Gen:17:1-16
The Importance of Circumcision to Abraham and his descendants
1. It was a physical sign of true descendants of Abraham.
2. It was an outward sign of the inner faith.
3. It was a sign of obedience to the Mosaic Law.
4. It was a way of identifying those who were joined with Gods people.
5. It was a sign that God had entered into a covenant with Abraham.
6. It signified purity.
7. It was a sign of unity; through it one became a member of the Jewish community.
Comparison between the Jewish circumcision and circumcision in traditional African society
Similarities
1. In both cases circumcision is for the purpose of identification.
2. In both it marks the end of one stage in life and the beginning of another.
3. In both, circumcision is performed by special people mostly religious leaders.
4. In both there is a ceremony, which brings the members of the family together.
5. In both cases circumcision serves religious purposes.
6. There is the shedding of blood in both cases to seal the ceremony.
Differences
1.Among the Jews circumcision is done after eight days while in the traditional African
society it is done at puberty.
2.Among the Jews it is done on only the male while among some African societies it is
done on both sexes.
3.African circumcision is a test of courage while among the Jews it is a test of inner
faith.
4.In African circumcision there is seclusion while among the Jews there is no
seclusion.
5.Among the Jews circumcision is a command from God while in the African societies
it is in honor of ancestors.
6.Among the Jews it is for the identification of the descendants of Abraham while in
African communities it is identification of members of that community.
7.In the Jewish community it is an outward sign of the inner faith while in the African
societies it marks change from childhood to adulthood.
