Circumcision: OT Survey

Introduction to the Study of Infant Baptism and Circumcision

0:00 This adult Sunday school class was held on November 20th, 1983, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:12 Now, as this morning we return to the matter of infant baptism, let us pray for the Lord's blessing upon our studies of His Holy Word. Father, as we come once again into Your presence this morning, we pray that You would be pleased to draw near to us. We pray that You would open up our minds, give to us understanding, enlighten our hearts, write Your Word upon our hearts and upon our minds, that we may understand what You have revealed concerning circumcision in the Scriptures, that we may not only understand it, but that's... that this understanding may be to our spiritual prophet and to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:04 We ask these things in His name. Amen.

1:12 Now, since it has been a while since we have considered together the matter of infant baptism, and as we are about to resume our studies in that topic this morning, it seems right just to take a moment to set... our study in perspective, so that You can remember where we were, what we've been doing.

1:36 Now, I said that we would treat this matter of infant baptism under five units of thought, and we are now considering Unit 3. Now, the first unit had to do with the subjects of baptism, the Biblical teaching concerning the subjects of baptism, and how that relates to the practice of infant baptism. The second unit had to do with the significance...

2:00 of baptism. The biblical teaching concerning the meaning or significance of baptism and how that relates to the practice of infant baptism. Now thirdly, unit three, the biblical teaching concerning the sacraments and how that biblical teaching relates to the practice of infant baptism. Then the fourth unit is going to be the biblical teaching concerning the church and how that biblical teaching relates to the practice of infant baptism. And then the fifth will be the biblical teaching concerning God's covenants, God's covenantal commitments and arrangements and how that biblical teaching relates to the practice of infant baptism. So we're about halfway there with regard to this study. Now Dr. Martin asked me, he said, not this one, but Professor Martin, he asked me, he said, some time ago we'd mentioned to him the possibility of him doing some studies in the class and he was wondering whether or not when this study on infant baptism was finished, whether or not he'd be taking over some things in the class. And I told him he didn't need to worry about it

3:11 because this study on infant baptism would never be finished.

3:18 But nevertheless, we're about halfway there. And you know, it's always possible to get halfway there and then halfway there and halfway there. But at this point anyway, we're about halfway there. And we're almost, we're almost finished with unit three, three out of five. And with regard to this matter of the sacraments, we first of all consider the relationship between the practice of infant baptism and the biblical concept of sacrament. And then secondly, about three weeks ago before our brother Amrish Semrapp got here, we were considering the relationship between the practice of infant baptism and the biblical teaching concerning the practice of infant baptism. And we're about halfway there.

The Argument from Circumcision for Infant Baptism

3:57 And now this morning, we're going to begin this third Roman numeral. And I hope to be able to complete this in two weeks. That's a hope. And we're going to consider now the practice of infant baptism and its relationship to the biblical teaching concerning Jewish circumcision. So infant baptism and the concept of circumcision. Now this is really a launching pad or a gateway to the rest of our study.

4:28 And the reason for this is that the so-called argument from circumcision for the practice of infant baptism is perhaps the foremost argument put forward by our Paedo-Baptist brethren. And it is certainly, at least in my reading, the most frequently employed argument. If it is not the foremost, then clearly it is the most frequently employed argument. And they reason from the analogy or some from the identity of the practice of infant baptism.

4:58 And we are looking at the situation of the forgiveness of the Offering of Baptism as given to Abraham and practiced among the Jewish nation. And the ordinance of baptism as instituted by Jesus Christ and practiced among his disciples and in his church. And they say that from the practice of circumcision and from this institution and ordinance ordained by God, we see the pattern which ought to regulate the practice of baptism. And since since circumcision was applied to infants therefore baptism ought to be applied to infants and of course intimately related with this is the idea that circumcision is bound up with at least three concepts the concept of the people of God or the church the concept of the Covenant and the concept of the seed or the posterity and those three ideas are intimately bound up with circumcision posterity and seed Church and covenant and because of that because of that I say that this teaching on circumcision is sort of the platform it's the gateway to everything that we're going to look at in unit four with respect to the biblical teaching on the church and then in unit five the biblical teaching on the covenant and how that teaching about church um

