GENESIS 17
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”- Genesis 17:9-14
GENESIS 17 THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When the Lord reaffirmed to Abraham his covenant with him
He asked Abraham to do something in order to solidify that promise
The Lord required every male among his people to be circumcised
Every male infant must do this when they turn eight days old.
The act of the males cutting off the flesh of their foreskin
Signifies that they will also cut off their sinfulness to stay cleansed
If any of Abraham’s people do not perform this sign of the covenant
They will be cut off because they have breached their vow and broke it.
According to Mcmillen in one of the commentaries, newborn babies are susceptible to bleed more between the second and fifth day of life. He says that it seems an important blood-clotting agent, Vitamin K, is not formed in the normal amount unti the fifth to seventh day of life, making the eight day the safest. God still ensures that the babies are safe to do this.
Some denominations still apply this circumcision but more as a law not as a covenant promise. The sign of the covenant is not really a physical thing but a symbol of the vow that the children of God do not put their trust in their flesh but in the Lord.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think it is important for us to understand what this sign signify?
