CIRCUMCISION

God requires circumcision as a sign of His covenant.When God made a covenant with Abraham, He told Abraham his part of the covenant. He required that every male child be circumcised.

Genesis 17:9-14
"And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

This was the key to receiving the beautiful promises of God on Abraham’s life. Without it, God’s inheritance cannot be gained. The same goes for us. When God gives a promise, it is under a condition. We only receive the promises when we do our part. There were beautiful promises given to Abraham under the covenant God made with him.

Genesis 17:6-8
"I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

1. God will make him exceedingly fruitful.
2. God will make nations of him.
3. Kings shall come from his line.
4. God will be God over him and his descendants.
5. God will give them the land of their inheritance as an everlasting possession.

Today we are both witnesses and fulfillment to the promises of God to Abraham. Not one of those promises were broken! And these same promises are available to us today if we shall allow circumcision to take place in our lives. Perhaps, somehow we are getting a taste of the fulfillment of these promises today but most likely not its fullness. To dwell with the Lord in His dwelling place, Zion, which represents a full relationship with the Lord and also carries the fullness of His promises over our lives,  it calls for a circumcised heart.  

Ezekiel 44:9 Thus says the Lord God: “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.

Is it possible then that we might need some more cutting away to take place in our lives? The message of circumcision is certainly not only for the uninitiated. It still is relevant to those who have experienced it already yet need some more of it.

What does it mean for our hearts to be circumcised? We find this in the account of the Israelites’ circumcision at Gilgal just before they conquered the Promise Land.

Joshua 5:7-9
"Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised,because they had not been circumcised on the way.
So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed.  Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day."

According to Dr. Brian Bailey’s book “Journey of Israel,” circumcision is the cutting away of the sinful Adamic nature that we were born with. It is an ever-operative working of the sword of God in our hearts to redeem our hearts. It deals with and dissects areas of our lives that still produce sinful desires, ways, thought patterns, and reactions that we were born with. (Bailey: p. 271) Uncircumcision on the other hand represents filthiness. For us to come into the presence of God, the filthiness of our flesh and mind need to be cut away. (Bailey: p. 276) 

  

God certainly takes circumcision very seriously. When Moses was about to go back to Egypt, God sought to kill Moses because he did not circumcise his sons. 

Exodus 4:24-26
"And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision."

I remember the story of Dr. Bailey when he ministered in New Zealand and he saw two angels. One held a sword that had "Circumcision" inscribed in it. The other wore a sash with the words "Enforcer." The Lord then spoke to Dr. Bailey that He seeks to circumcise the hearts of His people. Those who will heed will go on with God. But those who will will know His judgment. The angel Enforcer will be sent to them. (Bailey: p. 279) If we do not allow our hearts to be circumcised, sin can plague our lives that will bring God’s judgment.

God today is seeking for the circumcision of our hearts. The circumcision that God is after is not outwardly but inwardly. It is manifested by how well we keep the commandments.

Deuteronomy 30:6
"And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live."

Romans 2:28-29
"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."

1 Corinthians 7:19
"Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters."

Therefore, a heart that is circumcised will reveal itself. A person’s life will show it. One’s speech, actions, and thoughts are changed by circumcision. Here are some of the evidences of a circumcised heart.

The following is an excerpt taken from Dr. Paul Caram’s book “Victory Over the Self-Centered Life” (Caram: p. 68-70):

1. NOT A SEEKER OF MAN’S PRAISE — “Circumcision that is of the heart, in the spirit, whose praise is not of men but of God” (Romans 2:28-29). True circumcision of heart is evidenced in people who are more concerned about what God thinks of them than what others think. “Whose praise is not of men, but of God.” These are God-conscious more than people-conscious. Shame, embarrassment, and the fear of rejection because of being identified with Christ is a serious form of uncircumcision. Some men and women may not even make it to heaven because they are so uncircumcised in this area of their lives (John 12:42-43). It is natural to be ashamed of Christ—because we are born natural and uncircumcised. But God wants to cut away this human tendency and bondage with His Sword so that we are not unnerved by what people are thinking or saying about us.

Also, it is unscriptural to crave for the applause and approval of man. We should only seek God’s approval. Sometimes people will not do the will of God, or leave the church they grew up in, or go to the mission field because they are afraid of being misunderstood or frowned upon by relatives and friends. This bondage of uncircumcision hinders a family from getting the inheritance God has planned for them, unless the sword of circumcision is welcomed to cut away this naturalness.

2. NOT STUBBORN OR RESISTING THE HOLY SPIRIT —
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (Acts 7:51, Jeremiah 6:10). When a man cannot hear properly, it is because the heart has a problem—it is uncircumcised. Stephen’s message was not received by the Israelites and unconverted Paul because of the hardness in their hearts, stubbornness, and being entrenched in tradition. These are all uncircumcision of spirit. When Christ speaks of having an ear to hear, He is referring to a circumcised ear. This is the direct result of a circumcised heart. We need soft, pliable, listening hearts. Our hearts must not be hard and resistant to God and His messengers. We are born with resistance in our hearts and that is because we are born uncircumcised!

3. GENUINE WORSHIP, NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH —
“We are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3-5). Here are three other evidences of circumcision in heart.

“Worship in the Spirit.” The Father seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23). There are some who ridicule the clapping and raising of the hands, rejoicing and dancing before the Lord, and other forms of spiritual worship. But this is uncircumcision! It is natural to despise these, but not spiritual. These manifestations of the Spirit are just exactly what God prescribes for man to be freed of his spiritual bondages.

“And rejoice in Jesus Christ.” Let us rejoice, not only in what He is doing, or how He is using us in the ministry. May we rejoice in Him, just for who He is. This is another token of circumcision in spirit.

