Have You Been Circumcised – Joshua 5
by Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
After the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, the Lord wanted them to circumcise themselves. Crossing the Red Sea symbolizes salvation, while crossing the Jordan River symbolizes victory. We must seek not only to be saved, but also to live victoriously. Salvation is by faith, victory is also through faith.
Romans 1:17 “a righteousness that is by faith, from first to last.” We are to walk by faith all our life. Some Christians begin with faith, but continue by works. They want to rely on their own good works to gain victory, but in the end, they fail. We do not rely on our own strength, but on God, to live a life of victory. Let us reflect on three matters regarding circumcision:
1. What is circumcision?
2. Why circumcision?
3. The blessings of circumcision.
I. What is circumcision?
The first time circumcision occurred in the Bible is in Genesis 17:1-2 “When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
V. 10-11 “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and you.”
The Lord wanted to establish a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens and the dust of the earth. The sign for this covenant was for every male child to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth, a testimony that he belongs to God’s people. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of the male sexual organ. Why did God require circumcision? During Abraham’s lifetime, there were 13 years wherein God did not speak to him. After these 13 years, the Lord spoke to him and said, “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” This statement carried three important meaning:
1. I am God Almighty, nothing is too difficult for me; you did not have to use your own way to have a child.
2. Walk before me and be blameless and I will bless you and greatly increase your numbers. Relying on your own strength, you can only have, at most, one child; but I can make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens and as the sand on the seashore.
3. I will make the covenant of circumcision with you as a sign, so that you and your descendants will walk blameless before me and no longer walk according to the desires of your flesh.
Colossians 2:11 “In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ.”
Every Christian, whether male or female, must be circumcised spiritually; meaning our sinful nature must be cut off. Jesus said in Matthew 5:29 – 30: “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Jesus meant that we must cut off with utmost determination our sinful desires, allow the flesh and its desires no opportunity at all. This is the true meaning of circumcision.
II. Why Circumcision?
1. The Older Generation Did Not Obey the Lord’s Commands
According to Israelite regulations, a male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after he is born. It was the parents’ responsibility to perform circumcision on their child. But the Israelites did not fulfill this duty. Verse 5, “All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not.”
Verse 7, “So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised.” The new generation born in the wilderness were uncircumcised because their parents did not obey God’s command. Verse 6, “The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord.” This is a warning for all of us who are parents — we must fulfill our responsibilities as parents. Are we training up our children according to the Lord’s commands?
2. The New Generation Obeyed the Lord’s Commands
After crossing the Jordan River, the new generation under Joshua’s leadership camped at Gilgal. Then, the Lord commanded Joshua to circumcise them. At that time, there were six hundred thousand male who were twenty years old and above. These six hundred thousand men had not been circumcised before. They obeyed the Lord and underwent circumcision. There were six hundred thousand foreskins removed from six hundred thousand men; the foreskins piled up to make a hill, that is why the place is called hill of foreskins. This is a sign of their obedience to the Lord.
III. The Blessings after Circumcision
1. The Lord Rolled Away their Reproach
The Lord said, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” The Israelites thus called the place Gilgal, meaning roll away. When God created man, man was without a sense of shame. But after man sinned, Genesis 3:7 “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”
They felt shame. Shame came about as a result of sin and sin is disobedience to God’s Word. There is only one way to roll away our shame. Gen 3:21 “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Putting on garments rolled away their shame. Ephesians 4:22- 24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” In this passage, there are two verbs, “put off” and “put on”. We must put off the sinful nature, and put on the new self. The new self is created like God in true righteousness and holiness. Circumcision is putting off the sinful nature, and putting on the new self.
2. They Enjoyed the Produce of the Land of Canaan
Possessing Canaan and enjoying Canaan are two different matters. We may possess it, but we may not necessarily enjoy it. V. 10 – 12 records that not only did the Israelites possessed Canaan but they also enjoyed Canaan’s produce. From that day on, the manna from heaven stopped, for there was no longer a need for it. After the Israelites underwent circumcision, they started to enjoy the Lord’s blessings. Is it because we haven’t dealt away with our shameful deeds that we are not enjoying God’s blessings, that the Lord’s blessings are not forthcoming?
3. The Commander of the Lord’s Army Appeared
Verse 13 – 15 “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army appeared. He was going to lead the six hundred-man army to battle seven tribes of people. After the six hundred thousand had undergone circumcision, the commander of the Lord’s army appeared. This is of course not a coincidence. The commander of the Lord’s army is holy, he cannot lead an unclean army into battle. This is truly a challenge for us, if we want to be soldiers of Christ, we must put off our sinful nature; if not, we are but an army without a commander, we are but relying on ourselves to face difficulties and temptations; we will not be truly victorious, we will keep failing. When we obey the Lord’ s will, rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, undergo circumcision of our sinful nature, make a clean break from sin, then the Lord’s blessings will come upon us.