Deuteronomy 10:16-17 (New International Version)

 “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”

Lexicon Results for the word circumcise is muwl and means to circumcise, let oneself be circumcised, cut, be cut off.  To completely understand this condition of the heart and apply it to our lives today, we need to study deeper the meaning of the word as it relates to the OT covenant in which the word circumcise has it’s meanings and roots.  

Genesis 17:10 says, “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”  This is the first mention of the word circumcise.  It is the exact same word used in Deuteronomy.  Same word, same exact meaning.  Reading on, we discover why God instructed Abraham as He did. 

Let us being in Genesis 17:11-14 NIV. 

“You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.  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.  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. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." 

Did you notice the separation of the Israelites, from others; the cutting off, the separation from the outside, from that which was considered unclean.   

According to Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary, a covenant is: 

a contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word _berith_ is always thus translated. _Berith_ is derived from a root which means "to cut," and hence a covenant is a "cutting," with reference to the cutting or dividing of animals into two parts, and the contracting parties passing between them, in making a covenant (Gen. 15; Jer. 34:18, 19). The corresponding word in the New Testament Greek is _diatheke_, which is, however, rendered "testament" generally in the Authorized Version. It ought to be rendered, just as the word _berith_ of the Old Testament, "covenant." This word is used (1) of a covenant or compact between man and man (Gen. 21:32), or between tribes or nations (1 Sam. 11:1; Josh. 9:6, 15). In entering into a convenant, Jehovah was solemnly called on to witness the transaction (Gen. 31:50), and hence it was called a "covenant of the Lord" (1 Sam. 20:8)…… The word is used with reference to God's revelation of himself in the way of promise or of favour to men. Thus God's promise to Noah after the Flood is called a covenant (Gen. 9; Jer. 33:20, "my covenant"). We have an account of God's covernant with Abraham (Gen. 17, comp. Lev. 26:42), of the covenant of the priesthood (Num. 25:12, 13; Deut. 33:9; Neh. 13:29), and of the covenant of Sinai (Ex. 34:27, 28; Lev. 26:15)…. 

 Here we are being instructed to; as the King James states it in this same verse, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”  As I understand this, to basically cut away all impurity and filth of the heart, mind, soul and life. 

Why is this important? 

I’m not 100 percent clear on this so I’m going to approach this question from a personal view point.  

I know from my personal experience that anything that I have “cut” off will not continue to grow and prosper on its own.  The more I feed it the more it grows and ultimately consumes my thoughts, beliefs and behavior. 

Cutting off in-tales severing the unhealthy thought, behavior or belief from the healthy part of my heart.  You are basically taking what’s ill and cauterizing it from the heart.  In order to allow that impurity portion to die, you have to disconnect the life giving flow that’s feeding it.  Cutting off involves the severing the impurity and allowing that severed piece of one’s heart to die.  Needless to say, this is a process, a long process.  A very painful process as you can imagine, anything that involves cutting will involve pain.  However, the pain is well worth the journey.

 Verse 

It would be wrong of me not to quickly touch upon the final piece of this scripture before concluding.  You know the portion I’m talking about, the part that says, “and be no more stiffnecked.” Stiff necked comes from the Lexicon Transliteration `oreph meaning, to give, turn back. 

I find it very interesting that the One who inspired the scriptures added these words.  Our universal creator knows His creation, doesn’t He.  God knows man’s tendency to turn back.  I know how easy it is to turn back to the impure way of thinking, believing and behaving.  

 I pray by this part in our “Heart Series” you too will have come to an understanding of the heart and how easily it is for us to turn back to the old if we have not completely circumcised it from our hearts.

Join me this week praising and praying for the following:

1.      I praise God for His unfailing love, mercy, and grace.

2.      I praise Him for His wonder ways He is working in PureHeart and in the lives of those who He has brought to us.

3.      I praise Him for each of you, who faithfully pray for PureHeart.

4.      Pray for Ryan, Brad and I.  We are finally having a day retreat to plan and prepare for PHM.  It will be this Friday, March 27.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers.

5.      Pray for the men we are ministering to.  Pray for the Spirits guiding and timing in our conversations.

6.      Pray for each other.  You are our watchmen and women for this ministry.  Without you, the Enemy’s attacks would not be blocked. 

Thank you so very much;

Sharing from the Heart;

Steve