We often think, at least it is so for me, that Abram had such a special relationship with God that he enjoyed practically uninterrupted fellowship with the Lord. Indeed, this may be true in a spiritual sense, vis-à-vis in the same sense you and I can have fellowship with God every day by going to him in prayer, and acting as though he is present with us throughout our day, as we speak to him about the things we’re doing. Yet, this was not so for Abram in the physical sense, vis-à-vis through an audible voice or an actual vision, whereby Abram physically saw and spoke with the Lord. Abram’s physical encounters with the Lord, which we read about in the text, namely, his calling (Genesis 12:1-4; Acts 7:2-4; cp. Genesis 11:31), the Lord’s encouragement, when Abram felt vulnerable and alone (Genesis 13:14-17), Abram’s visions of the Lord (Genesis 12:7; 14:18-20; 15:1-18; 17:1-22) etc. were few in number, some coming years apart. While these events were, indeed, special events in Abram’s relationship with God, they didn’t come as often as we may have presumed.
The Lord appeared to Abram for the seventh time, according to the text, when he was 99 years of age (Genesis 17:1). It had been over 14 years (Genesis 16:3, 16) since his previous physical encounter with the Lord (Genesis 15:1-18), probably more like 15 years or perhaps longer. Moreover, since Abram was 75 years old, when he left Haran (Genesis 12:1-4), his age of 99 years represents 24 years in the Land of Promise, and his sixth physical encounter with the Lord, since leaving Haran. The first of these seven was his leaving Ur of Mesopotamia, but we don’t know how long he spent in Haran before the second call from the Lord occurred (cp. Acts 7:2-4). Therefore, we don’t know, at the age of 99, how long it had been since the Lord first called him out of Ur of the Chaldees.
During this particular encounter with the Lord, God introduced himself to Abram for the first time as Almighty God, and Abram was told to walk before him, as though he were complete, perfect, fully mature, with integrity of heart (H8549), which was something Abram had been doing, in as much as he was able to do in the various stages of his relationship with the Lord. Therefore, the Lord decided to make his covenant with him and multiply his seed exceedingly (Genesis 17:1-2).
Out of respect, Abram fell upon his face before the Lord. God continued to speak, saying his covenant (Genesis 15:1-18) was with Abram, and he would be the father of many nations, and kings would be among his descendants. Therefore, Abram’s name would be hereafter Abraham (Genesis 17:3-6). Nevertheless, the Lord would establish another covenant with Abraham and with his descendants. The Lord told Abraham that he would give him and to his descendants the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. However, he would be their God, but only **if** they consented to be his people (Genesis 17:7-9). Therefore, God initiated the Covenant of Circumcision, as an irreversible token (verse-11) or sign between himself and his people.
Eight days after the birth of a male child, whether a son or a servant’s son, he must be circumcised. Every male that was bought from a stranger would also be circumcised (Genesis 17:10-13). This covenant was different from the covenant the Lord made with Abraham in Genesis 15:1-18. There, Abraham was unable to break that covenant, because the Lord made himself solely responsible for its keeping. However, the covenant of circumcision was one, in which Abraham and his descendants had a responsibility to perform, if they wished to receive its rewards. It was a voluntary commitment of the heart to be God’s people.
First, it was the responsibility of Abraham and each parent after him to perform the act or token upon everyone, over whom he had authority, especially his son. Secondly, it was the responsibility of the son and the servant to take responsibility of his own life and walk before the Lord, as though he were complete, perfect, fully mature, with integrity of heart (H8549; cp. verse-1). In other words, he, too, must desire God to be his God and voluntarily submit to him as one of his people. The act, itself, was physical, being a token of a greater, spiritual reality. The sign or token was given Abraham as a seal of his faith or righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:11). So, Abraham was righteous prior to his being circumcised, indicating that the physical act, itself, wasn’t a requirement to embrace God as one’s God and be to him a people. The Covenant of Circumcision must be kept in its spiritual sense, vis-à-vis it can be broken, only if the person or persons (even the nation) no longer desired God to be his God. In such a case that one (or those people) would be cut off from the faithful, who did desire to keep covenant with the Lord (Genesis 17:14).
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