Circumcision is the custom of cutting the foreskin of the male genitalia as a religious rite. God gave circumcision to Abraham as the sign of His covenant with him and his descendants, commanding that every male child be circumcised on the eighth day. Circumcision was required for participation in the Passover and for worship in the temple.
However, during their years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites did not practice circumcision. Thirty-eight years earlier, at Kadesh Barnea, they had refused to trust God and enter the Promised Land. As a result, God disciplined them by making them wander in the wilderness until the entire unbelieving generation died, except for Caleb and Joshua. During this period, God temporarily suspended the outward sign of His covenant and did not require circumcision for the male children born in the wilderness.
Yet, even during this time, God continued to perform wonders on their behalf and met all their needs. Though they were not bearing the visible mark of the covenant, His mercy and provision never ceased.
After crossing the Jordan River, God commanded Joshua to circumcise all the males of Israel. Scripture tells us, “So when the entire nation had been circumcised, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed” (Joshua 5:8). For an Israelite, being uncircumcised was considered a disgrace. Therefore, the Lord declared, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so that place was called Gilgal, meaning “rolling away,” to this day (Joshua 5:9).
Yet we must remember that even in the Old Testament, this physical act was intended to point to a deeper spiritual reality. Moses exhorted the people, “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer” (Deuteronomy 10:16).
The New Testament echoes the same truth. The Apostle Paul writes, “A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (Romans 2:28–29). Stephen, addressing the Sanhedrin, declared boldly, “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51).
This message speaks powerfully to us today. We may call ourselves Christians—and even Pentecostals—but are we truly different from the Israelites of old? As we conclude one year and stand at the threshold of another, this is a moment for honest self-examination.
Are we still living under reproach, or has the Lord rolled away our disgrace?
Have our hearts been truly circumcised by the Spirit of God?
May this be a Gilgal moment for us—a place where the old is rolled away and we step forward in renewed obedience, faith, and holiness.
