13 CIRCUMCISION

God made a promise to Abraham of a son by Sarai. “I will give you a son by her” (16). We can observe that God reveals the purposes of His good-will to His people by degrees. God had told Abraham long before that he would have a son, but not until now that he would have a son by Sarai. The blessing of the Lord makes fruitful, and adds no sorrow with it, no such sorrow as was in Hagar’s case. “I will bless her (Sarah) so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her” (16). Civil government and order are a great blessing to the people of God. What other religion in the world has such a pro-government position as Judeo-Christian thinking? We are to obey, support, pay taxes, pray for and honor those to whom honor is due in human governments. It is promised, not only that people, but kings of people, should be from her. This suggests a well-modeled, well-governed society. And to ratify the promise, Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah. Sarai means “my princess,” as if her honor were confined to one family only. Sarah, however, means “a princess” and by being a princess Sarah could and would belong to many, multitudes. Eventually from her would come the Messiah the prince, even the Prince of the kings of the earth.

Abraham (we will begin to call him that now) was overjoyed as he displayed humility by falling on his face. Could this hint that the more honors and favors God gives us, the lower we should be in our own eyes, and the more reverent and submissive before God? Abraham had really great joy, he laughed. He may have not understood how this would happen, but I find it difficult to interpret this to mean Abraham laughed at God or at the idea. Could it be that it was a spontaneous laughter of delight, not of distrust? Even the promises of a holy God, as well as His performances, are the joys of godly men and women. There is one kind of joy in faith as well as another kind of joy of fulfillment. In John 8:56 Jesus said, “56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” At what other juncture in Abraham’s life could Jesus be referring to more definitely or specifically than to be thinking of this instance when Abraham laughed with joy at the message God gave to him? The questions Abraham asked regarding the unlikeliness of a son being born to an old man and another question about being born to an old woman, taken at face value on their own, certainly could be interpreted to mean Abraham was doubting the message even to the point of laughing at it. But the Bible interprets the Bible and Jesus said that Abraham rejoiced. No other part of the story of Abraham lends itself to think of Abraham rejoicing as he laughed than this passage! It may well have been that this was the time Abraham rejoiced to see Christ’s day. Now he saw it and was glad. Romans 4:20 says, “20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.” So let’s use that positive statement of Jesus to help interpret accurately why Abraham laughed. At what juncture in the story of Abraham would Romans be able to give us a clearer understanding than how to interpret Abraham’s questions? Evidently these were delightful questions of joy rather questions of doubt. “Can such a wonderful thing really be?” would be a possible way to think about Abraham’s question. It was great admiration and great joy. He does not here speak of it as at all doubtful, but as very wonderful and something that could not be except by the almighty power of God, and as very kind and an amazing surprise. Psalm 126:1&2 tells of the surprise and joy Israel experienced when they were restored to the temple, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’” Abraham’s was an impacting and surprising favor. If God does things that are “immeasurably more than all we can think or imagine,” then doesn’t that mean that we would be surprised at His works? Abraham was happily surprised.

Abraham was already a father and now prayed for Ishmael: “And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’” He speaks this prayer not as desiring that Ishmael might be preferred before the son he would have by Sarah; but, concerned lest Ishmael should be abandoned and forsaken of God. So he prays an understandable prayer as a father. Now that God is talking with him he thinks he has an opportunity to speak a good word for Ishmael, and he will take advantage of it. After all, they had lived together for thirteen years as father and son. Though we ought not demand things of God, yet He gives us permission, in prayer, to be humbly free with him, and particular in making known our requests to Him. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” If we know God like Abraham knew God, we too will speak freely and submissively to our Father God. Whatever is the essence of our care and fear should be spread before God in prayer.

We can also learn from this that it is the duty of parents to pray for their children, for all their children, as Job who offered burnt offerings for each of his regularly. Job 1:5 says, “When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular custom.” Abraham would not want anyone to think that, when God promised him a son by Sarah, which he so much desired, then his son by Hagar was forgotten; no, still he bears Ishmael up in prayer and shows a concern for him. The prospect of further favors (sons) must not make us unmindful of former favors (sons). The great thing we should desire of God for our children is that they may live before Him, that is, that they may be kept in covenant with Him, and may have grace to walk before Him in their uprightness. Spiritual blessings are the best blessings, and those for which we should be most earnest with God, both for ourselves and others. Anyone lives well that lives before God. How does God respond to Abraham’s prayer for Ishmael? God did answer and Abraham could not say that he prayed in vain.

God does answer Abraham’s prayer for Ishmael. He says, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. He will have may descendants, more than his neighbors. Twelve princes will come from him. I have Israeli Arab friends in Bethlehem, Tiberius, Nahariyya and other places in Israel. They are my Christian brothers and sisters with whom I have good Christian fellowship. I see them as being blessed by God. They are a small part of the answer God is giving to the descendants of Ishmael. We should pray along with Abraham that more and more descendants of Ishmael will live under the blessing of God.

Even though Ishmael and his descendants will also be blessed, nevertheless the covenant blessings are reserved for Isaac. God says in verse 19, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” and verse 21 adds, “But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” God repeats to him the promise of a son by Sarah. Even true men of faith, men of faith as strong as Abraham’s, occasionally need to have God’s promises repeated to them, that they may have strong encouragement.

God names the child Isaac, meaning laughter. Abraham rejoiced when this son was promised to him. If God’s promises be our joy, the fulfillment of those promises will, in due time, be our exceedingly great joy. Christ will be laughter to those that look for Him; those that now rejoice in hope will shortly rejoice in having what they hoped for: this laughter is not crazy, but based on good reasons.

God also promises that He will pass that covenant on to Isaac. “my covenant I will establish with Isaac.” And Romans 9:8 says, “In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” God takes whom He pleases into covenant with Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Romans 9: 18 adds, “Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.”

So the covenant was settled between God and Abraham, and the visit ended. “When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him”(22). Our fellowship with God here is often broken and interrupted but not in heaven where it will be a continual and everlasting feast.

Abraham’s obedience to the law of circumcision is a model in yet another way. He did it the very same day. Sincere obedience is not hesitant. He himself and all his family were circumcised, so receiving the token of the covenant and distinguishing themselves from other families, that had no part in this holy matter. Abraham did not ask God why. God’s will was not only a law to Abraham, but also a reason; he did it because God told him. It was a speedy obedience. Psalm 119:60 says, “I will hasten and not delay

to obey your commands.” While the command is still echoing in our ears, and the sense of duty is fresh, it is good to do to it immediately, lest we deceive ourselves by putting it off to a more convenient time.

Furthermore, Abraham’s obedience was inclusive and complete. He did not circumcise his family and excuse himself, but set them an example; nor did he take the assurance and symbol of the covenant (circumcision) to himself only, but wanted all of them to share with him in it. This is a good example to masters of families; they and their houses must serve the Lord.

Abraham did this though much might be objected against it. Though circumcision was very painful with no antiseptic, though to grown men it was shameful, though, while they were sore and unable to defend themselves their enemies might take advantage against them as Simeon and Levi did against the Shechemites, though Abraham was ninety-nine years old, and had already been justified and accepted by God for a long time, though so strange a thing as cutting away part of a male’s genitals in the name of religion might be to Abraham’s embarrassment living among the Canaanites and the Perizzites that lived in the land, yet God’s command was sufficient to answer these and a thousand such objections: what God requires we must do. He is God.

Circumcision does not mean that sexual intercourse is evil. Sexual pleasure is, in fact, very upright and a blessing from God when limited to the marriage bed. And nowhere in the Bible does Scripture indicate that females also are to be circumcised.

As with water baptism, and taking the elements of the Lord’s supper are outward, visible physical signs of an inward, invisible and spiritual work, so circumcision is an outward, visible and physical sign of being set apart to God and being pure, that is to live a holy life.