Circumcision, Passover, Entering the Promised Land

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Short Summary
The discourse explores the significance of circumcision and Passover in Israelite history, highlighting periods when these rites were neglected due to rebellion and disobedience, particularly during the 40 years of wilderness wandering. It emphasizes that true covenant relationship with God requires a “circumcision of the heart,” an inward spiritual transformation rather than mere outward observance. The narrative connects these ancient practices to Christian faith, illustrating how symbolic heart circumcision and faith in Christ prepare believers to partake in spiritual deliverance and new life, paralleling Israel’s entry into the Promised Land after renewed obedience.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary: Circumcision, Passover, and Entering the Promised Land

Historical Observance Among Israelites
– During the ~39 years of wilderness wandering after Egypt, the Israelites did not circumcise their children nor consistently observe Passover after the initial events at Egypt and Sinai.
– Circumcision was reintroduced later but Passover observance remained irregular.
– This discontinuity reflects a period of partial divine rejection due to Israel’s rebellion.

Origin and Significance of Circumcision
– God commanded circumcision as a sign of the covenant with Abraham at age 99 (Genesis 17:10-14).
– It was required for all males, native Israelites or Gentiles joining the covenant, ideally on the eighth day after birth.
– The eighth day symbolizes a new beginning—beyond the completion of a seven-day cycle, representing starting a new covenanted life with God.
– The circular cutting symbolizes complete separation from fleshly inclinations opposing God’s will.
– Genesis 17:14 states that uncircumcised males are “cut off” from God’s people and covenant.
– The primary emphasis in Scripture is on “circumcision of the heart” (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4; 9:26), meaning sincere, heartfelt devotion and obedience to God, not merely external ritual.
– Outward circumcision symbolizes this inward spiritual reality, highlighting the personal and private nature of the covenant.

Passover and Its Connection to Circumcision
– In Exodus 12:43-49, God commands that only circumcised males may partake in the Passover meal, including servants and foreigners who join Israel.
– This shows the prerequisite of a covenant relationship (symbolized by circumcision) before observing Passover, which commemorates deliverance from Egypt.
– Passover is thus a symbol of faith and obedience, only accessible to those in covenant with God.
– Abraham was circumcised before offering Isaac; Israel was circumcised before offering Passover lambs; similarly, believers must have a circumcised heart before partaking spiritually of Christ, the antitypical Passover Lamb.

New Testament Perspectives on Circumcision
– Acts 15 records that early church leaders decided circumcision was not mandatory for Gentile converts.
– Paul explains in Romans 2:25-29 that true circumcision is spiritual, “circumcision of the heart,” not merely external fleshly circumcision.
– Romans 4:9-12 emphasizes that Abraham’s faith was reckoned as righteousness before circumcision, which was given as a sign or seal of faith.
– Colossians 2:11-12 equates Christian baptism and spiritual circumcision as “putting off the body of sins” through Christ’s work and resurrection.
– Christians do not require physical circumcision but are encouraged to demonstrate inward heart circumcision outwardly by water baptism.
– Biblical examples of passing through water (Noah’s flood, crossing Red Sea, crossing Jordan) symbolize death to old life and resurrection to new life.

Passover Historical Timeline and Observance
– The first Passover was in Egypt (Exodus 12).
– The second Passover was at Mount Sinai in the second year after Exodus (Numbers 9).
– Afterward, Israel did not keep Passover regularly during wilderness wandering (~39 years), coinciding with their failure to circumcise the new generation born in the wilderness.
– Solomon later observed Passover and other feasts (2 Chronicles 8:12-13).
– King Hezekiah restored proper Passover observance after a long neglect (2 Chronicles 30:1,5).
– King Josiah’s Passover was notable for its faithfulness, unmatched since Samuel’s time (2 Chronicles 35:18; 2 Kings 23:22-23).
– Under wicked kings like Manasseh and Amon, the temple was closed and the law was neglected, causing Passover to lapse.
– During Babylonian captivity, Passover was not observed; after return and temple rebuilding, it was revived (Ezra 6:19-20).
– These cycles reflect Israel’s spiritual condition and God’s discipline.

