Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

17:l-27 GENESIS ‘*
Israelite stock, adopting the Israelite’. ion. So with all
ecessary’ exclusiveness Israel wds at the same ti
broader in its attitude than assarire. I But there
certainly could be little hesita bout letting circumcised
slaves be merged with th n race.’’ The rite of
circumcision, instead of being the ‘badge of- any favored
class within the nation destined to spring from Abraham’s
loins, was, on pain of excommunication, to be open to the
lowliest member of the commonw Israel, even to
the bond-servant and the stranger. he penalty for
disobedience, either by omission or commission: “that soul
shall be cut off from his people.” Not infants,-who could
not circumcise themselves, but such- as wilfully neglected
the ordinance when they grew up; would nationally be
cut off from their people. Anyone who reounced this distinguishing
mark of Abraham’s seed, renounced his covenant
alliance ‘with God and fellowship with His people.
Nothing could be more reasonable, therefore, than that
they should be excluded from the privileges of the nation
and accounted as heathens. This is the import of cutting
off from his people in most of the passages where we find
the phrase (cf. Exo. 12:15, 19; 30:33, 38.-Lev. 7:20, 21,
2.7, 27; 17:4, 9, 10, 14; 22:3.-Num. 9:3, 19:13, 20). In
some passages, however, death is certainly connected with
the phrase, that is, death by the immediate hand of God
thru the magistrate (cf. Exo. 31:14; Lev. 18:29, 19:8; 20:3,
5, 6, 17; Num. 15:30, 31, 32-36). It is difficult to determine
whether this phrase indicated anything beyond
excommunication in the present instance. Certainly, however,
to despise and reject the sign, was to despise and reject
the covenant itself; hence, he who neglects or refuses
the sign, “he bath broken my couenunt” (v. 14). It can
not be doubted that in some cases capital punishment (by
stofiing to death) was the sanction inflicted for flagrant
violations of God’s law under the Mosaic institution. However,
“to suppose that such was its meaning here necessi-
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