In this episode of In the Garden, we explore Genesis 17 and the profound meaning of covenant obedience. God calls Abraham to a radical act: circumcision as the sign of His covenant (Genesis 17:10–11, 23–27). This physical mark was not just a ritual—it represented total surrender of self to God, beginning even with the body and extending to all of life.

Abraham had previously tried to fulfill God’s promise through human means by fathering Ishmael with Hagar (Genesis 16). Like Adam before him, Abraham momentarily placed human reasoning above God’s word. Yet God calls him back into covenant faithfulness, demonstrating that obedience cannot be partial or delayed. Genesis emphasizes that Abraham obeyed “that very day” (Genesis 17:23, 26), at ninety-nine years o ...