Why Israelites Did Not Circumcise or Keep Passover in Wilderness
– After the second Passover at Sinai, Israel’s rebellion (spying out Canaan, complaining, rejecting God’s plan) led God to decree that the adult generation would not enter the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14).
– Only Caleb and Joshua were exceptions.
– The adults’ disobedience made them unworthy to keep Passover, since circumcision was required for partaking, and their children born in wilderness were uncircumcised.
– The wilderness wandering was a time of partial rejection and judgment; the rebellious were “dead men walking.”
– God preserved the children, who were circumcised again at the Jordan crossing under Joshua’s command (Joshua 5:1-10).
– This mass circumcision symbolized a new start; the reproach of Egypt was “rolled away” (the name Gilgal means “rolling away”).
– After circumcision, the new generation kept Passover for the first time and entered Canaan by faith.

Spiritual Lessons from Circumcision and Passover
– Circumcision involves painful cutting away of fleshly desires and attachments, analogous to Jesus’ teaching in Luke 14:26-27 about “hating” even close family for discipleship.
– Paul’s attitude of counting all loss as gain for Christ (Philippians 3:7-8) echoes this sacrifice.
– Circumcision of the heart is essential to be acceptable to God and to partake spiritually of Christ, the Passover Lamb.
– The crossing of Jordan and Passover observance symbolize death to sin and resurrection to new life through Christ’s sacrifice and the believer’s faith.
– The priests carrying the Ark into Jordan before the people symbolizes Christ and the church passing into death before mankind can enter the kingdom (Joshua 3-4).
– Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 4:25) are the foundation for believers’ justification and new life.
– Christians must remove the “old leaven” (malice and wickedness) and live with “unleavened bread” (sincerity and truth) to partake worthily of the Passover Lamb.

Contemporary Application: Israel Today and God’s Plan
– Modern Israel is seen as still in “wilderness condition” spiritually despite occupying the land physically.
– God uses nominal or secular Jews as caretakers until final chastisement and purification according to prophetic scriptures (Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 12, 14).
– Only those with circumcised hearts (faithful remnant) will enter the “new covenant” promised land (Ezekiel 20:33-44).
– This parallels the ancient experience: outward presence in the land is not enough; inward heart condition is paramount.
– The end goal is perfected faith and direct relationship with God, overcoming inherited sin and trials.

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Key Bible Verses Mentioned or Referenced:

– Genesis 17:10-14 (Circumcision covenant with Abraham)
– Deuteronomy 10:16 (“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”)
– Jeremiah 4:4; 9:26 (Call to heart circumcision)
– Exodus 12:43-49 (Passover ordinance and circumcision prerequisite)
– Acts 15 (Jerusalem council on circumcision and Gentile believers)
– Romans 2:25-29 (Spiritual circumcision vs. literal)
– Romans 4:9-12 (Faith reckoned to Abraham before circumcision)
– Colossians 2:11-12 (Circumcision made without hands; baptism)
– Numbers 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (Wilderness events, rebellion, decree of 40 years wandering)
– Joshua 5:1-10 (Mass circumcision at Jordan crossing; removal of reproach)
– 2 Chronicles 8:12-13; 30:1,5; 35:18; 2 Kings 23:22-23 (Passover observances by Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah)
– Ezra 6:19-20 (Passover after Babylonian captivity)
– Luke 14:26-27 (Jesus’ call to prioritize discipleship)
– Philippians 3:7-8 (Paul’s renunciation for Christ)
– Joshua 3-4 (Crossing Jordan with Ark)
– Romans 4:25 (Jesus’ death and resurrection for justification)
– Ezekiel 20:33-44; Ezekiel 38; Zechariah 12, 14 (Prophecies about Israel’s future purification)

