Tag Archives: circumcision

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 5

January 18, 2024Bible Studycircumcision, covenant, every maleLuella Campbell

And so, God moves on with His preparation of the man who would become the father of His chosen nation. Undaunted by Abraham’s failure, He begins the next phase of Abraham’s growth in faith and obedience. With the memory of the years of pain his unbelief had brought into his family, Abraham listens carefully to every detail of God’s instructions, determined, this time, to stick to the plan.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:1‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. [2] I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” [3] At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, [4] “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! [5] What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. [6] I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! [7] “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. [8] And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

“El Shaddai” is an unusual name for God. He uses this title to cement His promises and the covenant He cut with Abraham years before. We must remember that the sequence of chapters in the Bible disguises the interval of years between God’s revelations to Abraham. Many years had passed in which Abraham had opportunity to live out the life God had revealed to him.

Oh yes! El Shaddai! The two letters of el, of course in ancient Hebrew, an ox head and a shepherd’s staff, convey the idea of the mighty one who has authority. “Shaddai” ‭is made up of two pictures, two teeth and
the curtains in the tent that hang down from a rod to form the door of the tent. What did Abraham see in his mind’s eye?

Two things that dangle. What came to mind from that mental picture? The two teats of the goat’s udder. What did the goat’s udder do? It provided nourishment for its offspring! So, what did El Shaddai mean to Abraham? “I am the powerful one who has authority and I will nourish (take care of and provide for) you.” What a revelation and what a promise!

Two requirements… serve me faithfully and live a blameless life! How did Abraham interpret those instructions? God would flesh out His teachings centuries later to Ahraham’s descendants at Mount Sinai. For now, it was enough that he stick with God and not get involved with the wicked, idolatrous Canaanites. God’s moral requirements were already written on his conscience, as with all people.

The ratification of God’s covenant was to be a physical sign, written in the bodies of every male descendant of Abraham, circumcision.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:9‭-‬13‬ ‭NLT‬
[9]”Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. [10] This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. [11] You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. [12] From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. [13] All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.”

Despite Abraham’s attempt to rationalise the promise of a son through Sarah by offering Ismael instead, God was adamant. No, not Ishmael by Hagar. Sarah’s age and barren state was no obstacle to Him. Abraham had to ramp up his faith to believe in the birth of a baby through two barren old people!

‭Romans‬ ‭4:17‭-‬19‬ ‭NLT‬
[17] That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. [18] Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” [19] And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.”

Fortunately, God’s perspective is different from ours. We would have censured Abraham for doubting God’s promise, but not God. He saw the end and considered Abraham’s faith acceptable and secure.

‭Romans‬ ‭4:20‭-‬22‬ ‭NLT‬
[20]”Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. [22] And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”

And so, Abraham takes, another leap of faith by circumcising every last male in his household.

‭Genesis‬ ‭17:26‭-‬27‬ ‭NLT‬
[26]”Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, [27] along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.”

No one escaped the knife that day!

To be continued….

OUT IN THE COLD

March 16, 2021Bible Studycircumcision, the law, the written codeLuella Campbell

OUT IN THE COLD

“Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” Romans 2:25-29.

Paul took great pains to ensure that his Jewish readers understood the place of the law in their lives. Being a Jew was much more than having the outward and physical sign of the covenant in their bodies. It was an issue of the heart. Paul needed them to understand that they were all lawbreakers, no matter how much they viewed themselves as the privileged covenant people of God.

Like the Pharisees who were Jesus’ persistent opponents, defending their natural birth into the nation of Israel was of no use if they did not back it up with obedience to the terms of God’s covenant. It would be the same as thinking that natural birth in a country would be enough to keep me out of prison even if I committed a crime.

The thinking of the Jews whom Paul addressed then is, unfortunately, the same false teaching that deceives millions of people today. False religions teach people that the way to please their god, or the way to get rid of sin is to subscribe to a certain religion and to do certain things, rituals or rules that relate to the body but cannot change the heart. Eat or do not eat certain foods; wash here or wash this way; offer sacrifices of food or blood; bow so many times, or bow this way etc. What can any of these things do to alter the state of the heart, or remove the guilt of the soul?

The prophet Micah, in the Old Testament, struggled with the same issue.

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He had shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:6-8.

What value is there in washing the body, putting the right kinds of food in the mouth or offering sacrifices to an inanimate block of wood or stone? What evidence it there to prove that these rituals have any effect on the guilty conscience? Of what value is circumcision, as a mark of membership if it does not issue in obedience to God, or offering sacrifices if they are an excuse to keep on sinning? All the adherence to religious practices in the world cannot and will not change the heart.

