Differences between the Promised Blessings
Abraham the Patriarch was originally named 'Abram.' He lived in Ur Casdim ('Ur of the Casdim' often identified with Ur with Sumer in Mesopotamia. 'Ur Casdim' is commonly translated as Ur of the Chaldees). The Rabbis however associated 'Ur Casdim' with Urfa in southeast Turkey also known as 'Adme' and as 'Edessa.'
The Almighty told Avram (i.e. Abram) to leave where he was and go the Land of Canaan.
Genesis (TLT) 12:
1 AND THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM, "GO FORTH FROM YOUR LAND AND FROM YOUR BIRTHPLACE AND FROM YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE, TO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.
2 AND I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION, AND I WILL BLESS YOU, AND I WILL AGGRANDIZE YOUR NAME, AND [YOU SHALL] BE A BLESSING.
3 AND I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU, AND THE ONE WHO CURSES YOU I WILL CURSE, AND ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU."
Abraham was therefore told by the Almighty that he would become a GREAT NATION, to be blessed, revered, and to bring blessings upon whomsoever would bless him. All nations of the earth would be blessed through him.
Later he was promised again that his seed would be as the Stars of Heaven for multitude (Genesis 15:5). They would inherit the Land of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-21). His name was changed from Abram to Abraham which name was explained 'Father of Many Nations' (Genesis 17:5). He would become extremely progenitive and fruitful. The promise to inherit that Land of Canaan was repeated and linked with God being the God of the descendants of Abraham and the rite of circumcision (Genesis 17:8).
Genesis (TCT) 17:
8 AND I WILL GIVE YOU AND YOUR SEED AFTER YOU THE LAND OF YOUR SOJOURNINGS, THE ENTIRE LAND OF CANAAN FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION, AND I WILL BE TO THEM FOR A GOD."
9 AND GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM, "AND YOU SHALL KEEP MY COVENANT, YOU AND YOUR SEED AFTER YOU THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS.
10 THIS IS MY COVENANT, WHICH YOU SHALL OBSERVE BETWEEN ME AND BETWEEN YOU AND BETWEEN YOUR SEED AFTER YOU, THAT EVERY MALE AMONG YOU BE CIRCUMCISED.
11 AND YOU SHALL CIRCUMCISE THE FLESH OF YOUR FORESKIN, AND IT SHALL BE AS THE SIGN OF A COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND BETWEEN YOU.
The name of Sarai wife of Abraham was changed to Sarah (Genesis 17:16).
16 AND I WILL BLESS HER, AND I WILL GIVE YOU A SON FROM HER, AND I WILL BLESS HER, AND SHE WILL BECOME [A MOTHER OF] NATIONS; KINGS OF NATIONS WILL BE FROM HER. "
Abraham is again Blessed.
Genesis (TCT) 18:
18 AND ABRAHAM WILL BECOME A GREAT AND POWERFUL NATION, AND ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL BE BLESSED IN HIM.
19 FOR I HAVE KNOWN HIM BECAUSE HE COMMANDS HIS SONS AND HIS HOUSEHOLD AFTER HIM, THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD TO PERFORM RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE, IN ORDER THAT THE LORD BRING UPON ABRAHAM THAT WHICH HE SPOKE CONCERNING HIM."
In this blessing there is no mention of circumcision only of performing RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE.
Then came the Binding in Hebrew 'Akaeda.'
Abraham was told to take his son, Isaac, his only son, and to offer him up as a sacrifice. Isaac is referred to as 'his only son' (Genesis 22:2) even though Abraham had begotten another son named Ishmael. This other son had been given his own blessings previously Abraham had been commanded to listen to his wife Sarah who wanted to expel Ishmael and his Egyptian mother, Hagar:
Genesis (TLT) 21:
12 AND GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM, "BE NOT DISPLEASED CONCERNING THE LAD AND CONCERNING YOUR HANDMAID; WHATEVER SARAH TELLS YOU, HEARKEN TO HER VOICE, FOR IN ISAAC WILL BE CALLED YOUR SEED.
13 BUT ALSO THE SON OF THE HANDMAID I WILL MAKE INTO A NATION, BECAUSE HE IS YOUR SEED."
So Ishmael was also to receive a blessing but the main promise was to be fulfilled through Isaac.
Despite this, Abraham was commanded to take his son Isaac and offer him up. He proceeded to do so tying Isaac down to the altar. Abraham raised the knife to slaughter Isaac but at the last minute was prevented by an angel. A ram was substituted for Isaac.
Genesis (TCT) 22:
15 AND AN ANGEL OF THE LORD CALLED TO ABRAHAM A SECOND TIME FROM HEAVEN.
16 AND HE SAID, "BY MYSELF HAVE I SWORN, SAYS THE LORD, THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS THING AND YOU DID NOT WITHHOLD YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY ONE,
17 THAT I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU, AND I WILL GREATLY MULTIPLY YOUR SEED AS THE STARS OF THE HEAVENS AND AS THE SAND THAT IS ON THE SEASHORE,
AND YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL INHERIT THE CITIES (Hebrew: 'shaar' meaning 'gates') OF THEIR ENEMIES.
1 8 AND THROUGH YOUR CHILDREN SHALL BE BLESSED ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE YOU HEARKENED TO MY VOICE."
Henceforth the Promises were unconditional.
We have here two alignments of promises:
Conditional entailing the Keeping of Circumcision and the Commandments. This was connected with inheriting the Land.
Unconditional. Something that had to come about no matter what.
In effect in the USA many white males today of Anglo-Saxon origin keep circumcision. So too in Australia it was quite common in the past but today is much less so.
AI Overview
Circumcision rates in Australia have declined significantly from an estimated 80% in the 1950s to around 20% of newborn boys today...
In New Zealand, circumcision rates are approximately 10-20% of boys, influenced by cultural and religious factors. ...Circumcision can be performed for medical reasons, such as recurring infections or phimosis, or for cultural and religious practices common among some immigrant groups and Pacific Island communities.
In Canada, routine newborn circumcision is not recommended by the Canadian Paedeatric Society as the medical benefits and harms are considered to be balanced. While the historical rate has declined significantly, the current average is about 32%. For non-medical reasons, circumcisions are not covered by provincial health plans, and costs are the parent's responsibility.
Circumcision is a common procedure in the USA, though its rate has recently declined
. From 2012 to 2022, the rate of newborn male circumcision in hospitals dropped from
54.1% to 49.3%
Rates vary by region, with higher rates in the Midwest and Northeast and lower rates in the West. Factors influencing this decline include demographic changes, such as the growing Hispanic population, and changes in public health insurance coverage.
Circumcision in the UK is not common outside of specific religious or cultural groups, with only about
8.5% of males being circumcised. It is most frequently performed on infants for social or religious reasons, but can also be done for medical reasons ... While the NHS only funds circumcisions when a medical reason exists, private clinics offer the procedure for both medical and non-medical reasons.
Circumcision is connected with settling in the Promised Land. In the future all Israel will keep the Covenant and the Commandments and will also settled in their Tribal Areas in the Land of Israel. At present this does not apply but other aspects of the Blessings do.