The Importance of Circumcision in Scripture

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Alright, so we left off at verse 14 in Genesis 17, which says:

Genesis 17.15 – end
November 13th 2022

Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

The importance of circumcision cannot be overstated in the scripture so let’s talk a bit more about it now amplifying what we said last week to understand it and its application to people today. We know that circumcision of old was both an identifier of the males of the Nation but it was also indicative of a people dedicated to the Living God. I have long wondered how other nations knew if someone was circumcised in their flesh, and then having read up on it, I have wondered how they were distinguished from males in other nations that also practiced it?

Circumcision and Allegiance to God

I have come to believe that it was certainly the badge God demanded of His own but that the reality was it had to be accompanied by those who ALSO proved their allegiance to God by and through their own lives. So when we talk about circumcision we must always include the terms “and also,” circumcision and also . . . We can say this because Moses directed the Nation to also circumcise their hearts, which straight up was something that other nations did not do. This is a super important point, folks – let me explain.

Circumcision was indeed the outward badge, token or sign that the Nation of Israel demanded of its males because God demanded it of them, right? But remember, circumcision was only the outward indication or sign that a person was from Abraham. There was so much more that should accompany them. But by the time Jesus entered the world it had become EVERYTHING – so much so that the outward sign was being demanded of early gentile believers.

Outward Signs vs. Inward Reality

Human beings love to focus on outward signs – and in some ways it makes sense because God himself demanded allegiance to the outward sign among the Nation Himself. But do not forget that the real identifier, which distinguished the COI from other nations that practiced circumcision was . . . ??? the circumcision of the heart, which Moses directed the nation to all the way back in Deuteronomy. So, while circumcision itself was certainly, among that material nation an outward sign of God’s chosen people, it was NOT the sole sign that identified a Jew or a Son of Abraham from others.

In fact, what truly identified them as true Sons of Abraham was their circumcised hearts. This is proven by Moses telling them: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.” But because “people are people” the act of the cutting around of the male member became the most important thing to these highly religious people and therefore the sign or token became more important to them than the meaning behind it.

Really think about this for a moment. You are of or from Abraham living 500 years after Moses establishes the law, and you have been circumcised. It would be VERY easy for you to believe that you were fulfilling all that God demanded of you, and that you were part of His chosen people, and that you were special because . . . the foreskin of your penis has been removed?

Really? Now, don’t get me wrong, the act of circumcision WAS demanded by God, but suppose you are this same man, and you start to think and consider the Word of God given to the prophets. And you happen upon Micah 6:8 and read: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? And you start to reflect upon this and you ask yourself, in the spirit of seeking God –

Is God really seeking and demanding that my penis is cut around as the sign that makes me right before Him? Is He going to inspect this action upon my meeting Him or is this just an indication, especially under the Law, of something far more important, far more significant, far more meaningful to the living God? IOW, you might ask yourself, “Does this serve to only identify me in the flesh, or should I be identified also through some other way?”

It is in this vein that the purposes of God and his ways are discovered.

Outward Identifiers in Faith

And reveal the real reasons behind everything else external.

So, while circumcision of the flesh certainly was demanded and it was the outward identifier God used to separate His people and to illustrate them as souls who consecrated their lives to him, it, in and of itself, without the true consecration from the heart, was utterly meaningless. It is sort of like a uniform people might wear. Like a police officer decked out in their blues, with a badge and a gun, who has been trained to protect and serve, who neither protects nor serves but is utterly corrupt in the way he or she executes their job and expresses themselves while in uniform. The badge and the uniform, while identifying the man or woman as an officer of the law, are meaningless if they do not perform and exhibit what the badge and uniform were intended to represent.

The Role of Circumcision

In this we see that circumcision was predominantly an identifier. Like the uniform, it served to show that men were consecrated to the service of God and were therefore supposed to act and live in specific ways. Suppose that there was a Hebrew male born without a foreskin to circumcise? What then? Suppose would NOT be able to conform to God’s material command (meaning he couldn’t be circumcised) but suppose that he, through his heart and life illustrated a life consecrated to God. Likewise, suppose a pagan man went and cut off the foreskin but continued to be a bloodthirsty pagan. Would his circumcision mean anything to God?