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Summary Conclusion:
The discourse traces the intertwined themes of circumcision and Passover as foundational covenant signs and spiritual lessons from Israel’s history—from Abraham to the wilderness wandering, through the entrance into Canaan, and into New Testament teachings. It highlights the primacy of inward heart devotion over outward ritual, the consequences of rebellion, and the necessity of spiritual circumcision for participation in God’s promises. The Christian believer is called to an inward transformation symbolized by baptism, paralleling Israel’s physical rites, with Jesus Christ as the ultimate Passover Lamb. The current state of Israel is viewed in light of this spiritual history and prophetic fulfillment, emphasizing that God’s ultimate purpose is perfected faith and eternal life for those with circumcised hearts.

Transcript

With you Circumcision, Passover and I’ll just add one word. Entering the Promised Land There were some peculiar incidences among the Israelites regarding their keeping and not keeping of the rite of circumcision and observing the Passover. One was that during about the 39 years of wandering in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, they did not circumcise their children, nor did they observe the Passover after the one in Egypt and the first one when they were at Sinai, and later once again they practiced circumcision but did not seem to keep the Passover consistently. So we want to consider the Scriptures on these various events as well as suggest some lessons for us.

God introduced circumcision to Abraham when he reiterated the covenant to him when he was 99 years old, and he told that this was to be the sign of the covenant between them. It was mandatory for all males, both born an Israelite and any Gentile that decided to join with them. Ideally, it was to be performed on the baby’s eighth day of life. Circumcision has the thought of cutting in a circular motion the fleshly foreskin and discarding it. In Genesis 17:1014 we also learn that if someone does not practice circumcision, they are not to be considered.

They are to be considered as if they were cut off from his people and to have broken the covenant. The eighth day symbolizes a new beginning. Just as a seven day week is complete and the eighth day is a new week, so when one is circumcised it represents a new life, a covenanted life, a covenanted life with God Almighty. The circular motion of cutting goes completely around, which results in a complete separation of the flesh. This represents the separation from our fleshly inclinations that might be contrary to our covenant with God, and it must be completely separated.

In Deuteronomy 10, verse 16, we are told that circumcision is to be of the heart. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of the heart, and be no more stiff necked. Clearly the reference to circumcision here is to demonstrate a complete submission to doing the Lord’s will, and of keeping his commandments from a heart desire, not just an outward show of compliance. Now also in Jeremiah the fourth chapter, the Lord is calling Judah and Jerusalem back to him, that they should abandon their idolatry. In Jeremiah 4:4 it states, circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskin of your hearts.

Clearly the Lord desires heart devotion to be the motivation to serve him, for he knows anything less than a person’s complete love for him will not be able to withstand the temptations that everyday life brings across our paths. Similarly, in Jeremiah 9:26, Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, that dwell in the wilderness, for all those nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart. It’s clear that God considers the circumcision of the heart as paramount, that the outward performance is of less consequence to a relationship with him. Form cannot replace substance. The choice God made to have the male’s private parts circumcised.

That this symbol would be hidden from outward view goes well with the thought that the real circumcision is to be of the heart inwardly, privately, and unseen outwardly. It helps to emphasize the personal nature of of one’s covenant relationship. Now, when we reflect on it, there were some outward signs God prescribed, such as when a slave desired to become permanent to his master in Israel, his ear was to be pierced through. So that is an outward sign, and the Lord did have that.

It’s a little different meaning, but this aspect of circumcision being hidden, it reminded us of Jesus instructions in Matthew the sixth chapter, that we are to do our almsgiving in secret, our prayers in secret, our fasting secretly. For he said that when we do these acts of worship in secret, our Father, who himself is unseen, sees us in secret. Yes, our covenant relationship with him is personal and mostly unseen by the world. This rite of circumcision continued among the patriarchs, Abraham with Isaac to Jacob, and onward. So that when we come To Exodus the 12th chapter, verses 43 through 49, I’m going to just read a part of that to you.

