Through this circumcision, God said He had “rolled away the reproach (the disgrace) of Egypt” from them. This reproach refers to their history of slavery to the Egyptians—their past life of bondage as a nation. The Egyptian-identity had been “cut off” and “rolled away” from them, and this moment marked a fresh start for the nation of Israel.
This teaching is instructive for us today. Through our circumcision at the cross, God has “cut off and discarded” our identity as slaves to sin. He has rolled away our shame and disgrace. All our previous labels, indeed all our previous life, have been cut off and rolled away. We have no more labels identifying our sin! Oh what grace He has given us at the cross!
This truth is tremendously important to understand personally and to share with others. We believers must see ourselves as those who have been released from our old life of slavery to sin so that we can fully embrace the new life we have in Christ.
And did you notice where God did this circumcision? Gilgal. The word “Gilgal” means “to roll” or to “roll away.” This Hebrew word, Gilgal, has a New Testament counterpart word, which is the word “Golgotha.”
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him and with him two others —one on each side and Jesus in the middle. John 19:16-18 NIV
When Jesus died on Golgotha, He circumcised all believers (Colossians 2:11). God cut off your sinful self and rolled away your shame and disgrace. He circumcised your entire past identity, removed all your labels, rolled them all away, and buried them in the tomb with Jesus!
Think of this, friend! God has cut off your entire previous life, removed your entire past that is associated with slavery to sin. He has rolled away your dishonor, circumcised your heart, and discarded your disgrace. Oh, how I do praise the Lamb of God Who “takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and with it, all our sinful past and sinful labels! We are “not doing right” if we do not share this good news with our eternal King’s household! (2 Kings 7:9)
Question 3. How does this story at Gilgal illustrate what happens as people are shown the cross and come to believe its message?
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Miles writes, "You already explained it really well, The act of circumcision by the Israelite was to show they were set apart as God's holy people. We are set apart as God's holy people when we believe the gospel message, a spiritual circumcision takes place as our sin is removed from us."
Peter writes, "Just as the reproach was rolled away from the children of Israel even so our sin, our sinful past, our reproach for ourselves and others has been rolled out of the way and buried in the tomb with Christ."
Let’s look again at Colossians 2:11:
"In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ." Colossians 2:11 (NIV)