6:25 and covenants relates to the practice of infant baptism so we're starting now to get down into what we could call the heart of the paedo-baptist perspective on the matter of infant baptism now precisely because this issue is so important and it's so foundational to the paedo-baptist argument and thinking the first thing that we're going to do is we're going to look together at the biblical teaching concerning circumcision before we ever get started with anything else before we get involved in arguing before we get involved in polemics before we get involved in debate and dispute and refuting and all the rest of that we're going to come to grips with the scriptures and we're going to look at the biblical teaching we're going to survey the biblical teaching concerning circumcision and only when we've done that are we going to then address the matter of the relationship between circumcision and baptism all right so under this then I'm going to have an A and a B and you could really consider this as an introduction if you like but this is going to be a survey of the biblical teaching about circumcision and then

Methodology for Surveying Biblical Teaching on Circumcision

7:46 secondly the relationship of baptism and circumcision now this is what I plan to do this morning if I can I would like to cover this survey I give you a survey of the biblical teaching and then get into the matter of the relationship so this morning what I'm going to say is not going to be polemical not going to be arguing with anybody not going to be refuting anybody when there simply be looking at the passages of the Word of God completely divorced from any arguing or fighting about anything and simply trying to come up with a proper understanding of the biblical teaching concerning circumcision and Concerning circumcision. Now, as we seek to do that, our best friend is a concordance. Because in a concordance, you find all the places in the Bible where circumcision is mentioned. And, of course, then the thing to do is to look them up, then read those passages and study them together.

8:48 Now, thankfully, there aren't that many passages. Although the word's used more than this, there are about 11 passages in the Old Testament where circumcision is explicitly mentioned. That doesn't sound like a lot, does it? But that's about all there are.

9:00 But then in the New Testament, there's more like 25 of them. So we've got about 36 passages to look at, and we've got about 40 minutes to do it. That's a minute apiece. That's impossible.

9:12 But we're going to try. Now, there's some questions that we need to keep in mind when we look at this. Some questions that we need to keep in mind when we look at the biblical teaching.

9:23 We need to ask ourselves, when was circumcision instituted? How was it instituted? Why was it instituted? How well was it instituted?

9:33 And what is it? And then secondly, we've got to ask ourselves, concerning the significance of circumcision, what does it signify? What does circumcision mean? What does it symbolize?

9:49 And then thirdly, we've got to ask ourselves about what circumcision is like. What are its characteristics or some of its attributes? And then, of course, the crucial issue is we've got to look for any passages which say anything about the relationship between circumcision and baptism? Are there any passages in the Bible which explicitly tell us how baptism relates to circumcision?

10:17 If they do, then those are helpful passages because they address the very question which is at issue. All right, so those are the questions we need to keep in mind as we survey the biblical data. All right, now then, let's come to look then at the Scriptures, and I simply have three points under this. The Old Testament materials, the New Testament materials, and the conclusion.

Institution of Circumcision in Genesis 17

10:43 So that's pretty simple. The Old Testament, the New Testament, and the conclusion. But first of all, the Old Testament. Let's start in the book of Genesis, and we're going to work our way through.

10:53 Genesis chapter 17.

11:01 Genesis chapter 17.

11:19 Now notice that in the context, God is appearing to Abraham. This is not the first time that God has ever said anything to Abraham about his covenant with him. Remember that the covenant with Abraham was introduced in Genesis chapter 15. That was the first time that there was any mention of any covenantal arrangement between God and Abraham.

11:40 And we read in Genesis 15 that God said to Abraham, verse 18, in that day,

11:49 God made a covenant with Abraham saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates. The focus of that covenant was giving a literal parcel of real estate to Abraham's descendants. And it was bounded by two boundaries, the river of Egypt and the river Euphrates. Now you know what that land is, don't you?

