We need to talk about circumcision - some points

 

 

As I am due to preach on Genesis 17, I figure, however painful and uncomfortable it might be, we ought to talk about circumcision.

 

Probably there is much more to be said about this and I ought to think about it a lot more. Much of what is good here I have stolen from Alistair Roberts and Tim Keller.

 

(Any other sources to recommend?)

 

() Circumcision seems kind of weird to us. It is a reminder that God is to be known and worshiped in God’s way on the basis of his revelation. Bible religion is not a rational spiritual philosophy that modern people would invent. God means to educate us by these elementary shadows and symbols.

 

() we might think of it as a bit gross / unclean / not very nice. The Bible is more willing to talk about such things than we sometimes are!

 

() But we can see that circumcision is not arbitrary within a Biblical way of thinking

 

() Circumcision was a sign and seal of the Old Covenant, specifically of the promises given to Abraham

 

() It is easy to see that circumcision relates to the covenant promises since procreation and many children are vital to the promises

 

() circumcision is associated with fruitfulness

 

() circumcision is a kind of challenge or rebuke to human potency and power. It reminds and warns us that we cannot achieve our salvation apart from God. It cuts down pretention / pride.

 

() circumcision can thus be seen as a pruning or putting to fruitful service. The wild thing is tamed and made useful

 

() circumcision is (ideally) something done to a helpless infant who can do nothing for himself. It is something done to us and for us and not by us. It is the work of human hands done in the flesh, but nevertheless it speaks of grace and the initiative of God.

 

() circumcision on the eight-day hints at a new creation, a fresh start

 

() biblical circumcision applies only to males. This is presumably connected to the fact that males represent the family / humanity as covenant heads. Adam and Christ are the two great federal representatives. Hebrews 7:9 speaks of Levi as paying tithes to Melchizedek in the loins of Abraham.

 

() circumcision is bodily and physical, as is our salvation, our hope. God cares about and means to redeem bodies but in their sinful state the flesh calls out for the physical judgement of God.

 

() circumcision is about as intimate and personal as could be. It affects us at a very deep level.

 

() circumcision is a permanent mark. One can be a covenant breaker, but one is always a member of this covenant with covenant obligations whether one likes it or not.  

 

() circumcision represents God’s claim on his people. They are marked as belonging to him.

 

() circumcision is part of a whole system. Paul says if we allow ourselves to be circumcised we bind ourselves to keep the whole Law of Moses

 

() circumcision is bloody

 

() circumcision is painful

 

() the cross is the circumcision of Christ, his bloody cutting off

 

() circumcision is a cutting off. It therefore represents the penalty of sin, which is to be cut off. The cutting off of circumcision prevents us being cut off by death which is the judgement of God against sin

 

() When Adam and Eve sin they are cut off from the presence of God. The Angel with the sword who guards the way to Eden perhaps suggests that the way back into relationship with God will be by going under the knife.

 

() circumcision is therefore necessary before the visitation of God in salvation and judgement (or some great event such as the Passover or Conquest) so that his people are saved and his enemies destroyed

 

() circumcision speaks of purification / cleansing / making acceptable / usable

 

() circumcision serves as a mark of separation / distinction between the people of God and the world

 

() circumcision represents the putting off of the flesh / sinful nature

 

() circumcision is symbolic of the circumcision of the whole person and can be applied to various body parts such as the lips or ears

 

() circumcision represents or implies the necessity of circumcision of the heart

 

() circumcision without obedience to the law can be in a way equivalent to uncircumcision. The sign can be empty / void / not accompany the reality it represents. Without faith it is worthless or worse than useless.

 

() baptism is the New Testament equivalent of circumcision and replaces it as the sign of membership of the New Covenant