Circumcision: Sign of Abrahamic Covenant
Genesis 17:9-13 “And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. (10) This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; (11) and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. (12) He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. (13) He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.”
As revealed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture, when God made the eternal covenant with Abraham and His Seed, at the same time He also gave Abraham the sign of circumcision in the flesh. The sign of circumcision was in itself also a covenant (Acts 7:8). The covenant of circumcision however, had no impact on the eternal covenant that God made with Abraham. For unlike the eternal covenant, this covenant was only for this life, in that it was a covenant in the flesh.
Romans 4:11-12 “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, (12) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.”
For the first four hundred and thirty years that the Hebrew nation existed, there was only one thing that distinguished them as being a nation separated unto God. That was the sign of circumcision. The covenant of circumcision had nothing to do with faith however, because every male child had to be circumcised when they were only eight days old. And so unlike the eternal covenant, which one can only partake of by faith, the Jewish nation partakes of the covenant of circumcision, by birth. As the above quoted passage of scripture declares, the covenant of circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign, to separate the Hebrew nation to God. The covenant of circumcision is still in place with the Jewish nation today, for God does not break His covenants.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments