20250615 Genesis 17:1-27 Circumcision: A Gospel Sign

Today we are going to talk about a sign that is given to people who are saved by faith! It is a sign that portrays vividly what Christ has done on the cross to forgive our sins. It is a sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a sign connected with the promises of the reversal of Genesis 3 and the promise of a New Eden and a New Creation. This sign is of course, circumcision, oh actually, I mean, baptism, well actually, I really meant circumcision.

In the Abraham account, we are seeing that in a world marked by depravity, despair, depression, deceit, disease, death God promises to renew all things. He is going to orchestrate all of history to accomplish redemption through Abraham and his family. God will bring us back to Eden to experience the harmonious peace and delight that our hearts long for.

Even though the fullest manifestation of New Creation will only be enjoyed a Christ’s return, already Abraham and all the saints throughout the ages have enjoyed the experience of Eden with righteousness by faith to enjoy peace with God, peace within our hearts, and peace with others. This good news is summarized in the sign of circumcision. Circumcision is a sacrament. In a mysterious way the ceremony of circumcision is a gospel presentation that stirs up the faith of those who are present in the gospel.

These are three reasons this chapter on circumcision is important for us.

First, Gen 17:13 calls God’s covenant with Abraham an everlasting Covenant. This means that this covenant is still in effect. Gal 3:29 confirms this by saying, “If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” The covenant with Abraham is God’s covenant with us. The first reason Genesis 17 is important to us is because we inherit God's promises to Abraham.

Second, circumcision teaches us about baptism and so our baptism. While circumcision is the sign of the Covenant with Abraham, baptism is the sign of the new covenant, or new administration of God’s covenant with Abraham. As we study circumcision, we can develop a deeper appreciation for our own baptism.

Third, Gen 17 is about God’s Covenant with Abraham. Covenants are relationships. Relationships are fundamental to human existence. We are such dependent, reliant, and vulnerable creatures. Our well-being, our emotional health, social health, mental health are cultivated in relationships by the care we receive from others. Most importantly, our spiritual health is cultivated in a relationship with God. We are in a relationship with God through his covenant with us. Genesis 17 is important because it is about God’s relationship with us.

To discuss circumcision and God’s covenant with Abraham, I am presenting content under 5 themes that speak to our relationship with God. In addition to Genesis 17, I will refer to Genesis 12 and 15 because they have elements of the covenant. At the end of each of the five points, because Christians are part of the same covenant, I will apply the content to Christians with baptism.

These are the five themes we’ll look at, each speaks to our present relationship with God: the sign, the promises, the demands, the curses, and the parties of the Covenant/Circumcision/Baptism.

Gen 17:10-13 The Sign of the Covenant/Circumcision/Baptism

In this first point, we see the relationship between the covenant and the sign in Gen 17:10-13. We will see that the sign and the covenant are so connected that the sign represents every aspect of the covenant.

Genesis 17:10-13

According to Gen 17:11, circumcision is the sign of the covenant.[i] According to Gen 17:10 and 13, circumcision appears to be the covenant itself! According to Gen 17:10 to circumcise is to keep the covenant. In Gen 17:13, God says that with circumcision, the covenant will be on their flesh. This means that the sign and the covenant are so closely linked that circumcision evokes the covenant and all its aspects. This is what we will see in this message: Circumcision is the sign of the Covenant, it is the sign of the promises, and the sign of the demands, curses, and membership of the covenant.

Application for Christians and Baptism:

Christians are part of the same everlasting covenant as Abraham. Now, baptism is the equivalent of circumcision in the New Covenant administration of this covenant. Like circumcision, baptism is the sign of God’s covenant promises, demands, curses, and membership.

Second, we turn to the Promises of the Covenant/Circumcision/Baptism (Gen 12:1-3, 15:6; 17)

According to Gen 15:13, the reason God made a covenant with Abraham was that Abraham would “know for certain” that he keeps his promises. This means that circumcision is the sign of assurance of God’s covenant promises. We will look at four promises.

First, that God would be the God of Abraham and his children. Then, that God would give offspring, land, and blessing to Abraham. Circumcision and baptism assure us of these promises.

Gen 12:1-3, 15:6; 17: Teaching to Abraham

The first promise circumcision represents is the promise of God being Abraham and his children’s God.

At the heart of being in a covenant with God is that he is our God and we are his people. In Gen 17:7 God tells Abraham, “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

Circumcision is a sign of belonging to God’s people. This is true for women as well who did not have the sign on their bodies. They were part of the community who circumcises males. The sign in their community is the sign that God was their God and they were part of his people.

For Christians, baptism is the sign of being part of God’s people. Jesus says, make disciples by baptizing and teaching, and I will be with you until the end of the age. In Romans 6:3-8, baptism symbolizes union with Christ. Baptism is the sign that God is our God, and we are his people.

The second promise circumcision represents is the promise of Land.

In Gen 15:7-21, God makes a covenant to assure Abraham that he will indeed give his descendants the land of Canaan. In Gen 17:8, God repeats this land promise and gives Abraham a sign of the Covenant. This sign reminds Abraham and his descendants that they will possess the land.

