Paulos,
While there are many reasons for circumcision other than as a religious ritual, God gave a Covenant of Circumcision to Abraham. Circumcision (a synonym for law) is a huge key to unlocking the mysteries of Scripture. When a Jew was circumcised on the eighth day, he automaticall came under the Covenant of Circumcision or the law. Jesus was a Jew born into the House of Israel and was circmcised on the eighth day. He voluntarily put Himself under this covnant to fulfill it--something that we were not able to do. Fulfillment of the Covenant of Circumcision was keeping the law perfectly without sinning. Jesus made a contract with Abraham and then came around the other side of the table so to speak and fulfill Abraham's obligation. I wish I could get a car salesman to do that.
First, let’s examine law in Scripture. There were three tiers of the law: The first tier governed our relationship with God. “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me….” The second tier governed our relationship with each other. “Thou shall not steal, commit adultery, kidnap, et.al.” The third tier brings confusion to the average Bible student. This tier is symbolic law. The Jews received the symbolic laws. Symbolic law is neither moral nor immoral. Thus, any negative law could be overridden by a law that was a positive command. The command to not work on the Sabbath took a back seat to circumcise on the eighth day (if it fell on the Sabbath).
Symbolic laws simply pointed to Jesus Christ. The laws of clothing, diet, feasts, etc. pointed to Jesus. For example, a high priest could not be lame, for “in Jesus the lame walk.” The high priest could not be blind, for “in Jesus the blind see.” The Jews’ clothing had to be of one pure cloth, as Jesus is our pure covering. The Sabbath law was for Israel only, and was a perpetual covenant.
The first covenant that God made with Abraham was the Covenant of Grace: “[Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He [God] accounted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Paul used this centuries later as his argument for grace: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something of which to boast…. For what does the Scripture say” ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness’” (Rom. 4:2-3). This covenant was the first covenant that God made with Abraham. NO WORK WAS REQUIRED BY ABRAHAM! In fact, God put Abraham to sleep.
The second covenant was the covenant of Circumcision (or works or the law). Years later, God insisted that Abraham circumcise himself. Why? Circumcision was a sign of the agreement between God and Abraham’s descendants who would become known as people of the Circumcision (Jews): “and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me [God] and you [Abraham and your descendants]” (Gen. 17:11).
Circumcision, although symbolic, was not optional for the Jews. God almost killed Moses because he did not circumcise his son born to Midionite wife Zipporah: “And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment that the Lord met him [Moses] and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah [Moses wife] took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, ‘Surely you are a husband of blood to me!’ So He let him [Moses] go. Then she said, ‘You are a husband of blood!’ because of the circumcision” (Ex. 4:24-26)
Now having said all this, why this unusual circumcision ritual? Recall that these laws were symbolic, neither moral nor immoral, were for the Jews only, and pointed to Jesus. Circumcision is the cutting off of the flesh. Jesus Christ (God the Son) became flesh, and was cut off. God told Abraham: “He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:13). God had also said to Abraham, “in you all” nations will be blessed (Gen. 12:3), and in Abraham, because Jesus came from Abraham’s loins, and from David’s body (2 Sam. 7:12). Thus, the Covenant of Circumcision pointed to Jesus Christ, who “became flesh” (John 1:14) and then the “Messiah” was “cut off” (Dan. 9:26; Mat. 27:46, 50). The Jews, called the Circumcision, the people of the Covenant of Circumcision, were themselves cut off (Rom. 11:20, 22). So, too, Christ, the King of the Jews (Mat. 2:2; 27:11), became flesh and was cut off. Thus the circumcision of Jesus Christ according to the Law on the eighth day (Luke 2:21) foreshadowed the very purpose of His coming. Consider also that God used the Hebrew word silver when He said to Abraham, “he who is bought with your money [silver].” Then recall two things: that the High Priest bought Christ with “thirty pieces of silver” from Judas (Mat. 26:15); and also that Jesus was born a Jew. Thus, throughout all history, He was the One both “born in your house [Israel] and… bought with your silver.” Thus the Covenant of Circumcision uniquely pointed to Christ.
Also understand that for Israel, many symbolic laws such as circumcision, feasts, Sabbath law, are perpetual statutes for Israel. When Jesus comes back to Israel, Israel will be required to keep these symbolic laws during their Thousand Year Kingdom and in the New Heaven and the New Earth. For Israel, these laws are not optional.
I pray that this sheds some light on the subject.
God bless, Tom from Mabank, TX
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From the thread by Paulos insulting God over circumcision.