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Joshua 5:2-9
When did the circumcision take place? Well, for logistical reasons, it likely happened on Abib 11, as it would take time for upwards of two million people to cross over the Jordan River. Once they got into the land, they had to spread out so they could camp. They camped at Gilgal, several miles to the west of the Jordan. Over two million people on foot just do not move all that quickly. The phrase "rolled away" in verse 9 is especially intriguing because God officially rolled away—that is, forgave—Israel's shameful captivity in Egypt. They were now free to inherit the land. We can see types of this from before. Remember when Moses returned to Egypt after his forty-year sojourn with Jethro and his family? What happened on the way? God stopped him and threatened to kill Moses, and Zipporah quickly took out a knife and circumcised their two boys. Before Moses could represent God and His covenant, his children had to be circumcised. From this, we can understand that while Moses had been circumcised, he had neglected to circumcise his own sons. God made sure they bore the sign of the covenant. Before Israel could represent God, even within the Promised Land when they went to war, they had to undergo circumcision. It represented their sanctification, setting them apart from the people of the land. A circumcised, sanctified army would represent God in conquering the land. In addition, they were about to take the Passover, and Exodus 12 teaches that a male Israelite must be circumcised before he takes the Passover. This circumcision prepared them to observe it. In the New Testament, our circumcision is of the heart. It signifies a cutting away of the human nature that that makes us sanctified to represent God as His witnesses and as His sons under the New Covenant. Those circumcised remained in Gilgal in the camp until they healed. This did not matter in terms of the Passover because it was a ritual that was observed at home. There is no evidence that God performed miraculous healings of those circumcised since He says that they remained in camp until their wounds healed. Scripture says nothing specifically about either Abib 12 or 13, but they undoubtedly used those days to settle in more thoroughly in Gilgal, do the harvesting of local crops, raid the local stores of produce in the area, and make any preparations required for keeping the Passover.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Wavesheaf and the Selfsame Day
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