Background to passage: The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan on dry ground, set up the stones for remembrance for the generations, and are preparing for what God has next in his plan for them to inherit the land of promise. Doubt they saw this coming. What does it mean? Why would God ask them to do this?
Joshua 5:1–9 ESV
As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”
So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.
Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised.
For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.
When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
Colossians 2:11–15 ESV
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Opening illustration: Bring Knox’s knife collection
Main thought: This morning we will look at the OT and NT perspectives of circumcision
1) Old Testament Circumcision (Joshua 5:2)
Joshua 5:2 ESV
At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”
1) Old Testament Circumcision (Joshua 5:2)
Explanation: According to Gen 17:11, God would make a covenant with Abraham and his descendents to be their God and to give them the land. It was an external, physical sign that God’s people were set apart to him as a chosen race to bring about the salvation of the world. Any man of Israel, or those dwelling within Israelite homes, must be circumcised. If they weren’t, they were cut off from the covenant people because they had broken the covenant. No blessings, no land, no God among them.
Genesis 17:11 ESV
You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
Genesis 17:14 ESV
Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Illustration: “a symbol of the need for the heart to be cleansed from sin’s deadly disease. The really essential surgery needed to happen on the inside, where God calls for taking away fleshly things that keep the heart from being spiritually devoted to Him and from true faith in Him and His will.”
Application: Important because they had lost some, gained some, failed to circumcise and be faithful to the covenant. So, before they are used of God to take the land, in addition to the consecration before this river crossing, they are reminded of who they are and to whom they belong.
They are a people chosen by God for a mission. They are embarking on the first of the battles, and a covenant renewal practice was needed. We are under the New Covenant, more about that later. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, set apart for God possession.
1 Peter 2:9 ESV
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
As followers of Jesus Christ we have the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and the second Greatest Commandment. Our covenant puts us in a place where God will dwell among us in fullness and power if we are aiming at and hitting the mission. Love God, Love the Gospel, Love People. Highest and greatest thing you can do is to stoke your affections for Jesus Christ. Practices that increase your love for Christ, pleas with God to increase your love for him.
Share the gospel with every creature. Elaborate. Love people with the love of Christ. All people in practical, real-life ways. Serve your fellow men and women. Special love for believers, but great love for everyone.
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2) New Testament (& OT) Circumcision (Col 2:11-15)
Colossians 2:11–15 ESV
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
2) New Testament (& OT) Circumcision (Col 2:11-15)
Explanation: We think of it mainly in the NT, but the OT previews the call to have our hearts circumcised, not just the flesh. God has always been concerned with the hearts more than the eternal appearance or external rituals or practices. It has to do with new life, repentance, being born again, chosen to be given righteousness. It has to do with faith. In multiple places, OT and NT, God speaks about Israel which was not Israel - those who were not circumcised at heart.
Deuteronomy 10:12–21 ESV
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?
Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.
Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.
Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV
And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Jeremiah 4:4 ESV
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”
Jeremiah 31:33 ESV
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Ezekiel 36:26 ESV
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 2:29 ESV
But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Illustration: Circumcision of heart is a change in affection; to like things that you formerly didn’t like; to hate things that you formerly loved. Mike Marshal called this week and explained that Christopher was doing a project and needed a picture of his pastor. So Mike says to send him a picture of me looking pastoral. I had a difficult time finding one. What does it mean to look pastoral? I don’t take selfies while I am preaching, rarely put on a coat and tie, sometimes I even try not to have that “I am obviously a pastor” look. So, I send some pictures of me being me. Most are outdoors, or with my family, or on trips. I finally found one with a coat and tie, and it was just me. From the surrounding pictures I realized that it was from the day that Wellroot had its ribbon-cutting ceremony from the Chamber of Commerce here at our building because I had a picture of me and Ms. Georgia from that year who was at that ceremony. I needed to represent us well…and look pastoral.
Application: The people of God are no longer primarily a people with a common ethnic origin to Abraham, but a group of people worldwide of every nation, tribe, and tongue, which God has circumcised the heart. To have your heart circumcised is to have God remove a dead heart of stone that lies within every man, and replace it with a heart of flesh. To cut out the skin of sin by the power of Christ.
Simply put, it means to become a Christian. It means to repent and believe. It means to trust in Him as your Lord and Savior, and let him apply the benefits of the death and resurrection of Christ to your life. Perfect righteousness exchanged for filthy rags of insufficient good deeds. Perfect freedom exchanged for sufficient death for every sin of every believer of every age.
So, the circumcision of the heart is what God does. You can go to church every day. You can pray all the time. You can help more people than others. You can give more money. You can do so many good deeds. You can avoid the most sin. You can even preform mighty works in the name of God or service to the church, and be circumcised only in the flesh. It is possible to look like a Christian, even act like one, but not be one inside.
Matthew 7:21–23 ESV
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
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Closing illustration: At the same camp that I spoke of last week where I met Erika, there was a pastor by the name of Rick Nelson. He would come to camp and preach. At that time I was super impressed that he had a bible college degree, a master’s of divinity, and a PHD in Evangelism from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was a powerful preacher and I learned so much. I wanted to know all the things that he knew, and do all the things he could do.
A few years later, I heard that Pastor Rick got saved. Yep, you heard right, he truly came to know Christ. He has been a doctoral student at one of our seminaries, preaching for years, pastoring for years. He had been taught how to pastor well. He could do all the duties, he could craft great sermons, he was outgoing, friendly, engaging, winsome, and had the appearance of morality. He was so pastoral that he fooled everyone, even himself. One day God circumcised his heart, and he realized that the God that he professed and proclaimed, did not know him until that day in a saving way.
God wants your heart. God demands faith and repentance. He wants surrender of all that you are to all that He is. He wants that from your neighbors too. He wants that from your family too. We are coming up on Easter. Many of you have been praying for your neighbors. We must share the gospel or at least invite them to our services. This could be the year, the day that their hearts are circumcised.
Two part invitation. Some people here need to be saved. Let today be the day that you reach out in faith for forgiveness based on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Secondly, everyone of you whose hearts are circumcised, I am challenging you to invite the neighbors you have been praying for. Come forward take a stack of cards or two, and over the course of the next two weeks, ensure that they are in the hands of someone you have been praying for.
