Genesis 17 | Who Are You Wearing!

Morning y’all! I got a question for ya this morning. Who Are You Wearing? It’s not a common question in our neck of the woods is it? Sure, there are some fashionistas among us who get what I’m driving at, but the rest of you have already rolled your eyes and turned up your nose! “This is Henry County for crying out loud, not New York City! Get that fashion crap out of here!”

But even if you’ve turned up your nose at my title and done so on grounds that we’re in rural Northwest Ohio, we aren’t concerned with fashion statements like those city slickers! I would suggest to you that even if that’s your attitude, you’re still tracking with me. Who are you wearing? You know enough to understand the question, even if you don’t like that I’m asking it!

And listen, I get it. Every time my wife tells me that something is “so in” or “on trend” I throw up a little bit in my mouth; I too roll my eyes, but before you say with me, get that high-falutin fashion nonsense outahere! I hear ya. I’m with ya, but before you say “we don’t care who you’re wearing...” let me just ask you, how many of you own something from Carhartt? Any Mossy Oak apparel out there? North Face? Colombia? Nike? Wrangler? Any Brett Farve fans out there?

I’m confident not many, if any of you are wearing gucci here this morning, but we are all wearing some brand! And being as we are in Rural Northwest Ohio, there are some brands that we’d rather be wearing more than others. And if it’s not a particular brand, then it’s a style. Most of the fellas in here from LC shop at the same boot store I’m pretty confident! Right!? So you can turn your nose up at my title, who are you wearing, but not so fast! Not so fast my friend!

Like it or not, we may not be “city-slickers” but all of us dress to impress our people. We dress to fit in. We dress to stand out! We dress to say something to the world around us! To make statement. Whether it’s a particular brand or style, all of us wear what we wear for particular reasons!

And while this is true of fashion, I’d like to suggest to you this morning that the Lord Jesus invites us not to be so concerned about the statement we make with our fashion but rather that we should be more concerned about the statement we make with our faith!

In light of that last statement, allow me to state the title again: Who Are You Wearing?

In a moment, I’d like to show you in our text (Genesis 17) a man who God used to make, not an incredible fashion statement but an incredible faith statement. The man’s name is Abram.

Abram, who’s name is about to be changed to Abraham is often referred to quite correctly in Jewish, Muslim, and Christian circles as the Father of Faith.

Now, with a name like Father of Faith, some of you who are less familiar with Abram’s story may be thinking of some perfect goody-two-shoes, but Abram isn’t the flawless figure you might imagine. Instead, His faith journey outlined for us in Gen. 11-25 is very human account of what faith looks like. Abram’s journey is one of faithfulness to be sure but his story also contains monumental failures and moments of faltering as well!

Last week we looked at the Noahic covenant which was a promise from God to all people that He would never again judge the world through a world-wide flood!

This morning our focus is on the Abrahamic Covenant which get’s outlined for us in Genesis 12:1-3 and is represented as stars in the sky on our slides.

Essentially, in Gen. 12:1-3 which you can go read later, God says to this married, but childless couple. Follow me to a new land and I will make you into a great people who will bless the whole world!

This is the Abrahamic Covenant. It’s God’s promise to give Abraham a people, a place and as we’ll see in just a few minutes an eternal possession!

It’s stated in Genesis 12 generally and then the author of Genesis takes us on a thrilling ride of faith as we see how this promise will be worked out in the life of Abram and let me just say, it is not what a good Church going or a good Christian person would expect!

Right, sometimes when we read the Bible or think about faith, we mistakenly believe that if we have faith and we know God’s promises that everything is just going to be smooth sailing… rainbows and unicorns as I like to say. Friends this very naive! Anyone who’s lived more than a few years of life on this rock we call earth knows, life is hard, even for believers in Jesus! This is naive and also, it’s just not true to what the Bible says.

This idea, that if you just believe in Jesus enough or have enough faith, your life will be carefree and easy and God will fix all your bad circumstances is simply not true.(Blank Screen).