12:14 It's the land of Canaan. And in that day, God made a covenant with Abraham saying, God made a covenant with Abraham saying, I have given your posterity the land of Canaan from the river of Egypt to the river of Euphrates. And there is a literal land over there, the land of Palestine on the Mediterranean Sea, which has exactly those boundaries. And the Abrahamic covenant involved the giving of that parcel of real estate in which Abraham was a sojourner to Abraham's posterity.

12:48 Now that's the focus of the covenant made with Abraham when it's introduced, in Genesis chapter 15. Now we must not forget that because now God's going to say something else concerning that covenant with Abraham. Now this time Abraham's 99 years old and God appeared to him again. He said, I'm God Almighty.

13:12 Walk before me and be perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and you and I'll multiply you exceedingly. Abraham fell on his face and God talked with him saying, as for me, behold, my covenant is with you and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall your name anymore be called Abram, but your name shall be called Abraham for the father of a multitude of nations have I made you.

13:44 Now in conjunction with this appearance we find the changing of Abraham's name is foundational to everything that's going to happen. And Abraham's name is changed in accordance with God's name. God's determination concerning Abraham's life. His name was changed from Abram to Abraham which means father of a multitude because God was determined in his providence to make Abraham the father of a multitude of nations.

14:13 Now that concept is foundational to everything that's going on here in Genesis chapter 17. So you've got to keep that in mind because Paul's going to pick that idea up in the New Testament. That he may be the father of all those nations. And he's going to be the father of all those nations.

14:24 And he's going to be the father of all those nations. And he's going to be the father of all those nations. And he's going to be the father of all those nations that believe. The identity of Abraham as the father of a multitude is foundational to this transaction in Genesis chapter 17.

14:35 That's significant as the New Testament teaches us. Verse 6. That's why Abraham's name is Abraham. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations come out of you and kings shall come out of you and I will establish my covenant between me and you.

14:55 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed. Now here's the idea of seed or posterity. And your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God to you. That's Abraham.

15:12 And to your seed after you. That's Abraham's seed. Abraham's posterity. So there's a promise to be a God to Abraham and also to be a God to Abraham's seed.

15:26 And that's also a vital concept in the Bible. The concept of Abraham's seed. Who constitute Abraham's seed? Well that's an issue that Paul's going to take up in the book of Galatians.

15:41 And it's something that we will look at later on when we get to the matter of covenant. But remember you see here you get all these ideas coming together. Circumcision, covenant, and seed. You see how they're all related?

15:57 Circumcision, covenant, and seed. So we're starting now to get into the foundation. Now notice to this, verse 8. And I will give unto you and unto your seed after you the land of your sojournings the land of Canaan and I for an everlasting possession and I will be their God.

16:22 So again, central to this whole idea of God. God's being a God to Abraham and to Abraham's seed is the same thrust that was picked up in Genesis 15. The idea of the inheriting of the land of Canaan. The land of Abraham's sojournings.

16:42 In other words, Abraham was a wanderer. He traveled up and down throughout the land of Canaan. And it was that land in which Abraham was a quote, nomadic wanderer in which he sojourned. It was that land which would become the posterity the possession and inheritance of his posterity and descendants.

17:03 Now that's the emphasis of what's being taught. Now, in intimate conjunction with these ideas this covenant or this oath sworn promise to Abraham in intimate connection with these ideas we find the institution of circumcision. The institution of circumcision is an intimate connection with Abraham's covenant and with Abraham's seed.

17:30 That's clear. Now notice this. Verse 9. And God said to Abraham and as for you you shall keep my covenant and your seed after you throughout their generations.

17:46 Whatever circumcision is it's an expression of keeping the covenant of God made with Abraham. As for you you shall keep my covenant it's an expression it's Abraham keeping his covenant and it's Abraham's descendants keeping the covenant made with Abraham.

18:08 And verse 10. This is my covenant which you shall keep. Here he identifies circumcision with the covenant. This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your seed after you every minute of my life.

18:30 Every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of a covenant between me and you. He that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every male throughout your generations. He that is born in the house or bought with money of any foreigner shall be circumcised that is not of your seed.

