7
¶ And I will establish my covenant
between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an
everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for
an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my
covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep,
between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be
circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise
the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me
and you. 12 And he that is eight days
old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he
that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not
of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy
house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my
covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh
of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people;
he hath broken my covenant.
The Holy Spirit has left us two meanings to this
covenant, both wrapped up in the Jews and in the Messiah, who is Christ. First,
the covenant is to Abraham’s descendants through Isaac. This is a grant of land
from which God’s reconciliation of mankind throughout the earth is to begin. As
you probably have figured out what God has been doing is directed toward this
reconciliation of the breach between man and God caused by Adam and Eve,
instigated by Satan, driven by the fallen sons of God, and perpetuated by
Noah’s descendants.
The second meaning is that this reconciliation will be
completed in Christ. The covenant that God made with Himself is a covenant
between the two parts of God the Bible knows as God the Father, the soul and
seat of self-identity and will of God, and the Son of God, the visible image,
the body of God who is offered for us as payment for our sin against God that
separated us from Him. Two parts of God making a covenant for the purpose of
reconciling man to God as the Law given to Moses later will show man that his own
righteousness is sorely lacking. This promise of reconciliation with man and
this covenant with the Jews were not erased by their failure as it preceded the
Law and was dependent not on their success or goodness but on God’s goodness
and mercy.
Galatians
3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every
one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the
blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men;
Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth,
or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and
his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as
of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in
Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot
disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is
no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
This absolute covenant represents God’s promise to man
through Christ binding man and God together by a promise made by God and
satisfied by God, not we ourselves. In Christ, God erased the difference
between Jew and non-Jew, called Gentiles or Greeks in the Bible, and made one
new person in the church, the body of Christ. Both in this one new man are
reconciled to God by the Cross at Calvary.
Ephesians
2:11 ¶ Wherefore remember, that ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which
is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were
far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 ¶
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us; 15
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making
peace; 16 And that he might reconcile
both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you
which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one
Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints,
and of the household of God; 20 And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom
all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together
for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
As the sign of the Jews, which the Hebrews became to
be called, receiving this covenant they accepted circumcision. In like manner
the receiving of God’s promise of reconciliation for the church is being born again by the Spirit and having God
the Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost indwelling man by the Spirit of
God. It is the proof and the deposit on our eternal inheritance. If you are not
born again you have no part in it no matter what your philosophy.
Ephesians
1:10 That in the dispensation of the
fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will: 12
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in
Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom
also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Notice then the similarity between the God putting
Abraham to sleep and making the deal with Himself and the Cross and the Empty
Tomb whereby salvation was delivered with man playing no part. The proof of the
receipt was Abraham accepting circumcision in the flesh and the Christian
receiving the Holy Spirit by being born again in which a spiritual circumcision
is performed by God where the sins of the flesh do not affect the destiny of
the soul.
Colossians
2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised
with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins
of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through
the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Where the Jews were concerned their signs were
physical. The church bears spiritual, invisible marks.
Baptism is a symbol, a type, representing, not
circumcision but Christ’s burial and resurrection, a symbol acting out the
gospel.
As there are two circumcisions; one physical for the
Jew and one spiritual for the church, there are two baptisms; one of national
confession of sin and repentance for the Jews and one for symbolizing Christ’s
burial and resurrection for the Christian as stated in the passage above from
Colossians 2.
Baptism as a public confession and repentance of sin
for the Jews is shown here;
Matthew
3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and
all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan,
confessing their sins.
Notice here in Acts where the Jews engaged in public
baptism for the sin of murdering their Messiah and then received the Holy
Spirit.
Acts
2:36 Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have
crucified, both Lord and Christ.37 ¶ Now
when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and
to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Then, when Gentiles are embraced the action is
reversed and the Holy Ghost is received before baptism.
Acts
10:47 Can any man forbid water, that
these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
So, two circumcisions, one Jewish (Hebrew) and one
Christian. Two baptisms, one Jewish and one Christian, both signifying
different agreements.
The promise of the land is an everlasting covenant for an everlasting
possession. The promise of eternal life is an everlasting inheritance, as
well, for the Jewish and Gentile believer in Christ.
Romans
6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God has given Abraham title to a land he does not currently
possess, but his descendants will.
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