Genesis 17:7,11(NKJV) And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you… and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
The circumcision was a reminder of the covenant because men tend to be forgetful. It was a covenant between God and Abraham. David knew that the Israelites had a covenant with God through Abraham, his forefather and circumcision was the sign of that covenant. Circumcision has become a ritual or a practice in the Jewish culture. Every male has to be circumcised on their 8th day without remembering the value and the power of that covenant.
In 1 Samuel 17, all the Israelites had forgotten that they had a covenant with God except David. David understood the covenant and what it entailed. He knew that the covenant would be watched over by God for generations after Abraham. It was everlasting. God would honor His Word and He would be God to them.
A blood covenant between two parties is the closest, most enduring, solemn and sacred of all contracts. It absolutely cannot be broken. When you enter into a blood covenant with someone, you promise to give them your life, your love and your protection forever…till death do you part. It is a binding, unbreakable agreement.
It took ONE MAN who believed in his covenantal rights with God and invoked God to honor His part of the covenant. David knew that his covenantal God would support him to destroy Goliath who had come against God’s covenant people. If God were to react, then the situation would be a small issue instead of a major challenge from man’s perspective.
Can you imagine a young rosy-cheeked boy comforting the King of Israel? This was what set David apart from the rest of the men. Therefore, our faith in God and His covenant should also set us apart from the people in this world! When David was faced with this challenge from Goliath, the spirit of faith or faith in his covenant God arose within Him! He was filled with faith in God knowing that God would deliver them. He was so confident, unwavering and fully convinced of God’s character and faithfulness that he started to boast in the Lord!
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were the chosen ones, set apart as the covenant people of God, the token was the circumcision and they lived by the law. When Jesus Christ died for us, the physical circumcision stopped because all of us are able to come before God in true faith. We are accepted based on the blood of Christ. Physical circumcision means nothing today.
Romans2:29 (NKJV) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
For the New Testament believer, it is the circumcision of heart that shows true faith in God. We have entered into a new covenant through Jesus’ blood and this is the covenant for all the families and nations of the world including Israel. Our covenant with God is established on the blood of Jesus Christ! A better covenant built on better promises! We need to rise up and know that we still have a covenantal God.
Sermon Series: You Are in the Hall of Fame (Part 3)
割礼和宝血之约
创世记 17:7,11 我要与你并你世世代代的后裔坚立我的约，作永远的约，是要作你和你后裔的 神。 ……你们都要受割礼；这是我与你们立约的证据。
割礼是对盟约的提醒，因为人往往会健忘。这是神和亚伯拉罕之间的盟约。大卫知道以色列人藉着他的祖先亚伯拉罕与神有个盟约，而割礼是这约的记号。割礼已成为犹太文化中的一种仪式或习俗。在不知道盟约的价值和力量下，每个男子在生下来的第八日都要受割礼。
在撒母耳记上17章，除了大卫，所有的以色列人都忘了他们与神所立的约。大卫明白这约和它所蕴含的。他知道神会在亚伯拉罕以后的世世代代都看守这约。它是永恒的。神会遵守祂的话，祂要做他们的神。
双方之间的血约是所有契约中最亲密、最持久、最庄严和神圣的。它绝对不能被打破。当你与某人立下血约时，你承诺永远给予他们你的生命、你的爱和你的保护，直到死亡把你分开。这是一个有约束力、牢不可破的协议。
只有一个人相信他与神立约的权益，并恳求神遵守祂那部分的约。大卫知道与他立约的神会支持他去毁灭那来攻击与神立约的百姓的歌利亚。如果神行动，那么从人的角度来看，这处境将是一个小问题，而不是一个重大的挑战。
你能否想象一个脸蛋红润的小男孩在安慰以色列王吗？这就是大卫与其他人不同的原因。所以，我们对神和祂的约的信心，也应使我们与世人分别出来！当大卫面对歌利亚的挑战时，信心的灵，或是对与他有约的神的信心，就在他心里兴起了！他对神充满信心，知道神会拯救他们。他是如此的自信、坚定不移、完全相信神的品格和信实，他开始靠神夸口！
在旧约圣经中，以色列人是被拣选的族类、被分别为圣成神立约的子民，割礼就是标志，他们活在律法下。当耶稣基督为我们死的时候，肉体上的割礼就终止了，因为我们所有人都能以真正的信心来到神面前。我们是基于基督的血被接纳的。肉体的割礼在今天毫无意义。
罗马书 2:29 惟有里面作的，才是真犹太人；真割礼也是心里的，在乎灵，不在乎仪文。这人的称赞不是从人来的，乃是从 神来的。
对于新约的信徒来说，心里的割礼才是对神真正的信心。我们已经藉着耶稣的血进入一个新的约，这约是给这世上所有的家庭和国家的，包括以色列。我们与神的约是建立在耶稣基督的宝血上！一个更好的约凭更美之应许立的！我们需要兴起，并知道我们还有一个盟约中的神。
讲章系列：你在信心的殿中！（第三部分）