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Circumcised Israel

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[Joshua 5:9]

Then 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.

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The Israelites who were liberated from Egypt finally entered Canaan.

God divided the Jordan overflowing with water and let the people of Israel pass by.

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The surrounding kings, including Canaan, heard the news that the Israelites crossed the Jordan divided by the power of God. The kings were afraid of meeting with the Israelites.

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The people of Israel knew that God would command the war.

Their morale was high, and even if they were to fight at once, they would all win.

But God gave them another command that they never thought of.

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God told Joshua. "Make a sword with flint, and circumcise the Israelites."

It is very dangerous to do circumcision now that the war is about to take place.

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Circumcision was a very direct ordinance that God gave to Abraham,

a very important ceremony marking the eighty days after the birth of an Israeli male child

to be a people of God.

“This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”(Gn 17:10)

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The reason why God gave this command was obvious.

The Israelites who lived in Egypt were circumcised,

but the men who were born in the wilderness were not circumcised.

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The wilderness life took longer than they thought.

They could not go right into Canaan, which they thought would be possible soon.

They spent 40 years in the wilderness because they sinned against God.

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Joshua and the Israelites obeyed God's command.

Joshua made a sword with a flint and circumcised it.

Once circumcised, it is difficult to move until the wound is healed.

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If they were circumcised, when the Canaanite kings came in, they could have been stuck.

But Joshua believed that God knew all of it and would protect them.

According to Joshua's faith, God protected the Israelites.

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After the circumcision, God appeared to Joshua and spoke.

“Now I will destroy all the shame of Israel in Egypt.”

God has declared that Israel is no longer a slave.

He said that the people of Israel were restored to the holy people of God.

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Joshua named the place Gilgal. Gilgal means “the shame of Egypt has rolled.”

Gilgal has shattered all the shame of Egypt and Israel has become a new land

of God's holy people.

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On the 14th day of the month, all the people in Gilgal were thankful to God and kept

on the Passover. The Passover is a celebration of God's release of the Israelites from Egypt. They kept the Passover with joy and gratitude to God,

who brought them into the land of Canaan and gave them true freedom.

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God has the same demand to us, who have believed and saved Jesus.

We are God's chosen people of the kingdom of heaven.

God wants us to maintain the right relationship with us like the Israelites.

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God gives the same command to us who are Heavenly people,

as He commanded the people of Israel to circumcise. It is the command to be holy.

『But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:

“Be holy, because I am holy.”』 (1Pt 1:15~16)

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To live holy as a people of heaven is to live a sacred life.

Just as the Israelites had a perfect relationship with God through circumcision, we,

the people of heaven, will regain their perfect relationship with God when they live a sacred life in accordance with the Bible, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I hope that you will be wonderful children of the Lord

who will maintain the right relationship with God without losing holiness every day.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)