Gênesis 17
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 17
Cole comments that blameless "refers to a person who walks honestly and openly before God, who fears God and seeks to obey Him, and who confesses and turns away from sin. The word “walk” implies a step by step process. A walk is not spectacular and not a quick fix. But if you keep walking in the same direction, eventually you will get where you’re going. For the believer, that direction is holiness. And be blameless (tamiym) - The Hebrew word for blameless is tamiym which conveys the ideas of complete or whole. It means all-sided so as to cover all aspects of a thing. Revelation always brings responsibility. Enoch and Noah had walked with God (see note below), but Abraham was to walk before God, that is, live in the knowledge that the eyes of God were always upon him (Heb 4:13+). Blameless does not mean “sinless,” for that would be an impossible goal for anyone to reach (read 1Ki 8:46). The idea is single-hearted (Listen to the words of Single Heart), without blame, sincere, wholly devoted to the Lord, a heart undivided (Pray Ps 86:11NIV+). In Ex 12:5+, tamiym refers to an "unblemished” sacrifice (> half of the 85 uses describe a sacrificial animal), which is one that is acceptable to the LORD. One might sum up God's call to walk before Him and be blameless as a call for integrity, a life that is (so to speak) an "acceptable sacrifice" to Him! Blameless in the Septuagint is the adjective amemptos which means free from fault (cf NT uses 1Th 2:10, 1Th 3:13, 1Th 5:23+ = "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame [amemptos] at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I pray that great prayer for you as you read this note!). Both walk and be (blameless) are commands in Hebrew and in Greek. In the Septuagint, walk and be are the present imperative calling for this to be Abram's lifestyle or habitual practice. It is not about perfection (that's called glory) but about direction (confessing so that you keep short accounts when you sin). In the Septuagint, walk is translated with the verb euaresteo. This verb is used in the Septuagint to describe the walks of Enoch (Ge 5:22, 24+) and Noah (Ge 6:9+). In Hebrews 11:5+ euaresteo is used of Enoch which says that "before his being taken up he was pleasing (euaresteo in perfect tense) to God." Be blameless is amemptos which means faultless, without guilt. THOUGHT - God's command to Abraham reminds me of Paul's charge to all believers in Romans 12:1-2+ "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) to this world, but be transformed (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." A "Romans 12:1-2+ walk" is a surrendered walk, a walk that is acceptable to Him! Dearly beloved of the Lord (1Th 1:4+), based on these Biblical criteria, how would you describe your walk this past week (this past year)? My prayer for you (and myself) is that we "may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects." (Col 1:9-10+). In Jesus' Name. Amen. Matthew
Gênesis 17
Cole has a slightly different interpretation - By submitting to God’s command for circumcision, Abraham was yielding his procreative powers totally to God. He was acknowledging his total dependence on God to produce the promised heir. It meant Abraham’s putting no confidence in his flesh, but rather trusting God totally to do what He promised to do so that all the glory goes to Him. Reformation Study Bible - By this ritual the organ of procreation was consecrated to God (cf. Lev. 19:23). More importantly, God wanted the heart and ear consecrated to Him (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 6:10; Ezek. 44:7, 9). Mere circumcision in the flesh is inadequate to please God (17:11–14 notes; Jer. 9:25, 26). (ED: SEE CIRCUMCISION OF HEART BELOW) THOUGHT - Abram's "salvation" occurred at least 14 years prior to his circumcision at age 99 (Ge 17:24). The point is that circumcision was never meant to save anyone! This is a great Scriptural point to remind your Jewish friends that no man is saved by works [keeping mitzvah] of any kind, be it circumcision, etc! Abraham was saved by grace through faith in Genesis 15:6+. (see additional comments on salvation in the Old Testament), W H Griffith-Thomas - The ordinance of circumcision, already known widely in the East, is given a special meaning and deep sacredness. The truths connected with it seem to include at least four ideas: (a) designation, as belonging to God; (b) separation unto Him; (c) purity in Him; (d) possession by Him. Circumcised (04135) mul to cut short, to cut off, to circumcise with most uses in the Torah (Pentateuch) with 17 uses in Genesis but 8 uses are found in Joshua (see below). Its usage is continued in rabbinic and modern Hebrew. However, the verb "to cut off" is not found in other Semitic languages. The only derivative of mul is mûlôt found in Ex. 4:26 "So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”–because of the circumcision.' The physical act of circumcision was introduced by God as a sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Ge 17:10ff) W E Vine - The special act of circumcision was a sign of God's gracious promise. With the promise and covenantal relations, God expected that His people would joyously and willingly live up to His expectations, and thus demonstrate His rule on earth. To describe the "heart" attitude, several writers of Scripture use the verb "to circumcise." The "circumcision" of the flesh is a physical sign of commitment to God. Deuteronomy particularly is fond of