A Symbol Of Commitment To God

Thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael, and at least eighteen years after God had appeared to Abraham and counted his faith for righteousness, God appeared to Him again, offering him a covenant, or contract, in Genesis 17:1-8.  “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.”

Abraham had already demonstrated his faith and commitment toward God.  Based on his actions, God offered him an eternal contract if he was willing to commit to walk before God completely and with integrity.  God would make him the progenitor or father of many nations, and would bless his descendants forever, giving them the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance and being their God.  Abram’s name would be changed from Abram, A Father, to Abraham, A Father of Nations. 

A contract is a legal agreement that one party will do certain things in exchange for certain actions by the other party.   If one party does not fulfill their agreement, certain penalties are established.  As we have already seen all the land belongs to God and he can take it away whenever the occupants do not use it properly.  God was offering Abraham assurance that his descendants would have the right to the land of Canaan forever if they would keep their part of the contract.

Genesis 17:9-13 describes Abraham and his family’s obligations under the contract.  “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.”

As a symbol of their commitment to God, every male over eight days old was to be circumcised, including any slaves they bought.  The promises did not apply to any man who was not circumcised, according to Genesis 17:14.  “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.”  He was to be considered as not being a part of Israel because he did not meet the terms of the contract.

It is important to understand that Abraham’s righteousness was not based on his circumcision, but on his faith.  Romans 4:11-13 tells us, “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” 

Circumcision did not save them, but it identified them as Israelites.  Baptism serves the same purpose in the New Testament, identifying people as part of God’s church, but it does not save them.  Abraham was counted righteous many years before he was circumcised.   In the same way, a person can be saved without being baptized, but just as Abraham was later circumcised, a saved person ought to get baptized as a symbol of his commitment to God. It is usually held as necessary for church membership, just as circumcision was necessary for citizenship in the nation of Israel.