The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 21:4,
"When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him."
"When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him."
Here is something I wrote in this verse in October, 2007:
The Lord had given Abraham circumcision as the sign of the covenant he had made with him. In Genesis 17 after changing Abram's name to Abraham and telling him he would make nations of him and give him the whole land of Canaan he told Abraham that he and all the male members of his household were to undergo circumcision.
The Lord told Abraham that circumcision was to be the sign of his everlasting covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17:13. What is all this about circumcision? Was there something about circumcision that the Lord needed? Did the Lord need to be reminded that he had committed himself to this covenant with Abraham and his offspring whenever he saw a circumcised male? I think not. It appears to me it is the other way around. The Lord wanted Abraham and his offspring to have a very personal reminder of a special relationship they had with their Lord.
It also foreshadowed a reality that would take place in the lives of those who would follow in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. Paul speaks of a circumcision of our hearts in Romans 2:29, leading to a change in life we experience as a new creation in the Lord. Also in Colossians 2:11-12 Paul points out, "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead."
It is precisely this circumcision of our sinful nature done by the Holy Spirit that reminds us we are children of God. John speaks of this reality extensively in 1 John. Our God does not need to be reminded of anything. It is for our sakes that he has provided us with what we need to keep fresh in our minds the special relationship we have with him as his children.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
The Lord had given Abraham circumcision as the sign of the covenant he had made with him. In Genesis 17 after changing Abram's name to Abraham and telling him he would make nations of him and give him the whole land of Canaan he told Abraham that he and all the male members of his household were to undergo circumcision.
The Lord told Abraham that circumcision was to be the sign of his everlasting covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17:13. What is all this about circumcision? Was there something about circumcision that the Lord needed? Did the Lord need to be reminded that he had committed himself to this covenant with Abraham and his offspring whenever he saw a circumcised male? I think not. It appears to me it is the other way around. The Lord wanted Abraham and his offspring to have a very personal reminder of a special relationship they had with their Lord.
It also foreshadowed a reality that would take place in the lives of those who would follow in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. Paul speaks of a circumcision of our hearts in Romans 2:29, leading to a change in life we experience as a new creation in the Lord. Also in Colossians 2:11-12 Paul points out, "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead."
It is precisely this circumcision of our sinful nature done by the Holy Spirit that reminds us we are children of God. John speaks of this reality extensively in 1 John. Our God does not need to be reminded of anything. It is for our sakes that he has provided us with what we need to keep fresh in our minds the special relationship we have with him as his children.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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