January 8th | Genesis 17

      When I was a kid, I wanted a different name. In fairness, I had been stuck with my name for a long time, and I thought it would be cool to have a different name. As I get older, I am at peace with my name. It is who I am. But as I am older, I can recall things about my past that I want to change. There is some shame, regret, and pain that I would like to forget. Sometimes, I think it would still be nice to have a new name. A different name that isn’t associated with the baggage of my past mistakes. The good news is that God can take away all that baggage and shame that comes with my past and give me a new life. I can keep my old name but walk in a new life because of Christ. 

Abram Is Given A New Name

       Genesis 17:5 says, “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” 

       God tells Abram he is getting a new name, and this new name is interesting. Abraham means “Father of a multitude.” This name is interesting because Abraham was still waiting for God to give him the child of promise, Isaac. Abraham might have been thinking, “God, are you sure?” 

      God was sure. Look at verse 5: “I have MADE you the father of a multitude of nations.” Before Isaac was even born, God had already made Abraham the father of many nations. God’s promise and plan determine who we are, not our circumstances and past mistakes. 

Abraham Is Given A Command

      God tells Abraham that he will bless and make him a great nation. But in verses 9 and 10, God asks Abraham to do something to show God’s covenant faithfulness. He tells Abraham that every male must be circumcised. This was a physical sign to show that God’s people were set apart and belonged to God. They would look different from every other man, and this was God’s plan. 

     In Genesis 17:1, God says, “I am God Almighty. Walk before and be blameless.” This reminds me of God's call to His people in Leviticus 20:26: “You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” God was working to show Abraham that this covenant and blessing were special. This covenant showed God's holiness and God's special call on His people.

We Are Given A New Heart

       The call for holiness is not just found in the Old Testament but also in the New. 1 Peter 2:16 says, “Since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” We are still God’s people and still called by God to be holy. Yet, this is too difficult for us. Too often, we are reminded of our old name, filled with shame and regret. God knew we wouldn’t be able to be holy. Even if we kept the physical covenant, we still had the same bad hearts that led us to sin. 

       Our bad hearts are why we hear of a new covenant between God and His people in Ezekiel. "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules (Ez 36:26-27). If we trust in Jesus, we can have a new heart. This new heart sets us apart. It makes us different. It marks us as God’s people in a dark and lost world. 

Conclusion

       I still have the same name given at my physical birth, but I have a new heart because of my spiritual birth. Because of Christ, I have been adopted into the family of God and am called a child of God. Would you treasure that gift and share it with someone today?