He Gave Moses Two Tablets of the Testimony, Tablets of Stone, Written with the Finger of God: Exodus 31:18-32:35

Exodus 31:18-32:35: "31:18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

"32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' 2 And Aaron said to them, 'Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.' 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"' 9 And the LORD said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.' 11 Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: 'LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, "He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?" Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever."' 14 So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people. 15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' 18 But he said: 'It is not the noise of the shout of victory, nor the noise of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear.' 19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, 'What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?' 22 So Aaron said, 'Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, "Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 24 And I said to them, "Whoever has any gold, let them break it off." So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.' 25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, 'Whoever is on the LORD's side--come to me.' And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor."' 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, 'Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.' 30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, 'You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.' 31 Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.' 33 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.' 35 So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made."

As soon as God delivers His Law written by His own finger to Moses, we are shown that the people of God, have broken the Testimony. And it is the very first Commandment, that is, to not have other gods. The narrative of the golden calf is familiar to us. But here are a couple of things that should be drawn to our attention regarding this pericope.

The first is that God writes the Ten Commandments with His own finger. This reveals the love our Lord God has for His people, and how important this Law is to Him. He doesn't pass the task of writing it on to an angel, or to Moses, but He writes it Himself. This means that what He writes, He means to be kept flawlessly.

The second thing to point out is that when the Israelites approach Aaron to make them a false god, he doesn't put up any sort of an argument, at least none that is written about. He basically says, "Ok, give me your gold and silver, and I'll do it." Along these lines, and something that is interesting, is when Aaron is relaying the story to Moses, he states that when he threw the gold and the silver into the fire, the golden calf just appeared out of the flames. This is different the narrative that Moses relates earlier in the chapter, that is, that Aaron fashioned it with an engraving tool. What does that mean? It means that Aaron is lying to Moses, to make it seem like what he did wasn't that bad. Although, Aaron leaves out the part about making an altar to the golden calf, too. We also learn that Aaron was the guy left in charge by Moses, to keep the Israelites from doing just such a thing. What is truly remarkable about all this, is that Aaron is still chosen as the High Priest. This shows how forgiving our Lord can be.

Another thing to point out is that our Lord God, when He discovers what the Israelites are doing, He wants to immediately wipe out the entire nation, however, Moses intercedes for them. We see in this a prefigurement of our Lord Jesus, Who intercedes for us to the Father. But what is interesting is that as soon as Moses comes down the mountain, the same wrath that our Lord God had, now consumes him. And he smashes the stone tablets on the ground, has the calf ground into powder, and makes them drink it. Then he sends the Levites out among the Israelites, and they kill 3,000 of them. What this means, is that Moses is acting on God's behalf. He both intercedes and metes out punishment. Or to say it another way, he both forgives and retains sins, much like the ministers do today. Forgiving the sins of those who repent, but retaining the sin of those who do not repent.

The final thing to point out is that after Moses does all these things to the Israelite people, he is back to interceding to the Lord God for the people. He even makes the great statement, that he would be willing to die in the place of the Israelites for their sin (see verse 32). Moses is showing himself to be a prefigurement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who was willing to suffer and die on behalf of us and the whole world, who are manifest sinners, so that we might have life, and have it abundantly.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Will Take You As My People, And I Will Be Your God: Exodus 6:1-13

Exodus 6:1-13: "1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.' 2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: 'I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. 4 I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: "I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD."' 9 So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. 10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11 'Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.' 12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, 'The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?' 13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt."

Today, Almighty God reveals Himself in a more special way than He ever did to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To the three patriarchs, the Lord God only revealed Himself as God Almighty, but now He will reveal His true nature and power. He does this in part by identifying Himself to the Israelites, by His true Name, LORD, or Yahweh, or Jehovah. I AM THAT I AM. He does this for the sake of the Israelite nation. For Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did not need to see the great wonders that the people of Israel are about to see. No, they believed on God without seeing. And their faith was credited to them as righteousness.

He has revealed Himself to us in an even more special way, that is, through His Son Jesus Christ. He reveals Himself as the God who takes on our flesh, and becomes incarnate for our salvation. He first reveals Himself in this way to His apostles, and those who were witness to His life and work, and miracles and the great wonders that He did, that called to the minds of the people of Israel when He was alive on this earth, the great wonders that were done in Egypt to deliver the people of Israel.

Therefore, the people of Israel in Moses time and in the time of our Lord Jesus each got to be witnesses of our Lord's power, they got to see the Lord in action. And the people of our Lord's time saw that the Lord Jesus was the true I AM THAT I AM, Yahweh, Jehovah, the LORD. However, we today are more like the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for we do not get to see these wonders with our own eyes, but only get to hear His holy Word preached into our ears through simple means. We believe without seeing, just like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

However, the Lord delivers us out of the bondage of sin, just like the people of Israel at the time of Moses, who were delivered from slavery to Egypt and Pharaoh. Our Lord is just as gracious and loving to us, as He was to them. For although we must believe without seeing, He still grants us grace and delivers us through the simple means of grace.

And just like Pharaoh stood in the way of the people of Israel's freedom, the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh stand in our way of freedom from sin and death. And our Lord sends a deliver to us in the form of a man of God, the ministers of the Word, just like He sent Moses and Aaron to speak to the people of Israel the comfort words of our Almighty God's deliverance.

The Israelites did not heed the preaching of Moses. Today, there are still those who refuse to heed to the preaching of our Lord Jesus done through His called servants. But our Lord continues to send them, even as in today's pericope He continues to bolster Moses against both the unbelief of the people of Israel and their captive Pharaoh.

May the Lord God preach the good news of His promised deliverance from sin into your ears, so that by the same faith that the patriarchs of old possessed, you too may believe without seeing, and receive the grace that our Lord God desires to give to you.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

I Will Go: Genesis 24:29-67

Genesis 24:29-67: "29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, 'Thus the man spoke to me,' that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, 'Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.' 32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told about my errand.' And he said, 'Speak on.' 34 So he said, 'I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son." 39 And I said to my master, "Perhaps the woman will not follow me." 40 But he said to me, "The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath." 42 And this day I came to the well and said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, 'Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,' 44 and she says to me, 'Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,'--let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son." 45 But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, "Please let me drink." 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, "Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also." So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, "Whose daughter are you?" And she said, "The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him." So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.' 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, 'The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken.' 52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, 'Send me away to my master.' 55 But her brother and her mother said, 'Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.' 56 And he said to them, 'Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.' 57 So they said, 'We will call the young woman and ask her personally.' 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' And she said, 'I will go.' 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: 'Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.' 61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. 62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, 'Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?' The servant said, 'It is my master.' So she took a veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."

Laban it seems has trouble letting go. He has agreed to allow Rebekah to go with Abraham's servant back to the land of Canaan, in order that she may be married to Isaac. But then it seems he reneges. He tells Abraham's servant that the servant can go home, and then later, they'll send Rebekah. At least ten days Laban wanted to keep his sister around. We are reminded from this of what Laban does to Rebekah's son, Jacob. Jacob desired to marry Laban's daughter Rachel, but in order for that to happen, he had to work for Laban for seven years. When the time actually came for him to be married to Rachel, Laban snuck Rachel's sister, Leah, into the tent. Then, in order for Jacob to marry Rachel, he had to work for Laban for another seven years. After these fourteen years, Laban still was reluctant to let his daughters go.

It seems that Laban is reluctant to let his loved ones go, for here in Genesis 24, he wants to keep his sister around. One would think that if she stayed, she may have never gone. But, Laban leaves it up to his sister, probably thinking she would not want to go to a far away strange country to live with people whom she did not know. However, when Laban asks her, she says, "I will go." What we see in this statement, is faith. This is the same faith that Abraham had when he left his home and family to go away into a far away country simply because the Lord God told him.

Rebekah shows this same faith, recognizing from the description of Abraham's servant in what led him to Laban and his sister, was the will of God. It would seem that Rebekah is willing to serve God rather than her brother's wishes. And so, she sets off with Abraham's servant, willingly and gladly, to be wed to a man she never met.

Such faith is hard to find in this life. People who will take a leap of faith of this nature, going to a place where there is no assurance that the life that awaits them, will be a good and enjoyable one. One could even argue that Rebekah is going to this new life, even if it means her life will not be a pleasant one. In that, we can see a picture of our Lord Jesus, who left His Heavenly throne, and His Divine power and came to this strange unwelcoming land full of sin and death and sorrow, simply because His Father and our Father, wanted Him too. And simply because He desired to save and redeem us.

Our Lord Jesus, eventually returned to His Heavenly Father at His ascension, in the same way that Rebekah returned to her brother Laban, through her son Jacob. And it should be pointed out that even though Rebekah took this leap of faith, faithfully following the will of the Lord God, she did not end up with an unpleasant life. Moses records for us that Isaac loved Rebekah. And we can assume that because Rebekah brought Isaac comfort from his mother's death, that she loved him.

Rebekah, after leaving one family, is given a new family. And this family would fulfill the blessing that Laban bestows upon her at her leaving, that she would be the mother of many children, and that they would dwell in the land of their enemies. Our Lord Jesus, also leaves His Heavenly home, and is given a new home, and then after fulfilling all that was necessary for Him to win our salvation, is given a new family, with many co-heirs.

We are that new family of our Lord Jesus, he is our brother, the Firstborn out of the dead, and that family's mother is the holy Christian Church, who gives birth to many children, just like Rebekah, through water and the Word. And the Church dwells in the land of its enemies of the devil, the world, and sinful flesh, but because of what our Brother, our Lord Jesus, did for us, we do not fear these enemies, for our Lord has authority over them, and does not let them prevail against the gates of the Church, so that we may rest in peace in the gifts of His holy Word and Blessed Sacraments.

We who have joined the Church are like our mother Rebekah, for in faith we say, "I will go." Trusting in our Lord God, and living according to His commands, and rejoicing in what He has done for us, and continues to do for us. We enjoy the fruits of this new land, this land known as holy Christendom, and we live out our lives in love, being loved by our Heavenly Father, Who bestows His spiritual blessings upon us richly and abundantly. Rejoice in what our Lord Jesus has done for you, and that He has called you into His holy kingdom, and feeds and sustains you in the faith.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

God Has Made Me Laugh, And All Who Hear Will Laugh With Me: Genesis 21:1-8

Genesis 21:1-8: "1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him--whom Sarah bore to him--Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, 'God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.' 7 She also said, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.' 8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned."

Sarah conceives and bears Abraham a son in their old age. Abraham is 100 years old, and Sarah is 90 years old. One certainly does not hear of people in that age group having children. Therefore, this child brings much joy to his parents. He is even named Isaac, which means "he laughs." And so, God gives Sarah a cause to laugh, and all those who hear of it, will laugh with her.

One can't help but notice the similarities between Sarah and the Blessed Virgin. Both have miracle births. Both proclaim the good things that will happen to them on account of their baby boy. In Sarah's words, we can see the foundation of the Blessed Virgin Mary's words recorded in the Magnificat. There are also similarities between Sarah and the Virgin's relative Elizabeth. Both give birth in their old age, when they are barren.

Comparisons can also be made between Isaac and the baby Jesus. They are both the firstborn son. They both have the birthright from their fathers. They are both circumcised on the eighth day and then weaned by their mothers. But most importantly they are both the children of the promise. Their births fulfill prophecy and promise. Isaac is therefore, a prefigurement of our Lord Jesus. We can especially see this in Genesis 22, the next chapter, where Abraham in obeying our Lord's command offers up his son, his only son as a sacrifice. Unfortunately this lectionary omits this reading from Genesis 22. But in it, we see the crucifixion and our atonement. We see the faith of Abraham in the resurrection, for this is why he does not hesitate to offer up his son, even though he is stopped before going through with it. We also see in the Genesis 22 narrative, the obedience of the son, Isaac, to his father. Isaac is silent in all of this, only asking where the sacrifice is.

Our Lord also goes to the cross silently, in obedience to the Father's will, and out of His love for us, in order that He might deliver us from our sins and trespasses.

God be with you!

Deacon Dulas

This Is My Covenant Which You Shall Keep: Genesis 17:1-22

Genesis 17:1-22: "1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.' 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.' 9 And God said to Abraham: 'As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 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.' 15 Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.' 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' 18 And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' 19 Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.' 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham."

Abram gets a name change. Now he will be called Abraham, which means "father of a multitude." (Abram means "exalted father.") Or to say it another way, he went from being a father of one, to a father of many. Sarai (meaning "princess") also gets a name change. Her name will now be Sarah, which means "noblewoman," or to say it another way, she went from being a princess to a queen. This is the result of the Holy Blessed Trinity making a covenant with Abraham, his and his wife's name are changed. The covenant itself is made through circumcision.

Circumcision is the removal of the flesh of the foreskin of a male child. The cutting of flesh was how covenants were made. In most cases that involved sacrificing of an animal, as we saw in previous readings where the animal of sacrifice was cut in two. This became the basis for the Old Testament Temple ritual of sacrifice certain animals for purification or forgiveness. The covenant that the Holy Trinity makes with Abraham involved this same cutting of the flesh.

Circumcision, the means of the covenant, was not meant to be a pleasant thing. It was a small representation of the punishment that sin brings, which is death. In order for death to be averted in the Old Testament, a sacrifice, that is, a life, had to be taken, and offered up to our Lord God. In circumcision there was a shedding of blood. This shedding of blood represented the penalty for sin being appeased. Our Lord Jesus Christ on the eighth day after His incarnation, entered into that covenant by His circumcision. Already on the eighth day of His earthly life He is shedding His blood for us.

Notice too, the words of the Blessed Trinity, that it was HIS covenant. This was not a two-way agreement, like we see in many contracts where one side agrees to give something in exchange for something else. This covenant is His covenant, He is the one making it, and He is the one promising to act upon it. This is good news for those under His covenant, because on account of sin, they would break that covenant, as is shown throughout Israel's history, evidenced by the majority of the kings of both the northern and southern kingdoms. This covenant of our Lord God finds its ultimate fulfillment in our Lord Jesus. Our Lord, comes of His own free will to be born a man; God in the flesh. In this flesh He fulfills the covenant by offering Himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He is then buried, and rises again on the third day.

Circumcision symbolized death. It was the death of the foreskin. And it prefigured our Lord's death on the cross, and His shedding of blood. But circumcision was only a foreshadowing of the true means of God's grace and mercy. For those who partook of the covenant, who agreed to be apart of our Lord God's promise, were considered by Him to be His sons. And our Lord Jesus gives to us, His holy Church, a new covenant. This covenant of our Lord God, in which He promises us forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation is Holy Baptism.

This new covenant also symbolizes death. It symbolizes the death of sin and death. It is the symbol of our Lord's death and grave. But just as our Lord rose on the third day to new life, bringing eternal life to all who believe on Him, this new covenant, called Holy Baptism, raises us out of sin and death, into eternal life in Heaven with Him. And again, this covenant of Holy Baptism, is not our covenant. It is not our agreement with our Lord God. But it is rather, His agreement with us. He is the one who offers the covenant. He is the one who enacts the covenant. He is the one who completes the covenant by sending His Holy Spirit upon those who are baptized.

Also notice that our Lord God tells Abraham that the covenant shall be kept by him. This is not an inconsistancy. Our Lord God is not saying, "This is My covenant which you have do the work on." Our Lord does the work, but Abraham, and his descendants, have to participate in this covenant. And they participate by the act of circumcision. In the same way, we participate in the Holy Trinity's promises by participating in Holy Baptism. As our Lord Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; But he that believeth not shall be damned." Meaning, if we wish to be saved, we must be baptized. Or to say it another way, if we wish to receive our Lord God's grace and mercy, we must participate in the means which He has given to us to receive His grace and mercy.

Abraham, and his descendants, participated in the covenant of our Lord God, because he believed in the covenant. We who have been baptized, also come to believe and trust in our Holy Baptism, as the means whereby we receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. Therefore, we learn to live daily in our Holy Baptisms, confessing our sins daily to our Lord God, and weekly in private to our minister, drowning anew the Old Adam of sin that dwells within us, so that we might, like our Lord, rise each new day as a new man before our Lord without sin, wrapped in His righteousness and in His works.

And because we live our lives this way we learn to become like Isaac, the son of Abraham, whose name means "he laughed." In other words, we live in joy and happiness. Every time we see water, we are once again reminded of our Lord God's covenant with us and we rejoice that our sins are forgiven. May you too learn today to laugh and rejoice in your Holy Baptism, standing before our Lord God as a new man.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas