a. The Lord called Joshua to circumcise the people because those who were first circumcised had died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb.
b. God would remove the reproach of Egypt through this circumcision.
c. This circumcision was the beginning of a new phase with this generation.
1. REASONS FOR THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION
a. Covenant of circumcision was an eternal covenant which was started in the time of Abraham. Genesis 17:10-12
b. God instructed Joshua to do this circumcision in order to renew His covenant relationship with them. This is because their fathers had failed God severally
- They manifested unbelief
- They manifested stubbornness
- They practised idolatry
- They rebelled against their God-given leader Moses.
c. This period was a period to make the people aware of the sins of their fathers which made the Lord to destroy their fathers in the wilderness. God did not want this new generation to fall into the same mistake.
d. God wanted to use this as a removal of the reproach of the Egyptian that they carried. The punishment meted on their fathers made it look like God was not capable of taking His people to the Promised Land.
- For God to fulfil His promise they had to be circumcised and consecrated unto Him.
- For God to fulfil the agenda of taking them to the Promised Land and giving them their expected desire, they had to be circumcised, they had to be consecrated.
- As a matter of necessity, we as Christians today must learn from the mistakes and sins of the Israelites.
- We must also know that there is a greater, better and compulsory circumcision that we also must do today in order to be pleasing unto God and in order for God to be able to fulfil His agenda for us.
- Also in order for us to be qualified to partake in God’s agenda, we must of a necessity carry out this better circumcision so that we can be able to rise and shine in God’s glory.
- This better circumcision is the circumcision of our heart.
2. WHAT IS THE CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART
- It is the reconditioning and realigning our heart unto God.
- It s the yielding of our life unto God to please Him and Him alone.
- This is done through conscious, genuine repentance.
- It can also means reconciling our heart and life unto God- 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
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