“And have no confidence in the flesh.” “Confidence in the flesh” is boasting in what I can do on my own. Sometimes preachers are so talented and have such charisma and personality, that they feel they do not have to seek God anymore. Then they fall! It is almost a curse for a man or woman to be over-gifted. Blessed is the man who ever feels his need for divine assistance (John5:19, 30). Only men who are dependent on God pray . . . men like Jesus. Christ had no confidence in what He could do on His own without His Heavenly Father.

4. ABLE TO HUMBLE ONE’S SELF; ABILITY TO SAY—“I WAS WRONG”

For those who are uncircumcised in heart it is grievous to say—“I was wrong, I made a mistake, forgive me.” They would rather blame someone else than concede to any fault or weakness. The backslider hates to admit— “I have sinned” (Lev. 26:40-41). Those who are uncircumcised in heart also refuse to accept any punishment or restriction for their sin. (God expects us to accept punishment or restrictions for serious sins.) When a minister has a serious moral failure, he should be willing to step down for a time to regain credibility and to show the church that sin is not to be taken lightly. It is much more serious when a Christian leader falls than when a lay-person does.

God has far higher qualifications and standards for a minister than He does for a lay-person. When a fallen leader refuses discipline or restriction, he is not truly repentant. This shows he is not deeply sorry that the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church have been shamed. He is sorry only that his position is in jeopardy.

Spiritual circumcision enables one to confess his faults, failures, and his need of others. It is not hard for him to admit, “I was wrong. ” True circumcision is humility; pride is uncircumcision (Lev. 26:40-41).

5. ABILITY TO LOVE THE LORD AND KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS

“The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart...to love the Lord with all thine heart...and to obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandments” (Deut. 30:6, 8; 10:16). The Lord said that He would do it, but cooperation on our part is required! He promised also to circumcise the hearts of our children. God starts with the parents. In Corinthians, Paul implies that the true meaning of circumcision is to “keep the commandments of God” (1 Cor. 7:19)

6. LOYALTY TO THE LORD AND TO OUR MATE

(Jeremiah 4:4, 3:14, 3:20)

God told Judah He was married to them, but that they had treacherously departed from Him in the same way a wife leaves her husband. God said their problem was an uncircumcised heart (Jer. 4:4). Disloyalty to the Lord or to a companion is because of an uncircumcised, hardened heart (Matt.19:8). The reason for all divorce and all betrayal is a hardened, uncircumcised heart. A hardened heart is unable to forgive or care any more. Thus, unforgiveness is also uncircumcision. May we allow God to circumcise our callous and insensitive hearts (Ezek. 36:26).

7. A CLEAN TONGUE

(Circumcised lips - Exodus 6:12, 30). Isaiah confessed that his lips were unclean in Isaiah 6:5. Of course, the real problem is not the lips, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Uncircumcised lips means that a man's words are impure because his heart is too.

8. HEART UTTERINGS PURE

Jesus was a minister of circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to Abraham and the fathers (Rom.15:8). The words of Jesus circumcised the hearts of His listeners. He came to bring the truth into the heart so that men's lives could be genuinely transformed. A changed, circumcised heart is the only kind of heart that is capable of obtaining the promises made to the fathers. A circumcised heart also fulfills Psalm 15:2, “[He that] speaketh the truth in the heart.” This kind of heart constantly and deliberately chooses to utter what is true. Let us stop and listen to what we are saying within ourselves!

9. A BELIEVING HEART—“O slow of heart to believe” (Lu. 24:25, Mk.16:1). A circumcised heart is quick to believe. Israel missed the whole point about circumcision. They were overly involved with the ritual of physical circumcision, but insensitive to its message. A symbol is not the important thing, the meaning is! Their hearts were uncircumcised and unbelieving—this is the reason Moses' generation never reached the promised land. This is also why the generation of Christ could not recognize their Savior. Paul gives further meaning to circumcision in Galatians 5:6, 6:15. “Neither [physical] circumcision availeth nothing, nor uncircumcision [then he gives the spiritual meaning] but faith which works by love” and “a new creature” or changed life.

The circumcision of our hearts, the cutting away of our sinful Adamic nature, just like physical circumcision is not something man can do on his own. We are told in Romans 15:8 that Jesus is the one who circumcises our hearts. But we can certainly desire and cry out to God that He would.

Romans 15:8 

"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers"

However, not all would desire circumcision. Truth is the idea that something in you will be cut away can intimidate. However, there was a time in my life that God spoke to me about circumcision and assured me that He does not simply aimlessly swing a huge sword to circumcise our hearts. What was impressed upon my heart is that the sword God uses to circumcise our hearts is a precision instrument. It only cuts away the things in our lives that are not acceptable to God and can be harmful to us. 

We can also take courage and comfort in the truth that it is the Lord who will circumcise us. Recently, there was an area in my life that God was pointing a finger at. As the sin in my heart was exposed I felt ashamed to know that God was seeing all of this in me. But God was quick to respond. This was impressed upon my heart. When God comes to deal with the ugly issues of our hearts, He comes to us like Abraham and Joshua, fathers to their people who sought to circumcise the sons that they may enter into the promises of God. God brings to bare our sin nature because He does not want anything to stand in the way of us receiving His promises. Further, we must realize that when God exposes sin in us, it is not the first time He became aware of it. He has known these things all along and He is revealing them to us so that we will know what He desires to set us free from. Circumcision is not something to shun away from. The sword is something we must embrace knowing that it is in the hand of a God who loves us and only wants what is best for us.  

May we always say yes to God's dealings and workings in us that we may enter into the fullness of His plans and purposes for us!

Sources:
Dr. Brian J. Bailey. The Journey of Israel, Zion Christian Publishers, 1993.
Dr. Paul G. Caram. Victory Over the Self Centered Life, Zion Christian Publications, 1998.