19:03 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must needs be circumcised and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant and the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.

19:33 Intimate connection between circumcision and covenant. The responsibility to circumcise is called keeping the covenant and circumcision is identified with the covenant. This is my covenant. But then he says this is the token of the covenant.

19:55 And so he says that the token of the covenant is identified as the covenant itself. You see that? The token of the covenant is said to be the covenant itself. You find the same thing said with respect to the Lord's Supper with regard to the new covenant.

20:19 This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. The token of the covenant, the covenant is called the covenant. It's equated with, identified with the covenant.

20:42 The symbol is identified with that which it symbolizes. Circumcision was a token.

20:53 It was a sign. It was an outward display and token of the fidelity of God's pledge. It's like a wedding ring. You follow me?

21:06 It's like a wedding ring. What's this wedding ring on my hand? It's an outward or a visible sign of an oath sworn promise. That's what it is.

21:20 And that's what circumcision is. It's an outward and visible sign of God's oath sworn promise to Abraham. Circumcision in that respect is like the rainbow which was the token of the covenant with Noah. It's like a wedding ring which is the token of the covenant between a husband and a wife.

21:42 But circumcision is unlike a wedding ring and it's unlike the rainbow in this vital distinctive. It's a token of God's faithfulness which is laid upon men as man's duty. See that? Unusual token.

22:00 Strange token it is. Strange wedding ring and strange rainbow. Because it's a rainbow and a wedding ring which men are required to wear. So that the token of God's faithfulness becomes man's duty.

22:20 And the two things are intimately bound together.

22:26 The visible emblem or token of God's faithfulness is man's duty. You shall keep my covenant and this is my covenant which you shall keep. You shall circumcise the foreskin of the flesh of all the males who are descended from you. And we also find out what circumcision is.

22:51 The circumcision that's spoken of here is obviously a change. A change in a person's body. In a male's body. It involves the removal of his foreskin.

23:05 That's what it is. That's why in later passages where circumcision is spoken of it talks about making a knife of flint and using that knife to remove the foreskin of the males. And so it's a change wrought upon a person's body. Upon the body of a male.

23:26 And it's a change wrought in the secret place or the private member or the private parts or the privy member of that body. It's the removal of the foreskin from the secret place of the body. It's a change wrought upon the private parts. Upon the secret place of a male body.

23:47 That's what it is. That's clear from the passage. It's the removal of the foreskin. Now there's the institution of circumcision.

23:58 And can you see the apart? Now here's another thing too. If you're not circumcised the result of that will be that this soul shall be cut off from his people. From the community of the people of God.

24:12 The person who is uncircumcised has no power. In the land of Canaan he is to be cut off from the promised blessings given through Abraham. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.

24:37 It's the one who's uncircumcised who is to be what shall we say? What's the word for yes but not exclaimed? Excommunicated. What do you do when you that's it banished or sent out of the land that's the idea banished exiled that's right thank you that's the word I was looking for exiled that someone is cut off he's exiled he's sent away from his homeland and his nation he's sent into exile he is to be cut off separated banished exiled from the people of God.

25:11 Alright? Now there's the institution intimately related to covenant Abraham's covenant and seed Abraham's seed. Alright? The next usage is in Genesis 21 there's nothing really new here so we can pass over this one quickly we took a long time with the other one just says in Genesis 21 4 and Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded him that circumcision was performed in obedience to the commandment of God.

