1. Circumcision
of the flesh is an eternal visible sign of the proof of acceptance & entry
into The Covenant made with Avraham Avinu, as ordained by YHWH and executed by
man in obedience and has never been done away with as has been told by the Denominations – Gen. 17:9-11.
2. Physical
circumcision is The Covenant, maybe I should say it like this - the proof of the entire acceptance of the Covenant is embodied in the act of Physical
Circumcision – Gen. 17:10. The one cannot stand without the other – we see this
process portrayed in real time and actions in the life of Avraham Avinu, and as
described by Sha’ul in Rom. 4: Avram Avinu
- · Accepts a calling and promise given by YHWH and walks away from his entire know existence - Gen. 12:1-4.
- · Believes the promise of a son in his old age – Gen. 15:1-6.
- · Enters into a “Blood Covenant” with YHWH – Gen. 15:7-21.
- · For His part of the Covenant, YHWH, by being the only One to pass through the killed and divided animals, takes it upon Himself to die for the Sins of Avram Avinu and his redeemed offspring – Gen. 15:17-18 – and thereby YHWH confirms His Eternal Covenant with redeemed Yisrael with His very LIFE. (YHWH promises to spill His Blood as is required for His Eternal Marriage Covenant).
- · 13 or so years later YHWH again appears to Avram Avinu and instructs him to walk before Him in righteousness (be “pure-hearted” CJB) – Gen. 17:1
- · YHWH again reminds Avram of His Covenant with Avram and His commitment to that Covenant – Gen. 17:2
- · Avram shows his awe and respect for YHWH and YHWH in return gives Avram a new name, Avraham; YHWH then proceeds to define the new name’s connection with the Eternal Covenant of Promise – Gen. 17:3-8.
- · YHWH again instructs Avraham Avinu, and his generations to come, to keep (literally guard, protect observe by application) this Divine and Eternal Covenant – Gen. 17:9
- · YHWH then proceeds in Gen. 17:10, as translated in all translation, to say: “This is my Covenant..” and introduces the actual physical need for circumcision. We need to pay some attention to these Words uttered by YHWH our Elohim: In verse 10 of Gen. 17 the word is, is not found in the original script according to the KJV and secondly the word “Zoth” translated as “This”, according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew definitions can also be translated as: This one alone; this; such; then; wherefore now; behold here; in this place; here; then; on these conditions; herewith; through this; for this – So now if we take Gen. 17:9 & 10, bearing in mind that there was no punctuation in the original, and insert other possible meaning for the word “Zoth” we have other combinations of the same words portraying other meanings- here are a few of those combinations without punctuation as the original would have been:
a) “Thou shall keep my Covenant therefore
you and your seed after you in their generations this one alone is
my Covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee
every man child among you shall be circumcised.”
b) “Thou shall keep my Covenant therefore
you and your seed after you in their generations such is
my Covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee
every man child among you shall be circumcised.”
c) “Thou shall keep my Covenant therefore
you and your seed after you in their generations behold here is
my Covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee
every man child among you shall be circumcised.”
d) “Thou shall keep my Covenant therefore
you and your seed after you in their generations through this is
my Covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee every
man child among you shall be circumcised.”
Obviously there are other combinations all equally
valid, but I hope you see my point of the implied importance of the act of the
Physical Circumcision in connection and relationship to the Covenant as a whole
and the lead up to this declaration.
3. We know
that physical circumcision has always counted for nought without Spiritual
Circumcision of the heart leading to obedience through Faith (application of
that required by YHWH) – Deut 10:16; in the times of the Prophets – Jer. 4:1-4;
and as a rod of correction Jer. 9:25-26; and during the times of the return to
YHWH through the Renewed Covenant – Deut. 30:1-8; Rom. 2:26-29. See Jer.
9:23-26 – all will be punished for their sins, both circumcised or not.
4. Therefore
in light of the above I would contend that according to Gen. 17:10 without a
Spiritually induced Physical Circumcision one cannot partake of the Covenant of
Promise made with/between The Father of Faith, Avraham Avinu and our Creator
Himself.
5. 1 Cor.
7:19 also shows us that whether we are circumcised or not is irrelevant if we
are not keeping the Torah (instructions) of YHWH, and one of those
“instructions” as seen in points 2 & 3 above, can only be kept through a
Spiritually Circumcised heart much like the requirement of baptism, and until such
requirement, such as that of Baptism was fulfilled, as we see in Acts 19:1-7,
the Ruach HaKodesh, the Ruach of Life is denied in line with John 14:15ff.