The Jews came to make the act of circumcision EVERYTHING (the outer platter) while ignoring its real purpose and intent of what it signified! This is straight up religion. And it is the last thing God desires of His children. As a rite of the nascent church it ceased when the true New Testament age began. This is understood when we read what is said by Paul about it (which we read last week) in Galatians 6:15 and Colossians 3:11. Some might say, “If we are to follow Jesus in all things then all males ought to continue to be circumcised in their flesh, right. Of course it was a matter of Him, born under the Law, in fulfilling all righteousness that He was circumcised, which has nothing to do with a Gentile.

Baptism as a New Identifier

So, while Jesus could certainly be physically identified as a Jew (again, to fulfill all righteousness) what He was in the heart and mind was what qualified Him for the cross to save the world. Now listen – We see the same thing with water baptism, folks. In many ways, it was a new identifier that replaced circumcision of the flesh. And this was the way it worked.

John came baptizing with water unto repentance. They Jews who received His message submitted to his water baptism. It identified them with His purpose and cause – repentance before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The word baptizmo is derived from the industrial practice of taking fabric and dying it to become another color. Taking white fabric and dying it red which would identify it as red fabric thereafter. John’s baptism identified those who submitted to it with his cause and purpose – outwardly. The also of John’s baptism was??? Repentance in preparation of the coming Messiah before the Great and Dreadful day.

Again, John comes to the Nation and says, repent and be baptized (identified among the rest of the Nation) and those who did were people who are willing to change their minds in preparation for the arrival of the promised Messiah AND for the arrival of the kingdom to come. But John also made it clear that his watery means of identifying them was NOTHING – NOT WORTHY – to be compared with the baptism that the Messiah would bring – for His would be of Spirit, and of fire. Then the Messiah arrived on the scene, and after His victory of the cross and grave, his apostles went out and rebaptized those who were identified with John’s water baptism with a water baptism in Jesus’ name.

The Meaning of Baptism

Why? It was the outward identifier to all who could see of their allegiance to Him! Did it mean anything if those souls did not bear the Spirit of Christ in them? No more than circumcision did in the lives of those who did not consecrate themselves to God in the Old Testament.

Now, here is the deal with baptism with believers – especially Hebrew

The Real Identification of Christians

Believers – in the Apostolic age and in Jesus’ name. To submit to such, publicly, and to choose to be outwardly identified with Him, was an outward affront to the Jews who rejected Him. In other words, to be baptized in Jesus' name in Israel was almost a deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. sentence as those who received it publicly were excommunicated from the community and suffered immense persecution as a result.

This was the lot of the Jewish converts in that day that made up the Bride. So, to receive and do it was a huge step. But again, it was not what truly identified a follower of Christ. What genuinely identified them was their faith and devotion to Him and His teachings. So, while Baptism was demanded as the identifier of believers in that day, it meant nothing IF the one baptized was not committed to the Him by faith – with that faith being accompanied by Love, which was the real way people could tell if others were His disciples.

The True Identifier of a Follower of Christ

And this brings us to the real identification of Christians today. It’s not circumcision of the flesh. It’s not water baptism in Jesus’ name – that was primarily for the Jews of that day (and some Gentiles) who made up the Bride – and it resulted in immediate identification and immediate ostracization. But the true identifier of a true follower of Christ is . . . our love. Which is how Jesus described the way people would know that they were His disciples. Anyone can be baptized in water. It is utterly meaningless without the true baptism that Jesus brings – which is of the Spirit and with fire.

This fact is made plain by Paul gloating that he only baptized two souls but instead focused on preaching the Good News – which is that Jesus came, died, and rose again – believe on this and they could be saved. I mean Paul literally removed water baptism from even being part of the Good News in his outreach to the Gentiles of that day it was so unimportant in the Gentile world. Why? They didn’t care who was identified by rituals. But Paul – and God cared – who was identified by love, which is actionable.

The Importance of a Circumcised Heart

So here we are today, some 2000 years later. And the majority of Christian religionists focus on water baptism, almost as ardently (in some cases) as the Jews focused on outward circumcision, when the real focus and meaning is on the circumcised heart AND on those who have been buried with Christ (meaning, have died to their former flesh with Him) AND have been raised to new life, walking in love. Think about it this way – in this day of technology, social media and air travel, who knows whether a person has been baptized in water or not? Only those closest to each individual receiving it, right?

But everyone, in every one of those expressions and events, can be seen, known, and identified as having been baptized by the Spirit, right? How? By their love. You could be a stranger in a foreign airport traveling and evince His unconditional love for others in so many simple acts that would far outweigh the act of your having been baptized in water and would identify your soul abundantly without a word. Water baptism? An outward rite CHRISTIANS have made as big as the Jews made circumcision.