As we’ll see in the life of Abram, God is present and does protect his people, but theirs nothing easy about living with faith through life on this earth and if that’s what you’re expecting by coming to faith in Jesus you’re going to be severely disappointed.

In Genesis 12, we’re told that God shows up to Abram and makes this beautiful promise about blessing but then famine strikes and Abram has to move. He becomes a refugee in a foreign land with a smoking hot wife! That’s what it says folks, I mean that’s not exactly what it says. In Genesis 12:11 though it does say that Sarai was a beautiful woman (Genesis 12:11)! Levi’s translation, she was smoking! Even at the ripe age of 75, this woman was capital F.I.T.— fit!!!

And you may be thinking. Come on Levi, why are you sharing these details, this can’t be relevant? Why does it matter what Sarai looks like? Well for one, the author of Genesis thinks this detail is important, so no I’m not just including it for laughs. It’s important! Why?

Because God makes a promise to this barren couple about how He is going to make them into a nation. And now here we find Abram and Sarai, in a foreign land as immigrants, in a position of weakness and vulnerability. And while we don’t know much about King’s and Pharaoh's in our day and age, we do know about powerful men. And what do almost all powerful men have in common, they like beautiful women, and when they aren’t acting very Christian, they like to prey on beautiful women.

And we all are left to wonder as we read Genesis, what will happen of God’s promise? Is this couples’ bareness an Abe problem or is it a Sara problem? Will Sara become pregnant by another man other than Abram? Will God’s promise come by true by shady human means alone?

And how is this father of faith going to respond when faced with this threat! You would expect him to say something like, listen babe I know your beautiful (pheeewwww so beautiful) and so to protect you and I want you to tell everyone your my wife and if they mess with you I will visit the wrath of God upon them! Ha! If only, no this father of faith, he says, hey babe, you’re smoking and Pharaoh he’s gonna notice and I want you to tell everyone you’re my sister so no body kills me!

What a model of faith!

And as you can read in Genesis as the story of Abram’s faith journey goes along, throughout the journey, threats to God's promise emerge not just from external factors like famine and rulers but also from the surrounding people and, notably, from Abram and Sarai's occasional lack of belief.

Despite these challenges, however, God consistently demonstrates might and faithfulness, rescuing them from Pharaoh, pursuers, and even themselves.

Anyone in here thankful that God promises to save us from ourselves! Amen!

Even with all this though, the time continues to pass, and Abram, the Father of Faith, starts doubting God's promise, despite multiple affirmations. By Genesis 15, his faith begins to waver.

You see, Abe was old when the promise of God was originally given to him. We’re told in Genesis 12 that he was 75 years old. You know any 75 year olds having babies? Right, the only diapers 75 year olds are buying are........for their grand babies… hey don’t be nasty you thought I was gonna say depends didn’t you… don’t be nasty folks come on!

75 year olds don’t have babies!

Ye God makes an amazing promise, but as the time continues to tick away, even as God protects his people, we are still left with the question: where’s the baby?

That’s the question Abe asks in Genesis 15 and God does something absolutely beautiful here in response to Abram’s questioning.

This crazy thing happens. God orchestrates a peculiar event where Abram slaughters animals and creates a path of carcasses. Unlike modern contracts, ancient covenants involved walking through this path together, symbolizing a commitment to the terms. Rather than sign on the dotted lines this is what they did… they laid out the terms and then agreed to the covenant by walking together through hall of carcasses, essentially saying may we become like these animals if either of us fail to hold up our end of the covenant.

I wanted to do this at my wedding, but Rachel wouldn’t hear of it! Ha can you imagine the bride and groom walking down an isle of animal carcasses! For real though, it might help us take our vows more seriously…

Anyways, God has Abe set all this up and that’s not surprising. He outlines the promise of a people, a place and a possession. Again not surprising, but then as they get ready to walk through the path, We’re told that God puts Abram asleep and then only God himself walks the hall of sacrifice alone… which foreshadows the gospel. God says essentially, that if either one of us fails to keep up the terms of the covenant than I will become the sacrifice, I will become the sacrifice for you! Ah… it’s awesome! That will preach as they say! And in response to this, we’re told in Genesis 15:6 one of the most important verses of all the Bible, Genesis 15:6

