El Shaddai and The Covenant: Genesis Chapter 17 Bible Study

Introduction 

Welcome back to The Daily Manna!

In our journey through Genesis, we’ve watched Abraham grow in faith from leaving his homeland to trusting God’s promises even when they seemed far away.

In Chapter 17, God takes Abraham’s faith to a deeper level. He not only reaffirms His promise but seals it with a covenant that marks Abraham and his descendants forever. This chapter is all about God’s identity, Abraham’s identity, and what it means to walk faithfully before God.

Before reading on, take a moment to read Genesis 17 in full as this is meant to be a Bible study companion and not meant to replace the word of God. 

Summary of Genesis 17

Genesis 17:1–2 – When Abram is ninety-nine years old, the Lord appears to him and says, “I am El Shaddai — God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.” God promises to confirm His covenant with Abram and multiply him greatly.

Genesis 17:3–8 – Abram falls facedown before God. The Lord changes his name to Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” and reaffirms His covenant to make him exceedingly fruitful. God promises that Abraham’s descendants will inherit the land of Canaan and that He will be their God forever.

Genesis 17:9–14 – God commands circumcision as the sign of this everlasting covenant. Every male among Abraham’s household — including servants and those born in his house — must be circumcised. Any uncircumcised male will be cut off from the covenant community.

Genesis 17:15–16 – God changes Sarai’s name to Sarah, meaning “princess,” and declares that she will bear a son. Through her, nations and kings will come.

Genesis 17:17–19 – Abraham falls facedown and laughs in amazement that he and Sarah, far beyond childbearing age, will have a child. God instructs that their son’s name will be Isaac, and that His everlasting covenant will continue through him.

Genesis 17:20–22 – God also blesses Ishmael, promising to make him fruitful and the father of twelve rulers, but the covenant will belong to Isaac. When God finishes speaking, He departs from Abraham.

Genesis 17:23–27 – That very day, Abraham obeys God’s command. He circumcises himself, Ishmael, and every male in his household. Abraham is ninety-nine years old, and Ishmael is thirteen when they are circumcised, marking the beginning of God’s covenant sign among His people.

Key Themes and Meaning

Covenant with God 

Genesis 17:1-2 NIV

[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. [2] Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Genesis 17:6-7 NIV

[6] I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. [7] 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 “God Almighty” which is translated here as “El Shaddai”, or the provider, establishes an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants. He tells Abram to walk before him faithfully and be blameless. Keep in mind Blameless does not mean Sinless. God then tells Abram that “Then I will make a covenant between me and you and will greatly multiply your descendants”. 

Here God is saying not only will he be Abrams God, but he will also be the God of his descendants. Not only must Abraham keep his Covenant, but also his descendants, but not just any of his descendants but a specific lineage:

Genesis 17:19-21 NIV

[19] 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. [20] 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. [21] But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 

He still blessed Ishmael, but would not establish his everlasting covenant with him. Remember in the last section that Sarai and Abram took it upon themselves to hurry along God's plan by using the servant Hagar. God still blessed him, and worked through human shortcomings. 

Identity Transformation 

Genesis 17:3-5, 15-16 NIV

[3] Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, [4] “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. [5] No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 

[15] God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. [16] 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.”

   God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s to Sarah, reflecting their new roles in His plan. This was to show their new personal identity and how it now aligned with his promises. 

Abraham means “ The Father of a multiple of nations” 

Sara means “ Princess” because she would be the mother of many nations and kings. 

Sign of the Covenant 

Genesis 17:10-11 NIV

[10] This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. [11] You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 

Here we see God introducing Circumcision as a physical reminder of the covenant. The physical shedding of the skin in circumcision is foreshadowing of what God wants us to do with our hearts. We see that example here: 

Deuteronomy 10:16 NIV

[16] Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 

The shedding of the flesh is also symbolic to us as Christians shedding our flesh or dying to it daily by denying temptations. 

God then continues to tell Abraham that: 

Genesis 17:14 NIV

[14] Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

This could be a warning not to live in the flesh and fill the desires of temptations. 

Obedience as Expression of Faith 

Genesis 17:23 NIV

[23] 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 obeys God immediately, showing that faith includes action. He immediately circumcised himself, his son, and every male in his house. 

Conclusion 

Genesis 17 shows us that walking with God is both a relationship and a responsibility. God reveals Himself as El Shaddai, the Almighty, calls us to trust His promises, and shapes our identity to align with His plan. The covenant and Abraham’s obedience remind us that faith is active, visible, and enduring. God is faithful, and even through human shortcomings, He accomplishes His purposes.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being El Shaddai, the Almighty who keeps Your promises. Help us to trust You, obey Your word, and align our hearts with Your plan. 

Strengthen our faith and remind us daily that Your covenant love is everlasting.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.