Paul was slowly building his case for the hopelessness of all human beings. Not even the Jews, who had thousands of years of history – God actively involved in their lives, revealing Himself to them, cutting covenant with them, intervening in their lives with many miracles, protecting and providing for them, governing and guiding them – were any better than the Gentiles because they were just as guilty of ungodly behaviour as their uncircumcised neighbours.

Worst of all, although the Jews probably did not even give it a thought, was their arrogant attitude towards the Gentiles whom they despised. It was their very pride in their privileged birth that cut them off from God. “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5b. So, instead of living in God’s favour, they had cut themselves off from Him because of their arrogant attitude.

Acknowledgement

THE SIGN OF OWNERSHIP

February 16, 2021Bible Studybaptism, circumcision, the fleshLuella Campbell

THE SIGN OF OWNERSHIP

In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self, ruled by the flesh, was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through your faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Col. 2:11-12).

What was the purpose of circumcision in God’s covenant with Abraham?

Then God said to Abraham, ‘This is my covenant with you and with your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised . . . My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. (Gen. 17: 9-11a; 13b).

Circumcision was a sign of ownership. It set God’s people apart from every other male in every other nation. No doubt, when Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers, how would he have convinced them that he was indeed Joseph? By his mark of ownership as a Hebrew!

The Jews were God’s people by right of birth and ownership. Every Jewish parent would ensure that their sons carry their mark of ownership in their flesh. This was to be symbolic of a greater spiritual reality which would be revealed through Christ. Believers carry a mark of ownership, not in the flesh, but in the spirit, which sets us apart as belonging to God.

Paul spoke of a principle which applies in many areas of our lives – revealed in 1 Cor. 15: 46: The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. It applies here as well. Circumcision was to be a physical (or natural) sign which would be followed by the spiritual when the truth was revealed in Christ.

Many streams in the church have seen baptism as the counterpart of circumcision and have developed the doctrine of paedo-baptism as the sign of God’s covenant. Just as boys were circumcised eight days after birth to show that they were included in the Abrahamic covenant, so infants are ‘baptised’ to include them in the New Covenant.

However, this idea conflicts with the teaching of Scripture, clearly indicated here, as in many other places (through your faith in the working of God), that it is faith in Christ, of which infants are incapable, that brings people into the New Covenant, not infant baptism.

What is the sign of the New Covenant, the sign of ownership? Paul was in no way teaching that baptism is the sign of the New Covenant which would contradict the principle of ‘first the natural, then the spiritual’.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1: 13-14).

Paul could not have stated this truth more clearly. God marked us with His seal of ownership, the Holy Spirit who is in us, when we confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10: 9-10).

What, then, is the purpose of baptism? Baptism was both initiation into and identification with a person, an office or a teaching to indicate publicly that the one being baptised had a new status. Baptism, or ritual washing, was a common practice in Jesus’s day. John the Baptist initiated people who identified with him into his teaching about the Messiah, calling them to repent and identify with the One he was introducing to them. Baptism is, therefore the public, visible witness to our identity with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.

Through baptism we are telling the world that we have died to ourselves and have a new owner, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Spirit in us sets us apart as God’s possession. We have left the old life of sin and the flesh and are now living in union with Jesus and in submission and obedience to Him.

As the covenant people of God, set apart to Him and marked by circumcision, the Jews were to live in obedience to His commands, which they did not because they were without the Holy Spirit. We who have the Spirit are able to put to death the deeds of the flesh through His power and live a new life In Christ because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

We must become who we are.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – WHAT’S IN A NAME?

September 17, 2019Bible Studycircumcision, Jesus, nameLuella Campbell

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

“When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived.

“Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took Him up to Jerusalem to offer Him to God as commanded in God’s Law: “Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God,” and also to sacrifice the “pair of doves or two young pigeons” prescribed in God’s Law.” Luke 2:21-24.

What’s in a name?

In western culture we pay little attention to the meaning of the names we give our children. We like the sound of them; they have some family significance; or we name our children after some person who has meaning for us. Some people even invent names just to be different. In some cultures children are often named after the circumstances of their birth.

Both the parents of John the Baptist and of Jesus were careful to name their babies according to God’s instruction via the angel Gabriel.

In Hebrew thought, a name was a prophetic utterance of character. In the case of John and Jesus, their earthly mission was prophesied in their names. “John” – the anglicised form of the Hebrew, “Yochanan”, means “Jehovah is gracious”. It was John’s task to be the forerunner of the one who would bring “grace and truth” (John 1:17) from the Father. Jesus (Yeshua) was to be the Saviour of the world.

