The Real Truth About Circumcision

A Mountain of Love—and Justice Satisfied

(Genesis 17:1-14, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 16, 2014)

[17:1] 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.”

God called Abram to “walk before” Him and to be “blameless.” What did this mean? The Lord was instructing His servant about the good life of covenant blessing. Abram took up the posture of a worshiper, surrendering himself to the Lord. He fell on his face before God. The Lord had already entered into a covenant arrangement of promise with Abram. The best response to God's unilateral grace to mankind has always been complete surrender to His will.

Abram would now be “Abraham,” the father of a multitude—even a multitude of nations. The Lord had a plan for Abraham's offspring that would be bigger even than the provision of the land of Canaan. The Lord who would be a God to Abraham and his Offspring would also fulfill an earlier promise to make Abraham a blessing to all the people groups of the earth.

[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.”The promise of God to Abraham was sealed with a sign of the covenant—circumcision, a pledge of total obedience to the Law (Galatians 5:3), and therefore a desperate plea for a Substitute who would fully obey the Law and then be cut off from the people of God for our salvation (Romans 4:11). The ultimate meaning of circumcision was revealed through the death of Jesus on the cross (Colossians 2:8-14), where Christ died the death we deserved.

Put the Word to Work: We need more than signs and seals to live appropriately as people who have received God's promise. We need grace and grace-empowered blamelessness. This is more than the Law could ever give us. It is a great gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. It is more than Mount Sinai. It is Mount Zion, where the sacrifice for sin was slain, and where Jesus reigns.

Memory Verse from the Songs of Ascents—Psalm 125:1 – Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Gospel Reading—Matthew 15:32-39 – Jesus feeds the four thousand