Circumcision in Genesis 21, 34, and Exodus 4, 12

25:45 He circumcised his son when he was eight days old in obedience to God's commandment. Now the next time it's used is in Genesis chapter 34 Genesis 34 verse 14 here they had a problem with the men of Shechem and they had a problem in verse 14 this fellow wanted to marry one of their sisters and he says we can't do this thing to give our sister to one that's uncircumcised for that were a reproach to us and then they say in verse 15 only on this condition will we consent to you if you will be as we are that every male of you be circumcised then we'll give our daughters to you and we'll take your daughters to us and we'll dwell with you and become one people but if you will not hearken to us to be circumcised then we'll take our daughter and be gone. Well you know the rest of the story they said okay we'll go along with that and they were all circumcised and of course for an adult male to be circumcised is a bit of an ordeal it was a painful ordeal and they were sore for a few days and while they were sore two of Jacob's sons fell upon them and killed them and that's the story and they said we will not be identified with you

27:14 we won't give our daughter to you we won't take your daughters to us unless you go through this ritual of the removal of the foreskin and if you go through that then it's okay but then when they did it they killed them strange indeed but we move on Exodus chapter 4 Exodus chapter 4 verse 26 and 5 this is a strange text beginning in verse 24 I'm just reading it to you because it's in the Bible not because I think I have it all figured out and it came to pass on the way to the lodging place and this is now Moses is making his journey he's making his journey according to the word of God and it came to pass on the way at the lodging place that Jehovah met him and sought to save him and sought to kill him Jehovah met him and sought to kill him and then Zipporah took a flint and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at his feet and she said surely you're a bridegroom of blood to me so he let him alone and then she said you're a bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision so in any event apparently Moses

28:43 had not practiced circumcision while he was in the wilderness with his friends with his father-in-law and had had his wife Zipporah and then as he was coming back on his task to lead the people of God Jehovah met him in the way and sought to kill him and they realized that the issue was that he had been unfaithful to this duty of circumcision and for some reason his wife circumcised their son and when she did then Jehovah let him alone but she apparently didn't like the idea she said you're a bridegroom of blood to me but you see the same thing she had to make a knife of flint remove the foreskin so you see what circumcision is it's clear straightforward alright next passage Exodus chapter 12 Exodus chapter 12 verse 44 to 48 Exodus chapter 12 verse 44 to 48 beginning in verse 43 and Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron this is the ordinance of the Passover there shall no foreigner eat thereof but every man's servant that is bought for money when you have circumcised him then he shall eat thereof circumcised circumcision was essential to eating the Passover uncircumcised people were not to eat it verse 48 and when a stranger shall sojourn with you and will keep the Passover to Jehovah let all his males be circumcised and then let him come near and keep it

Mosaic Law and the Origin of Circumcision

30:10 and he shall be as one that is born in the land but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof again the idea of circumcision experience of circumcision being absolutely essential to participation in the covenantal meal of the Passover to participation in that religious life of the people of God to participation in the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant circumcision absolutely essential and vital to participation in that blessing next passage Leviticus chapter 12 in verse 3 and here you find the mosaic law concerning circumcision circumcision particularly with regard to the uncleanness of the mother after the birth of the child ceremonial uncleanness Jehovah spoke to Moses saying speak to the children of Israel saying if a woman conceives seed and bear a man child then she'll be unclean seven days as in the days of the impurity of her sickness she'll be unclean and in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised and this may be what Jesus had in mind in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in chapter 7 where he says Moses has given you circumcision because here Moses clearly in the Levitical regulation

31:39 and law and ceremony prescribes the ceremony to be identified with circumcision and so Jesus may have been referring to this passage when he said Moses has given you circumcision and then he qualifies it and says not that it is from Moses it is from the fathers so even though Moses regulated circumcision circumcision didn't originate with the mosaic legislation in Leviticus, but it originated with Abraham. It was from the fathers, the patriarchs. That's where circumcision originated. All right, the next passage, Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 16. Now, it's almost as though we're going to get a curve thrown at us here. Deuteronomy chapter 10, beginning of verse 12. And now Israel, they're about to enter into the promised land. They're about to receive that inheritance, the land of Canaan. It's theirs.

