Circumcision, the Spirit, and You

The covenant has two sides. God’s part involved giving Abraham a son, providing land for his descendants, and being their God. Abraham’s part of the covenant required the circumcision of all the males in his household.

I have arranged Genesis 17:9-14 in bullet form to enable us better to see the various aspects of the rite of circumcision.

• Vs. 9 – God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
• Vs. 10-11 – 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 circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12

• Vs. 12-13 – Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.

Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

• Vs. 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.”

Circumcision is an eternal covenant. It is meant to be kept by every generation of God’s children. As an eternal covenant, it must be noticeable and permanent.

Every time Hebrew males look at their bodies, they are reminded that they are part of God’s covenant through circumcision.

To circumcise a son is expected, but to circumcise a slave expands the range of the recipients of the covenant. God’s covenant is directed to no elitist class of society.

When Abraham was called, God told him, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Making slaves members of the covenant made this blessing of all the families of the earth a practical reality.

Circumcision is not optional as something is done only when convenient. To omit the rite of circumcision eliminates someone from being part of God’s family.

Sealed with the Spirit

Jesus told Nicodemus, who was an excellent example of righteous living among the Jews, that he needed a birth both new and from above. He identified this birth with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5).

On the other end of the social and spiritual spectrum was a Samaritan woman whom Jesus met by a well. In conversation with her, he said if she knew who He was and the gift He offered her, she would ask Him for living water.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).

Living water later in their account is referred to as the Holy Spirit. God’s gift to both Nicodemus, this woman, and all of us, is the Holy Spirit.

Whereas Abraham received circumcision as a sign of the covenant, believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Here’s how Paul describes the covenant of salvation that God provides to people who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;

This is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Let’s not miss the awesome gift of the Holy Spirit. As Eduard Schweitzer wrote, “What Jesus was to His disciples, the Holy Spirit is to believers today.”

The Holy Spirit makes our personal Lord and Savior, personal in our lives. We can communicate with Him, empowered, and directed by Him in every aspect of our lives.

YouTube Discussion

Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.