Circumcision

I know that circumcision can be a touchy subject, especially for those that haven’t been circumcised. It’s not like anyone would want to have a sharp knife cutting anything off from down below. Even the act of circumcision did not always exist. It wouldn’t be until Abraham that circumcision becomes a concept for God’s people. Like Abraham it comes down to obedience to God. That is one of the biggest problems of today. Christians rather try and find a way out of what God has said than simply obeying Him. Let’s look at why circumcision even came about in the first place and what the reason for its importance.

The covenant that The Almighty would make with Abraham also brought with it something new that had not been done yet and that is circumcision. Like the Sabbath becoming a sign between The Almighty and His people, the circumcision would be a sign in the flesh that you were part of this covenant. If you were not circumcised then you had no part in this covenant and the blessings that came along with it. This sign applies to us to this day. Many will say today that there is no need or reason to be circumcised and they will try to quote from Acts 15:19-29. The problem is that everyone tries to make excuses to not do it because that is what they want, not at all thinking about what The Almighty has said and established. It appears mankind at every turn rebels against The Almighty instead of trusting in Him and being obedient. If we would simply obey and not spend so much time trying to fight against The Almighty our lives would be some much more enjoyable and easy, but it is you and you alone that will one day, stand before the one you say you serve and worship, and answer for not obeying what He has asked of His people from the beginning. When I say His people I speak not of the “Jews” like so many will think, but I speak of ALL those that say they have chosen The Almighty as their God and have accepted Jesus as His son and our messiah, the redeemer of mankind.

The establishing of circumcision became a sign for those that would receive the blessings of the covenant that The Almighty created between Himself and those that become His people. You will find this in Genesis 17:1-14. There is no disputing what The Almighty speaks in these scriptures. Yes, we can say whatever we want to about the subject but at the same time what we say can never remove what The Almighty has established. The covenant and all that comes with it is tied to it with signs of our obedience. The Sabbath is a sign of His people as well as the sign of circumcision, which gives those of His people the blessings of the covenant. I guess I am at the point where I am not surprised anymore by how far people will go to avoid receiving blessings from The Almighty and just plain old simple rebelliousness to things He says. It may come down to us being comfortable with how things are and not wanting to change. We all change as we grow-up and learn new things, but some things are harder for us to adjust to. When those changes come from above we seem to buck against them more, especially when it makes us standout from the rest of the world in which we have to live in and that hates the one that is telling us to standout.

The problem begins with The Almighty’s people trying to change what He has told them. In the beginning of the church after Jesus’s ascension it would not take that long for His people to try and change things. Just as in the days of old when Kings, priests and false prophets tried to change what The Almighty told them. Acts 15:19-29 is one of those moments in history. Here they would take on the role of law makers that would undo what the True Lawmaker established. Thinking that what they were doing was good and would draw more people to the LORD they never foresaw the consequences of their decision. They started the process of compromising the Law of God and replacing it with that of Man’s. Just because something looks good or seems good doesn’t make it Good. We have the problems of disunity in the Church, Congregation, Body of Christ or whatever else people may want to call it, because of the compromising that began so many years ago. Jesus never compromised on any aspect of the Law of God, if anything he established it even more. I will share one of those moments with you. Do you remember when Jesus told his disciples that anyone that lusts after a woman has committed adultery? (Matthew 5:27-28) Jesus never made it easier if anything he made it known to all the seriousness of his Fathers laws. The problem that the early Church and the Churches today has been the watering down of the law and commandments to the point that they no longer receive all the blessings that they could have if they simply listen and obey.

What I found funny in the book of Acts is that not to long after the order goes out to compromise on the Law of God that we find Paul forcing someone to get circumcised just to fit in and not standout because of the Jews. We get to see compromising being down upon compromising and if you follow that path through history now you can see why there are so many denominations in the so-called Christian faith.

We should standup and standout for The Almighty and not be spineless compromisers that want to hide among the worldly. Going around claiming to be “Christians” isn’t standing up or standing out when the way you live your life is not mirroring that of Christ’s and what his Father has established for His people. Was it hard for Jesus to obey his Father and do all that was asked of him? I never recall Jesus complaining about any of his father’s laws or commandments. Yet here we are today whining like spoiled children when we are reminded of what we need to do if we want to be counted among the LORD’s people. It is your choice to listen and obey, but if you choose to do follow your own path than do not complain when you do not receive the blessings of the covenant that The Almighty has established for His people.

Genesis 17:1-14 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 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.”*

Acts 15:19-29 “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:[20] But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.[21] For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.[22] Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:[23] And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:[24] Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:[25] It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,[26] Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.[27] We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.[28] For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;[29] That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”

Acts 16:1-3 “Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:[2] Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.[3] Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.”