Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Last week: The Memorial Stones
• A sign of unity of God's people
• A sign of faith
• A sign of God's power
• A sign of remembrance
• Chapter 5:
1. A need for circumcision
2. To celebrate the Passover
3. Trusting in God for providence (cessation of the Manna)
• These three events were a test of people's faith
• Key text - v9 - The reproach was taken away from God's people
• Consider it's meaning
• Consider it's timing
• Consider it's relevance
• Consequences of this event

Meaning

• Gilgal means rolled, their reproach had been rolled away
• Formerly slaves in Egypt - oppressed and down trodden
• No longer slaves but a covenant people
• cf Num 14
• The people wanted to go back to Egypt
• A reproach was upon them
• This generation had died off and the children were marching into the promised land
• Their reproach has been rolled away

Timing

• The river was in full flow and there was no way back
• They were to be circumcised in the promised land (v2)
• They had to trust in God
• Things do not often go as we expect them too
• God often confounds human thinking
• The fear of God fell on the Amorites and the Canaanites
• We need to pray for the fear of the Lord to fall, that people around will know that God is with us
• We must trust in God's timing
• Only the circumcised could partake in the Passover
• Only those who are regenerated can partake in the Lord's Supper
• In God's time they were able to celebrate the Passover
• God must have the pre-eminence

Relevance

• Our lives should be regulated by God's word
• God's honour first
• God first in all things
• The worship of Him before activity
• Is there anything amiss with us?
• Have you been baptised?
• Do we take seriously the Lord's Supper?
• Do we keep the Sabbath holy?
• How is our devotional life?
• Is it matters of holiness?
• Is it tithes and offering?
• If we put things right - time of blessing and refreshing come from the Lord
• Are there non-Christians in the church?
• Is the church of Jesus Christ regenerate?
• The counterpart to [Old Testament] circumcision is [New Testament] conversion
• Rom 2:29
• Col 2:11-12
• We will always know reproach if we do not know circumcision of heart

Consequences

• They were now able to celebrate the Passover with a clear conscience
• Remembering the past helped them to face the future
• They were now a spiritually mature people
• We do not need crutches or signs - we trust God
• When we have difficulties we must exercise great faith (Prov 3:5-6)