"God
required circumcision of the secret part
of the body."
|
W
ith the New Year here, I like
to remember 1999's New Year's Eve celebration
as it unfolded worldwide. Paris, London, New
York - every city's celebration was
spectacular. Just viewing the excitement
on television thrilled me. I admire
those who can stay up and watch the New York
City ball drop or watch the Georgia Peach
drop!
The actual date of Messiah Yeshua Jesus' birth
is debated, yet for us who celebrate His
birthday on December 25, New Year's Day takes
on a special importance. And when eight
days had passed, before His circumcision,
His name was {then} called Jesus, the name
given by the angel before He was conceived
in the womb. Luke 2:21
And in Lev. 12:3, we read On the eighth
day the flesh of his foreskin shall be
circumcised.
If you count eight days from Christmas Day,
you get New Year's Day. What a different
spin that gives to celebrating New Year's,
doesn't it? New Year's Day can now be
called Happy Circumcision day!
The ceremony of circumcision, also called the
B'rit, continues to this day.
Biblically, the father of the boy is required
to perform the act; however, most families
today have a mohel perform this
procedure. It is required that blood be
shed in this ceremonial act. The beauty
of this is that this ceremony is still
performed today; thousands of years after God
instituted it with Abraham.
The Hebrew word B'rit means covenant.
The covenant of circumcision is described in
Genesis 17:10-12:
This is My covenant,
which you shall keep, between Me and
you and your descendants after you:
every male among you shall be
circumcised. And you shall be
circumcised in the flesh of your
foreskin, and it shall be the sign
of the covenant between Me and
you. And every male among you who is
eight days old shall be circumcised
throughout your generations, a
{servant} who is born in the house or
who is bought with money from any
foreigner, who is not of your
descendants. |
God made a
covenant with Abraham and his
descendants. It was a God-made covenant
and not a man-made or fabricated
covenant. God invoked penalty if this
procedure was not carried out. God
required that it be an eternal covenant (Gen.
17:13). God required circumcision of the
secret part of
the body. God desires that all secret parts of our
lives, including our hearts, be
circumcised. True B’rit is secret; True
B’rit is of the heart; True circumcision is of
the heart.
God has made a covenant with us, one that is
eternal, an eternal covenant for those of us
who are the true circumcision. Blood is
required for the physical B’rit; blood is
required for the spiritual B’rit. This
covenant was made by the Blood of His son,
Yeshua Jesus. Jesus' blood was shed at
eight days after His birth to enter into
covenant with God the Father; His blood was
shed at death to bring us into covenant with
God the Father.
Our circumcision is one that is made without
hands (Col. 2:11); it is made by the power of
the Spirit. Rabbi Sha’ul, Paul, says it
well in 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 which is
of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the
letter; and his praise is not from men, but
from God.
Ceremonial law never keeps us in right
standing with God. Only by accepting the
vicarious Blood atonement of Yeshua are we
able to be in right standing with God.
New Year's day reminds me that there is
absolutely nothing I can do to gain right
standing with God. I can't make any
resolutions or promises that can be any better
than the Blood covenant God gave to us through
the death of His son.
For in Messiah Yeshua
Jesus, neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything, but faith
working through love. ~ Gal 5:6
Therefore, if anyone
is in Christ Messiah, he is a new
creation. The old things have passed away;
behold new things have come.
~ 2 Corin 5:17
Happy B’rit
Day!