Why Did the Lord Tell Joshua He Had to Circumcise the Israelites Again

"At that time the Lord said to Joshua, 'Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of State of israel the second fourth dimension.' So Joshua fabricated himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of State of israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

"This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness forth the style after they came out of Egypt. For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the fashion as they came out of Arab republic of egypt had non been circumcised. For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished considering they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord had sworn that He would non permit them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a state flowing with milk and honey. Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the style.

"Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the campsite until they were healed. Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Today I accept rolled abroad the reproach of Arab republic of egypt from you.' And so the name of that place is chosen Gilgal to this day" (Joshua 5:ii-ix).

After crossing the Jordan river into the land of Canaan (Joshua iii), just before conquering the first city (Joshua 6), the Lord commanded Joshua to circumcise the sons of Israel. It is important that we sympathise the reasons why this was washed because their physical circumcision is parallel to our spiritual circumcision. Let the states consider some lessons that nosotros tin learn from this account.

The Circumcision of the Israelites

The circumcision recorded in our text was for all of the males who had been built-in in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt (Joshua 5:five). Previous generations had been circumcised, merely the current generation had not.

• Act of obedience – God allowable Joshua to circumcise the people; therefore, information technology was to be done. God has e'er expected His people to obey Him. Our purpose in life is to "fearfulness God and keep His commandments" and "this applies to every person" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). When God first created man, He gave him commands to obey (Genesis ane:27-xxx; 2:16-17). Obedience to His commandments volition keep to be necessary until the end of the world (Matthew 28:19-20). Considering He is God, He has the correct to expect His people to obey Him. When the Israelites were brought out of Egypt and God gave them His police force, He began with the reason why they were expected to obey: "I am the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:two).
• Sign of the covenant – God said to Abraham, "At present as for yous, yous shall keep My covenant, y'all and your descendants later on you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall go on, between Me and you and your descendants later on yous: every male among you shall exist circumcised" (Genesis 17:ix-10). He then said, "But an uncircumcised male person who is non circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cutting off from his people; he has broken My covenant" (Genesis 17:14). Those who came out of Egypt had been circumcised (Joshua 5:5). Those born in the wilderness needed to be circumcised every bit well considering they were also under the covenant.
• Necessary for each generation – Again, those who came out of Egypt were circumcised, but those born in the wilderness were not (Joshua 5:v). Even during the Old Testament when God dealt with the nation of State of israel as a whole, each person was individually accountable to God. The true-blue obedience of one's parents would non salvage the children if they were ill-behaved (Ezekiel 18:10-xiii). One who would not be circumcised – even if his father, granddad, and others had been – would be cutting off (Genesis 17:14). If ane'due south parents did not circumcise him presently after he was built-in – for whatever reason – he would need to submit to that procedure because of the covenant. That is what this new generation had to practise.
• Painful procedure – The instructions given to Abraham and the statute given in the law said that circumcision was to be done when a babe was eight days erstwhile (Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3). Nevertheless, some of the men who were circumcised on this occasion were betwixt forty and sixty years old (Joshua 5:5-7; Numbers 32:11). Undergoing this procedure at this time would put them in a vulnerable position. Remember that Simeon and Levi were able to slaughter all of the men in a city "on the third solar day" after the men of the city were circumcised and "were in pain" (Genesis 34:24-25). The Israelites would exist unable to fight for a period of time after beingness circumcised. This made it an act of faith – trusting that God would protect them if their enemies decided to attack.
• To remove the reproach of Egypt – Afterwards the people were circumcised, God said, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you" (Joshua 5:9). Years earlier, God told Moses, "And then I accept come down to deliver them from the ability of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a country flowing with milk and beloved" (Exodus three:viii). They were at present in the promised country. "The reproach of Arab republic of egypt" had been removed.

Our Circumcision Today

Physical circumcision is not necessary today. Paul wrote, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, only faith working through beloved" (Galatians five:half-dozen). However, the physical circumcision to which the Israelites submitted parallels the spiritual circumcision that is necessary today – baptism. Paul explained this to the Colossians:

"And in Him you were too circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the trunk of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the expressionless" (Colossians 2:eleven-12).

Spiritually speaking, we are circumcised when nosotros are baptized into Christ. The circumcision of the Israelites parallels the baptism of Christians today.

• Human activity of obedience – Paul said, "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nix, just what matters is keeping of the commandments of God" (i Corinthians 7:19). Physical circumcision has no bearing on our salvation (cf. Colossians three:11). Nonetheless, we must obey the command to exist baptized. Jesus said, "He who has believed and has been baptized shall exist saved" (Marking 16:xvi). Peter said, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38). When the apostle preached to the household of Cornelius, "he ordered them to exist baptized" (Acts ten:48). We submit to baptism "in obedience to the truth" (ane Peter 1:22-23).
• Sign of the covenant – After undergoing spiritual circumcision through baptism, nosotros are "raised up with [Christ]" (Colossians 2:11-12). All of those in the kingdom of Christ have been baptized into Christ. When the gospel was preached on the 24-hour interval of Pentecost, Luke recorded: "Those who had received his word were baptized; and that day in that location were added about three m souls" (Acts ii:41). These souls were added past God to the church (Acts 2:47).
• Necessary for each generation – When Peter told the audience on Pentecost to repent and exist baptized for the remission of sins, he said, "For the promise is for y'all and your children and for all who are far off, as many every bit the Lord our God volition phone call to Himself" (Acts 2:39). This message was for all men for all time. One generation can certainly assist teach the next (2 Timothy one:5; 3:15), but each ane must obey on his own.
• Painful process – When nosotros are "buried with [Christ] through baptism" (Romans 6:4), nosotros are putting to expiry the old human of sin (Romans 6:6). This can be painful. We are expected to "have up [our] cross daily and follow" the Lord (Luke ix:23). Because others will not cull to follow Christ, at that place will often be partition and conflict with others – even those with whom nosotros have the closest relationships. Jesus said, "Do non think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, only a sword. For I came to fix a man against his begetter, and a girl against her female parent, and a daughter-in-police force confronting her mother-in-law; and a human's enemies volition be the members of his household" (Matthew 10:34-36). Peter warned that because nosotros "do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation," they will "malign" us (1 Peter four:iv). Though the benefits far outweigh any negative consequences (1 Peter three:21; Matthew sixteen:26), we exercise demand to sympathise that information technology can be painful every bit our decision to obey the gospel often causes conflict with others.
• To remove the reproach of our chains in sin – In baptism, we are "freed from sin" (Romans 6:7). Paul explained: "Only thank you be to God that though you lot were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which yous were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18). That "form of teaching" (Romans half-dozen:17) to which Paul referred was the act of being "buried with [Christ] through baptism" (Romans vi:4). This frees us from the bondage of sin. Then to remain "free" from sin, we must "proceed in [Christ'due south] word" (John 8:31-32).

Decision

Sometimes nosotros might wonder why accounts like the 1 of Joshua circumcising the people are recorded in the Former Attestation for us. Accounts like this have been "written for our pedagogy" (Romans 15:4). Nosotros should learn from the circumcision of the people of Israel so nosotros can obey God faithfully today.

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Source: https://plainbibleteaching.com/2015/07/14/joshua-circumcised-the-people/