Circumcision of the Heart: Man's Duty in Deuteronomy 10

32:43 They're about to cross over the Jordan and take possession of that which God promised to Abraham. And on that occasion, and now Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you, but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments of Jehovah and his statutes, which I command you today for good. Behold, unto Jehovah your God belongs the heaven and the heaven of heavens and the earth. all that's in it. Only Jehovah your God had delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them. Who's that? Even you, above all peoples at this day. You are the seed of Abraham. And he chose their seed after them, even you, above all peoples

33:37 at this day. Now notice this. Therefore, therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, the terrible, who regards not persons nor takes reward. Because you are the seed of Abraham. To whom the land of Canaan was promised. And because God set his grace upon you, unmerited favor to you, to give you this land of promise, you have received the physical. Therefore, circumcise the foreskin not of your body, but circumcise the foreskin of your heart.

34:39 Circumcise the foreskin. The foreskin of your heart. Now what were they called upon to do? Obviously you can't circumcise the foreskin of your heart with a knife. They weren't called upon to perform literal open heart surgery, and to open up all their chests and take some kind of foreskin off the organ that pumps the blood in their chest. That wasn't what they were asked to do. But they were asked to circumcise the foreskin of their heart, and notice what it means, and it says, and be no more stiff-necked. To be circumcised in heart is the opposite of being stiff-necked. And they were a stiff-necked people. That was characteristic of them. All day long, all day long said the prophet, I have stretched forth my hands to a disobedient, a stiff-necked, and a gainsaying people. That was a national trait of Israel. They were stiff-necked, and stubborn, and disobedient,

35:40 and gainsaying, and hard of heart. So God had loved their fathers, and chosen them, and given them the land of promise, redeemed them out of Egypt, and brought them into the land of Canaan. Yet, characteristically, as a group of people, their hearts were hard, they were disobedient to the Lord their God, who had done all those gracious things for them. And Moses, upon the verge of their reception of that inheritance, says to them, now it is your duty, as a group of people, to circumcise the foreskin of your heart. That was characteristic of them. That was characteristic of them.

36:13 He is talking about moral renovation and renewal. And he assumed that as a group, they were not distinguished by having the foreskins of their hearts removed. It was not assumed to be something which had already taken place. Now therefore, rejoice, Jehovah has removed, he has circumcised the foreskin of your heart. That's not what it says.

36:45 It says, It doesn't assume that as a group, their distinguishing trait was that their hearts were circumcised. No, exactly the opposite. He assumes that as a group, as a community, their distinguishing trait was that their hearts were uncircumcised, and that they were stiffnecked. You read the book of Deuteronomy, and he tells them again and again, you are a stiffnecked people. That's your distinguishing trait. That's your characteristic, ladies and gentlemen of Israel. That's what you're like. You are a stiffnecked people. Your fathers were, and so are you. And you need to undergo radical transformation, not in the private place of your bodies, men, but you need to undergo radical transformation in the secret place within. Not the external secret place in your body, but the secret place within, in your hearts. That's the transformation that you need. And it is your duty, it is your duty, it is your responsibility to change the disposition of your hearts. Right now, you're impenitent. It's your duty to repent.

38:04 Right now, you're unbelieving. It's your duty to believe. They are responsible for altering the disposition of impenitence and unbelief. This is gospel duty pressed upon them.

38:20 The duty of repentance, the duty of faith, the duty of repenting and believing is pressed upon them in these terms. Circumcise the foreskin of your heart. It is man's duty to circumcise his heart. It is man's duty to repent. It is man's duty to believe. Spiritual circumcision is a duty. Now, the next text, we've got going on that one. Next text, Deuteronomy chapter 30. And this idea is going to come up again now look at this text it's a remarkable text deuteronomy chapter 30 and verse 6 i can see right now i'm going to finish lord willing the old testament this morning you doubt it all right no no we ain't got time for that we got to get right back to this

Circumcision of the Heart: God's Gift in Deuteronomy 30

39:21 all right now he's talking about the future of the country the future of the nation of israel and moses is going to tell him what's going to happen to that country that group who are characterized as being the literal physical posterity of abraham through isaac and jacob what's going to happen to these people in their national history and life what is their national destiny all right here's their destiny their destiny is that the curse is going to come upon them verse verse one and when it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon you the blessing and the curse curse which I've set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations where Jehovah your God has driven you. In other words, they're going to be judged. They're going to be cast out of the land because of their disobedience and scattered among the nations. That's what's going to happen to them. When did that happen? Well, you know the Assyrian captivity, the Babylonian