Exodus 12 starting in 43 and the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, this is the ordinance of the Passover. There shall no stranger eat thereof, but every man’s servant that is bought for money. When you have circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof, and when a stranger will sojourn with you, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it.

And he shall be as one that is born in the land, for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be unto him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourns with you now, at this point in time, it was the first Passover. Israel was still in Egypt. The Lord is giving this commandment that males had to be circumcised regardless of being Jewish born or Gentile born. It was one of the first features of the law covenant that was to be made at Sinai.

We want to note that a male had to be circumcised before he could observe and eat the Passover. This will become very important as we continue the study. But to see it clearly, God designed the Passover to be eaten only. Only by those who have a heart. Circumcision as well as the outward form for the Israelites, circumcision was given to Abraham for his faith.

It was given to Israel as their law. It is symbolically given to the saints for their faith, which was like Father Abraham’s. Abraham had to be circumcised before he offered up Isaac. Israel had to be circumcised before they could offer up the Passover lambs, and the church has to be circumcised in heart before we can partake of our anatypical paschal lamb, even Jesus.

Now, looking ahead to the Gospel age, we can understand that having Gentile believers being accepted to the high calling would prove to be a difficult transformation for the early Jewish brethren. Yet In Acts the 15th chapter, we learn that the apostles, the elders and the brethren of the Jerusalem Ecclesia, with some visiting brethren, decided against making circumcision a requirement for believing Gentiles. Paul, who himself had been circumcised on the eighth day, puts this matter of circumcision in very plain language in Romans 2:25, 29. I’ll read that from the dialogue. Now.

Circumcision indeed profits if you do practice the law. But if you are a violator of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If, therefore, the uncircumcision observe the ordinance of the law, will not his uncircumcision be accounted for. Circumcision and the uncircumcision from a state of nature perfecting the law, will condemn you, who with the written law and circumcision, art indeed a violator of the law. For not that which is external makes the Jew, nor that which is external in the flesh circumcision, but the Jew is hidden within even circumcision of the heart, spiritual, not literal, whose praise comes not from men, but from God.

Yes, it’s just as we’ve read in the Old Testament. It is a heart circumcision that is what God desires. Again, Paul makes a very powerful argument In Romans the fourth chapter, verses 9 through 12 Romans 4:9 12 I’ll read from the RSV Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it reckoned to him?

Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the Father of all who believing without being circumcised, and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the Father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised, but also follow the example of the faith which our Father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

In Colossians 2:11 12 we read in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. Clearly Paul teaches us that it’s our efforts to stop sin in ourselves that is an essential part of what circumcision means.

It’s reasonable to think that the proper order of events is that a person who loves God and comes to him through faith in Jesus first practices symbolic circumcision of the heart intentions turning away from sinful thoughts and actions. But furthermore they realize that’s not enough to be acceptable to God. So one has to recognize the need of having Christ’s ransom sacrifice imputed on their behalf. They are acceptable to God then, and are symbolic buried in death baptism like Jesus, dead to self will and alive to doing God’s will forevermore.

How interesting that the Christian does not need to practice outward circumcision, but is encouraged to outwardly demonstrate to others by water baptism what has actually happened inwardly in the hidden parts in their hearts. Isn’t that interesting? It’s like the reverse the outward circumcision in the flesh was to represent what happened in the heart. But for the Christian we don’t have to practice that. The Lord accepts our circumcised heart.

It’s inward, but he encourages us to perform an outward baptism as a witness to others to demonstrate what’s happened inwardly. Very interesting. We note in passing then in scripture there are a number of examples of passing through water by God’s people in order to begin a new life. Just like baptism, you’re going over backwards in water, buried, and then you come up forward to newness of life. But think about Noah and his family going through the flood waters to newness of life.