the spiritual usage of the verb "to circumcise": "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer" (Deut. 10:16, niv; cf. Deut. 30:6). Jeremiah took over this usage: "Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah…., because of the evil of your doings" (Jer. 4:4). Few occurrences of the verb differ from the physical and the spiritual usage of "to circumcise." Mûl in the Book of Psalms has the meaning of "to cut off, destroy": "All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off" (Psa. 118:10, niv; cf. vv. Psa. 118:11-12). The verb is translated as peritemnō in the Septuagint. The verb and the noun peritomē are used in both the physical and the spiritual sense. In addition to this, it also is a figure for baptism: "In him you were also circumcised,… not with a circumcision alone by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:11-12, niv). In the English versions, the verb is rendered "to circumcise," "to destroy" (kjv), as well as "to cut off" and "to wither" (rsv, nasb, niv). (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) In Deuteronomy, mul refers more to what circumcision came to symbolize, a "spiritual circumcision." Moses records "Deuteronomy 10:16 “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer." and Deuteronomy 30:6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live." Jeremiah 4:4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.” Paul amplifies the meaning in Romans explaining that "he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." (Ro 2:28-29+) Again in Colossians 2 Paul explains "in Him (CHRIST) you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Col 2:11-14+). See in depth discussion of Circumcision of the Heart Mul - 35x in 32v - circumcise(4), circumcised(25), circumcising(1), cut off(3), shafts(1), surely be circumcised(1). Gen. 17:10; Gen. 17:11; Gen. 17:12; Gen. 17:13; Gen. 17:14; Gen. 17:23; Gen. 17:24; Gen. 17:25; Gen. 17:26; Gen. 17:27; Gen. 21:4; Gen. 34:15; Gen. 34:17; Gen. 34:22; Gen. 34:24; Exod. 12:44; Exod. 12:48; Lev. 12:3; Deut. 10:16; Deut. 30:6; Jos. 5:2; Jos. 5:3; Jos. 5:4; Jos. 5:5; Jos. 5:7; Jos. 5:8; Ps. 58:7; Ps. 118:10; Ps. 118:11; Ps. 118:12; Jer. 4:4; Jer. 9:25 Genesis 17:11 “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. the flesh: Ex 4:25 Jos 5:3 1Sa 18:25-27 2Sa 3:14 a token: Ac 7:8 Ro 4:11 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries A mohel performing circumcision CIRCUMCISION A SIGN OF COVENANT And you shall be circumcised (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around") in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign ('oth; Lxx = semeion) of the covenant (beriyth; Lxx = diatheke) between Me and you - Circumcision was like a seal (KJV - token) affixed to a modern legal contract and thus served as a visual reminder that the terms of the contract were in force. Wenstrom on circumcised (mul; Lxx = peritemno = "cut around") in the flesh of your foreskin - Circumcision was not exclusive to Israel but was also performed by several Asian Oriental groups such as the Muslims (at age 13 like Ishmael) as well as the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and was also practiced by Egyptian priests and those who wanted to be initiated into their sacred mysteries. Circumcision among these nations was a rite of passage but was not performed on infants, thus the sign of circumcision given to Abraham to be performed on infants eight days old was unique in the ancient world. The ceremony of circumcision consisted in cutting away the foreskin, the hood or fold of skin covering the head of the male organ, which was generally done by means of a sharp knife, but in more primitive times sharp stones were used (Ex. 4:25; Josh. 5:2, flint knives). As a rule this act was performed by the father (Gen. 17:23), although it might be done by any Israelite, and, if necessary, women as well (Ex. 4:25), but never by a Gentile. In later times, in the case of adults, a doctor performed circumcision and the Jews of the present day entrust it to a person called a mohel appointed especially for the purpose.....Therefore, the organ of the male body that was used for procreation is consecrated to God (cf. Deut. 30:6; Jer. 4:4) and failure to submit to circumcision demonstrated one’s overt unwillingness to obey the Lord. The penalty for failing to submit to circumcision meant exile from Israel and from any inheritance in it and in fact resulted in capital punishment. In Exodus 4, Moses failed to circumcise his sons because of his Egyptian wife Zipporah, and was as a result almost killed by the Lord for failing to do so but Zipporah grudgingly gave in. Circumcision has hygienic value since cancer of the penis has a much higher incidence in uncircumcised males.....The ordinance of circumcision could not save man but was to be the distinguishing sign of the Jewish nation from the other nations. God has not commanded circumcision of the flesh for Christians. Circumcision of the flesh is useless unless there is a circumcision of the heart. Your faith in Christ is what is important to God and not whether you are circumcised or not. Abraham was first justified by his faith and then he was given circumcision as a badge or a mark that he was saved and set apart by God. The Jews in Paul's day believed that because they were physical descendants of Abraham that they could ride into heaven on the coattails of Abraham. They believed that they were sons of Abraham by right of circumcision, when in reality those who believe God are the true sons of Abraham. Henry