NEED FOR CIRCUMCISION. VOL. 1, PART 2

NEED FOR CIRCUMCISION

VOL. 1, PART 2 (Updated Version)

We’ve been dealing with issue of circumcision for a while now. If you have not read previous post, you may do so here on the Facebook page or from my blog site here

Joshua chapter 5

This book of Joshua chapter 5 portraits the circumcision of the new generation of army, this circumcision has to do with the heart. In the Old Testament it was referred to as circumcision of the foreskin. What God was proven in that time which is of great relevance to us as a people is, the fact that we have forsaken Egypt does not mean we are totally through with it and need not to be circumcised.

The first stage is our leaving Egypt while the second stage deals with wilderness experiences leading to our circumcisions. Without that, we cannot become an armed person for the Lord neither can we enter into the Promised Land and eat the fruits of the land.

 There is always “the” Promised Land and a Promised Land for the people of God, The former is an eternal Land while the latter is a temporary one leading to the eternal one. They both go hand in hand. One cannot lay claim on the eternal when one has not fully grasp to some levels the temporary one.

The tool or the way to embrace the two is through circumcisions. God’s promise to Joshua was “as many that would go through this circumcision, I will roll away from them the reproach of Egypt”. The condition by which God will do that is through circumcision.

The Reproach of Egypt

What is even the Reproach of Egypt? Looking closely to the life of an Egyptian in those days, there was nothing that they had as a reproach except for one deadly blow the Lord gave to them. Witch-crafting, sorcery, and all kinds of abominable things were part of an Egyptian’s life. They were not afraid to show forth what they were good at. Slavery was part of their daily living. All aforementioned were not really a reproach to them rather one thing was their reproach.

The Egypt of today is the World, every corner of the earth, things you could see then in Egypt of old are being made manifest but that’s not really the issue with the world. If there has been anything the world as it were has been trying to fight and overcome through Scientifics methods, through advancements in technology, it could only be one thing and that is “DEATH”.

Death was and is a big reproach to the Egyptians of old and new. This is why in the book of John chapter 3:16 it says:

“For God so love the world that He gave (in death) his only beloved son that whosoever believe in him should not perish (experience death) but have eternal life”.

The key point here is Life against death... A man that is actually living a normal life lives in Righteousness and holiness, but the opposite of that is Death. A sinful nation is on a death’s roll.

Let me take this further, every sickness you could think of that happened in Egypt were all agents of death. They were killing the plantations, killing the cattle/livestock or turning the waters of Egyptians to blood. The hails, the frogs, the flies and many others were all agents of death; they were signs for the Egyptians to realize that the road they were toiling was a way of death. The killing of their first sons rendered them powerless. Every reproach leads to dead end if one failed to take heed.

The journey of children of Israel in the wilderness, there were no different between what plundered the Egyptians and what happened to them in the wilderness. As they continued to disobey and disbelief God, agents of death were making manifest in their camp till the day the Lord couldn’t hold back again and vowed that that generation will not see the Promised Land. They were all killed in the wilderness by the same death that killed those Egyptians.

Before God can start a thorough work in this new generation, He needed to roll away the reproach of Egypt from them which can only be done through circumcision.

“If you live after the flesh you WILL die”

Romans 5:14;

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come

Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression. What does that really means? Before explain the reigning of death from Adam’s through Moses’ time, let’s define similitude of Adam’s transgression. We can also call it “like Adam’s transgression”.

Dear Reader, Please note that the above scripture didn't say “Adam’s sin” nor “Adam’s iniquity”, therefore there is a world of difference between those words. The man was not deceived” says Paul in first Timothy 2:14 “but the woman being deceived was in transgression”. But, why is this verse now refers to Adam’s transgression not Eve?

 First, you can’t separate a man from his wife, two shall become one and in the beginning they were one not two.

Secondly, what Adam did was a deliberate thing, he was not cajoled into it, and the devil didn't persuade him like he persuaded Eve and in fact, devil never spoke to him.

Lastly, Adam chose to hearkened to the voice of his wife than what God has said to him. The same similarity, you will see repeating itself over and over again.

Abraham hearkened to his wife and went into Hagar which result to “Ishmael” but that wasn't the promise of God to him. Look at Isaac, right in front of him, his wife deceived him to believing that Jacob was Esau. This list goes on throughout the bible and it does not stop with husband and wife only, he could be friend, brother, parent or co-worker. That’s the similitude of Adam’s transgression.

Transgression is the breaking of Law. But wait, the law wasn't introduced till the time of Moses. Simply put, the law then was written in their heart by the spoken words the Lord gave to individuals. And as many that adherent to not keeping that which has been given to him/her or should the person goes beyond what he has been told, such person has commits Transgression. “Speak to the rock” God says but, Moses both spoke not to the rock but to the people then smote the rock. The result was “You will die on that mountain and you will only see the land but not enter”.

In the the previous explanation, I made reference to those who sinned in similitude of Adam’s transgression… People that couldn't help but hearkened to the voice of their wives, brothers, neighbors or co-workers and by so doing they fell into transgression which is breaking of law. This is one reason why there is no excuse for any man under the heaven before God, if you don’t belong to this first category then the next category includes you.

“Even them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression”… 

This verse is also saying, it doesn't matter if you don’t sin the way Adam sinned in the beginning, as long you came out of that generation (Generation of Adam’s) then death reigns. This is where God imputed sin into every-man’s account. The fact that you are morally good and sincere does not exempt you from that death penalty the Lord gave in the Garden of Eden except you exist before Genesis chapter 1.

Let’s consider the time frame the Lord gave….death reigns from Adam to Moses… does this exempt those who were born after the time of Moses? No! In Adam, God gave a commandment but didn't make it a law for them, in Moses; He made it a law that spans through this generation. In essence, the verse above is saying that whether you were born in time of Adam or in the time of the Law, death reigns.

To wrap it up the, the above verse confirmed that DEATH is a reproach every man on earth must either overcome or be subject to.

Circumcision is not Salvation

Let’s clarify this, circumcision and salvation is two different things. One is needed after the other has been properly done. Salvation must first be experienced before one can experience circumcision. Before the Lord told Abraham to circumcise his household, they've already experienced salvation, circumcision was just the next step for him to experience “the promise” the Lord made to him. Imagine for once, if Abraham had refused to be circumcised with his household, would he had experienced the promised made to him by God? Would he have given birth to Isaac “the promise”?

Let’s remember what Our Lord said “Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it, and was glad (John 8:56)” but when did Abraham saw His day? It was after he was circumcised (Genesis 18)

The second example I want to make is the man called Moses. I believed when Moses met the Lord at the burning bush, he experienced salvation. There the Lord showed signs and wonders before him; he received promises, the Lord made known to him his destiny as a person and the destiny of a nation. In short, his destiny was to be a savior just like Christ. Everything was made plain before, he got the gifts, the calling and the anointing. But, how do you account for what happened next?

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he (God) let him go: then she said a bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

(Exodus 4:24-26)

On the way to inn the Lord almost kill Moses for been uncircumcised. Does that mean that been born-again is not enough? Moses had received the calling, the purpose and the counsels of the Lord had been made known to him but he was uncircumcised, the end result was the Lord wanted to kill him for that.

In the same vein, the generation that left Egypt for the Promise land went through salvation, they were born-again because they experienced the sprinkled of the blood of the lamb on their lintel, they went through baptism at the red-sea but they were uncircumcised. This was what the Lord seeks to do for them in the wilderness but they blatantly refused to be circumcised. The Lord through Moses said unto them...

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

(Deut 10:16)

When someone is stiff-necked, wanting to do things in their own ways not minding the consequences, it’s a sign of not been circumcised. This generation had their cups full of that though they had the promise of God, they were carrying destinies but all these were aborted like an unwanted pregnancy.

This means when one failed to be circumcised, no matter the anointing or the calling, death is hanging by the doorpost for such person. The problem is not been born-again, the problem lies in unwillingness to be circumcise.

The generation that escaped wilderness experiences where death was flying up and down also had their own encounters, they experienced salvation through the confession of their mouths ( the first man that uttered such word was Joshua “We believed if the Lord be with us, those giants are bread for us”. That’s the entire word the Lord needed to hear from them. That is what salvation is all about, believing in the report that God gave or give concerning Himself), they were also baptized at river Jordan but, they could not entered into all that the Lord has for them until they were circumcised.

So, we see that circumcision is very important, the Promised Land is meant for those who are circumcised not those who carry the banners of “I’m born-again and that’s the end” on their head.

In the next Post, we'll look at what Circumcision is, the evidence of not been circumcised... All in Vol 2.

God bless.. Shalom