this temporal physical idea brethren abraham does have a lot of children doesn't he humanly speaking he actually does have a lot of children he has ishmael he has isaac remember the sons of keturah He's got a lot of kids. God does provide in that way. But what's so interesting is none of those ones, save Isaac, are part of the promise, are they? God still makes him great nations, but it's better, as Cox says, to highlight not just all those children, but even with Isaac, he has a great multitude. We go from Isaac, who has Jacob and Esau, and thankfully Jacob's got 12, right? I mean, he just expands the family more than any of the others did. God is very good that way. God, Abraham doesn't see it all, but boy, he does expand them into 12, into a great nation. And again, there certainly is a eternal spiritual aspect. Those who believe on Jesus Christ are a great multitude, are from the many nations. The Gentiles being brought in. is one of the promises of the Abrahamic that is fulfilled in the New Covenant. In fact, you see this in Galatians 3. Galatians 3. Galatians 3, therefore, verse 7, know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, in you all the nation shall be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing. Abraham. Promise of the Gospel beforehand. Gentiles being brought in. The Gospel proclaimed under the Old Covenant, or under the Abrahamic Covenant. Not the same as, but proclaimed under that Abrahamic Covenant. So there is great fulfillment, both temporally and spiritually. And then notice further the extents, as we consider it in verses 7 and 8. and I will establish my covenant between me and you. And notice, not just him, but his descendants after him in their generations for an everlasting covenant." And again, along the way, we know the end, we know it's Isaac, right? But if we were reading this for the first time, we're going, who? Who's next in line? How is he going to have these generations? Who's going to be the one? Later verses will describe that for us, who Isaac is. But if we're reading for the first time, we ask ourselves that question. I will establish my covenant between me and between you and your generations after you. And he does. He establishes it with Isaac. He establishes it with Jacob. He establishes it with those two other patriarchs, affirming his promises. to you in their generations for an everlasting covenant. But notice, covenantal language, to be God to you and your descendants after you. That is a privilege, dear brother. It's one of the things we see under the old covenant. When I say old covenant proper, I mean the Mosaic covenant. God is, I will be your God and you shall be my people. God did not say that to every nation. Brethren, God does not say that to every person. That is hard to think about, but that's true. I will be your God and you will be my people. That intimate, special relationship between God and his people. God under the Old Covenant, God and the Old Covenant people chosen out of all the nations, but also the New Covenant people. We are chosen out of all the nations. A great people, many nations that have come in. It is a special, intimate relationship with our God. That's why the Bible says, talking about Christ and his bride, Even when we read Song of Solomon, if you're going through the McShane calendar, that's probably where you're at if you're kept up with it. Some of the language there makes us queasy, but it probably does describe God's relationship between Christ and the church. That love for one another, that care for one another, that adoration for one another, that intimate connection. I will be your God and you shall be my people. And that certainly is a blessing of the new covenant as well, As Gil says, it refers to his natural seed, as long as they continue in the true worship of God and in their own land or until the Messiah came, in whom the covenant of circumcision had its accomplishment in Christ and was at an end. And all his spiritual seed with respect to the spiritual blessings of it, which are everlasting and are never taken away or become void. So again, temporal spiritual fulfillment, the promise to come. But even with the land of Canaan, verse eight, also I will give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. You guys know where that's fulfilled? Temporally speaking, Joshua, right? Is that the main idea of Joshua? God fulfilled all that he said he would with Abraham. Even as well, when we get to Exodus, when the people cry out, even before they get to the land, when they're crying out because Pharaoh's being harsh upon them, God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Abrahamic covenant is very important. God certainly fulfills it in the Israelites coming into the land of Canaan in Joshua as they cross over. That is a momentous day when they get to Jericho. It's a momentous day when they divide up the lands. but even more so under the new covenant era. That's why we come to a heavenly lands. We long for a new Jerusalem. We long for the new heavens and new earth. We long for really a place like Eden, really a place like sort of like old covenant Israel, land flowing with milk and honey. That is far greater than even Israel had. And so one of the blessings of the new covenant people is that we are God's people. In fact, this is described in Jeremiah 31. We will go through Jeremiah 31 in this series at some point. Jeremiah 31, the promise of the new covenants. 