Circumcision: A Foreshadow of the New Covenant

[dhchristian]

On 1/29/2020 at 9:13 AM, Biblican said:

Does that mean that Christians have short attention spans?

People on forums generally do, and do not read longer posts. Time is a factor sometimes, other times it is just the short attention span of modern generations which are used to instant answers via the WWW. I Am glad others saw this and commented, as it was a blessing to read. 

[Biblican]

Thank you.

[Resurrection Priest]

On 1/29/2020 at 10:32 AM, JohnD said:

The circumcision that includes females:

Deuteronomy 10:16 (AV)
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

Jeremiah 4:4 (AV)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Romans 2:28–29 (AV)
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Another thought on how both males and females can receive "circumcision".

In circumcision a part of "flesh" was cut away.  Is this also symbolic of the day when our old "flesh" - our present bodies, will be gone, and we will be given the new "spiritual body" ? 

Joshua lead Israel across the Jordan which was "opened" for them.  Then Joshua "circumcised the people" (Joshua Cpt 5).  Was this not a TYPE?

Our Yeshua (Joshua) will lead us up through the sky, and it "will be rolled back as a scroll" (Rev. 6:14), just like the Red Sea.  And our Yeshua will circumcise us - giving us new "spiritual bodies".  And HE will write His law on our hearts - thus circumcising our hearts (Ezekiel 36:26).   

The Ark was carried before Israel as they crossed the Jordan.  Yeshua IS the full embodiment of "the Law".  He is the "forerunner" - going before us.

[JohnD]

3 hours ago, Resurrection Priest said:

Another thought on how both males and females can receive "circumcision".

In circumcision a part of "flesh" was cut away.  Is this also symbolic of the day when our old "flesh" - our present bodies, will be gone, and we will be given the new "spiritual body" ? 

Joshua lead Israel across the Jordan which was "opened" for them.  Then Joshua "circumcised the people" (Joshua Cpt 5).  Was this not a TYPE?

Our Yeshua (Joshua) will lead us up through the sky, and it "will be rolled back as a scroll" (Rev. 6:14), just like the Red Sea.  And our Yeshua will circumcise us - giving us new "spiritual bodies".  And HE will write His law on our hearts - thus circumcising our hearts (Ezekiel 36:26).   

The Ark was carried before Israel as they crossed the Jordan.  Yeshua IS the full embodiment of "the Law".  He is the "forerunner" - going before us.

Romans 8:23 (AV)
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

 

[Willa]

Col 2:11  In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

Col 2:12  buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Col 2:14  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Col 2:15  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

 

[Gershom_young]

On 2/1/2020 at 4:27 AM, Biblican said:

Thank you. And you are right, God's ordinances regarding circumcision, food etc. were designed to keep His people healthy. It was never for their justification.

I enjoyed your main post, and agree that there are a number of reasons God selected *that* location to be circumcised, including that the man (Adam), not the woman, is the one we inherit our sinful nature from. I believe circumcision is healthy and not harmful, as I don't believe God would command something harmful for His people.

One thing I find somewhat inconsistent these days is those Christians claiming circumcision is mutilation. If circumcision is as harmful as they claim, where does that leave the circumcision of the heart, which physical circumcision represents? To me, such views of the physical will adversely reflect on one's views of the spiritual.

[Biblican]

12 minutes ago, Gershom_young said:

I enjoyed your main post, and agree that there are a number of reasons God selected *that* location to be circumcised, including that the man (Adam), not the woman, is the one we inherit our sinful nature from. I believe circumcision is healthy and not harmful, as I don't believe God would command something harmful for His people.

One thing I find somewhat inconsistent these days is those Christians claiming circumcision is mutilation. If circumcision is as harmful as they claim, where does that leave the circumcision of the heart, which physical circumcision represents? To me, such views of the physical will adversely reflect on one's views of the spiritual.

Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the post. Circumcision is not mutilation, it's a sign. God would not tell His people to do something that is harmful.  It's also health related. I read a study that women whose husbands are circumcised have a lower risk of cervical cancer. The cutting off represents things we have to remove in order to be more intimate with God. It actually represents the need for repentance. I think that you have insight about having negative views of the physical affecting our views of the spiritual, that's right.  As far as who we inherit our sinful nature from, they have discovered that the DNA is actually carried by the woman. That's why Eve was called the mother of all living. I think we get our sinful natures from both of them actually, they are one flesh as the Bible says. Thanks again. Have a blessed day.

[Gershom_young]

2 minutes ago, Biblican said:

Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the post. Circumcision is not mutilation, it's a sign. God would not tell His people to do something that is harmful.  It's also health related. I read a study that women whose husbands are circumcised have a lower risk of cervical cancer.

I agree. Just as physical circumcision removes what hinders the male organ, circumcision of the heart removes what is unclean and hinders our heart functioning. What I find strange is so many professing Christians arguing that it is the equivalent of Female Genital Mutilation, and other extreme ideas. Circumcision is in the bible, and FGM is not. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as professing Christians take on many other wild ideas.

2 minutes ago, Biblican said:

 The cutting off represents things we have to remove in order to be more intimate with God. It actually represents the need for repentance. I think that you have insight about having negative views of the physical affecting our views of the spiritual, that's right.  As far as who we inherit our sinful nature from, they have discovered that the DNA is actually carried by the woman. That's why Eve was called the mother of all living. I think we get our sinful natures from both of them actually, they are one flesh as the Bible says. Thanks again. Have a blessed day.

Thanks for your thoughts. Romans 5:12-13 is why I believe sin entered the world through Adam, although I do agree about husbands and wives being one flesh.

Romans 5:12-13 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

[Biblican]

On 3/28/2020 at 12:02 PM, Gershom_young said:

I agree. Just as physical circumcision removes what hinders the male organ, circumcision of the heart removes what is unclean and hinders our heart functioning. What I find strange is so many professing Christians arguing that it is the equivalent of Female Genital Mutilation, and other extreme ideas. Circumcision is in the bible, and FGM is not. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as professing Christians take on many other wild ideas.

Thanks for your thoughts. Romans 5:12-13 is why I believe sin entered the world through Adam, although I do agree about husbands and wives being one flesh.

Romans 5:12-13 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

You are right.  Sin entered through Adam (he should have knocked the apple or whatever it was, out of her hand), but it could not have been passed on without the woman. It takes two. I think also Adam represents all of mankind, in this instance, and that would include woman. Both were at fault, but I think the responsibility rested on Adam to refuse the temptation as he had received the instructions directly from God. Thanks for your input.

[Gershom_young]

20 hours ago, Biblican said:

You are right.  Sin entered through Adam (he should have knocked the apple or whatever it was, out of her hand), but it could not have been passed on without the woman. It takes two. I think also Adam represents all of mankind, in this instance, and that would include woman. Both were at fault, but I think the responsibility rested on Adam to refuse the temptation as he had received the instructions directly from God. Thanks for your input.

It's also interesting that God promised that the 'seed of the woman', Jesus, would crush the serpent's head. If sin is passed down through the man, this would also explain the importance of Jesus being described as the woman's seed (not Adam's), and Jesus being the 'second Adam'.

And then back to the main topic, the ancient custom of a covenant being cut, and those entering into the covenant passing between the cut pieces. With circumcision, all Abraham's descendants would have passed between the cut pieces by nature of biology, symbolising their entry into the covenant.