#47 Sign of the Covenant Genesis 17

And God said to Abraham: "as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her." Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who ninety years old, bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before you!" Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year." Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and son Ishmael; and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. Genesis 17:9-27 NKJV

The circumcision: this identified men as belonging to the lineage of Abraham but also stood as an outward sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. While there is no physical act that men can do to save themselves or remove their sin, the act of circumcision points to the acknowledgement of sin and the transmission of sin to each generation. The removal of the foreskin suggests also the separation from the flesh and sin's desire, the need for cleansing and the confession of sin to God. 

Does the blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the farther of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. Romans 4:9-12 NKJV