Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬-‭12‬
Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.”

We rely on a few things in life: 1) The air we breathe to contain oxygen, 2) the sun to come up every day and give us warmth, food, health, and light, and 3) the heavens and the earth to provide water for us to drink, water for our crops and to create ecosystems of life. It is as if this is a prearranged agreement we have with God, these are constant and always provided. We might call them God’s covenant with us on earth.

Another covenant we hold dear is the covenant of marriage. We say, “I will always love you and remain faithful to you … until death do us part.” We also say, “For better or for worse, in sickness and in health.” Basically, no matter what else happens the husband will remain faithful, loving, and loyal to the wife, and vice versa.

Abraham had a special kind of covenant with God. It was similar, in its guarantee, to the provision of air, sun, and water; and it was even more reliable than the most sincere and strongest marriage covenant. This was God’s covenant to the father of the Jews; to the man who left his home and his people and traveled to a land and in a direction unknown to him.

This covenant promise from God had a few components: 1) God would make his descendants into a great nation, 2) God would make him fruitful (successful), 3) God would be his God and the God of his people, and 4) God would give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession.

This covenant between God and Abraham was similar, but different, to the marriage covenant. There was a bond, an unbreakable relationship of trust and love, provision and protection between God and Abraham. God wanted Abraham and his descendants to keep this covenant too. Their part was to worship God and God only, and to obey his commands.

And he gave them a sign, a reminder of the distinctive place they had in his heart — circumcision. This was a marking, like a seal, that not only showed they were God’s, but it would remind them daily of their commitment to him.

Just like with Abraham, God has made a covenant promise to those who have chosen to follow and obey his Son Jesus. This seal is described here: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (II Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬)

It is as if we are now circumcised spiritually, marked in our hearts by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This marking or seal should be a daily reminder of “whose we are” and who we owe our loyalty, love, and faithfulness to — the Almighty God!

Do I acknowledge and recognize the powerful covenant promise God has made to me? He has marked me with his Spirit, he has claimed me as his own, and he has called me into his family as his adopted child! What an amazingly great honor!

Lord, thank you for your covenant with Abraham of circumcision and your new covenant with your followers of the seal of your Spirit. I am confident and committed to follow you anywhere … and into any foxhole. You are my King and my Lord!