# 144 The Mark 16:16 of the Old Testament

The Book of Genesis Day 143 Ge 17:11 "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 "He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 "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." I want to spend one more day speaking of circumcision and baptism. One of the pitfalls found in Old Testament circumcision and New Testament baptism, is people have fallen into the trap of relying solely on the rite of God, while neglecting the relationship with God. (Faith) Somehow people have gotten the idea that they can be baptized and just live as they please! Is that what the Bible says? In the Old Testament, God continually reminded the “people of the circumcision,” to circumcise the foreskin of their heart! In other words, they were to cut off the covering of their hearts that kept them from walking before Him. Listen to how important the circumcision of the heart was to God. In Jer 9:25,26 we read, "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised- 26 "Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart." The point is this: circumcision is of no value to the unbeliever!Should Abraham and his descendants throw out circumcision? Certainly not! As believers they would want to be circumcised because God commanded it and promised to do something in it for the recipient! This would mark them as children of God, much like the seal of the Spirit received in baptism! Remember, there were two types of circumcision….the physical and the spiritual1 In Ezek 44:9, God had this to say about the importance of both! Eze 44:9 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel. (This is the Mk 16:16 verse of the Old Testament! Mr 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Circumcision of the flesh and circumcision of the heart were required to enter the sanctuary in the Old Testament. (Let’s call that heaven!) Water baptism and faith are required to enter the sanctuary in the New Testament! As the Israelites should’ve remembered what God do for them in circumcision, so should the Christian daily remember what God has done for us in baptism, and then live accordingly! Pray: Father, thank You for the grace bestowed upon us at baptism. Help us to not waste it through neglecting our faith!