Morning

April 21

Joshua 5:8-9 ⁸And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. ⁹Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

Upon crossing the Jordan Joshua was commanded to circumcise all the males. All those who crossed the Jordan had been born during the wanderings in the wilderness. For some reason they waited until they arrived in the Promised Land to be circumcised.

This was a great act of faith. They are in the enemies' territory, and the pain makes them unable to fight. There are 40,000 armed men laying helpless until they heal. Their history included the account of when they had slaughtered a village that was unable to fight because of circumcision. But this was God's order, and by faith, they obeyed and trusted God to protect them. I think the Lord does the same with us, asking us to make ourselves vulnerable to our enemies, and yet trust in Him to keep us safe.

All through this wilderness wandering we had heard the whine about how good they had it in Egypt. There were numerous plans to return. Once they even had a vote to elect someone to guide them back. God had taken them from Egypt but could not get Egypt out of them. They needed to cooperate but refused. Now that that generation had died and the new generation was circumcised to God, the reproach of Egypt is finally gone. Egypt is out of them. Is the world out of you? Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word for 'roll'. Let God roll Egypt (worldliness) out of your life so that all your desire is toward Him.

Consider: God may take you into precarious situations to teach trust in Him.