Am I against water baptism? No. I think for human beings it can be really meaningful. It was to me. Personally. Because behind it was a heart of faith in Christ – which is His baptism. But it is only an outward indicator of the inward heart – and by itself, like circumcision of the flesh, is meaningless and does nothing to wash away sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace..

So, it should not be the focus of our faith nor demanded. Perhaps made available for those who wish to be identified with Him in and through it, but the burial and rising up is all spiritual. So back to the circumcision of the flesh, which in the Old Testament the spiritual idea of it was also attached to it being a symbol of purity, as Isaiah 52:1 says:

1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Lessons from Sarah's Journey

Three years of its fruit-bearing life, as described by Moses in Leviticus 19:23, when he wrote:

"And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of."

Amazing picture. Can you see it? That babes in Christ bearing so called “fruit to the Lord” (from branches still corrupt) are seen as bearing unclean fruit and that the only fruit that they can offer of value is that which comes after maturity? Fascinating.

Blessings and Covenant

Okay, let’s read on through the rest of chapter 17 beginning at verse 15 where Moses writes:

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, 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 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Sarah's Role and Significance

And . . . back to verse 15, which we already covered last week relative to her name change but we will re-read it anyway:

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. (Verse 16)

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Based on these blessings, Sarah really is preeminent among women in the Old Testament and some scholars see her as a picture or type for the Virgin Mary. Others see Sara as a type for the New JerusalemThe spiritual reality of God's fulfilled presence with humanity—replacing Sheol after 70 A.D. above, who is the mother of us all, as she is also the mother of all people considered the children of Abraham through faith.

We often forget that the writer of Hebrews included Sara in his hall of fame of faith, saying in

Hebrews 11:11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is

Faith and Laughter

not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Peter, in 1st Peter 3:1, wrote to the women of the Bride (in that day):

1 Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
2 when they see your reverent and chaste behavior.
3 Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of fine clothing,
4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
5 So once the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves and were submissive to their husbands,
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are now her children if you do right and let nothing terrify you.

And, of course, Paul speaks of her body being as dead when God gave her a son, and of her being the freewoman, emblematic of those who truly walk by faith in Christ.

Abraham's Reaction

So, God says all of this, changing both their names (verse 17)

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Here again, we have a choice – to read these words as evidence that Abraham, the father of faith, was mocking God or doubting or to read these words from the view that Abraham always trusted the Living God and his laughter must be interpreted this way. I suggest that the text gives us some clues to the mindset of Abraham described here.

For starters, the Hebrew word can mean to laugh in scorn or to laugh for joy. You choose how to see it. Secondly, it was in Abrahams heart that Moses says, He laughed. How Moses knows these things outside of the Holy Spirit telling Him is beyond me. But I trust the report to be correct.

But I am sort of amazed at people who suggest that Abraham disbelieved God here. Paul writes in Romans 4:19-20:

“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

It seems to me that the Word tells us how to understand Abrahams heart-felt reaction – it was laughter from joy and amazement, not doubt and mockery. Also, it is interesting that Isaacs name literally means, laughter in Hebrew.

Abraham's Legacy

Now, in the next chapter we will read about Sarah laughing too. And we will cover that there, but let’s just stay on this verse for a second.

When Jesus was confronted by the religious leaders of His day, he said to them:

John 8:56: Your father Abraham REJOICED to see my day; and he saw it, and was GLAD.

I suggest that this could have been a direct reference to verse 17 here in Genesis and that this rejoicing and gladness is reflected in the fact that this son of the promise was named laughter. So again, lets give Abraham the benefit of the doubt and see his response in light of the fact that he was a man of faith and not of doubt.

At this point we need to remember that Abraham now had another son for about 13 years. And so, he says, after rejoicing in His heart that He was going to have Isaac

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

In other words, “God, will you still be mindful of my other son?”

I love this about Abraham. He didn’t abandon his responsibility to his other son even though God told him that Isaac was truly the son of Promise.

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Here we have a second instance where God dictates the name of an unborn, even not-yet-conceived child – Isaac. And he plainly states that He would establish an everlasting covenant with Him, and with His seed after Him – everlasting as it extends spiritually to those of

The Distinct Heritage of Ishmael and Isaac

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and (I) will make him fruitful, and (I) will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Five references to what God said HE HIMSELF would do with Ishmael and his line. As stated a few weeks ago, from Ishmael proceeded the various tribes of the Arabs, called the Saracens by early Christian writers. I suggest, yet again, that we pay attention to the fact that these are the only people (besides the Jews) who have also subsisted as a distinct people from the beginning – in fact, in many respects, they actually resemble each other!