31 through 34, in covenantal theology or covenant theology, this is an important text, 31 through 34. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke. The old covenant was breakable. Though I was a husband to them, says the Lord, but this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. "'I will put my law in their minds, "'I will write it on their hearts, "'and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. "'No more shall every man teach his neighbor, "'and every man his brother, saying, "'Know the Lord, for they shall know me.'" Not saying we don't preach to other people. The point is God will save his people under that new covenant. We know who he is. "'From the least of them to the greatest to them, "'says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity "'and their sin, and will remember them no more.'" You know where that's quoted, dear brethren? Twice. Hebrews 8 and Hebrews 10. Descriptive of the era we're living in. Descriptive of the church. Descriptive of a Christ who's the mediator of a better covenant. A greater covenant. A covenant that cannot be broken. A covenant that cannot be shattered. If we are in Christ, then we are in that covenant that cannot be taken away. We are the new covenant people of God. We're eventually going to look at Exodus 19 that talks about the people of Israel being a priesthood, a chosen race. Well, Peter uses that in 1 Peter 2 to describe the church as the people. Brethren, it is a blessing we consider that covenantal theology, that we are the new covenant people, and that covenant cannot be taken away. We are his people, and as such, we ought to worship, we ought to honor, we ought to glorify, And thankfully, he's the mediator of a far better covenant than the old covenant, a covenant that Abraham longed to see, a covenant that Moses longed to see, a covenant that the prophets longed to see, believed on provisionally, but then came with the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a great privilege. We are God's people. So that's as for God. Let's then look secondly at as for Abraham, verses 9 through 14. Again, note the reality that there is a condition connected with Abraham. That's hard sometimes for people, but there is a very clear condition. Verse 9, God said to Abraham, as for you, you shall keep my covenant. Ooh, he's got to keep it. Similar word used in 2.15 of Genesis, speaking about Adam, who was put in the garden to till and to to keep it. Remember, Adam entered into a covenant of works that he had to engage in some sort of condition to fulfill. That is, he had to earn something. So there is a mixed aspect here. And again, my covenant is mentioned nine times. God establishes the conditions of that covenant, whether it's a gift, whether it's something that must be done, that we do, or whether it's a mixture of them. God sets the rule, Abraham must obey. There is a mixture between promise condition, and that's absolutely vital and absolutely important when we consider the connection if we're acting under a Pado-Baptist scheme. The idea is that if we blend them together, right? If the New Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant are the same covenant, then you have to logically say that the New Covenant could be broken, right? It could be shattered. It could be taken away. Thankfully, a lot of good brothers who baptize babies are inconsistent in this area. But guess what? Some are not. Some are very consistent. And they bring it to its logical conclusion. They begin to sound like Rome. In by grace, stay in by works. A covenant can be taken. Where is assurance in that, dear brethren? You see, there is a clear difference between the Old and the New. A clear difference between the Abrahamic and the New Covenant. They are qualitatively different. They're not quantitatively different. They're not a little bit better than the other one, because they're sort of the same. They're qualitatively absolutely different. It's vitally important. So Abraham, there is this condition setting apart. This is my covenant which you shall keep. And notice he gives a specific command for this specific time period. Every male among you shall be circumcised and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins and shall be a sign of the covenant between me and between you. It's a positive law. Positive law just means it's given for a specific time or a specific covenant. The Mosaic Covenant, those specific judicial laws were given for a specific time and a specific covenant. They're not binding for all time. Circumcision is not binding for all time. It is not. If someone culturally wants to get circumcised, go ahead, but it is not binding when it comes to the New Covenant people, and it's not a counterpart to baptism, but I'll get to that in just a second. But nonetheless, for Abraham, it is important. I'm not denying that, it is. You see, it is a sign of the people being set apart. And the reason foreskin is used here, the circumcision is used here, is because it's the organ of procreation. God is setting apart the people. He is setting apart a special people. He's circumcised them in the flesh. Every male among you shall be circumcised. It's a sign, it's a pledge of the covenant, a sign of what they must do, and It's connected when we consider the temporal people. It is