6. Additionally
to deliberately break the Covenant denies us access to The Promised Land; to deliberately
deny circumcision is to deny the Covenant. Using point 5 above as an example we
see that once the Disciples spoken of heard of their need for Baptism into
Messiah they were willing to undergo the baptism and out of their obedience
they were filled with the Ruach of The Father. I believe it is the same with
the act of physical circumcision.
7. I
believe that with each act of obedience to The Ruach we grow in relationship to
YHWH further away from man and closer to Spiritual Maturity – 1 Cor. 3:1-9.
8. The absence
of physical Circumcision would deny Spiritual Growth and this lack of growth
would result in a stunted Spiritual life along with a lack of Spiritual
Authority and denial of entry and participation to the Pesach Mo’ed. This
access or restriction to The Pesach is firstly granted by YHWH Who in turn
offers it to the Head of The Home who is claiming redemption through Messiah
Yeshua; whatever decision the head of the home makes will effect his house
either negatively or positively as we read in Ex. 12:47-50 arw Ex. 12:38.
9. We all
know that Yeshua was circumcised, and we are now told that we, as His
Disciples, do not need to be circumcised?
I have the greatest problem accepting that and therefore in my opinion
to accept that Paul/Sha’ul may have circumcised Timothy only because of
expedience induced by pressure upon his ministry is unacceptable - because
breaking the Covenant (Torah) is sin – 1 John 3:4 and as we see even Sha’ul
himself wades into the fray in Rom. 6:1 & Rom. 7:12.
10. The Law Maker
and Giver of that Law Himself declared unequivocally that the Torah, Covenant stands
unaltered for eternity and whoever breaks even the least of these
instructions AND TEACHES OTHER TO DO THE SAME will be called THE LEAST in the
Kingdom – Mat. 5: 17-19.
11. Circumcision
of the flesh is an eternal sign of the Covenant – Gen. 17:11; just as the
Shabbat is an eternal sign – Ex. 31:13; thus I believe to deny the application
of the Physical Circumcision through Faith by Grace (Eph. 2:8-10) would:
a) Be the
same as denying the Shabbat observance applied through Faith by Grace.
b) Prevent
one from becoming part of the Commonwealth of Yisrael – deny access to the
Covenant Promises made to Avraham Avinu – Eph. 2:11 (being gentiles in the flesh
or by birth as CJB translates it, or nations in the flesh as Scriptures
presents this verse).
With the result that the deliberate breaking or
non application of either the Circumcision or the Shabbat lead to one being cut
off from the House of Yisrael – Gen. 17:4 & Ex. 31:14.
NB: See points 3, 4
& 5.
That being said the argument can, and indeed should be made in favour
of a humble acceptance of what we perceive to be error in the halacha of a less
mature brother/sister in Messiah – 1 Cor. 8 - however I am of the opinion that to walk
in deliberate denial of Revealed Covenantal Truth for the purpose of unity differs to the unity which Sha’ul is
addressing in 1 Cor. 8 and such a denial is wrong because in my opinion such an action is tantamount
to giving a false Testimony – Ex. 20:16 and thus is breaking Torah (Mat. 5:17). For
example:
Should we eat un-Biblical food to reach the
“heathens?”
Or
Would we deny the Sabbath by joining with the Sunday
Denominations to “reach the lost?”
Or for the sake of unity ignore The Sabbath and Lev. 23 Festivals to keep peace in the home?
Obviously not!
So if not the points above, then why would we want to do away with the sign of the
Covenant portrayed by the Circumcision of the flesh as we are told that Sha’ul
preached amongst the non-Jewish Believers?
I THINK NOT – I believe that Sha’ul, as said by Kephas
in his Epistle has been grossly misunderstood and twisted by the unwise to
their, and possibly others, own destruction.
We see in Eze 44 that in the past and looking to the future the need for Circumcision of both the flesh and the heart, when entering the Temple by men is
required. NOT JUST ONE OR THE OTHER!
This concludes a brief look into my thoughts and my expressed opinions on
this matter of the need for circumcision to this day, and next, Abba willing, I am hoping to enter into a deeper discussion on the merits of the
Pesach, it’s relationship to the Death of Messiah, the Circumcision of men, the marriage and other Covenant issues which hopefully will cover the ramifications of 1 Cor. 11:17-34 and our personal conduct in and around the Pesach Mo'ed.
Perhaps it is good that we have a 13th month this year putting the Pesach back a month so that we can further study
and prepare for our entry into YHWH’s presence.
Please once again check out all I have said with prayerful consideration against the Word, we are all still trying to find our way home.
Shalom in Messiah Yeshua
Bo'az.
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