3-13 Devotional Thots

Genesis 17 - "A New Name"

(Gen 17:5 KJV) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

When God changes a mans name, He also fulfils His purpose in that man's life. We see a great example of this in Saul of Tarsus (Paul); a changed name represents a changed heart, a changed life, (Rev. 2:17), and is often a favorable thing when given by God. Along with a new name comes a new covenant, a pact between man and God. The new covenant?

Circumcision. A sign, to be performed on the "eighth day," (Gen. 17:12,12, it takes eight days after a baby is born for the blood to coagulate so that the baby doesn't bleed to death). It is a sign between God and His people that they accept each other under the specified terms! The covenant is an everlasting possession, as is Christ, to all who accept it (Him), it is still practiced today. Note the phrase "And I will be their God" (17:8), Oh what grace divine, what joy abounds in that one statement alone. God is willing to be our God, though every one of us fall short of His glory (Rom. 3:23), and none is worthy of Him, still, He will be our God! So, we have here, an everlasting possession (17:8), and an everlasting covenant (v.13). Thank God He is an everlasting God!

The covenant was to bless Abraham and make him a "father of many nations, many peoples," and, of course, that is exactly what God did. Would you dare to make a pact with God? Would you dare break that covenant? I hope not. God loves obedience; He loves humility; He loves honesty, He is a God of loves, and we need to see Him as such in our lives.