If this is true, when Israel is in bondage in Egypt or in Babylon, the sign of circumcision becomes a sign of promised deliverance. It was a sign that God would one day get them out of there to bring them back into the land.

Still connected to the promise of Land, in the storyline of the Bible the promised land serves as a sacred place like Eden. The Promised Land is portrayed as a land flowing with milk and honey where Israel would enjoy rest. In this way, circumcision represents more than just receiving a territory but also the promise of a renewed Edenic experience and the reversal of Genesis 3.

Christian baptism also points to the reality of a New Eden. Baptism represents the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the downpayment of our inheritance, New Creation which is the ultimate fulfillment of the promised Land (Eph 1:14). Both circumcision and baptism point to New Creation.

The third promise circumcision represents is the promise of offspring.

Circumcision is a sign of the promise of offspring that goes back to Gen 12:2. God repeats this promise in Gen 15:5, and again in Genesis 17. In Gen 17:5-6, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham. He goes from Exalted Father to Father of a multitude of nations. It is not too hard to see how a sign placed on the male reproductive organ connects to a promise of offspring.

In the storyline of the Bible, the promise of offspring to Abraham confirms the promised offspring to Eve. According to Gen 3:15, Eve would have a male descendant who would crush the devil. According to Gen 12:3 Abraham will bless all the families of the world. These two promises are the same. When God promises offspring to Abraham, he is promising the savior of the world. Circumcision is then the sign of the promise of a savior of the world.

Circumcision pointed forward to Christ, now baptism looks back on Christ.

The fourth promise circumcision represents is the promised blessing

According to Gen 12:3, God wants to bless all the families of the earth. According to Gen 15:6, this blessing is righteousness on account of faith. When the problem in the world is sin, God’s blessing must include the forgiveness of sins. Circumcision is the sign of this blessing, righteousness by faith.[ii]

This is Paul’s understanding of circumcision in Rom 4:11. He writes that “the sign of circumcision” was “a seal (or confirmation) of the righteousness that [Abraham] had by faith.” In other words, circumcision is the sign of salvation by faith or of the forgiveness of sins apart from works. It is a physical mark that points to the spiritual reality of the circumcision of his heart. When combined with the promise of blessing for all the families of the earth, circumcision points to the work of Christ and righteousness by faith for all the families of the world. This is how circumcision points forward to Christ’s work.

Circumcision involves cutting and the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22).

Paul calls Jesus’ death a circumcision in Col 2:11. So, even the act of cutting off in circumcision anticipates Christ's death and his cutting off to bless the world.[iii]

Like circumcision, Christian baptism is the sign of God’s covenant blessing. Baptism is the sign of the circumcision of the heart by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the seal of the righteousness we receive by faith. It portrays the washing away of sins.

Recap how circumcision and baptism represent the same promises.

Circumcision and Baptism are both the signs of being God’s people, the promise of New Creation, the coming Savior and the atoning work of the savior, circumcision of the heart or the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14), righteousness by faith and the washing away of sins. Both circumcision and baptism represent these same promises.

Gen 15:6; 17:14; 18:19 The third aspect is The Demands of the Covenant/Circumcision/Baptism

Circumcision is the sign of the Covenant, and the sign of God’s promises, and it is also the sign of God’s demands. Those who have the sign are taught to keep the covenant’s requirements.

These are three requirements of the covenant: faith, circumcision of males, and obedience.

According to Gen 15:6, one of the terms of the covenant was faith. Faith is trusting God and his word so those who have faith in God, walk with God.

A second requirement comes from Gen 17:14. It states that a male who is not circumcised has broken the covenant and will be cut off. Keeping the covenant is circumcising the males of the household.

A third requirement comes from Gen 18:19. Abraham must command his household to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.

Faith and works do not contradict each other. True living faith always works itself out in good works. Salvation by faith and keeping God’s law are not contradictions. Law keeping does not save you, salvation is through faith alone and the Bible never offers the option of not keeping the law if we are saved by faith. Demands are placed on those who receive circumcision. They must believe God and obey his commandments.

Application for Christians

In the New Covenant, the requirement to enjoy salvation is still faith. The Great commission summarizes the other two requirements, "make disciples by baptizing and teaching to obey everything Jesus commanded." All baptized people, whether children of believer or older converts must be taught to trust God and obey his commandments. Christians have the same requirements as in God's covenant with Abraham.

Genesis 17:14 The fourth aspect are the Curses of the Covenant/Circumcision/Baptism

Circumcision is also the sign of the covenant curses. In Gen 15, Abraham cut animals in half which was typical for a covenant ceremony. Cutting animals and walking through them reflected the severity of breaking the covenant. The covenant breaker would be cut off.

In Genesis 17, the cutting occurs on the male covenant members. The sign of cutting warned of the cutting off of those who did not keep the covenant. Those who broke the covenant by unbelief, or not circumcising were cut off (Gen 17:14). Circumcision is not a sign of promises alone. To those who break the covenant it is a sign of judgment. To unbelievers who were circumcised they bear on their bodies the sign of God’s curse. It is a sign of judgment or a sign of being cut off.

