“Keep My Covenant…!”

“Keep My Covenant…!”
Circumcision is a common practice among majority African tribes. This African practice probably has no link with Jewish circumcision that was a seal of God’s covenant to Abraham.
African circumcision used to be an initiation rite into manhood. Over time circumcision has ceased to be a rite of passage into manhood as it is now done in the majority within or upwards of eight days of birth.
Biblical circumcision began with Abraham as commanded by God as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.
God told Abraham, “My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people, he has broken my covenant”(Gen.17:9-14).
The covenant signified Abraham’s covenanted commitment to the Lord – that the Lord alone would be his God, whom he would trust and serve. It symbolized Abraham’s maledictory oat “If I am not loyal in faith and obedience to the Lord, may the sword of the Lord cut off me and my offspring as I have cut off my foreskin.”
In later days God was about to kill Moses because he had not circumcised his son. Moses was saved, thanks to his wife Zipporah who “took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it”(Ex.4:24-26).
Circumcision as a seal of God’s covenant to Abraham was discriminatory as it ignored the women. Using circumcision as a mark of the covenant meant that women could not have a direct covenant relationship with God; except through men.
If for this reason alone, the covenant had to be renewed to make it all-inclusive. God sent his Son to spill not only the blood of his foreskin, but his life’s blood as a seal of the new covenant with all humanity; without prejudice of gender, status, colour, race or ethnic group.
The blood of the new covenant has been poured out for many for the forgiveness of the sins of those who believe in Christ Jesus as God’s seal of the new covenant.
In Christ we become new creations, having crucified the old self with him “so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves death to sin but alive to God in Christ “(Rom,6:3-11).
My friend, may we become simple-minded and sin-free like little children because “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”(Mk.7:13-16).
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit help me to be loyal in faith and obedience to the Lord. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!