Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.””
(Genesis 17:9-14)

God now gives the physical sign of the setting apart of His people. We NEED physical, material signs because so much of our lives are in the material realm. Even in the New Covenant, we are given Communion as a visible, actionable remembrance of what Jesus did for us. It is important to put these signs before our eyes, not for their power in and of themselves, but to remind us of what we have and what we are. Once circumcised, every time they got dressed or went to the bathroom or had sexual relations, they would be reminded of their covenant with God. They would be reminded of their relationship with God. They would NOT be able to forget they were a set-apart people.

In a covenant, what one side does the other is willing to do. By having Abram set in his flesh the covenant with God, God was able to set in HIS flesh the covenant with man through Jesus the man and His sacrifice/ordeal on the cross. Jesus made covenant with the Father in the same way God made covenant with Abram: in the flesh. It is a POWERFUL Messianic symbol and reminder.

This was not OPTIONAL. Circumcision was the human side requirement of this covenant. It was also for ABRAHAM’s line. The Jews. Gentile believers do not, did not, and will never have a requirement for circumcision. Circumcision was codified into the Law and the New Covenant is free from the Law because the price of sin has been paid by Jesus. As long as we are repenting of our wrong thinking as we renew our minds to His point of view (Romans 12:2), there is no judgment for a believer (Romans 8:1). Our lives are about how much we trusted in Jesus and the judgement seat we will face is not a punishment judgment, but a reward judgement – and even then un-trusting works will burn up and leave us nothing (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). None of us are perfect. We all need to get His Light on every aspect of our lives, piece by piece, repent of wrongs, cling to rights, and work to follow Jesus example in everything we do, think, and say (Matthew 4:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Old Covenant has circumcision for the Jews. New Covenant has circumcised HEARTS for ALL believers in Messiah Jesus – Jew first, and then Gentile (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Acts 7:51; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:11).

This instruction links the promise of possession of the Land (in the previous verses) to the keeping of circumcision. When the Israelites broke that Covenant, they were sent out of the Land.

Abraham had been declared righteous by God fourteen years previously because he trusted in God. Circumcision was never a vehicle for justifying relationship or producing righteousness. It was a sign and symbol of being set apart for a possession of a set apart Land. It SEALED what had already been DECLARED by God (Romans 4:11). It was a personal reminder that they had been bought by a price – the same way Communion is our remembrance that Salvation came at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). It was personal, between the individual and God.

Males were commanded to be circumcised at 8 days old. It is at 8 days that the optimal period exists for circumcision of a male (females were NEVER to be circumcised). Interestingly, the American Urological Association (AUA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both recommend circumcision because of general aspects of overall penis health. It also lowers the risk for cervical cancer in female sexual partners; eliminates foreskin-specific conditions and reduces the risk of foreskin and glans infections; reduces risk of urinary tract infections, reduces the risk of penile cancer, and helps prevent *some* sexually transmitted infections.

This commandment of circumcision was so important that those who refused it could be put to death. There is no record of this ever occurring, but it WAS a penalty. This is not euphemism. This is real physical death being discussed.

The sage Rashi writes: ‘ואתה AND AS FOR THEE — This ו (of ואתה) connects this verse with the preceding matter (v. Gensis 17:4, thus setting ואתה of here in contrast with the ואני of there): “As for Me, behold My covenant is with thee” — “and as for thee, thou shalt be careful to keep it”. And what constitutes the “keeping” of it? THIS IS MY COVENANT WHICH YE SHALL KEEP… EVERY MALE AMONGST YOU [SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED].’

The sage Sforno writes: ‘בבשרכם; the word בשר is a euphemism for the reproductive organ of the male, as for instance in Ezekiel 16,26 גדלי בשר, “with outsized male member.” Or, Leviticus 5, 2-3 זב מבשר, “an uncontrolled seminal emission from his male organ.” There are more examples of the word בשר having that same meaning. Seeing that the organ on which the covenant with G’d is marked is the organ instrumental in ensuring a man’s continuity beyond death through the genes of his offspring, it is appropriate that the covenant which represents the eternal intimate and reciprocal relationship of G’d and the Jewish people should be symbolized in this manner.’

The sage Ramban writes: ‘AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE. Here Scripture teaches you that this circumcision must be at the location where the distinction between male and female is evident. Thus the words of Rashi. Our Rabbis have likewise mentioned other reasons. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said: “his foreskin, which is known, for it is in the genital organ. But not so are the expressions: uncircumcised in the heart;uncircumcised lips;their ear is uncircumcised. All of these latter are in a construct state. In my opinion the matter is clearly explained in Scripture. It does not say, “And ye shall circumcise your foreskin,” thus leaving the meaning in doubt, nor does it say, “the foreskin of your flesh,” just as it says the foreskin of your heart, and “the foreskin of your lips.” But instead it says, And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, meaning that you are to cut off the flesh which is your foreskin, namely, your flesh which obstructs, and there is no flesh in the body which obstructs and covers a limb [as is the case with the genital organ], where one can cut the flesh and remain without the foreskin, other than the “flesh that covers the corona,” which the Sages mentioned. The word “flesh” in the expression, uncircumcised in flesh, is a euphemism for the genital organ, just as in the verses great of flesh, and an issue of his flesh.’

The sage Steinsaltz writes: ‘You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it, this cutting of the flesh, shall be a mark of a covenant between Me and you. The covenant is the relationship itself, while the circumcision serves as a concrete symbol, an indication of, and reminder about the covenant. This verse constitutes a normative commandment that forms a binding obligation in Jewish law, similar in style to the many commandments found in the later books of the Torah: And one who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, whether born in the house, an actual member of the family or anyone else born into the household, even if not a biological descendant of Abraham, or purchased with silver, a slave purchased from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. Not only must Abraham’s descendants be circumcised, but all males who are his property. The covenant applies to these people from the moment of their birth, although the mark of the covenant is placed on their flesh only on the eighth day. And the uncircumcised male among your descendants who shall not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be excised from his people. This is the most severe of punishments; the soul is cut off and destroyed, a penalty that begins with death and continues in the world of the souls after death. An individual who chooses to remain uncircumcised is deserving of such a severe punishment, since he has breached My covenant, by essentially declaring that he wants no part in it.’