From Joshua 5:1-9

For the people of Israel, circumcision was a sign of the covenant between them and God.  With this covenant, Israel promised to be His people, and Yahweh promised to be their God.  This meant that Israel would follow God and adhere to the standards for morality and society that He set.  It also meant that God would promise to protect and uphold them with His power.  The Israelites failed to keep up their side of the bargain on a fairly regular basis; however, God never completely withdrew His protection and care.  In the reading today, the Israelites have just begun to occupy the Promised Land and were preparing for war with the current inhabitants.  They had just finished a time of punitive exile in the wilderness because of their parents’ failure to obey God.  It wouldn’t be a surprise if at this point in history, the Israelites were nervous about how their relationship with God stood.  God orders the circumcision of the new generation, communicating to them that He was still willing to call them His own.  An analogy that can maybe help us understand this is a renewal of vows for a married couple.  Their initial vows were never gone, but sometimes it’s still nice to have a specific reminder of those promises you can point back to.

Our covenant with God is radically different from the covenant He had with Israel.  Our covenant is one based on faith in the promises of Jesus. His death on the cross, His blood shed for us, was “our part” of the covenant, and God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life is the other side.  Each time we approach the Lord’s Supper, we remember that Jesus called it the new covenant in His blood.  We receive the gift of that forgiveness at the table.  God follows through on His promises, He upholds His covenant, and the only thing it takes from us is to trust in His promises.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously entered a covenant of grace with us.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to remind ourselves about the covenantal meaning of Jesus sacrifice.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

  • Thank God for the gift of Holy Communion.
  • Confess to God the times where you fail to seek out the renewal of Communion.
  • Ask God to bind your heart to His covenant.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious