I agree with you, that this passage can appear confusing, so we need to look a little at its history.
The requirement for male circumcision was ordered by the LORD under the Abrahamic Covenant ( Genesis 17:11-12) & this was one of the signs (a token) of God's Covenant between Him & Israel. The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, so this rite was either not performed or not done correctly there; but before reaching the Promised Land, Joshua had to re-circumcise all the males: Joshua 5:2.
With that history in mind, when we look at Exodus chapter 4, we see Moses, after disputing with the LORD about going to meet Pharaoh, finally preparing to return to Egypt to secure the release of the Israelites there. Then in verse 24, we read while Moses' family was travelling & in the Inn, "that the LORD met him (Moses), and sought to kill him (Moses)." Some interpret the "him" as Pharaoh's firstborn son, but that wouldn't make sense, as he was to be the bargaining tool to secure the Israelites' release. Nor could it apply to Moses' son, as at that age (?), the parents were still responsible for having the circumcision performed. It's doubtful that the LORD would have followed through with killing Moses, rather that GOD showed His extreme displeasure in no uncertain terms.
What we don't read in verse 24, is how the LORD was dealing with Moses about his failure to circumcise his son. Because of Moses' failure to do this prior to returning to Egypt, God's Anger was kindled & He had showed them both that Moses' life was at stake. Zipporah, his wife, immediately took the initiative & circumcised their son, & in anger called Moses, 'a bridegroom of blood' (her husband's failure to have their son properly circumcised forcing her to do the job). Moses may have had his reasons for not circumcising (it's suggested that he didn't want it done in the Egyptian manner which was different to what God prescribed), but his failure to do so, brought on God's displeasure & anger against him.
As you read the full account in Joshua chapters 6 & 7, you will find that Achan, son of Carmi (7:1) took to himself secretly of the "accursed thing". 7:21 lists the items that were included in the "accursed thing". So as the Lord (in 7:23, 24) commanded to be done, Achan, his family, his livestock were stoned till they died & all the accursed things, burned with fire. This might sound very harsh, but as in other cases where the people disobeyed the Word of the Lord, punishment came upon them. And this was done to both teach them not to trifle with God & to also remove the evil from the midst of the people.
Chris-thank you for your reply. It is comforting to know that a total stranger cares of my hurt and emptiness. It has been a very long and very hard almost 13 months without my Patty. I have prayed for God to please take me so I can have some peace, so I can see my Patty again, but He insists that I continue living at least for a while longer. Yes, heaven is all about Jesus and His salvation and sacrifice for sinners like me. I just wish I knew what type relationship my Patty and I will have in heaven. Thank you and God bless you.
November's are hard for me. Everyone wants me to come to their house. They're all spread out in all directions. Act hurt if I don't show. I barely eat, so I inflate like a turkey. I'd rather be here to be honest.
I'm sad to read of the loss of your dearest Patty & also of the emptiness that's in your life. These are the tragedies & griefs that come to us as we continue on in our mortal bodies & there is no escaping the pain, except for the heavenly balm that the Lord gives to His children & the hope that is set in our hearts for our future life in His Presence.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" ( 1 Corinthians 2:9). What a blessed indescribable time that will be, when we shall see the LORD God Whom we love & the nail scarred Son of God Who secured our salvation. And praising him forever with the saints that have gone on before us & we also see our loved ones in glory.
Isaiah 61:3: "to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified". I pray that God's Spirit might minister to your sorrow & emptiness, filling you with hope & praise for all that lies before you.
In what order does revelations give for the last days I always believe that Christians would not go through tribulations for when the last days start we will be called to heaven
And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. ( 2 Kings 4:8)
Forgive me if I am wrong but I believe that God has things awaiting us that cannot be conceived by our mortal minds. My dear sweet Patty went to be with Jesus over a year ago. I am so empty and lost without her. God made us one flesh and I believe that that one flesh will continue throughout eternity. I know that heaven is all about worshipping our Jesus and should be but I also believe that God will reunite me and my sweet Patty and our love will continue.
