旧约 - 创世记(Genesis)第17章

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers."
Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
"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.
The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."
Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.
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.
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.
Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
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."
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?"
And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!"
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.
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.
But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
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.
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,
and his son Ishmael was thirteen;
Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day.
And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.
创世记第十七章   第 17 章 

  亚伯拉罕 

  创 17:1> 神是一个全能者,值得我们全心顺服祂。你认为是吗? 

  17:1 耶和华对亚伯兰说:“我是全能的神,你当在我面前作完全人。”今天神也这样对我们说,我们应当在一切事上顺服祂,因为祂是神──这已是最充分的理由。如果你认为顺服神没有什么好处,就要想想神是谁──祂是独一无二、有权能去满足你一切需要的神。 

  创 17:2-8> 神再三向亚伯兰重申应许,其实祂也一再向我说…… 

  17:2-8 神为什么再三申述祂跟亚伯兰所立的约呢?祂在以前( 12:1-3 ; 15:1-5 )已经提过两次。不过,祂在这里是要把焦点集中在这个应许上,并准备履约。祂向亚伯兰显明这约的几个重点:( 1 )祂要赐给亚伯兰许多后裔;( 2 )必有多族从他而出;( 3 )祂也要向亚伯兰的后裔坚守这约;( 4 )祂要将迦南地赐给亚伯兰的后裔。 

  创 17:5,15> 神为亚伯兰及撒莱易名,代表了祂的更新。神在我身上更新了什么? 

  17:5,15 在撒莱怀孕前不久,神给亚伯兰(意为父被高举)改名为亚伯拉罕(意为多国之父)。从这时候起,圣经就称他为亚伯拉罕。同时神也给撒莱易名为撒拉(意为公主)。 

  撒拉 

  创 17:5-14> 立约的条款是顺服,但神向我所要求的,若比起祂要赐的福气,根本毫不足道…… 

  17:5-14 神与亚伯拉罕立约的条款非常简单:亚伯拉罕要顺服神,又要为他家中所有的男丁施行割礼;神则把后裔、产业、权力、财富赐给亚伯拉罕。大多数的盟约都是平等交易:我们付出,得回同等价值的回报。但是与神立约,我们所领受的福气,远超过我们所付出的。 

  创 17:9-10> 神为什么要人受割礼? 

  17:9-10 割礼是为人在一切事上顺服祂并成为立约之民的记号。一经受割礼,就永远成为犹太人,不能反悔。割礼也象征与犯罪的旧生命断绝,洁净自己内心,并将自己献给神。也有说是为了健康的缘故。 

  17:17-27 亚伯拉罕和妻子撒拉已经年纪老迈,叫他们生孩子,实在难以置信。亚伯拉罕虽因信心蒙神称义,但要他相信神这个应许也是困难的;不过,他还是照着神的吩咐去行了( 17:22-27 )。可见,即使信心之父也会有怀疑的时候。当你开始怀疑神的引导时,要效法亚伯拉罕,专注于神实现祂应许的承诺,并继续顺服祂。 

  创 17:20> 神没有忘记以实玛利,也不会忘记我。但我清楚神对我一生的心意吗? 

  17:20 神并没有忘记以实玛利,他虽然不能承受亚伯拉罕的家业,但也将成为大国之父。不管你的环境怎样,神并没有忘记你。祂对你的一生有美好的计划,你要顺服信靠祂。──《灵修版圣经注释》