Think of Israel passing through the Red Sea, escaping Egypt into a new life. Then think of Israel at the end of their wilderness wanderings, crossing the river Jordan, likewise dry shod and entering the promised land, and the newness of life. We’re going to talk of that a little bit further now, turning our attention from circumcision to focus on the history of the passover. It was the first commanded by God.

In Exodus the 12th chapter. We read a little bit. It was to take place on the first month, the 14th day. We observe that it was the passing over by the death angel at midnight. That is what was to be remembered.

That’s the passing over of the house of the Israelites that had the blood on the doorposts and lintels. God instructed the people of Israel to observe this event along with their exiting out of Egypt the next day as a result of the passing over. We’ve already read that in Exodus 12 about the males had to be circumcised then they could observe the passover. They observed this passover in Egypt. The next observant was in the second year that they had left out of Egypt.

And we’re going to consider that more in detail shortly then after that second observance, the original one in Egypt, the next one’s at Sinai. Read about that in a moment. That’s Numbers nine. But after that the next observance appears in Joshua the fifth chapter, verse 10. It’s when they’d entered the promised land of Canaan.

Now, brother Russell makes an important observation. This is a very short little point. It’s from reprint 3086. 3086. He says that Israel had not practiced circumcision nor observed the Passover for about 39 years.

They were under a partial rejection by God and we’re revisit that. So just continuing the history of the passover. Next we come to 2 Chronicles 8 verse verse 12 and 13. There we learn that Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on solemn feasts three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. So here clearly it’s implied that Solomon had observed the Passover.

The next account is in 2nd Chronicles chapter 30, verses 1 and 5, 2nd Chronicles 30. There it is that Hezekiah, who kept his famous passover, and we read the phrase so they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba unto Dan, that they should come to keep a passover unto Yahweh, the God of Israel in Jerusalem, and here’s the phrase. For they had not for a long time kept it as written for a long time they hadn’t kept it as written. That could be interpreted two ways.

It could mean that maybe they hadn’t observed the Passover at all for a long time, or it could mean they hadn’t observed it properly for a long time. Half heartedly, if you will. I kind of think they weren’t practicing it at all for a period of time under the wicked kings. I will elaborate on that in a moment. Yet we appreciate the good King Hezekiah desire to keep it as it was meant to be, a service of devotion and gratitude to God Almighty for the deliverance out of Egyptian slavery.

Now following in 2nd Chronicles 35, 18, 2 Chronicles 35, 18, we read of Josiah’s Passover, and there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of and here’s a point, Samuel the prophet. Neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept. But just to read a little bit more, I’m going to read in 2nd Kings 23, 2nd Kings 23, 22 and 23. Surely there was a referring to Josiah’s passover.

Surely there was not held such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor the kings of Judah, but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, wherein this passover was held to the Lord in Jerusalem. So from these foregoing scriptures we want to put put this together a little bit. We learned that during the time of the judges, and at least some, if not all the kings, a passover had been observed, even though it seems that not until Hezekiah and then about 75 years later, that King Josiah, that the passover was kept in its intended manner and spirit. Now, with that being said, there’s an important note to make during a portion of King Manasseh and all of King Amon, who was Josiah’s father, that the temple had actually been shut and closed, and the scrolls of the Word of God had been lost sight of so that from the time of Hezekiah to the time of Josiah, about a 75 year period, somewhere along the line, the way they had closed the temple, it wasn’t being served, and it was the high priest under Josiah that opened the temple and came and found the books of the law.

You might remember some brethren have discourses entitled Finding the Lost Bible, and when Josiah had them read to him out of the word of God, he was so excited that they had this great repentance and a great revival, and one of the things they did was reinstitute the Passover. So it seems to suggest that under some of these wicked kings, the Passover had not been observed, or at least not properly restored. Now, to round out this brief history, Israel could not have kept the Passover successfully while they were in the 70 years desolation in Babylon.

