If God made us perfect why is there circumcision?

Dear Chaplain: If God is the divine creator of everything, if he is all knowing and created us to be exactly the way he wanted, why would he make us with foreskin and then have us cut it off? If we didn’t need the skin why did he create it on us in the first place? Signed, Why Circumcision Dear Why Circumcision: Thank you for your question. I know it may sound strange that God would create us perfectly and then make a law that every male child must be circumcised. So what is circumcision? It is the removal of foreskin that usually takes place when a child is first born. About 30 percent of the people in the world are circumcised for religious or health reasons. God instructed his people to be circumcised not for health reasons, but for spiritual reasons. Abraham, who was childless, was very faithful to God despite him not having children, which he desperately wanted. Abraham’s deep love, devotion and faithfulness touched the heart of God, and he came to him and said if you will live your life devoted to me and keep my commands, I will make a covenant or formal agreement with you. Not only will I give you a child, but I will multiply you greatly in the earth making you the father of many nations, and I will bless you and be your God, and you and your descendants will be my people, but they must be devoted to me and keep my commands. Abraham accepted the terms of the agreement. Then God instructed him to circumcise himself, and thereafter, every male child born in his household (blood related or not), when they are 8 days old. This served as an outward sign of the spiritual covenant with God (Gen 17). The covenant was originally with the Jewish people, but the practice of circumcision spread to other faiths, including Christianity. As followers of Christ, who was circumcised even before he was named (Luke 2:21), we also circumcise male newborns for spiritual reasons. I believe God chose circumcision as the outward sign of the covenant for many reasons. First, to willingly have a newborn’s skin cut off of such a sensitive area, with no anesthesia, causing them pain is not easy for parents and would serve as a reminder to them and others, of their covenant with God and that he is first in their lives. Second, people during that time and in that part of the world probably looked very similar. Surely, circumcision was a creative way God saw fit for them to discreetly identify themselves. Third, God promised childless Abraham he would be a father of many nations and his seed exceedingly great, which lets us know that Abraham’s descendants had lots and lots of children. I am sure circumcision aided in that process, as it exposes the most sensitive organ in procreation, making the act of reproduction much more desirable and pleasurable. Last, the act of cutting back the protective layer of skin to expose what’s most fragile, is also spiritually symbolic of/and biblically compared to, what God desires of the hearts of his people. (“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked”, Deut. 10:16, and “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart”, Jer. 4:4.) An orange is created with protective skin, but to eat it we have to peel the skin off to receive its nourishment. We are naturally stubborn and selfish, but to love God we must be willing to rid ourselves of the hardness of our hearts, and to be sensitive to who God is and tenderhearted toward him. We are not to put our faith in the act of circumcision alone, because it’s just a physical symbol that shouldn’t supersede the spiritual agreement we have with God in our hearts. This is described in Philippians 3:3, which says, ”We [Christians] are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh”. I believe God knew exactly what he was doing when he created males with foreskin. Perhaps the whole purpose for the extra flesh was for it to be cut off, giving us a visual reminder of all the physical and spiritual benefits of circumcision. Ask the Chaplain is written by Rev. Dayna Spence, an ordained minister, licensed evangelist, and chaplain who’s served as a hospital chaplain and is currently serving as a hospice chaplain Chester County area. Please email “Ask the Chaplain” at 4thechaplain@gmail.com or write to, PO Box 1284, West Chester, PA 19380.

Dayna Spence Ask the Chaplain