Lesson 34 Washing at the Cross: Circumcised with Christ, Illustrated
Questions 1 and 2
Greetings and welcome back, friend!
In yesterday’s lesson, we studied this passage:
Colossians 2:11 (NIV) 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.
You saw that your entire past life of sin has been circumcised from you, and therefore, you no longer have an identity as one who is in bondage. Your guilt has been cut off. Your past has been cut off. Your shame has been cut off. Your deceptive heart has been cut off.
In today’s lesson, we have an amazing illustration of this very thing. God gave us a beautiful and compelling picture of this in the Old Testament. We want to see this picture and learn how it helps us to freedom from sexual impurity.
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?