Joshua 5:1-7 seems to indicate that the rite of circumcision that is normally performed on male Israelite boys on the eighth day after birth, was not being done since the days of Israel's bondage in Egypt. While on their journey to the Promised Land, this act of being marked out as belonging to the God of Israel, was neglected during their onward march.
So in verse 2, we read, "At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time". This "second time" phrase is misleading & certainly cannot mean a re-circumcision as that is not really possible nor required. I feel that we can understand it to mean that "what Israel had neglected to do according to God's directions, they must now do as a second (or, renewed) act to perform. So these who will now been circumcised would not just be babies but also men, as the rite has been re-established, which was once overlooked.
But if you're also enquiring about the rite of circumcision, then this physical cutting was the permanent sign required by God that Israel was a separated people, different from any other people or nation ("a token of the Covenant betwixt Me & you", Deut 10:16). If it were only a marking on the flesh, then this would over time be obliterated, but circumcision would permanently show a separation of a people to God. For the Christian, circumcision & all Jewish rites are not observed, as Jesus death & resurrection & gift of the Holy Spirit meant that it would no longer be our skin, but our hearts that would be circumcised, as sin would no longer reign in us ( Colossians 2:11). And this, God also would do for Israel ( Deuteronomy 30:6) which is what circumcision of the flesh should direct all God's people to have: circumcision of the heart. But how often we fail, as Israel failed - but we find forgiveness at the Cross.
In my understanding there are only a few times that was commanded
Exodus 3:5
Joshua 5:15
I have witnessed some women singing worship barefoot.
However the Bible says there's also a time commanded to put shoes on.
Exodus 12:11
Ezekiel 24:15-17
The mighty One in battle has proven to us time without numbers that the battle does not belong to us. The battle is the Lord's. So trust in Him, He will fight your battle for you. As He was with Joshua, so shall He be with His Children. verse 14 was a clear evidence of that. Praise the LORD Halleluja!!!
The mighty One in battle has proven to us time without numbers that the battle does not belong to us. The battle is the Lord's. So trust in Him, He will fight your battle for you. As He was with Joshua, so shall He be with His Children. verse 14 was a clear evidence of that. Praise the LORD Halleluja!!!
It gladden my heart to know firstly, that my enemy is dispirited because I have cross over.
But what amazed me the most, is this awesome question asked, What do you see when you know your enemy is dispirited? He that is for you or against you?
And finally, the heart of a true worshipper when he comes in contact with his savior, His heart cry is, what will you have me do?
When Joshua sees the man with sword he asks the man if he is for them or he is for the adversaries. The man says 'as the captain of the host of the Lord I am now come". All I can say to that is Hallelujah!!
Verse 12~the manna had been miraculously provided by Jehovah God to sustain his people in the wilderness and once the purpose is served was up, they no longer had to eat of it.
As Captain of the Lord's host am I come. The presence of God was always with the children of Israel throughout their whole journey but at this point the Almighty God had to show Joshua that the Captain who was Jesus Christ himself was with with them.
just like the israelites,we do also in Salvation,we go through the waters of baptism,and we are circumsised from the heart with the infilling of the Holy Ghost and the Lord Jesus Christ becomes our Captain and our finisher of our faith,thats why we stand in holiness in Jesus Christ ,thats why we go from victory to victory,thank you Jesus !!
Now the battle for conquering Canaan is about to begin and the Lord is preparing His people (Israelites) to take the land He promised their forefathers. An angel who is one of the captains of the hosts of heaven has appeared (last verse) to lead the battle. He is a covenant-keeping God and One that fights our battles for us. We will win only if we obey His commandments and love Him wholeheartedly.
To Bekezela Dube on Pro. 6:16 says (KJV) - seven ARE an abomination unto Him .....; the word 'are' is inclusive, meaning ALL 7 are abomination unto Him. The word 'hate' here is the same meaning as abomination. The word abomination used at the end stresses the reality of the hate. God wants to make sure they understand that He's serious.