Similarities Between Arabs and Jews

How? Let’s consider a few ways.

1. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are descended from Abraham, and both boast of their descent from the father of the faithful.

2. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are circumcised, and both profess to have derived this ceremony from Abraham.

3. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, had originally twelve patriarchs, who were their princes or governors.

4. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, marry among themselves, and in their own tribes.

5. The Arabs believe Abraham took Ishmael up to be sacrificed as the Jews believe it was Isaac.

6. Finally, the Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular in several of their customs and are standing monuments to all ages in the exactness of the Divine predictions toward them (which supports the veracity of ancient scripture to the rest of the world today).

Today, the Arabs, like the Jews and because of Christ, stand in no different place than all citizens of the world before God and His Son, and should be seen as loved equally by our maker as any and all others. However, at verse 21 God now says . . . (and we cannot forget this emphasis)

21 But . . . my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The Covenant with Isaac

God appears to straight up bless Ishmael with numerous temporal promises but the establishment of the Lord's covenant was to be with Isaac. There is no getting around this so let’s be clear.

And this covenant sort of sat between the completely material blessing of Ishmael and the completely spiritual blessings that Christ would introduce to all who receive Him in faith. (Verse 22)

22 And he (God) left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Did Abraham witness this ascension? Can’t say. But Moses makes it clear that God went UP away from Abraham, illustrating that He was by no means earth bound. And he left Abraham with the promise of a son in the course of a single year. Interestingly, this ascension was not unlike Jesus ascension into the clouds described by Luke. (verse 23)

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

Obviously, Abraham – at least – trusted in the promises of God and submitted himself and his family to circumcision. The fact that his thirteen-year-old son and all of his male house submitted to this too is pretty impressive.

But I think we need to again note the paradox that Ishmael was the first son of Abraham to be circumcised but that circumcision was tied by God to the covenant He made with Abraham regarding his son Isaac! Ishmael was not of the Promise, nor of the House of Israel to come, but we cannot ignore that he underwent the sign or token of the promise God gave Abraham and Sarah relative to this promise.

Conclusion on the Promise

Because of this, even in light of this, I maintain that we can see the love of God for all – including and even especially – the father of the Arab nations at this juncture.

We get so wrapped up today against the Islamic nations, which are descendants of Arabs which by tradition came from Ishmael. But all three expressions from Abraham, first Arabs, second Jews, and third, Christians, are monotheistic, all pointed to faith, all bent on holy living, and LISTEN – ALL of circumcision – the first in the flesh, the second in the flesh.

Faith and Reconciliation

24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, 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 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

I want to wrap today up with a comment that is going to push some of you to the edge but consider it.

Faith's Role

The writer of Hebrews makes it plain that without faith it is impossible to please God. It says, in full:

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The writer then embarks on telling the tale of men and women throughout the Old Testament who walked by faith. Women and men. He mentions Samson – who was a man of weak moral character at times but a man of faith. He mentions Rahab the harlot, who was not only of questionable moral character but was not a Jew BUT ostensibly as someone who pleased God through her faith.

All around the world we have people who walk by faith in God or what they believe is God. They are of almost limitless religious expressions but possess faith in Him. He knows who they are. And they please Him. See, He has been reconciled to them by and through the finished work of His Son, as 2nd Corinthians 5:19 reads

. . . that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them . . .

And THEY have reconciled themselves to Him by the faith they possess. Because of Christ they will enter into His Kingdom through faith. Because of Christ. And they will receive Him bowing and confessing His name. But any and all who please Him so do by faith.

Entry into the Kingdom

It is the entry qualification to the Kingdom, again made possible by Christ’s finished work, and without it, we cannot please God. Notice that the writer of Hebrews does not include Jesus’ name in his words? Instead, he says:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Do Jews believe that He is? Do Muslims?

See, by and through Christ, God has been reconciled to all with sin and death overcome, but only those who believe that He is can please Him. And those who believe that He is AND love as Jesus loved, dying to the flesh and living by the Spirit, are His children.

This is why John wrote in the first chapter of His gospel:

John 1:11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

A lot to think about. We will continue next week.

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