connected with life in the land, and that's it. Connected with life in the land. What's interesting is, this is a good, you know, Point of argumentation if you're ever throwing down. I know some people are like, why is he talking about pato-baptism a lot? It just happens. When we talk about reformed people, that's what we're dealing with here. If you're new to our church, that's what we deal with. We deal with that. We're reformed Baptists, we differ from them in these areas. But what's interesting is Joshua 5, the second generation, when they're circumcised, Joshua 5, in the land. not prior to it, not when they're wandering around. You see, circumcision is tied to life in the land, and the old covenant is tied to life in the land. The old covenant was never meant to be a way of salvation, ever. The blood of bulls and goats point ahead to Christ to come, but the covenant in and of itself was never meant to be a way of everlasting life, absolutely not. No way. The only covenant of works that one could have earned life was Adam. That's it. He failed. All the other ones fail already. So even when we say, you know, we distinguish between salvation by faith or salvation by works, there is no salvation by works. We've already fallen in Adam. There is no hope for anybody. That's why there's only hope in Christ who keeps it absolutely perfectly. But in any case, the old covenant people, it was tied to life in the land. In a lot of ways, Abraham is acting as a federal head on behalf of Moses. He's acting on behalf of his people to come. And it is a do this transaction. Cox again says, in this mode of transacting it, the Lord was pleased to draw the first lines of that form of covenant relationship in which the natural seed of Abraham was fully stated by the law of Moses, which was a covenant of works, do this and live, with its condition or terms, do this and live. Covenant of works, do this and live. Covenant of grace, Christ did now live. But of the old covenant, they must do this and live. We'll see that when we get to Exodus 19. So he gives this command. Every male, eight days old, shall be circumcised. Every male in your generation who's born in your house, foreigner or not, who is not your descendant, in your house, foreigner, et cetera, they must be circumcised. And then notice verse 14. And the uncircumcised male child who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant. The Abrahamic covenant can be broken. The New Covenant cannot. They're not the same. The Abrahamic Covenant is pointing ahead to the New Covenant, but they are not the same. If you get that, you get Reformed Baptist covenant theology. They are not the same, but they point to it. The Abrahamic could be broken. And what's so interesting is in Exodus 4, you see a potential breaking of that. And where there's that kind of confusing section where the angel of the Lord comes to kill Moses, his son, and we're like, what is going on? His wife circumcises his son. It's not Moses. It's his son. You know what's actually a pointer to? It's a pointer to Passover. And what's interesting, the reason that the angel of the Lord is coming because Moses this portion of the Abrahamic covenant, but his wife who's righteous comes and does it for him instead. And what's interesting as we consider this relationship between, okay, Abraham could break it, or what does that mean? What does that look like? It really highlights that the God's promises, what he says he will do shall come to pass. Those are nationally guaranteed, not individually guaranteed. God's promise are going to come to pass, but individuals might be cut off from that very covenant. In fact, the Davidic covenant, when we see it, is a mixture as well. God says to Solomon, walk in my ways. If you do not, I will cut you off. If you do not, you will not be part of that covenant. God said to David, I will give you a dynasty. And as we read Kings, we're like, is this the guy? Is this the king? Is this the dynastic one to come? And really all of them are supposed to try and keep the law, and they all fail miserably, only Christ was able to do it. So there is that, again, connection with that. Nationally guaranteed, not individually guaranteed. And so we see that here. This covenant can be broken. There is a mixture of promise and condition. The new covenant is qualitatively different from the old. And one of the blessings of being the new covenant people is the reason we're called the people of God, the new people, is because we have a circumcised heart, a set-apart heart. That is the counterpart between circumcision of the flesh, not baptism. It is a setting apart here. Again, bold statement. The Bible never has circumcision and baptism together, ever, except one place maybe, in Colossians 2, but says a circumcision made without hands, aka circumcision of the heart. And what's a beautiful thing is baptism, the backdrop, as we saw last week, is ritual washings. But baptism is an outward sign of the inward work, an inward circumcision of the heart. It is not the counterpart for baptism. Baptism is not the counterpart for circumcision. It is circumcision of the heart. God set apart Israel in the flesh He sets apart the new Israel in the heart. That's the difference. And even Paul says in Romans 2, it doesn't matter whether one is a Jew outwardly, but a Jew inwardly, what does that mean? Set apart by faith. Even