Yet when they returned, they had to wait until the second temple had been built. So in Ezra the sixth chapter, verses 19 and 20, we can read there that the Passover was revived and once again the Passover became a national symbol of dedication to the Lord, their God, who brought them out of Babylonian captivity. How fitting. God brought them out of Egyptian captivity and now out of Babylonian captivity. So how well that pictures that the Passover once again symbolizes yours and my deliverance out from the bondage of slavery, out of the Babylonish systems.

And what do we do? We rededicate our lives unto our God.

Now returning to the lessons of why Israel did not practice circumcision or keep the Passover after the first one at Sinai until they crossed the river Jordan and entered the Promised Land. We want to figure that out what happened after Passover number two, that they stopped keeping it. Well, one of the things to remember, we read in Exodus 12 that the 12th chapter, that unless someone was circumcised, they could not observe the Passover. It wasn’t their privilege. So then logically, why didn’t the Israelites continue to practice circumcision in the wilderness?

Now, to figure this out, we’re going to have to give a brief lineup of a sequence of events. A brief lineup of the sequence of events. They kept the very first Passover in Egypt, Exodus the twelfth chapter. They reached Mount Sinai in the third month, Exodus 19:1. They erected the tabernacle on the first day of the first month.

In the second year, first day, first month of the second year, Exodus 40:2 and 17, the Lord told them to keep the Passover while they were still at Mount Sinai on the 14th day of the first month in the second year. Numbers 9 1, 15. On the 20th day of the second month, basically a week later, after observed the unleavened bread. The 20th. On the 20th day of the second month in the second year, the cloud went up and the Israelites journeyed from Mount Sinai.

Numbers 10, 11 and 12. After they had journeyed some days, the people complained. Numbers 11 1. After they had complained about only having manna, they wanted flesh. Numbers 11:4.

After that, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. Numbers 12:1. It was after that that the LORD commanded Moses to send out the 12 spies to visit the promised land of canaan. Numbers the 13th chapter. The spies returned with a wonderful report.

The land itself was great, but terrifying. Report of the giants of Anak and how they were but grasshoppers in comparison. 10 of the 12 sides said that that’s number 13. Chapter. Then the Israelites wept and complained, and they grew angry with the two good spies and with Moses and Aaron they desired to return to Egypt.

Numbers 14:4. The people wanted to stone them. Numbers 14:9. But the Lord intervened. The Lord wanted to destroy them and make of Moses a greater nation.

But then Moses pleaded with the Lord on their behalf for the Lord’s sake, and the LORD pardoned them because of Moses. Numbers 14, 11, 21 however, the Lord stated that that generation would not enter the Promised land except Caleb and Joshua, the two good spies. That’s in numbers 14. Now in numbers 1425, tomorrow turn you and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. Then in verses 29 through 33, they are told that they’re going to die in the wilderness, wandering for 40 years.

Only their little ones will enter the land besides Joshua and Caleb. So, brethren, we have to take a moment to just digest this information. It flows real easy if you read. If you start in Numbers the ninth chapter, when they observed this second Passover, and then by the time you get just five chapters later, the nation had been so rebellious they had lost their right to enter the Promised Land.

So why should they keep a Passover? They were dead men walking. They had been rejected by God because they rejected him. Let us go back to Egypt. Can you imagine all that they had seen in a year’s time?

In a year’s time they’d already gone back. What a warning to us. Now it becomes clear that the Lord had them observe the first Passover in Sinai before they had committed so many sins. After that they were unworthy of keeping the Passover, for their outward circumcision became meaningless due to their uncircumcised hearts. Brother Russell comments this is a period of partial disfavor from God.