Perhaps one’s mind immediately strays to a significant personality in the Old Testament – Jacob, Isaacs’ son. He was the second of twin sons. He was born clutching the heel of his brother and was given the name Jacob, meaning “one who follows”. His character, however, followed another meaning, “supplanter” or “cheat”, and he lived up to his name until his encounter with the angel of the Lord at Peniel when his name was changed to “Israel” meaning “prince with God”.

When Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18), God responded by saying, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.” (Exodus 33:19 – NIV). What a moment for Moses! He was to be given a private and intimate revelation of the deepest depths of the heart of God.

“Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…” Exodus 34:6 NIV.

The angel Gabriel announced to the shepherds that a Saviour had been born in Bethlehem; “He is Christ the Lord.” If we recognise that it was to the second person of the Trinity that God the Father assigned the earth, then it was the pre-incarnate Jesus who revealed Himself to Moses. To Him was given the name above every name – Jesus – to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:11- NIV).

Enshrined in that name was everything that He was, everything He came to do and everything He was to be on the earth and in the lives of people who believe in Him. When we address Him as the Lord Jesus Christ, we attribute to Him and affirm all the offices He fulfils – absolute Sovereign, Saviour and Anointed One.

Jesus is the name in which we find salvation (Acts 4:12); shelter (Proverbs 18:10); forgiveness (Psalm 25:11); provision (Genesis 22:14); healing (Exodus 15:26); peace (Ephesians 2:14); righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21); and the comfort and nearness of God’s presence (Matthew 1:23).

Hot Under The Collar

October 7, 2014Bible Studycircumcision, Galatia, grace, JudaizersLuella Campbell

HOT UNDER THE COLLAR

“Paul, an apostle – sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead – and all the brothers and sisters with me. To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Galatians 1:1-5.

Paul had every reason to be hot under the collar! There were men called Judaizers on his trail who were so zealous for the Law that they were trying to undo everything he had done to teach the Gentiles the truth and lead them to freedom in Christ.

Paul was a Jew, a died-in-the wool Pharisee who had, in his pre-conversion days, contended so vigorously for the Law that he was willing to kill for his beliefs. His compatriots had killed Jesus and he was determined to kill His followers and stamp out this rival, anti-God religion, so he thought. That was until he met Jesus in a face-to-face encounter that opened his eyes and shook him to the core.

He discovered that what was called “The Way” was no corruption of his faith but the completion of what he had learned and taught with vigour and zeal as a Pharisee. This Jesus, whom he was unwittingly persecuting, was the Messiah he and his fellow Jews had yearned for and yet rejected when He came because He was not the person they expected.

What’s more, he discovered that in this one person, Jesus, God had fulfilled every promise and that He was a sufficient Saviour from everything that the Law demanded but could not provide. Paul knew what it was like to fail, Pharisee though he was, and to suffer the pangs of guilt for breaking God’s Law with no hope of ever satisfying His righteous requirements.

He also knew what it was like to experience the freedom from guilt that the forgiveness of sins had brought him. Peace with God! The peace of God! These were so real to him that he was willing to lay down his life to make this Jesus known. Only in Him could the sinner be reconciled to God. Jesus plus nothing was the revelation he had received and Jesus plus nothing was what he contended for and would to his last breath.

These Judaizers were false teachers who were insisting that, to be acceptable to God, Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses as well as believing in Jesus. Paul was incensed because his beloved Galatians had swallowed this lie and veered off course, not realising the implications of their actions. They had to be informed and quickly before they disqualified themselves from receiving God’s grace.

Even Paul’s introductory statements reveal his concern about what was going on in the Galatian church. No friendly greeting, no commendation or prayer, just the bold declaration of who he was – an apostle of God and of Jesus Christ, in case they had any doubts about his authority. He not only represented the triune God, but also his fellow believers who stood with him in what he taught and what they believed.

Even his benediction – grace and peace – has a ring of sternness about it. Don’t you Galatians understand that the grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ come at a price? It cost the Son His life-blood to rescue you from the corruption in the world and of your own hearts. How can you ever think that you can add to what He did to effect your rescue and restoration to God as His children?

Paul would contend vigorously for one thing – do you want to be slaves or sons? If you go back to the Law, you will be going back to slavery, cancelling out God’s grace and putting you back under the curse of trying to do it yourself. It didn’t work for the Jews and it won’t work for you.

This subtle error rears its head in many ways in the church today. There are those who still contend for the Law in such things as Sabbath worship, health laws, dress codes, even the use of musical instruments in public worship. What about the current teaching about “spiritual warfare” as though it is still the church’s job to fight against principalities and powers before people will believe the gospel?

Again and again we have to ask the question: Did Jesus say or did He not say, “It is finished”? Was His life, death and resurrection enough to satisfy God’s justice? Did He or did He not defeat the devil? We must let the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, answer these questions.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ, He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:13-15.