Lesson 6 Circumcised at the Cross
Questions 1 and 2
Greetings and welcome back, friend!
In the previous lesson, we saw from Acts 2 that Peter preached the message of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus, and God’s Spirit used that message to cut the hearts of those who heard. Through faith in the gospel message these people whose hearts were cut became disciples of Jesus Christ.
We also saw from Romans 2 and Colossians 2 that all believers are circumcised by the Spirit of God; indeed, this is what makes one a disciple of Jesus Christ.
But how and where does this cutting of the heart happen?
In Acts 2, God used the preaching of the gospel to cut the hearts of those who heard, and today we want to see this truth illustrated with a story from the Old Testament.
Please read the following passage of Scripture and answer the questions below:
Joshua 5:2-5 ESV At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” (3) So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. (4) And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. (5) Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised.
Joshua 5:8-9 ESV When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. (9) And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
Question 1. Why did Joshua need to circumcise these people at Gilgal?