So after considering the foregoing sequence of events, we learn that the Lord was only using the faithless Israelites, the adults 20 years old and above, in order to care for and protect the next generation, their little ones, throughout the 40 years wilderness wanderings, to eventually bring them to the proximity of the Promised Land, and when this next generation did cross over the River Jordan, Dryshot miraculously parted even as the Red Sea had been miraculously parted 40 years earlier. This would be a new start for the promised seed of Abraham. We see that the Lord did not want the natural seed of Abraham to die out, But God is not mocked. The rebels were not allowed to enter the Promised Land.

The rebels were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. That harkens back to yesterday’s lesson. The Lord is not mocked. He might bless and use people who have been unfaithful to accomplish a greater good. He’s viewing it from his timeline.

But that’s not to be misconstrued to think that, oh, the Lord’s helping us here. That must mean what we’re doing is okay if in your heart you know you’re being disobeyed obedient. The Lord’s not mocked. He’s not a respecter of persons. We might think of this generation as being a caregiver generation used by God for His greater purposes.

This brings us to the lesson we had yesterday, and I’m going to reread a paragraph.

Israel Today and Their Messiah In a similar fashion, the Lord is pleased to bless and use the secular or relatively nominally religious Jews from the time of their regathering in the land in 1878 until this day to maintain the land and protect the holy remnant, those Jews who do have sincere faith, those that do have a circumcised heart until in the future, after the people of Israel have had their final chastisements from the Lord as shown in Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 12, Zechariah 14 then will all the rebels have been separated out. They will not be allowed to enter into the new Promised land, Eretz Israel, I.e. enter into the new covenant arrangement depicted in Ezekiel 20:33:44. In fact, the Lord considers the Israelis now, even though they are literally in Israel as a nation, yet he still refers to them as being in a wilderness condition.

Well, they are currently in the literal land of Israel, but this is only a stepping stone to the next event, that is Being in an acceptable heart condition, a circumcised heart, so that they can enter into the new covenant arrangement, and even then that is still another stepping stone into the new covenant arrangement, and that becomes a stepping stone so that they can fight the good fight of faith against their fleshly inherited weakness from Adamic sin. So that then when the mediator steps aside during the little season, they’ll be able to stand their testing, and the faithful then will gain life eternal in a direct relationship with God now having been perfected.

And that’s the Lord’s end game. All these other experiences are stepping stones. Important, necessary. They’re in his timing, but they’re to be understood as what the end goal the Lord is trying to achieve. Now returning to the Israelites experience as they entered into the promised land.

This is recorded in Joshua the fifth chapter, verses one through ten, and it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the seed, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan before the children of Israel, until they were all passed over, that their heart melted. Neither was there any more spirit in them because of the children of Israel. At that time the Lord said to Joshua, make these sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel. The second time.

I want to stop there for a minute. What second time? Well, the generation that died in the wilderness, they had been circumcised before they left Egypt. That’s why they could partake of the passovers. But when they proved disobedient, their children weren’t circumcised.

So as a nation now a second time they were in mass, circumcised. Now back to the reading.

As Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 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. 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, they had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness to all the people that were the 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 show them the land which the Lord swear unto their fathers that he would give them the land that flowed with milk and honey.

And their children whom he raised up in their stead them Joshua circumcised. For they had been uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them by the way, and it came to pass when they were done circumcising all the people that they abode in their place in the camp till they were whole, and the Lord said unto Joshua, this day, this day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off of you. Wherefore the name of this place is called Gilgal unto this day.

So you see, it took 40 years and then this final circumcision of the next generation for the Lord to say, finally, now that reproach of your the unfaithful, the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people that I delivered out of Egypt, it’s now done away with.

The children of Israel encamped at Gilgal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho, they entered the promised land by faith. They had practiced their circumcision and now they could partake of the Passover, and after that they moved forward into the land. The first great event, as you know, was conquering of Jericho. We note that it was at the place where the people were circumcised that received the name Gilgal, meaning rolled away.

