1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old YHVH appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty (El Shaddai); walk before me, and be blameless.
At this point, the individual begins to seek divinity within and also seeks to live through that divine guidance. Thus, this person free of sin.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."
The promise here is that those who do this will be strengthened spiritually.
3 Then Abram fell on his face; and Gods said to him,
The energies within the self are acknowledged.
4 "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
Acknowledging all of them multiplies their manifestation within the psyche. These various manifestations are the various nations.
5 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
The change of name signifies the initiation of the individual into the new state of consciousness. In this new state, the individual governs the psyche and life in accord with the spiritual laws.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you.
The more focus that you place on spiritual energies, the stronger your consciousness will be made by them. The energies that empower the parts of the psyche are the “kings” spoken of here.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be Gods to you and to your descendants after you.
This change affects everyone in the individual’s life as well as the individual. It is an eternal change.
8 And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their Gods."
From this state, the body is governed. It is governed by the spiritual forces that enliven it. By being conscious of these, the individual also controls their body and physical health.
9 And Gods said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
This new state of consciousness is to be maintained forever.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
The circumcision of all males just means that any active force within the individual’s consciousness must be purified and kept pure.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
This simply means that the lower nature of the forces within the individual is to be removed. This is the sign of them being pure enough to be divine in nature.
12 He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
Eight signifies spiritual purity. The purification is to be done on all energies the individual comes into contact with, whether within or outside of themselves – any energies they claim as their own.
13 both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.
This purification is the initiation of the energies into your pure, spiritual consciousness that the initiation of Abram signifies.
14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
Any forces that still retain their lower nature must be removed from your consciousness\being.
15 And Gods said to Abraham, "As for Sar'ai your wife, you shall not call her name Sar'ai, but Sarah shall be her name.
Sarai’s change of name signifies her emerging spiritual nature…her initiation. As Sarai, meaning “bitter” or “contentious” she is the animal soul competing for her rightful place in human consciousness. As Sarah, meaning “princess” or “noble woman” she is purified of her animal nature and restored to her rightful place as the intuitive part of human consciousness.
16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
This new state of being produces a new understanding and guidance from the divine within the consciousness. All the spiritual faculties in the consciousness come from this soul, which Sarah represents.
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
18 And Abraham said to the Gods, "O that Ish'mael might live in thy sight!"
19 Gods said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
20 As for Ish'mael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
Ishmael means “whom God hears”. He signifies the state of consciousness in which God is understood as the source of the personality\Ego, but there are still transgressions present through contact with the outer\physical world. This state will produce other influences in consciousness as it increases in manifestation.
21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year."
The soul now produces the ability of the consciousness to sense the spiritual world\unseen forces. This produces faith in them. It is through belief in the unseen and the power that comes with acknowledging those forces that Salvation can be found.
22 When he had finished talking with him, Gods went up from Abraham.
The spiritual forces left the surface of the consciousness once they had made their nature and purpose known.
23 Then Abraham took Ish'mael his son and all the slaves born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as Gods had said to him.
All forces within the spiritual consciousness are purified of their lower nature.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ish'mael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Circumcision symbolizes purification of the psyche of it's lower nature. This being done at age 13 symbolizes the ultimate goal of the purification work, which is Unity with God.
26 That very day Abraham and his son Ish'mael were circumcised;
Both the spiritual consciousness (Abraham) and the personality\Ego (Ishmael) are purified of their lower natures.
27 and all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
This purification affects the entire psyche and all the forces therein.