GENESIS 17
22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 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 17:22-26
GENESIS 17 ABRAHAM’S CIRCUMCISION AT NINETY-NINE
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After God reaffirmed the details of his covenant with Abraham
He didn’t waste any time at all, but immediately followed God
His son Ishmael was thirteen at that time he circumcised him
And Abraham was ninety-nine when he did it to himself
That same day, all the men in his household were also circumcised
This manifests his character and pure submission to God’s promise
Could you imagine yourself doing something that you have never done before in your very old age of ninety-nine? As we grow old, Solomon talks about this in Ecclesiastes 12:3-7 when our bodies no longer serve us well and we can no longer do what we used to be able to do in our youth. Circumcision was never known to Abraham and yet he followed without a doubt or a question. That same day, he wasted no time to obey what God required of him in order for him to be the fulfillment of God’s plan for his offspring to receive their blessings in that covenant.
What a man of integrity Abraham was. Not only he was obedient and faithful, he was also very brave to do something that could have him bled to death. This shows how much faith was given to him by God himself. He completely surrendered to the Lord even though he didn’t know what was going to happen to him. He believed.
REFLECTION
- Where do you think Abraham’s faith and courage came from since he was a pagan before?
