Tests of Faith - Pt 7

When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. (Genesis 17:22-27 ESV). Earlier in the text Abraham was told again of God’s promise. Both his name and Sarah’s name were changed to reflect the promise. And, he was asked to be obedient to circumcise all of the males of his household, family, and himself. It is a clear call to obedience in the face of not understanding the significance of the action. For us it calls us to examine our own lives and the occasions in our lives when we have acted simply in obedience to God, and not because we understood the significance of what we were doing. When we lived in Texas, we were just minutes away from General Dynamics where the F-16 was produced and test flown. It was always an exciting sight to see them as they roared off the airstrip into the sky. It is an amazing aircraft with incredible capabilities; however, there is one thing that a jet pilot requires above all else. With all the technology in the plane, it still must react to the pilot’s direction. If it were to have "a mind of its own" regardless of how remarkable that might sound, it would end up doing as much flying as a brick. IN the same way, even if we had all the best intentions, God must be in control in our lives. If we insist upon taking our lives into our own hands at every opportunity we will find ourselves ineffective and without God’s peace and power. Obedience is the key to a life of joy and excellence. It is important to understand what circumcision meant to Abraham. Though he didn’t understand “why” he was being asked to do this, he certainly understood that God was making this a request. His response was one of obedience. Looking back it is clear to us that God was showing us that because he had made this covenant with Abraham, it gave him the ability to respond is a way that acknowledged the work of God in extending the promise to him. The Apostle Paul is very clear in the New Testament that the act of circumcision was not the deciding factor in our redemption. Just as it was a confirmation for Abraham that he had received the gift of God’s grace in the promise; so our obedience today is a confirmation of that redemptive act. We are saved, so we are set free to act in a manner that reflects that work in our lives. The tests of faith we are subjected to today are merely extensions of this request. God may not have asked you to circumcise your household, but he has asked you to be obedient. Are you? If not, you’re a brick trying to fly by itself!