Sunday 9 June, 2019

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 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. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

God has just finished telling Abram all the wonderful things that he was going to do for him, and it’s not a small thing either to be the father of a mighty nation. But in this passage, God then tells Abram what his part is going to be and in the NLT it says that “Your part of the agreement is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.”

Obedience is not just a once off event, like a box to be ticked. God’s requirement of us is not just to say that we have obeyed him, but to say that we are obeying him. Obedience to God is meant to be continual, a lifestyle. This is what sets us apart as God’s people.

God takes it a step further. If anyone does not bear the mark, in other words refuses to be obedient they will be cut of from the covenant family. That is what our obedience means to God. To obey God is to be a part of his family. Jesus said in John 15:15 if you love me you will obey me. Our obedience to God, is proof that we love God, and means that we are a part of his family.

How do I make sure that I always obey God? As David said, by keeping his Word in my heart (Ps 119).

Father I thank you for all the wonderful things that you have promised for me. I choose to be obedient and to keep your Word in my heart always.

Written by Andrew Martin