Painful surrender

Slices

Prepare

Forgiveness is a wonderful gift from God. When we confess our sins, he not only forgives us but lifts the shame from us. Ponder this amazing truth as you draw near to God.

Bible passage

Joshua 5:2–12

Circumcision and passover at Gilgal

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.’ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

Now this is why he did so: all those who came out of Egypt – all the men of military age – died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

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Circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, but a whole generation of men had grown up in the desert without it (vs 5–7). Now Joshua is told to circumcise all those men of military age to remind them they are God’s covenant people, set apart and different from the surrounding peoples.

Strategically it seems a strange thing to do just before a period of warfare, for the men would be incapacitated and need time to heal, making them vulnerable to attack (v 8). However, this is not a normal sort of warfare. With God, obedience matters most of all.

Physical circumcision represents a deeper spiritual work of God, the cutting away of rebellion and disobedience, and the surrender of the heart to God (Romans 2:28,29). Indeed, the apostle Paul says that the truly circumcised are those who ‘serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh’ (Philippians 3:3).

This surrender paved the way for the celebration of Passover, and the end of eating only manna. Egypt was behind them and a whole new, abundant life ahead (vs 11,12).

Author
Tony Horsfall

Respond

When we surrender to God, we surrender not to force but to love. Take time to offer yourself to God, allowing him ‘cut away’ anything unhelpful in your life.

Bible in a year

Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 25,26; Acts 27

Pray for Scripture Union

Mission Enabler Pete Croall asks us to pray for those connected to Scripture Union who will be sharing the good news with thousands of children and young people in Berkshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the run-up to Easter. Please pray that God will guide their preparation and give them energy.