40:24 captivity, and they were scattered and spread abroad through the dispersion among all the nations. They were scattered. And in conjunction with those captivities, now something's going to happen. Something's going to happen. After the judgment falls upon the nation, their national history is not going to end in total and complete tragedy. Something else is going to happen. And shall return to Jehovah your God and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that then there's going to come a day when the captivity of Israel will be turned. Then Jehovah your God will turn your captivity and have compassion upon you and will return and gather you from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. And you know that imagery in

41:20 the prophets is spoken of. That's going to happen in conjunction with the coming of the great shepherd king. He says, I'm going to send you David. David's going to come. And it's through my servant David and the coming of my servant David that all the outcasts are going to be restored. These blessings about the restoration of Israel and the bringing in of the outcasts and those that are scattered through David, their great shepherd and king, of course, these things have to do with the Lord Jesus Christ and his life and his ministry and labors. Now notice, and if any, verse four, of your outcasts be in the uttermost part of your life, you will be restored. And if any of your outcasts be in the uttermost part of your life, you will be restored. And if any of your outcasts be in the uttermost part of your life, you will be restored.

41:59 From thence will Jehovah your God gather you and from thence will he fetch you. And Jehovah your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed and you shall possess it. Return to the land of Canaan and he will do you good and multiply you above your fathers. Now notice this.

42:18 And Jehovah your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed. Jehovah your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your posterity and the heart of your seed to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul that you may live. And the Lord your God will put these curses upon your enemies, on them that hate you, that persecuted you. And you shall return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandments which I command you this day.

42:58 And then he goes on to describe the, Blessings that shall come. Now notice here's the point. The day is coming when something's going to change in Israel. The day is coming when something's going to change in Israel.

43:12 Back in those days, back in those days, the distinguishing trait of the nation, that which characterized that community was that their hearts were not circumcised and they needed to be circumcised. But the day is coming, says the Lord, when that's going to change. The day is coming when the heart of your heart is going to be circumcised. And the heart of your heart is going to be circumcised. The day is coming when the nation of Israel will no longer be characterized and when its posterity will no longer be characterized by having uncircumcised hearts. But the day is coming when the nation will be characterized by having its heart circumcised. It will be a penitent and believing nation. It will be a nation that serves the Lord and its posterity will be a posterity that serves the Lord.

43:59 This will be the distinguishing trait of Israel in that day in conjunction with this return from captivity and the gathering of those outcasts from among all the nations. The nation of Israel then will have its distinguishing trait and mark changed. And it will no longer be that it is distinguished by being uncircumcised in heart, but it will be in that day the nation of Israel will have its distinguishing mark and trait that its heart is circumcised. And that characteristic will apply to its posterity throughout their generations. That's the promise of God.

44:37 Now who's going to do that? God's going to do it. And what does that tell us? God's going to do it.

44:43 Jehovah will circumcise your heart. But I thought it was man's duty to circumcise his heart. I thought it was man's duty. Well how come God's going to do man's duty? Well here's the tension. Repentance and faith are both the duty of man and the gift of God.

45:01 It is God who gives faith as a gift. It is God who give repentance as a gift. And the giving of faith and the giving of repentance that's what it means for God to circumcise your heart. When God circumcises your heart God gives you faith, God gives you repentance. Well does that mean that repenting is not your duty because God gives it as a gift? No. Doesn't mean that. The same Bible that teaches that God granted unto the repenteeth that is a true bị정을. Does that mean that repenting is not your duty because God gives it as a gift, no. Doesn't mean that.

45:31 unto the Gentiles repentance unto life and that He granted unto you to believe on behalf of Christ. The same Bible that teaches those things also teaches that it's our duty to repent and to believe. Repentance and faith is both God's gift and man's duty. And you see that right in the Old Testament in terms of the analogy or the use of the term circumcision.

