Abram, what an amazing man he was;  he had the ability (after walking with the Creator for almost 100 years) to hear the voice of Yehovah and do what He requested. In Genesis 17 Yehovah speaks to Abram in a vision and gives him a new name (Abraham); and Sarai, bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh, also gets a new name (Sarah).

The name Abram [אברהם] is spelled (right to left) aleph, bet, resh, mem and means “Exalted Father” or “High Father.” He is the father of the spiritual seed who dwell in heaven; men who have left their elohim (the lawmakers and judges of their birth) whom they previously served and now follow Abram as he follows THE Elohim and Creator of all things.

The addition of the “hey, [ה]” to Abram’s name made it Abraham [אברהם], and this “hey” added yet another dimension to his high or exalted fatherhood, it adds an eternal dimension.

Genesis 17 is the prelude to Genesis 18 which describes the birth of the spiritual man, Isaac, at the “Time of Life” which falls on the “appointed time” or the “moed.” The “Time of Life” is what Passover was called before it was called Passover. The “Time of Life” (the time that Isaac was born) and the Passover (the time which Israel’s seed was, and is, born) are tied together in the Torah in many ways. The 430 year time-line from Exodus 12, the 400 year prophecy from Genesis 15, the words “that very same day” in Genesis 17 and Exodus 12, the “appointed time” of Genesis 17, Genesis 18, Leviticus 23, Exodus 12 and others.

Genesis 17 – My Covenant / My Cutting

However, the tie between Genesis 17 (the “Time of Life”) and Exodus 12 (Passover), which I want you to see clearly today, is about what Yehovah calls “My cutting” [בריתי]. It is a compound word that is used 23 times in the Torah, 9 times in Genesis 17 alone. Be·ri·ti’ is translated in most bibles as “My Covenant,” but I believe this to be yet another religious word designed to mislead and distract men, who wish to seek and pursue righteous.

And I will make My cutting between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” (Genesis 17:2)

As for Me, behold, My cutting is with thee, and thou shall be a father of many people. (Genesis 17:4)

Yehovah cutting and Abram’s “fatherhood” seem to be connected.

As I said, be·ri·ti’ [בריתי] is a compound word; the suffix “י” [yad], when added to a noun, says “my.” The Hebrew word that the yad is being added to, in this case, is be·rit’ [ברית], which means “a cutting.” Together they say, “My Cutting.”

Again, we get trapped by these religious words, and few people have seen what I am trying to show you today; even Jeff Benner in his Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible wants to call the Hebrew word be·rit’ a “covenant;” but read carefully how he defines the be·rit’.

[ברית]
“A covenant is instituted through a sacrifice of a choice, fatted, animal which is cut into two and the parties of the covenant pass through the pieces. If one party fails to meet the agreements of the covenant then the other may do the same to them. (see Genesis 15:10,17 and Jeremiah 34:18-20)”

Now read it again and substitute the word “cutting” for “covenant.”

Here are the verses he suggests that we read. We do not cut a covenant; the cutting IS the agreement; and passing through the pieces seals the agreement! Oh my – this is so cool!

Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. (Gen 15:10)

And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. (Gen 15:17)

And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant [בריתי, be·ri·ti’], who have not performed the words of the covenant [ברית, be·rit’] which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth. (Jer 34:18-20)

Genesis 17: 10 – His Cutting

And now look at what Yehovah says what His cutting actually is!

This is My cutting which you all [men] shall keep, between Me and you all and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:10)

The cutting that Abraham made, and the cutting that all the spiritual seed of our “high father” made, and will make, is circumcision! And all our seed will pass through the literal cutting when they are conceived.

Genesis 17 goes on to describe who is to be circumcised.

• Genesis 17:11 Abraham
• Genesis 17:10 Every male of Abraham’s house (We are talking about his gates, he has over 1000 men with him at this point.)
• Genesis 17:12 The 8 day old male and every male bought with money (these are permanent servants)
• Genesis 17:13 He who was born in Abram’s house

But understanding this cutting goes still deeper. As I said, Genesis 17 is a prelude to Genesis 18; and we will see that it is fundamental to our understanding what is happening in Exodus 12. Please take note of who is to be circumcised in Exodus BEFORE the Ger can draw near and eat the Passover and become as one born in the land; or what must happen before the Passover / the “Time of Life,” the moed, appointed time that Isaac was born AND the moed that all Israel’s seed is born.

• But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. (Exo 12:44)
• And when a stranger [Ger] dwells with thee and wants to keep the Passover to Yehovah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land [Ezrach]. For no uncircumcised person [always men] shall eat it. (Exo 12:48)

Ishmael was not the promised and spiritually born seed.

• Ishmael did not come from Abraham’s body; Hagar was “a woman” given to him by Sarah who was “bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.” Oh – and Hagar did not get a new name, only Sarah did.
• The birth of Ishmael does not fit both the 400 year prophecy, or the 430 years to that “very same day” of Exodus 12.
• Ishmael never passed through Abraham cutting; while Isaac, the spiritually born seed, did.

Genesis 17 is just preparation for the coming big event which is prophesied in Genesis 18, the “Time of Life.” Here is a much more in-depth teaching on Genesis 17. I hope you will enjoy it.

Genesis 17 – My Covenant / My Cutting

2G21 Genesis 17
[Click here to download this audio mp3]

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