The first time I remember hearing about circumcision was when my son was born and I was asked if I wanted him to be circumcised. The nurse explained it was to help with cleanliness and was a common practice – or something like that.
Later, when I started reading the bible, I read about Yahweh telling Abraham that all boys and men were to be circumcised as a sign of His covenant with Abraham. I’m sure that didn’t make Abraham very popular with his people. Not only did he perform the procedure, but he circumcised himself! And he was 99 years old! And all baby boys were to undergo this on the eighth day. Seemed much easier than when they were grown up.
I really didn’t understand the significance of that but was very glad I’m a girl.
Later, I read other verses mentioning circumcision.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6)
Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. (Galatians 6:13)
This seems to say that circumcision of the flesh has little value spiritually. So why did God command it? First, it shed blood. Covenants aren’t really talked about much today, but back in Abraham’s day, and even today in the Middle East, they are a big deal. A blood covenant is forever and could only be broken by death. It was much stronger than what we now call contracts. Secondly, it was performed on the reproductive organ of the man. The covenant is meant to be generational. The circumcised boys became covenant members, with all the blessings and curses of the covenant now applicable to them as well. (Girls were under the covenant from their fathers and husbands.)
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done– burn with no one to quench it. (Jeremiah 4:4)
How can we circumcise ourselves to the LORD?
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self, ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, (Colossians 2:11)
What was circumcision of the heart? That made no sense to me, so I decided to do some research.
Circumcision is the removal of skin covering the most sensitive part of the male anatomy. This skin can also be a hiding place for uncleanness, which can lead to infections in men and their partners.
Like the physical procedure, circumcision of the heart removes places where uncleanness can hide and makes us more sensitive to the Spirit of God. It is part of softening and healing our heart. Are there places in our hearts that we’ve hidden or kept certain things “private” from Holy Spirit? Habits? Beliefs? Lies? Offense? Unforgiveness? Maybe they are too painful to be brought into the light. The enemy wants to keep us in shame and pain. Don’t we want to be more sensitive to the Spirit of God – to His Voice, His leading, His healing?
But how can we do that? It would be impossible to do for ourselves in the flesh. But we’re talking about our hearts – not the flesh and blood pumping machine in our chest, but the very center of our being. The very part that was given new life – born again – when we chose to follow Jesus. That is the “heart” that needs circumcision. How can we do that? We can’t!
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. (Deuteronomy 30:6 NIV)
God does it!
He cleans all the hiding places as we seek Him and ask Him to search our hearts.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Psalm 139:23 NIV)
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus. He is gentle, but thorough. And He wants us whole and healed – spirit, soul and body.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
(I Thessalonians 5: 23-24)
…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
Holy Spirit,
Sanctify us. Set us apart for You.
Cleanse us, Heal us
– our spirits, our souls, and our bodies.
We trust You.
Make us beautiful
for our wedding day to Jesus!
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