THE GOSPELS – Chapter 1: The Circumcision of the Heart

6 September 2024

We are proceeding with our study of the GOSPELS. Last week we studied the BIRTHS of John the Baptist and YESHUA THE MESSIAH, their circumcision at 8 days old and Abba Father’s intention from the START to circumcise His people’s hearts to ensure that we live in HIS PRESENCE and BE PURE HEARTED. Since the HUMAN HEART is such an important matter and often discussed in the Bible we are going to study more on it today.

We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians with cross references to other Bible versions. As well as the Nelson’s Foundational Bible Dictionary.

We are using the Hebrew names of God the Father, namely YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD is used in standard versions of the Bible, and we will also use the description Heavenly Father and Abba Father.  We also use the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.

We are going to EXPLORE WHY ABBA FATHER wanted His people to be circumcised from 8 days old. Since we know from our study last week that it was ALWAYS His desire that the HEARTS of His people be circumcised we are going to look at it from this perspective – with other words we are going to explore WHY THE HUMAN HEART is so important to Abba Father and we are going to look at TWO main ENEMIES that can lead to UTTER DESTRUCTION of a person’s life, including his or her health and relationships if we do not CIRCUMSISE OUR HEARTS and if we do not GUARD IT ABOVE ALL ELSE as the Word, the MANUAL FOR ALL HUMAN KIND as given to us a by YHVH our CREATOR and FATHER and shown to us by example by our Messiah and Redeemer, Yeshua to ensure that we live life abundantly.

We are going to discuss it in two parts:

1. The circumcision of the hearts of our children
2. Circumcision of our HEARTS as adults
3. How to guard our hearts, specifically against the TWO MAIN ENEMIES of

1). OFFENCE &

2). UNFORGIVENESS

So how do we today circumcise the HEARTS of our children from birth?

We follow Abba Father’s instructions in Deuteronomy 6 fearing YHVH our God and observing all His regulations and commandments – we, our children and grandchildren as long as we live and so that we will have long life. And we read in verses 3-7 “Therefore listen Israel and take care to OBEY, so that things will GO WELL with you, and so that you will increase greatly, as YHVH the God of your ancestors, promised you by giving you a land filled with milk and honey. Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, ADONAI echad (Hear, Isra’el! YHVH our God, YHVH is One!) and you are to LOVE YHVH your God with ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR BEING and ALL YOUR RESOURCES. These words which I am ordering you today, are to be on YOUR HEART, and you are to TEACH THEM CAREFULLY to your CHILDREN. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are travelling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. “

This is the responsibility of BOTH parents (and grandparents) – first and foremost the father of the household, taking responsibility as KING, PROPHET and PREAST of his own household – namely KING by managing and protecting hi wife and children, PROPHET by teaching and guiding his wife and children in accordance to Abba Father’s Word and PREAST by interceding and praying for his wife and children. And secondly the mother of the children teaching them the word of Abba Father as we also see confirmation in 2^nd Timothy 1:5 in Paul saying to Timothy: “I recall your sincere trust (faith, hope, belief) that your GRANDMOTHER Lois and MOTHER Eunice had first; and I am convinced that you too now have this trust (faith, hope, belief) and in 2^nd Timothy 3:14-17 Paul saying to Timothy: “…continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; and recalling too how from CHILDHOOD you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to DELIVERANCE through trusting (believing, having faith) in Yeshua the messiah. All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for TEACHING the TRUTH, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; thus, anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.”

Solomon also confirms this in Proverbs 1:8 saying: “My son, heed the discipline of your father, and do not abandon the TEACHINGS of your mother; they will be a garland to grace your head, a medal of honor for your neck.” And Proverbs 2:1-5 says: “My son, if you will receive my words and store my commandments INSIDE YOU, paying attention to wisdom inclining your MIND toward understanding – yes, if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment, if you seek it like you would silver and search for it as for hidden treasure – THEN you will understand the fear of YHVH and find knowledge of God.”

And in Proverbs 4:20-23 we are given this essential advice: My son, pay attention to what I am saying: incline your ear to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your HEART; for they are LIFE to those who finds them and HEALTH to their whole being. ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE, guard your HEART; for it is the source of life’s consequences.

THE HEART and MIND forms ONE UNIT and WILL DETERMINE the choices we make with our FREE WILL – and ALL THREE TOGETHER is what we call the SOUL of a PAERSON. And all of us know humankind’s enemy, Satan and his evil forces are trying to get hold of human SOUL’s. And one of the main ways they attack is to make us feel OFFENDED in some way and to respond with UNFORGIVENESS.

One of the most effective ways to maintain our spiritual strength and release the power of Abba Father in our lives is by FORGIVING someone who has hurt us. That is probably why Yeshua told us the IMPORTANCE of FORGIVENESS of others in Matthew 6:14-15 where he said: if we FORGIVE others their OFFENCES, our heavenly Father will also forgive us, BUT if we do not forgive their offences, our heavenly Father will not forgive ours.  And no one of us can afford not to be forgiven by Abba Father. So, if we really want to defeat the enemy’s plan to steal from us and destroy our lives, it is crucial to FORGIVE everyone who has ever wronged us in any way, no matter how serious or hurtful it has been.

BITTERNESS and UNFORGIVENESS have been described like battery acid – it will eat away at your life. And if not conquered it will destroy a person. Therefore we must understand the importance of Ephesians 6:12 telling us that our struggle is not against the people hurt or offend us, but rather our struggle is against our evil spiritual enemy, because think about it, there is not a person alive on this earth who has not been offended or hurt – but hanging on to the offence and the hurt until our hearts turn into stone is what destroys us and our relationships. And therefore, the REAL enemy to watch out for is BITTERNESS that will turn into UNFORGIVENESS and EVENTUALY to HATE and MURDER with the tongue or physical murder. Nourishing HATRED towards others will eventually destroy the person harboring the hatred – spirit, body and soul. Because remember – what we SOW we will REAP. So, when we sow seeds of bitterness in our own hearts and minds, we will reap its DESTROYING FRUITS in our own lives. It is against these enemies we have to fight. The BIBLE calls it, ROOTS of BITTERNESS that spring up and causes trouble and thus contaminates many (see Hebrews 12:15.

AND the BATTLE AXE to get RID of these bitter roots is FORGIVENESS. Forgiveness releases tremendous power. It brings healing and restores the joy of fellowship with others. It UNBINDS the tension that tears us apart. We are called to SPIRITUAL WARFARE against the evil forces, but to be at PEACE with YHVH our God, ourselves and fellow human beings. We read in 1 Corinthians 7:15 “God has called us to a life of PEACE.”

But to be able to live in peace our hearts have to be circumcised.

Paul tells us in Colossians chapter 2 and 3 a lot about this saying it is in union with Yeshua the Messiah that we are circumcised, not by human hands, but accomplished by stripping away the old nature’s control over the body. In this circumcision we are buried along with Him by being immersed (or baptized); and in union with Him; we are raised up along with Him by God’s faithfulness. We were dead because of your sins, that is, because of our “FORESKIN” OUR OLD NATURE. But God made us alive along with Messiah by forgiving us our sins. And if we are raised with Yeshua our Messiah, we should seek the things above where He is sitting at the right hand of Abba Father. Focusing our minds on the things above, not on things here on earth. And we further read in Colossians 3:5-15: Therefore, put to death the earthly parts of your nature – sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (which is a form of idolatry); for it is because of these things that God’s anger is coming on those who DISOBEY Him. True enough, you used to practice these things in the live you once lived; but now, put them all away – anger, exasperation (frustration, enragement) meanness, slander and obscene talk. Never lie to one another; because you have stripped away the old self, with its ways, and have put on the new self, which is continually being renewed in fuller and fuller knowledge, closer and closer to the image of the Creator. The NEW SELF allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, salve, free man; on the contrary, in all, the Messiah is everything. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, HOLY (set apart for Him) and dearly loved, CLOTHE yourselves with FEELINGS of COMPASSION and KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS and PATIENCE. Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, FORGIVE HIM. Indeed, just as YHVH has forgiven you, SO YOU MUST FORGIVE. Above all things, clothe yourselves with LOVE, which binds everything together PERFECTLY; and let the SHALOM (the PEACE) which comes from the MESSIAH be your HEART’S DECISION MAKER, for this is why you were called to be part of a single (capital letter) Body (that is the BODY of MESSIAH).

We are called to lead a Holy Spirit filled life and it will require from us to take EACH THROUGHT CAPTIVE and make it OBEDIENT to Yeshua our Messiah – meaning to the Word and what it teaches us. Because what is in your THOUGHTS will determine what is in your HEART. If our thoughts are RIGHTEOUSS – that means in line with the WORD of God, our WORDS and DEEDS will be filled with PEACE.

We can therefore take a decision to, in line with Abba Father’s will LIVE in PEACE in all our relationships. Yeshua our Messiah said in Mark 9:50 “Salt is excellent, but if it loses its saltiness, how will you season it? So have salt in yourselves – that is, BE AT PEACE with each other.” And we read in Hebrews 12:14 “Keep pursuing SHALOM (PEACE) with EVERYON and the holiness without which no one will see YHVH.”

PEACE is a blessing of YHVH, and it starts within us. Yeshua our Messiah said in John 14:27 “What I am leaving with you is SHALOM (PEACE) – I am giving you MY SHALOM (MY PEACE) I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened (scared, afraid, alarmed).” REMEMBER He is the PRINCE OF PEACE / SAR SHALOM (Isaiah 9:6) and therefore it is impossible to be at PEACE without Him. Paul confirms this saying in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 “Now may the Lord of SHALOM Himself give you SHALOM ALWAYS in ALL WAYS.” So we must GUARD this PEACE our Messiah gave us and NOT permit Satan and his evil forces to steal our PEACE, and if we do not experience PEACE we must evaluate how it slipped away from us and be determined to TAKE IT BACK by realizing although we all experience challenges and spiritual attacks in life God’s PEACE is available to us at all times, it is constant, never changing, never ending and it is able to DRIVE OUT ALL FEARS of the PAST and the PRESENT as Isaiah 26:3-4 in the Amplified Bible tells us: “You (YHVH) will keep in PERFECT and CONSTANT PEACE the one whose MIND is STEADFAST (committed and focused) on You because he trusts and takes refuge in You. TRUST confidently in YHVH forever (He is your fortress, your shield, your banner). For YHVH your God is an everlasting (capital letter) Rock (the Rock of Ages).”