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

And again we as the readers are left thinking! Alright here we go, let’s get busy and make this baby! Abe and Sara they’re thinking the same thing, but v. 1 of chapter 16, Genesis 16:1

Genesis 16:1 NIV

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;

And the plot thickens… Hey Abe, I’m old, you’re old, God promised us a baby! I will have my baby! Here, sleep with my slave girl! And Abram this father of faith, says no, I could never do such a thing. We need to trust God and wait on His timing! You’re still a babe Sara, let’s just you and me keep trying! Wink. Wink. ;)

AAAANNNNNNNNt wrong. That’s what we’d expect from a guy with the nick name Father of Faith but instead He says, Sara I’m here to serve, now where’s this slave girl.

Remember when I said we see God save this couple from themselves multiple times. Yes Abram has faith and that faith is credited to him as righteousness but Abram doesn’t always make great faith statements.

So much so that coupled with Genesis 15 and the symbolism of God saying I’ll carry the load on this covenant, that coupled with Abram and Sarai’s consistent failures and God having to save them from themselves, we are left wondering does it even matter how these people live? Does it matter who they are wearing or how what kind of statements their faith and lives make? If God is just going to pick people at his prerogative and bring about whatever He promises no matter what, does it even matter how we live? To say it another way does it matter who’s brand we wear?

Great question? Enter Genesis 17. Let’s read it.

Genesis 17 (NIV)

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.

Ok stop for a second… what does this seem to suggest? Hey Abram, I saw what you did with Haggar and Ishmael, that’s the boy who’s born from this train wreck of trying to help God make good on His promise. Abram sleeps with Haggar and Ismael is born. And in Gen 17, God shows up and says, bro I saw what you did there. I’m almighty God and I need you to walk before me faithfully and be blameless.... the inference is, what you just did, yeah wasn’t faithful… not to your wife and not to me, wasn’t blameless!

And Abraham like us is prolly ready to wet himself..... as my 4 year old son used to say when we would read tense stories… Oh no, what’s gonna happennnn! It looks like Abe has messed this thing up beyond repair, perhaps God is done with him once and for all!

Well thankfully, our God who is faithful even when we are not, he’s slow to anger and abounding in love and rather than smite Abram and pick someone else, He reaffirms the covenant promise. Look at it!

2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

God graciously saves Abram and Sarai once again from themselves! And Abram, sufficiently rebuked and corrected and disciplined,

3 Abram fell facedown

Good choice Abram, when it doubt, friends, choose humility. Accept wronging. Humbly own your mistakes and throw yourself upon the feet of Mercy!

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 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. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

vv. 4-8 are what God promises to do. God reiterates again the promise of a people and to signify this He changes Abram’s name!

Now don’t miss this. Remember we’re asking the question does it matter what kind of statement my faith makes? Notice God changes one of the most important identifying features about a person in regards to Abram. He changes his name! Abram means High Father… Abraham means High Father of Multitudes! God changes Abraham’s core identity! You are not just a high father, you are a father of multitudes! Even though you can’t see it, even though it doesn’t feel true! I’m changing your name to remind you it’s the God’s honest truth! This is who you are!

God promises him a people and re identifies Him so all those around Him know. God also promises fruitfulness! Your life will display the fruit of my blessing! He promises Him a people and place and don’t miss this last one. God promises Him a possession which is not the riches of Egypt, no, He promises His people an everlasting possession, something which moth and rust cannot destroy and what is it? What is the promise? He promises to give Himself to these people!

This is what God will do friends. He promises a people, a place and most importantly He promises an eternal possession, He will be their God and the God of their descendants! I will give myself as their everlasting possession, He says! I will be their God.

This is what God will do! And again remember our question? From Genesis 15 and God’s treatment of Abram’s failures we’re left to wonder well does it even matter how we live then? Abram believed God and God credited it to Him as righteousness, He promised to be faithful even when we’re faithless, to carry the heavy load of this covenant and become the sacrifice for us if we fail, so does it even matter how we live, how we represent Him? Does it even matter who’s brand we wear out in the world or what kind of statement our faith makes?