Gentiles are called Jews, so to speak. We're called the new people of God, the new Israel in the heart. It does not matter when it comes to law-keeping, it matters when it comes to Christ's grace towards us. God's people changed hearts. So that's as for Abraham. Let's then look thirdly and finally at as for Sarah. I know it's the longest part of the verses, but I will go the quickest. Verse 15, God said to Abraham, as for Sarai, your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. She's going to have her promises as well, full of revelation of the promises through this stipulation or gift given to Sarah. And the name change, probably the names both mean princess, princesses, and perhaps one looks back and one looks forward. That's probably the difference. We're looking forward to what God is going to do through her. Notice similar blessings. And I shall bless her and also give you a son by her, then I will bless her. And she shall be the mother of nations. Kings of peoples shall come from her." Again, that expansion, that son, the nations, kings of peoples. As Sam Rinehan says, God promises royalty, but also demands loyalty in this covenant, in this Abrahamic covenant. So there is that promise. But Abraham still has his skepticism. Verse 17. And Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is 100 years old, and shall Sarah, who is 90 years old, bear a child? You're tripping. That can't happen. Seriously? And so he says, oh, that Ishmael might live before you. He may be masking his disbelief. He's laughing in his heart. I mean, maybe he thinks God can't see, but God knows the heart. Basic biology dictates that these two probably can't have children and would not be able to have children. and sets the stage for the supernatural work he's going to do. It is a physical child that comes, but it is a supernatural work that God does. And so he affirms the promise again, verse 19. No, Sarah, your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. That whole Ishmael thing didn't work out so well when we got to Genesis 16, you know, the last chapter, but God is still very good. And he says, it shall come from Isaac, his name. And that's exactly what it says when it says He laughed. It's the word Isaac. He laughed, and He shall call His name the One who laughs, the One whom He laughed, because they laughed at God's promises. I will establish My covenant with Him for an everlasting covenant. He does this in Genesis 26-24. He establishes it with Jacob as well in 28 and 35. The repetition of the promises given to Abraham to these So he further affirmed he's going to be with Isaac. But then notice God's temporal goodness, verse 20. He doesn't leave Ishmael out to dry. And we already know what God said to Hagar concerning her son in Genesis 16, but he still makes her a great nation. He says, and as for Ishmael, I have heard you. God heard him. Not just the cries for a child with Sarah, but also concerning Ishmael. Behold, I have blessed him, and I will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget 12 princes, and I will make him a great nation. Again, he's not even part of the covenant community, right? He's circumcised, but he's not part of the covenant community, but God in his goodness gives him and will make him a great nation. We see this in Genesis 25. God fulfills that. What's interesting is in Genesis, the rejected sons, that's just who they are, the rejected boys, Esau, Esau and Ishmael, God gives them lions. God gives them kings. God gives them temporal blessings. You know why that's important? If God gives good blessings to the ones not of the promise, how much more to those of the promise? You see, God is affirming, even with Ishmael, Abraham, Look at all I'm going to do for you. And look at all I'm going to do for your son Isaac. If I do these things for Ishmael, how much more so will I do them for your son Isaac? So the temporal blessings are very, very important and very good. It shows God's kindness, not just to Ishmael and later on Esau, but also shows how much more he does for his covenant people. He shall be exceedingly multiplied shall be a great nation. But, verse 21, my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year. Finally, full details. We know it was going to come through his son and come through him and shall be a great multitude. They took matters into their own hands with Hagar, that didn't work out. Okay, it's going to be from Sarah. Here it is, clarity after 24 years. How many of us sometimes pray and we want clarity in 24 minutes? Usually it doesn't happen just like that. Sometimes it takes 24 years and he gets that clarity. Finally, this time next year, we see the further promise in 18. We see the boy born in Genesis 21, the promised son fulfilled as God said it would come to pass. This time next year, you shall have a son And then verse 22, then he finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. And then verse 23 through 27, Abraham obeys, he ain't gonna be cut off. He obeys, he does what God says. So Abraham took Ishmael, his son, all those who were born in his house, and all who were brought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him, Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael, his son, was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very same day Abraham was circumcised and his son Ishmael. And