The Free Thinkers guide to the Bible

Part 4 #4 – The Abrahamic covenants

The foundation of the Priesthood

The introduction of “Circumcision”

Welcome back to the Free Thinkers guide to the bible. I created this series so that ‘anyone’ can explore and understand the bible. You don’t need to be a biblical scholar; all you need is a desire to see what is written. I will present to you several biblical examples and demonstrate the process of sifting the accounts to reveal the hidden. This process is very similar to archeology, where the layers are excavated and analyzed. Just not the dirty part, though you will be digging up some dirt along the way.

Warning:

The series unfolds like a story in a book. Please study the content in the order it is presented in order to have the best experience. The study series begins with Part 1 #1 – The Flood

Preface

In the fourth study we build upon the knowledge we acquired in the first three studies. We have found that there are at least two distinct authors and a superb redactor(s) that created, edited and merged accounts and stories in the books of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In the second study we highlighted accounts that diminished or promoted Moses and Aaron. In the third study we highlighted accounts that revealed that the “A” account writer(s) focused on Aaron and priestly matters. The “B” account writer(s) focused on telling stories and made no mention of priestly matters, Aaron was revealed to be a leader of the people and he and Hur were in charge when Moses went up to the Mount.

In this portion of the study we examine the Abrahamic covenant accounts. We will use the information we gathered in the first three studies to dig deeper and explore the areas that require close examination.

The Covenant with Abram “B”

"Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates"

We begin the study with the first mention of a covenant between the Creator and Abram.

Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ***

3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, this shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. ***

18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Summary

The Creator יהוה communicates with Abram in a vision. The Creator יהוה tells Abram that he will have an heir from his seed and they would be as numerous as the stars in the heaven. Abram fell asleep and the Creator יהוה communicated with him and made a covenant with him affirming that his seed would be given the land from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River. The lands of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites…

This is a pretty straight forward “B” account covenant between Abram and the Creator יהוה.

Our next examples are the intermixed covenants in Genesis seventeen…

Abraham and the Covenants:

Abrams/Abrahams covenant: The father of many nations

Gen 17:1 And *** the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, *** 4 as for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. *** 15b as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

Summary

The “B” covenant is between the Creator יהוה and Abram. The Creator tells Abram he will be the father of many nations and changes his name to Abraham. He also changes Sarai’s name to Sarah and blesses her.

Gods covenant: The Covenant of Circumcision “A”

Gen 17:1 and when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, *** 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. 24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Summary

The “A” covenant is between the Creator שַׁדַּי אֵל (El Shaddai) and Abram. The Creator tells Abram he will multiply him exceedingly. The Creator then reveals His everlasting covenant that the seed of Abraham must keep; the covenant of circumcision.

Note: This is the first occurrence of circumcision in the bible.

Verse twelve also states that the newborn males are to be circumcised on the eighth day…

17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

Gen 21:4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Lev 12:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

We see that the eighth day circumcision was not codified in the priestly statutes until the scroll of Leviticus in the purification after childbirth clean/unclean; and the offerings that were to be brought to the priests to atone for the woman being unclean due to bearing the child.

I have also included the intentional references to Ishmael that the “A” writer(s) included in the account. This information does not have any direct bearing on the establishment of the priesthood, but it should be noted for future use in studies.

We have the first examples of the priestly rite of circumcision in the “A” writer(s) covenant. As with the previous examples we see a calculated insertion of another defining characteristic of the Hebrew people; circumcision.

Note: This covenant account uses the "A" writers use of word repetition to make your mind remember that this is a covenant; using the word eleven times. They also use the same tactic for circumcision; which they use eleven times in the account.

Word Occurrences/Repetitions:

God – 10X

Circumcise(d) – 11X (מוּל - mûl)

My (Gods - שַׁדַּי אֵל) covenant – 8X

An everlasting covenant – 3X

Ishmael/Ishmael his son – 5X

Token – 1X (אות- 'ôth) Sign

Conclusion

The pattern of evidence is obvious at this point in the studies. The “A” account writer(s) have intentionally inserted priestly matters into the earlier writings to give them authority and to introduce the readers to the priestly concepts that would be further developed in the Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy accounts.

The “A” Creation account introduced the seventh day Sabbath and Blessing. (G 1)

The “A” writer(s) then introduced covenant, Clean/unclean animals, the Altar, Olah offerings, a sweet savour, and the prohibition against eating meat with the blood in the Flood account. (G 6-9)

The “A” writer(s) introduced the Priesthood, tithing and priestly authority in the Melchizedek account. (G 14)

The “A” writer(s) introduced the eternal ritual of the eighth day circumcision in the Abrahamic covenant account. (G 17)

We will continue to demonstrate the gradual introduction of priestly matters into the Genesis accounts which pave the way for the Israelite priesthood, its statutes, laws and judgments.

Please continue with us in the next study:

Part 4 #5 – The Sacrifice of Isaac