Ishmael was circumcised as was Esau. Their descendants stood against God's purposes. They were circumcised but cut off. Receiving the sign does not guarantee receiving the promised blessings. Infants who were circumcised are required to have faith to be declared righteous. If they do not believe, their circumcision is a sign not of blessing but curse.

Application for Christians

Baptism is also a sign of death. Baptism pictures salvation but also judgment. In 1 Cor 10:2, Paul portrays Israel walking through the Red Sea on dry ground as a baptism. This was the same event or baptism that destroyed the Egyptian army. In 1 Pet 3:20, Peter speaks of Noah and his family making it “safely through water” as a picture of baptism. The same flood or baptism destroyed the rest of humankind. Finally, in Mark 10:39, Jesus refers to his death on the cross as a baptism. Because baptism is a picture of salvation for those united to Christ by faith, it is a sign of judgment to those who do not believe. Those who do not believe do not experience the resurrection in the newness of life their baptism symbolizes. Circumcision and baptism portray judgment of covenant breakers.

Genesis 17:7-10, 23; Exod 12:48 The Recipients of the sign of the Covenant/Circumcision/Baptism

In this point we consider who receives the sign of the covenant. There are four categories of men who receive circumcision.

First, Abraham receives believer’s circumcision.

Second, Abraham’s male descendants must also be circumcised. In Gen 17:7-10, the phrase, “you and your offspring” appears 5 times. God establishes a covenant between Abraham and his children. He promises to be the God of Abraham and his children. He promises to give land to Abraham and his children. Abraham and his children are commanded to keep the covenant and be circumcised.

Third, according to Gen 17:23, the covenant also includes all the other males in Abraham’s house.

Fourth, according to Exod 12:48 outsiders can join the covenant. The males from outside could get circumcised and enjoy the Passover with God’s people. They receive believer’s circumcision, like Abraham.

Who receives Christian baptism?

There are different opinions among Christians on this point. We baptize infants because in the New Covenant Church, children of believers receive the promises of the covenant, the demands, and the warnings of the covenant.

First children of the New Covenant receive the promises of the covenant. In Acts 2, in response to Peter’s Pentecost sermon, the people ask, what must we do to be saved? In Acts 2:38-39, Peter responds, “Repent and be baptized every one of you, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.

The phrase, “for the promise is for you and for your children…” refers back to Gen 17. If the sign is no longer given to children, why refer to the verses of the Bible that command giving the sign to those who receive the promises? It is not just one verse in Acts. The rest of Acts confirms the continuity of the household principle established in Genesis 17. The children of believers receive the promise of salvation. Acts 11:14 refers to Peter saying, “he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” This is Gen 17 language. Then in Acts 16:31, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Why this household language if the sign is no longer given at the household level? The standard baptism practice in Acts is to continue the household principle established in Genesis 17. Believers and their children are part of God's covenant people.

1 Cor 7:14 teaches that children of believers, holy, a set apart. This does not mean they are saved apart from faith. They are part of the covenant people. Eph 6:2-4 teaches children to keep the covenant’s demands and implicitly warns them of the covenant curse. Because children in the New Covenant receive the promises, the demands, and the warning of the covenant curse we give them the sign that represents all these things! For some like with circumcision their baptism will be a sign of their righteousness by faith, for others a sign of the covenant curse.

Conclusion

Genesis 17 is loaded with the gospel message and teaches the Christian faith. The gospel is summed up in circumcision until the coming of Christ and now in baptism in the New Covenant. Both baptism and circumcision are gospel signs.

We live in a world with a million narratives to believe. We experience or witness doubt, depression, despair, depravity, disease, divorce, deceit, and death. God has given us a sign to remind us we are his.

Our baptism reminds us neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God.

When you remember that you are saved by faith alone, and wonder if you can then live however you please, remember your baptism. Baptism is always accompanied by learning to obey Christ.

When you are anxious about your sin, or tormented by your shame, God's words at Jesus baptism are true of you - You are my child in whom I delight. Our baptisms reminds us of God's definitive work on the cross to guarantee the forgiveness of all who believe. Our baptism is the sign of our righteousness on account of faith, the sign that Christ washes our sins away. The sign of the promised Holy Spirit, and the guarantee that we will experience eternal bliss forever in the presence of God in the New Creation to come.

 

---

[i] As a sign of the Covenant, circumcision is like the Rainbow in Gen 9:13-16. It reminds the community that God remembers his covenant and his promises. These signs remind us that God wants a relationship with us. They remind us of the different aspects of this relationship.

[ii] In Gen 17:1 we see this point again. The ESV reads, “walk before me, and be blameless.” Another valid translation is “walk before me, and you will be blameless.” Walking with God is trusting God and believing his promises. The promise that follows is blamelessness. The Hebrew linguist, Gesenius lists this verse as an example where two commands where doing the first leads to the other. So the command is “walk before me” or walk with God, trust in God, and the promise is blamelessness or righteousness. Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch, trans. A. E. Cowley (Mineola, NY: Dover, 2006), 324.

[iii] Peter T. O’Brien, Colossians-Philemon, WBC 44 (Waco, TX: Nelson, 1982), 116.