Weekly Devotional:
The Circumcised Heart
the LORD your God will circumcise your heart..., to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live—Deuteronomy 30:6
Circumcision was required of Israeli men, not for moral or ethical reasons, but as an indication of their identification with Jehovah; the distinct God of the Jews. It became the ID card for Jewish men: if he was circumcised, he was Jewish; if not, he was a Gentile. Because the children of Abraham were regarded as God’s special people, to be circumcised implied right standing with God. As with many rituals, over time the symbolic rite takes on more importance than that which it symbolizes.
In the New Testament, Paul (the ex-Pharisee) recognized circumcision was of value only if the Law was obeyed in its entirety. He came to see that ...circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter... (Romans 2:29). Paul saw the real significance of the symbol: right standing with God comes only through a heart (the core being, the essence of the individual, the motivational center) that is changed. A physical sign can be easily duplicated. A change of heart results in changed behavior.
Again, Paul firmly stated, It doesn't matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person (Galatians 6:15 CEV). The capstone of the New Testament teaching regarding circumcision is found in Philippians 3:3, for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus…
Under Moses the Jewish people were notoriously fickle, disloyal, and rebellious. God said the solution to their alienation from Him was ...circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer (Deuteronomy 10:16). The circumcised heart indicates a change in the core being of the individual. Motivations and attitudes, desires and yearnings are now in line with Jehovah’s intent for man, his interpersonal relations and attitudes toward possessions.
From: A Layman’s Daily Walk, For HHH Ministries (available at HHH book store for $12)