The first step to take is to sanctify yourself. God says in the book of Isaiah " Your sins have separated you from me." In 2 Tim 2 he says " The sanctified are destined for his glory". The Glory of God is his fullness. Read also Proverbs 6v16, you will find 6 things that God hate and the 7th is an abomination. Fear God by obeying his WORD and you will become his friend like Father Abraham.
The requirement for male circumcision was ordered by the LORD under the Abrahamic Covenant ( Genesis 17:11-12) & this was one of the signs (a token) of God's Covenant between Him & Israel. The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, so this rite was either not performed or not done correctly there; but before reaching the Promised Land, Joshua had to re-circumcise all the males: Joshua 5:2.
With that history in mind, when we look at Exodus chapter 4, we see Moses, after disputing with the LORD about going to meet Pharaoh, finally preparing to return to Egypt to secure the release of the Israelites there. Then in verse 24, we read while Moses' family was travelling & in the Inn, "that the LORD met him (Moses), and sought to kill him (Moses)." Some interpret the "him" as Pharaoh's firstborn son, but that wouldn't make sense, as he was to be the bargaining tool to secure the Israelites' release. Nor could it apply to Moses' son, as at that age (?), the parents were still responsible for having the circumcision performed. It's doubtful that the LORD would have followed through with killing Moses, rather that GOD showed His extreme displeasure in no uncertain terms.
What we don't read in verse 24, is how the LORD was dealing with Moses about his failure to circumcise his son. Because of Moses' failure to do this prior to returning to Egypt, God's Anger was kindled & He had showed them both that Moses' life was at stake. Zipporah, his wife, immediately took the initiative & circumcised their son, & in anger called Moses, 'a bridegroom of blood' (her husband's failure to have their son properly circumcised forcing her to do the job). Moses may have had his reasons for not circumcising (it's suggested that he didn't want it done in the Egyptian manner which was different to what God prescribed), but his failure to do so, brought on God's displeasure & anger against him.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" ( 1 Corinthians 2:9). What a blessed indescribable time that will be, when we shall see the LORD God Whom we love & the nail scarred Son of God Who secured our salvation. And praising him forever with the saints that have gone on before us & we also see our loved ones in glory.
Isaiah 61:3: "to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified". I pray that God's Spirit might minister to your sorrow & emptiness, filling you with hope & praise for all that lies before you.
prints it in the comment rooms :0
A Shunammite is a person dwelling in Shunem.
So in verse 2, we read, "At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time". This "second time" phrase is misleading & certainly cannot mean a re-circumcision as that is not really possible nor required. I feel that we can understand it to mean that "what Israel had neglected to do according to God's directions, they must now do as a second (or, renewed) act to perform. So these who will now been circumcised would not just be babies but also men, as the rite has been re-established, which was once overlooked.
But if you're also enquiring about the rite of circumcision, then this physical cutting was the permanent sign required by God that Israel was a separated people, different from any other people or nation ("a token of the Covenant betwixt Me & you", Deut 10:16). If it were only a marking on the flesh, then this would over time be obliterated, but circumcision would permanently show a separation of a people to God. For the Christian, circumcision & all Jewish rites are not observed, as Jesus death & resurrection & gift of the Holy Spirit meant that it would no longer be our skin, but our hearts that would be circumcised, as sin would no longer reign in us ( Colossians 2:11). And this, God also would do for Israel ( Deuteronomy 30:6) which is what circumcision of the flesh should direct all God's people to have: circumcision of the heart. But how often we fail, as Israel failed - but we find forgiveness at the Cross.
Exodus 3:5
Joshua 5:15
I have witnessed some women singing worship barefoot.
However the Bible says there's also a time commanded to put shoes on.
Exodus 12:11
Ezekiel 24:15-17
But what amazed me the most, is this awesome question asked, What do you see when you know your enemy is dispirited? He that is for you or against you?
And finally, the heart of a true worshipper when he comes in contact with his savior, His heart cry is, what will you have me do?