Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Genesis 17:23-27
by: Dale Rood.
What was the purpose of circumcision? Notice it was only the males from among God’s people who were circumcised. It was not a health issue here—though circumcision is done in our day as a health imperative. Nor was it an obligation that was required. Rather it was a sign—an identification mark—for those who came under the covenant of Abraham (Genesis 17:11). It was specifically a mark of identification as a Jew. Under the New Covenant, we have a new sign: the blood of Jesus Christ, and with it the cross. This, now, is the sign for those who are identified as Christians.