Last 5 Days
The Covenant of Circumcision
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 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. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 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 throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 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.”
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife,you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 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 God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
19 God 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 offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those 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 God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 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 is one of the most important chapters in the Book of Genesis and it is about God’s covenant with Abraham, and it explains the rite of circumcision practised by the Jews. Its effect upon the whole nation of Israel lasts from that time until today. For the Jews, circumcision is a lasting covenant between God and His chosen people. It is also a sign that differentiates the nation from the Gentile nations of the world.
There are several things that we could learn from this covenant:
God initiated the covenant. He called it, “My Covenant” (verses 2, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 19 & 21). This was a covenant that God made specifically with Abraham. It was to be a permanent, “everlasting covenant” (verses 7, 13, 19) between God, Abraham and his descendants. Our God is a faithful God. He said that although we are faithless, He remains faithful to his promise, for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)
Together with the covenant, there was also a name change (from Abram to Abraham – v. 5). There is a significant difference in these 2 names – from “exalted father” to “father of a multitude of nations.” This means God was expanding Abraham’s role and significance in human history for the fulfilment of his command “to be fruitful and multiply.” The change of name was also made for his wife. Sarai shall be called Sarah. (v. 15) Even though both Sarai and Sarah mean the same thing, “princess.” It seems God had a purpose for the change of her name, and specifically, in verse 16, we read that she would become many nations, and the mother of kings of peoples. Here we see that God is a God who is concern for the welfare and significance of women just as he is with men.
The promise of a son through his wife, Sarah, and not his maidservant, Hagar. There is an interesting play of word in the name given to Sarah’s son, Isaac. It means “one who laughs” indicating that there was a double meaning in the response of Abraham when he first heard that God was going to give him a son through Sarah. Because both he and his wife were advanced in years, so it would be doubly hard, almost impossible for them to have a son. So he laughed, partly in disbelief and partly out of an unlikely hope, a kind of jaw-dropping rejoicing, which is the second meaning for Isaac, “one who rejoices.” Once again, we see that it was God’s initiative. He promised them that they would have a son this time next year. (vv. 19-21) When Abraham was vacillating, God was there to put things right – that He wants the promised heir to be from Sarah.
God had chosen circumcision as the sign of the everlasting covenant between him and Abraham and his descendants. (vv. 10-13) Circumcision is a very serious matter because everyone in the covenant community must be circumcised, including foreigners who had become “naturalized” into the Jewish community. In verse 9, God commanded Abraham to keep his covenant, and for his side, it simply meant that every male born into the nation must be circumcised. And if anyone was not circumcised, he was considered to have broken the covenant and would be cut off from the nation. (v.14) So every time when God sees his people, he sees them through this sign.
Verses 23-27 tell us of Abraham’s obedience to God’s command to circumcise everyone in his family. It began with himself, and Ishmael and all the male servants in his household. Through this obedience, he inherited the promise of God who promised to make him become the father of a multitude of nations.
Today, as the Apostle teaches us, “we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3) and for a believer in Christ, his “circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by letter.” It is not an outward sign. (Romans 2:28-29) This means that God’s covenant sign with his people is not just skin deep, but it goes right into our inner soul and being.
Dear God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you are the God of the Jews and the Gentiles, and you have opened the Way from all peoples to come to you by your grace through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. I thank you that through him, everyone can be set free from the law of sin and death, and free to live his life with the sign of your circumcision that is from the heart. Thank you for choosing us to be the children of your promise. Help us live our lives worthy of your calling. In Christ’s name. Amen!
