251 Joshua: Moving Forward God's Way
You would think that after miraculously parting the torrent of the flooded Jordan River, bringing fear to their enemies, God would have said to Joshua, “Now, go! Strike hard and fast while you have the momentum!” But He didn’t. God brought everything to a screeching halt when He gave Joshua this command: Circumcise all the men and boys.
This seemed to make no sense. Not only did it go against military logic, but it also left their fighting forces physically vulnerable for days as they recovered. But Joshua obeyed anyway.
For the 40 years the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness, the people had failed to circumcise the boys born into their families. That faithless generation died along the way, and the generation that now stands on the threshold of their future is the uncircumcised.
Why was it such a big deal to God that the men be circumcised?
Since the days of Abraham, circumcision had been a sign of the Israelites’ identity. It was to be a constant reminder of God’s covenant with them and a supreme symbol of their loyalty to Yahweh.
He offers His provision and protection to all who will enter into this covenant with Him. Unless and until this generation of Israelites were willing to embrace the covenant, they would be trying to take the land in their own strength. But once they DID embrace that covenant, the Lord God Almighty was bound by that covenant to bring His power to bear.
God called his people to mark out their identity through circumcision—the most basic and most intimate of ways. That reminder resulted in several things.
It emboldened them. Every day as a man dressed, he was reminded, “I am in covenant with God. God is for me; I will not be afraid.”
It assured them. With every act of procreation, they were reminded that not only were they God’s people, but their children were too. They were part of a multi-generational movement.
It admonished them. When tempted to compromise sexually, it was a visible admonishment to live God’s way.
In the New Testament, Paul draws a parallel between circumcision and baptism. For the believer in Jesus, baptism is a symbol of the Christian’s identity.
If you are in covenant with God through your faith in Christ, you can have confidence in your future. God has committed Himself to bringing His protection, His provision, and His power to bear upon your life.
Text: Joshua 5
Originally recorded on August 21, 2016, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN