( Cut It Off)

Joshua 5:1-9 (KJV)

2 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

NOW IF I CAN GET A BAPTIST AMEN A METHODIST NOD AND A SANTIFIED CHURCH HALLEJUIAH

I WANT TO REASON WITH YOU ON THE THOUGHT ( CUT IT OFF)

IN THE TEXT BEFORE US

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAVE JUST CROSSED OVER THE JORDAN TO ENTER CANAAN

AND WHEN YOU REFLECT BACK OVER ISRAEL HISTORY OF WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS

THE LORD HAD BEEN MIGHTY GOOD TO THEM

FOR THE LORD

• HAD FED THEM MANNA AND GAVE THEM QUAIL TO EAT

• HE EVEN PROVIDED THEM WATER FROM A ROCK

• AS WELL PROTECTED THEM FROM THERE ENEMIES

• HE GAVE THEM SHADE BY DAY AND LIGHT BY NIGHT

• GOD EVEN ALLOWED THERE CLOTHE TO LAST WHILE THEY WANDERED IN THE WILDERNESS

• BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY HE GAVE THEM HIS LAW TO INSTRUCT THEM IN THE WAY AND TO GOVEREN THERE LIVES

AND THE REASON WHY IS

ISRAEL WAS THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD

THE PEOPLE OF THE MOSIAC LAW

AND IN THE TEXT THEY ARE ABOUT TO BECOME PEOPLE OF THE LAND

BECAUSE OF THE GREAT PROMISES THAT GOD MADE TO ABRAHAM ,ISAAC AND JACOB

IN OTHER WORDS

THERE DAYS OF WANDERING ARE OVER

AND THE DAY OF POSSESSING THE LAND HAS ARRIVED

BUT BEFORE THEY POSSESS THE LAND

THERE ARE SOME PREPARATIONS THEY MUST MAKE

AND JUST AS GOD CHALLENGED ISRAEL TO PREPARE TO MOVE DEEPER INTO THE PROMISE LAND

THERE ARE SOME STEPS WE TO HAVE TO TAKE AS WE PRESS ON IN 2022

BECAUSE IF WE WANT TO GROW DEEPER IN THE LORD

IF WE REALLY WANT TO ENJOY A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE

IF WE REALLY WANT ALL THE LORD HAS FOR US

THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE PREPARATIONS LIKE ISRAEL DID

BECAUSE THE FABRIC OF THIS TEXT IS TAILORED TO TEACH US

I. WE MUST CONSECRATE OVERSELVES

NOTICE--NOTICE--NOTICE

BECAUSE THE FIRST COMMAND THE LORD GIVES TO ISRAEL

IS THAT ALL THE MEN IN THE CAMP ARE TO BE CIRCUMCISED

BECAUSE CIRCUMCISION WAS FIRST HANDED DOWN TO ABRAHAM

IN OTHER WORDS

IT WAS A PHYSICAL SIGN USED TO IDENTIFY ALL THE MALE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM

BECAUSE ALL THE MEN WHO HAD BEEN BORN IN EGYPT HAD BEEN CIRCUMCISED ACCORDING TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

BUT THOSE WHO WAS BORN DURING THE 40 YEARS OF WILDERNESS WANDERING HAD NOT BEEN CIRCUMCISED

AND BEFORE THESE MEN COULD CLAIM THERE CANAAN

AND ENJOY THE COVENANT PROMISES OF GOD AND PROTECTION

THEY HAD TO BE CIRCUMCISED

IN OTHER WORDS

THEY HAD TO ESTABLISH A COVENANT WITH THE LORD IF THEY WANTED HIS BLESSING

AND JUST AS ISRAEL WAS REQUIRED TO REMOVE FROM THERE BODIES A PIECE OF FLESH AS A SIGN THAT THEY WERE PART OF THE COVENANT

WE TO MUST REMOVE FROM OUR LIVES

ANYTHING THAT STANDS BETWEEN US

TOTALLY SURRENDERING OURSELVES TO THE LORD

IN OTHER WORDS

WE HAVE TO PUT SOME SKIN IN THE GAME

AND ENGAGE IN A SPIRITUAL SURGERY EACH AND EVERYDAY OF OUR LIVES

AND CUT SOMETHING OFF

AND THE REASON WHY IS

CIRCUMCISION WAS A REMINDER

THAT THEY WAS MARK FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

AS WELL THEY WERE SERVANTS OF THE LIVING GOD

AND WERE UNDER OBLIGATION TO OBEY HIM IN ALL THINGS