THE NEED FOR OBEDIENCE

By JOHN CLIFFORD WHITHAM

As my wife and I were having our morning devotions and reading the account of the first days of Joshua in the Promised Land, my attention was arrested by verses 2-5 of Joshua chapter 5, and especially by verse 2. "At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time".

What was it all about? Had not God been with them through the wilderness, giving them manna as a daily supply from heaven, and water from the flinty rock? He had clothed them and several times corrected their sinful ways. Then finally it was God who had miraculously opened Jordan for them to cross on dry ground. Had not God been with them in the way and done all these marvellous things for them? Why then this sudden command from God to reinstate this ceremony of circumcision?

It is good for us to go back to the instigation of it. Genesis 15:18 we read: "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates". In Genesis Chapter 17, God set a covenant with Abraham, verse 2 "between me and thee", it was established and confirmed between both parties and binding on both sides, by an everlasting covenant to all generations. Therefore the progression of God's covenant incorporated Abraham. Verse 6 "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee", verse 7 "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee". Verse 8 "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." This binding covenant was set out in verse 10 "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised". This was not just for a period of time but an everlasting covenant to all generations.

A nation to be brought into being, a land to be possessed, what a great opportunity and privilege to be grasped! It had to be agreed on both sides and Abraham had to perform God's bidding.

We may question the ethics and the reason for it all but God made the condition of the agreement which Abraham had to perform. How far reaching it was to be if he was to perform it to the full, all his household, any who were in any way part of his entourage and all who were to be partakers of the blessing of the covenant—it was incumbent upon all! As for its medical benefits I will not enlarge, but we can say that it was a sign that God and man had entered into a covenant with each other, as verse 11 says "it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you". We are told in the same chapter (17) verses 26 and 27 "In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, born in the house and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him". When Isaac was born as well as any other male, into Abraham's company, they had to be circumcised on the eighth day, to be part of the covenant.

The enactment of this sign of the covenant had to be continued in each generation.

Moses, called of God to a great task, had wanted to be associated with his brethren in bondage in Egypt before fleeing for his life. Now on his return to fulfil that call of God and the deliverance of Israel from Egypt he was met by God who sought to kill him (Exodus 4:24). It would seem that there was some disagreement between Moses and his wife regarding the circumcision of their sons. Reluctantly it was performed. If they were to be part of the covenant and the blessing, they had to have the sign of the covenant and be circumcised. It was only then that Moses could proceed on his way to commence the task that God had given him to do (Exodus 4:26 "So he let him go").

For forty years Moses led Israel in the wilderness and all the children born to them had not been circumcised (Joshua 5:5). Now we find Joshua actually over Jordan and in the land but it had to be possessed. God's demands never change. As He was with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as He had been with Moses, so He was with Joshua. The same covenant and terms existed as they had over the 400 years that had intervened. God was ready to fulfil His part, the time was ripe for Him to fulfil His side of the covenant as He had said to Abraham "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land …". But something was missing from Israel's side. Maybe during their journeying, pitching their camps, removing locations, building the tabernacle, they had just failed to perform the covenant sign. Could Israel go on to possess the land? It must have been a great day of rejoicing when they arrived. However God reminds Joshua of the need to keep the covenant. Joshua 5:2 "At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel a second time". How much easier, with less pain and discomfort, things would have been if they had kept up with their side of the agreement of circumcising their sons on the eighth day. It must have been a great relief for Joshua, as it had been for Abraham before him, when the task was accomplished. Joshua 5:9 "And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you".

Time can be a great deceiver, things can be forgotten. In the early days of the Pentecostal out-pouring such scriptures as Colossians 2:11, were embraced. "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ". Sanctification and separation were practised. Now there are prominent believers who have no remembrance or teaching of the former days. God's day is no longer for Him and His house. Places of entertainment are attended and even football matches on the Lord's day. Preachers also attend and cut short their services and omit the Breaking of Bread as commanded by our Lord in remembrance of Him in order to accommodate these things. The Clubs and alcohol are substituted for the study and washing of the Word of life. The television and "soapies" instead of the Prayer Meeting. Spiritual circumcision was taught to mean separation from the world. Now there is no difference between the church and world. How I thank God that from my childhood I was taught the principle of separation and that I too accepted it and it became a blessing to me.

Abraham, Moses and Joshua were obedient in their performing of the sign of a separated people. Is it not time for the church to heed God and His word afresh—2 Corinthians 6:14_18. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty". Heeding such things will bring His blessings.

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Appeared in Issue 6 -- June 1999 "...contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" -- Jude v3