Genesis 17:22–27 ESV)

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.

There are two words in this passage that just come flying off the page: “every” and “bought.” Abraham circumcised every male, even himself and even those bought with money from a foreigner. The covenant is for everyone in Abraham’s household, without regard to race or station. Even foreign slaves are included.

And the context makes this even stronger.

“Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” — Genesis 17:14 (ESV)

So, for a slave, bought with money from a foreigner, who are his people? Is an uncircumcised Egyptian cut off from the Egyptian people?

Of course not. “His people” has to mean the people of the covenant.

This is the opposite of racism, and it’s amazingly early in human history for something like this to occur.

Abraham is generally believed to have lived in the Bronze Age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Age

Nevertheless, a Stone Age tool was used for circumcision. At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. —Joshua 5:2-3 (ESV)

Whether Stone Age or Bronze Age, this was at the dawn of recorded history. From the very beginning, God’s covenant sign was not ethnically limited.

Of course, this concept will come into full bloom in the New Testament, where all nations become fully blessed through Abraham. But here the Old Testament is just getting started, and already we see God hinting at where this is headed.

He will make this clearer and more specific soon.

“and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,” — Genesis 22:18a (ESV)

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.