Exodus 12

 

God opened the door for all to partake of the Passover in Israel. You didn't have to be born of the Children of Israel. You could be a foreigner just visiting. However, there was a catch, you had to be circumcised. In other words, you had to agree to the covenant God made to Abraham and in a few chapters agree to follow the Mosaic Law. 

Why would God do this? Part of the reason is because you shouldn't celebrate the God you refuse to serve. Another reason was to show this commitment to the God of Israel you had to be willing to suffer (and adults did) circumcision. Before we think this is another example of the God of the Old Testament being cruel, remember that Paul warned those in Corinth that some of those who took the Lord's Supper unworthily were sick and some died. I Corinthians 11: 27-30, "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." It isn't that the God of the Old Testament is mean. It's the fact that the God of the Bible believes that one shouldn't show commitment to God if they aren't really committed.