In Gen 17 The covenant between Abraham and God is basically obedience on the part of Abraham and his descendants and Blessings on the part of God
Abraham became the first Jew when he has done his part in the covenant to obedience to be circumcised. Subsequently, any one who is a male child, ritually circumstanced on the eighth day will become a Jew.
Any non Jews, who is circumcised on eighth day ritually will become a Jew.
Why is it important to be a Jew?
Because Jews are God chosen people and come under the covenant between God and Abraham. Because God was Covenanted to fulfilled all His promises to obedient Jews.
Anyone who is uncircumcised will be recognized by God as gentiles. The gentiles will receive Abraham’s blessings by being a believer in Christ. There is no need for a uncircumcised grntile to become God’s people because Jesus’ death is the circumcision.
There is only 3 types of people.
1. Jews: Anyone who are circumcised on eighth day
2. Gentiles: Anyone who is uncircumcised
3. Believers: Anyone who believed in Jesus, regardless of circumcision or not (both Jews and Gentiles)
Whether is it Jewish family or not is dependance of the father or husband. If a Jewish male intermarried a gentiles woman, the child who is born is still a Jew. It follow the make line. That’s why Jesus is Jew
Are Muslim also Jews since they also practise circumcision?
Why Muslim practise circumcision?
Why of all things God can demand from Abraham to be covenanted with God, He chose circumcision? Why circumcision is so important to God?
If circumcision in the Jewish tradition was only about the surgical removal of the foreskin, it would not matter who performed the procedure. However it is much more than that. Circumcision is a ritual act binding the infant to his God, his people and his history. As such it must be performed by a mohel, who himself is part of the Jewish people and sensitive to the spiritual significance of the act he is performing.
Circumcision at eight days old is counter-intuitive. One might have thought the initiation ceremony into one’s faith ought to take place when one is mature enough to understand its meaning or, at the very least, to make an informed choice. The fact that this is not the case demonstrates the transcendent nature of a Jew’s relationship with God. By circumcising your eight-day-old child, you are marking him out as a Jew before he even understands the meaning of the word. It is an identity he will carry for the rest of his life. In the eyes of God and the Jewish people he will always be a Jew, regardless of how ultimately he chooses to live.
