Blessings to all,
Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers:

GOD’S COVENANT part 1

Here was a man who was a father before he had any children. Abraham was Abraham, father of a multitude, by faith at that time. But four thousand years later, where you and I sit, we can say that God sure made this good.The name stuck, if you please, and he is still Abraham, the father of a multitude. 

One of the most influential names in human history is that of Abraham—a man whom Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all claim as a patriarch. However, to this point in the Bible, that name has not been used. This important historical figure is still carrying his original name of Abram. Here, at last, God will change Abram's name to Abraham, while establishing a symbol of their covenant: circumcision.

Genesis 17 describes God's appearance to Abram, who is now 99 years old. Twenty-three years have passed since God first promised to make Abram a great nation and to give to him and to his descendants the land of Canaan. During that time, Abram and his large company have lived in different parts of the region. 

He has grown quite wealthy, and God has appeared to him several more times to restate and expand on the initial covenant promises. Still, Abram has only one son. Ishmael, born to him by his wife's servant Hagar, is now 13. Abram and his wife Sarai, who has been barren for their entire marriage, seem to have resisted attempting to have children through other women before the events of Genesis chapter 16.

At this point, they likely assumed that God's promises and blessing to Abram would pass through Ishmael. After all, at 99 and 89 respectively, they were well past the window for conceiving or bearing children. That's when God appears to Abram again. This meeting is different than those earlier encounters, however. 

This time, in addition to the familiar and seemingly impossible promises, God also has requirements for Abram. God commands Abram to walk with Him and to be blameless. Abram would, indeed, be the father of nations. Kings would come from him. To confirm that fact, God changed Abram's name to Abraham.

While Abram means "exalted father," the name Abraham sounds like the Hebrew phrase for "father of a multitude." The land of Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants forever. As a sign of keeping this covenant, God had a new requirement for Abraham. He and every male of his household, born or bought, and every male in every generation to come, must be circumcised.

This is the ritual removal of the foreskin. Those who were not circumcised would not be included in this covenant between God and Abraham's people.

It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD.

Our scripture will be coming from:

Genesis 17:6-14 KJV 

[6] And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
[7] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
[8] And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
[9] And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
[10] This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
[11] And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
[12] And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
[13] He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
[14] And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.