45:53 It's God's gift and God's going to do it and God's going to see to it that the community of Israel in that day will be characterized as those that have their hearts circumcised. They'll be characterized as those who are penitent believers. That'll be what Israel is. And that'll be what Israel's posterity is too.

46:12 From generation to generation their characteristic will be that they'll be penitent believers in God and of course in the Son.

Circumcision in Joshua 5

46:23 Well, now I could get going on this. But you want a couple other passages in the Old Testament and I won't even, get through the Old Testament and Pastor Martin will be right. I could never, I could never stand it.

46:37 Joshua, Joshua chapter 5.

46:42 Joshua chapter 5. You see that's an important passage in our understanding of circumcision.

46:50 Joshua chapter 5. Now here the word is used in verses 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8.

46:59 And in this connection the children of Israel are receiving the land of Canaan as their inheritance and promise.

47:08 And as they're receiving it they had not been circumcised in the wilderness. Verse 5. For all the people that came out of Egypt were circumcised but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt they had not circumcised and then it goes on. And then verse 7.

47:26 And their children whom he raised up in their stead them did Joshua circumcise for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass when they were done circumcising all the nations that they abode in their places until they were whole. So in conjunction with entering into the land of Canaan the whole nation as a group experienced the physical circumcision and they had to wait a couple of days before they recovered. So you know exactly what it's talking about.

Old Testament Conclusion: The Tension of Heart Circumcision in Jeremiah

47:55 All right. Now two more passages and then we're done. And both of them are in the book of Jeremiah. And this is the note on which the Old Testament ends.

48:03 The book of Jeremiah. First of all Jeremiah chapter 4.

48:09 Jeremiah and chapter 4. Jeremiah 4.4 beginning in verse 3. Now here comes the same emphasis again.

48:25 For thus says Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns circumcise yourselves to Jehovah man's duty and take away the foreskins of your heart you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my wrath go forth like fire and burn so that none can quench because of the evil of your doings. You see again here's the people of God and they're told they must circumcise the foreskins of their heart and they're exhorted to do this by the motive that the wrath of God is going to come upon them if they don't. They're uncircumcised in heart. That's a distinguishing trait.

49:04 It's their duty to circumcise their hearts and they're exhorted to their duty because if they don't circumcise their hearts they're going to experience the outpouring of the wrath of God because of the evil of their ways. Final passage. Jeremiah chapter 9 verses 25 and 26. Again the emphasis there was upon heart circumcision wasn't it?

49:30 Now notice verse 25 and 6. This is the final note.

49:36 Behold the days come. Here comes again this great era the new covenant. The days come that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision. What a statement.

49:50 I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision. Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that have the corners of their hair cut off that dwell in the wilderness for all the nations are uncircumcised and the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.

50:17 The house of Israel was circumcised in uncircumcision. They were circumcised and uncircumcised at the same time. They were circumcised in their flesh and they were uncircumcised in their heart. And the nations were uncircumcised both in their flesh and in their heart.

50:35 And the day was coming. The day was coming when Jehovah the Lord God was going to deal with men not in terms His covenantal dealings were not going to be in terms with the circumcision of their flesh but His dealings were going to be in terms of the circumcision of their heart. And it's possible to be circumcised and uncircumcised at the same time. And it's that tension it's that duality in the concept of circumcision the concept of being circumcised in flesh the secret place of the body uncircumcised in heart the secret place within.

51:10 That's the tension with which the Old Testament leaves us and that's the tension which the New Testament resolves. The Lord willing we'll look at that resolution next week. Let's pray.

Prayer of Thanks for Heart Circumcision

51:32 Oh Lord God we give You we give You thanks that we live in the day in which we have seen and experienced the glorious promise of God that we shall live in a community circumcised in heart. We bless You oh Lord for the privileges of inheriting this dimension of the Abrahamic Covenant. We bless You for Your goodness to us Your kindness and graciousness to us. And we pray oh Lord our God that we may ever live as those who have experienced this great blessing from You.

52:02 Write then Your word upon our hearts and enable us by Your grace to live in the light of it for Jesus' sake. Amen.