Look at v. 9. As God finishes up telling Abram what he’s going to do. He shifts and now tells Abraham, this is what you must do.

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Now catch this, here’s what God is saying. Wear my brand. You can think of this in regards to clothing or even better in regards to a cattle brand, which signifies ownership. God says, put this sign on your body to help you remember to live in light of the Covenant, to live in light of who’s you are!

This sign is for everyone, He says. The gentiles and slaves among you, your daughters and women in your camp, mark your men and wear this sign to remind everyone in your camp that you belong to me.

Wear this brand! Wear this sign! And here’s the deal with signs. Signs are not the important things in and of themselves. Signs are only as important as the things they point us to. This sign of the covenant was not the thing that made them God’s. Not it was the promise and one’s commitment to live in light of that promise that was significant. The sign only pointed people back to this reality.

And just in case anyone would say what about the women? It’s a fair question. Yes the sign of the Abrahamic covenant was displayed on the men, but it was for all, all the men and all the women in their camp as well. How do I know, because of what God tells Sarai next. He changes her identity too by changing her name and extends the promise of Abraham to her as well.

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

I love this next part here Church… we get a glimpse of what it looks like to wear our faith outwardly and live in light of the covenant, we get a glimpse of what it looks like practically to make a faith statement by living in light of God’s covenant promise.

17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

Isn’t this so good!? Abraham isn’t disbelieving God’s promise here. But the dude is 100 years old and he’s having trouble wrapping his brain around having a baby naturally. So he laughs, not in disbelief but at the absurdity of it all. And he attempts to reason with God, he attempts to share his doubts and have God help him process how is this exactly going to work. He can’t think past Ishmael. And God doesn’t rebuke Abraham here, in fact he reassures him. I will bless Ishmael, but he is not the child of my promise. You will have a son with Sarah, Abraham, and you’ll name him Isaac, which means, May He Smile upon Him!

I like to think of God as chuckling right along with Abraham at the absurdity of it all! And for real, this is crazy town Church. Do you know any 100 year olds, can you imagine them having a baby! If that doesn’t make you smile at least a little bit, you need to get your sense of humor checked! Do you even have a funny bone! And God, our Father, the humor is not lost on him. God does outlandish, crazy things and when his people struggle to wrap their brains around it, he doesn’t crush them and smack them down. Why don’t you have faith! No, his face lights up, his eyes glimmer and twinkle, he chuckles right along with us, see He says, I’m doing a new thing! Trust me! It’s crazy. It’s hilariously absurd, it’s something no body else could do or would expect, but I’m going to do it so that everyone knows it was done by me. There will be no other explanation and no one else will be able to get the glory for it!

2 100 year olds having a baby. Ha! Watch me God says!

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

And what? You guessed it. Abraham believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness. And that righteous belief worked itself out in obedience.

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

Who are you wearing Church? I hope you noticed, the brand of circumcision, it’s relatively vague here. There’s not mention of the moral stipulations God desires for His people to live by. That will get fleshed out next week when we look at the Moasic covenant and the ten commandments. But right here, the chief concern from God is that people know who are His. He says here take my brand. Let the world know you are mine. I’ll change your name. Your identity and I need you to live with my brand on you, live like you belong to me, live in light of my covenant promises.

Who are you wearing Church? Who’s brand is on you?

Baptism has become for the Christian what circumcision was for the Israelite. It’s a sign that points to the New Covenant. A covenant we will examine a bit later in our series. Suffice it to say. Jesus did indeed become the sacrifice alluded to Genesis 15. And because of this covenant promise, even when all other of God’s people failed, Jesus kept our end of the bargain for us. He has made it possible for us to live in light of the promise. The promise that if you belong to God there’s a people that you belong to, theirs a place that’s being prepared for you and there is a God who has made Himself available to you to be your everlasting possession.

You and I would each due well to follow in the footsteps of the Father of Faith, believe God, wear His brand, remember His promise and live markedly different than the world in light of it.

Let’s pray!