It states that here God considered the sin of the Egyptian influence upon the Israelites removed and rolled away. But as Egypt symbolizes the world, so too when you and I circumcise our hearts, we are cutting off the sinful influences of the world and leaving it behind, and make no mistake, brethren, circumcision is a very painful procedure because it’s a very tender area. Yet it’s not too difficult to look in our own experiences and recognize that some very tender ties might need to be cut away in ourselves. Think of how Jesus represented consecration to his disciples as found in Luke the 14th chapter, verses 26 and 27.

Now this is about as tender as it can get. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and his mother, his wife and children and brothers and sisters, yea, in his own life also. He cannot be my disciple, and whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. This is a tender cutting.

This can be very painful at times when this is enacted.

But should we expect any less of a test than Father Abraham had with offering Isaac, we’re the ones being offered immortality now. That hill of foreskins. A hill of foreskins. It makes me think of how the apostle Paul expressed his cutting away of that which had been near and dear to him. It’s found in Philippians 3, verse 7 and 8.

But what things were gained to me those I counted loss for Christ, yea, doubtless, and I count all things, but refuse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and to count them but dung that I may win Christ cast aside. It was after they were circumcised that they were considered acceptable to the Lord and then privileged to observe the Passover. Now brethren, this was going to be that generation’s first time to observe the Passover. They partook of the Lamb.

Now they were prepared to face their enemies in the Lamb, promised their father Abraham over 400 years earlier. Now there’s a lesson for the world of mankind in this too. The crossing of the Jordan river may represent how humans will have to pass through death to then enter into the mediatorial portion of the kingdom. They too will have to first have their hearts cut off from their desires for sin and selfishness before they will be able to observe the Passover. Their Passover lamb is of course our Lord Jesus Christ.

Likewise, they will have to acknowledge him as their Savior and Redeemer by symbolically eating of the lamb depicted by the unleavened bread by sharing in his cup, and Passover is no longer available. That ended with the ending of the Gospel age.

Their anatypical Joshua is the Christ in glory, their great mediator, the one greater than Moses. Their enemies they must face and defeat may seem like giants at times, and this represents their fight against the enemies of sinful thoughts, desires, words and actions left over from inherited Adamic sin. Their victories must be complete in order to maintain their place in the land of tomorrow, where there’s no pain, nor suffering, nor sorrow, crying or fears, and yet there’s still more lessons we read in Joshua the third and fourth chapters. Joshua the third and fourth chapters.

How it was the priests that carried the Ark of the Covenant into the River Jordan. First the Lord stopped the water from flowing down. This allowed the remainder of Israel to cross the dry river Bread into the land. It was after they were all successfully passed over that the priest were then themselves able to leave the river Jordan, entering into the promised land with the people. Just a simple lesson here.

I know there’s more, but just for the simple lesson. It demonstrates the antitypical priesthood must first go before the remainder of mankind into the death condition. This shows the completion of the Christ the head and body members before the world can receive their blessing in the kingdom. Yet the priests did finish crossing over after the people had. This shows that the world needs the living priests as their mediator to assist them up that highway of holiness even as you and I now both needed Jesus to die as our ransomer, but also to live again as a new creature to be our advocate as we walk in the narrow way.

Paul wrote about this Simply in Romans 4, verse 25 speaking of Jesus who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. So we needed Jesus to die the perfect human life to provide the human life rights so that we could then have the benefit in advance the restored restitution life to sacrifice before the Heavenly Father by grace. But we needed Jesus as our leader to act as our advocate with the Heavenly Father and to continue to guide and direct the Church.

In closing, as we respect our consecrated our circumcised heart. It is like the cleaning out of the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness. Yes, the old leaven reminds us of the old man’s ways of thinking. We need to remove these old habits of selfish thoughts and replace them with the unleavened bread or the transformed habits of thinking those based on in sincerity and in truth. It is only in this condition of intention and effort can we solemnly partake of our Passover Lamb.

Even Jesus Christ, may the Lord add his blessing.

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