all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. Every single one. Abraham did what God says and will not be cut off. Waltke says, in fact, only after Abraham shows his total commitment to the Lord, by his willingness to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice, does God take an oath to fulfill his covenant. Nevertheless, the formulation suggests that for Abraham's descendants to increase and be a blessing, they too must walk before God and be blameless. The suggestion becomes explicit in the formulas of blessing and curses in the Mosaic covenant. But temporally, fulfilled in the people of Israel, but even more so spiritually fulfilled in the New Covenant people, and specifically the Lord Jesus Christ. Thankfully, Abraham is the man of faith. This is the third New Covenant privilege, a seed fulfilled supernaturally. Romans 4 explicitly quotes Genesis 17, As Paul is talking about salvation by faith alone and Christ alone. Talks about imputation, the transfer of Christ's righteousness to sinful people. We receive that through faith, Christ's work, and it is the grounds for our justification, the basis for why we're right before God. He talks about when did this happen? Before or after circumcision. Before or after. Verse 16 and 17. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace." What was the problem of the people of Israel, the Jews, at the time Paul is writing? Salvation by circumcision, salvation by law keeping, salvation by works. He goes on to say, according to grace, so the promise might be sure to all that seed, not only to those of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, verse 17. As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations in the presence of him whom he believed, God who gives life to the dead and calls those which do not exist as though they, things which do not exist as though they did. God saved many nations. God fulfilled the Abrahamic promise supernaturally. He has given us, given Christ a great seed. The true Israel is Christ, the new Israel, is the church. Not all Israel is Israel according to Romans chapter 9. So thankfully God fulfills his promise to Abraham temporally. He fulfills it spiritually. And thankfully it is that same gospel in both the Old and the New Testaments. It is all about Christ. Christ to come in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed through his seed. And thankfully it is Christ who came. The one who is Abraham's seed. the one who lived perfectly, who did what the old covenant people could not do, who did what Adam could not do, who did what the kings could not do, lived the law perfectly to die for his people, that we might have a righteousness that is not our own. It's a blessing to see the connections between the Old and the New Testament, the way in which God unfolds his plan of redemption. It is always by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved. Let us pray. Our great God, thank you again for your great work. Thank you, God, again for your condescension towards us, even by way of covenants. We confess, O God, these things are a great mystery, but we're thankful, O God, that you reveal yourself to us by way of covenant. You give us clarity. And we're thankful, O God, even for this Abrahamic covenant, the promises that are given unto Abraham. We're thankful for the promises fulfilled under the old covenant Israel. We're thankful, O God, even more so of the new of the Christ to come, Abraham's seed. Thank you, O God, as not speak of seeds, but seed. And we're thankful that he came and lived, died and rose again for a wretched people like us, that we might be called the sons of the true and living God and even called the sons of Abraham and daughters of Abraham through faith. We're thankful, God, that your salvation has always been through faith. We're thankful, God, it's never been based on works, never been based on a mixture of faith and works, but it's always been based on faith. And so we pray, O God, that you'd be pleased to give the gift of faith tonight to those who do not know you. We pray, O God, that you would change their hearts and give them life everlasting. For you are a God who is mighty to save. And we ask, O God, for your people. Help us again to apply these things, to think about these things, to consider the privilege it is to be the new covenant people. and consider the privilege it is to have our hearts circumcised and set apart. Consider the privilege it is to be that supernatural seed. Even now, the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant is coming in when sinners are saved. And for this, O God, we give you praise. For this, O God, we give you honor and glory. And we're thankful, O God, for that blessed gospel. Thank you that it was preached in that first proclamation, the seed of the woman will crush the head of the seed of the serpent. We're thankful it's proclaimed to Abraham, We're thankful that it's seen in the types and shadows, the bulls and goats that point to Christ. And we're thankful, O God, it's seen in David's greater son, the promise of the King to come. And we're thankful, O God, that Christ fulfills all of these things. For this, we give you praise. For this, we give you honor. And we pray, O God, that you would encourage our souls this day that Christ is the fulfillment of all the law and the prophets. Well, help us now we pray in the name of Christ, amen.