The Sign of the Covenant

“All the people that came out [of Egypt] had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not” (Josh. 5:5, NIV).

Emphasis on the spiritual nature of the Christian religion often leads to a denigration of the external signs that are intended by God to mark out His people as distinct from the world. What advantage is to be gained, it is argued, by being precise about the outward elements of the faith if the heart is what counts?

This kind of spurious argument may be compared to the reasoning used by the couple who refuse to take marriage vows before indulging in intimate relations because, in their own minds, they are already committed to one another.

God Himself commands that certain external practices be followed, and to neglect these directives is to violate God’s revealed will. Human willfulness in these matters tends to have far-reaching effects. Consider in this regard the sign of the covenant, which was neglected in the wilderness and then reinstated as God’s people were on the threshold of their conquest of the land.

The Sign Neglected

For five hundred years, from the time of Abraham to the exodus under Moses, God’s people were marked off as distinctive from the people of the world by the covenant sign of circumcision. This sign was applied to all males at eight days of age, giving testimony to God’s people and to the world that their covenant LORD regarded even infants as being so sinful that they needed cleansing. Witness was given to the fact that God had graciously provided a way for purification.

But once they found themselves unsettled and wandering in the wilderness, God’s people—believe it or not—neglected to carry on with this God-ordained practice. God’s people had lost their distinguishing mark.

Now lest this little incident remain in the archives of ancient Israelite history, it should be pointed out that circumcision under the old covenant anticipated baptism under the new. As a matter of fact, Paul connects the two rituals so closely that he says, in essence: “By being buried with Christ in baptism, you were circumcised” (Col. 2:11–12). For we are the people who have been circumcised, we Christians of the new covenant age (Phil. 3:3). For just as both external and internal circumcision were required under the old covenant, so both external and internal baptism are required today.

God is not pleased when His requirements are neglected, whether those requirements relate to the inner or the outer life of His people. He expects His people to be in submission to His revealed will.

The Sign Reinstituted

There was no way. By no means could the Israelites expect to possess the promises of God so long as they neglected the specified ordinance of God. So at the command of the LORD of the covenant, flint knives were made and all the males of the nation received the sign of circumcision (Josh. 5:2–3).

It was a great act of faith. Remember that all the men who had come out of Egypt with Moses had perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Only Joshua and Caleb remained of people who were over forty years of age. So standing under the shadow of the fortified city of Jericho, every man capable of bearing arms was debilitated. No one was left to defend their wives, their children, and their possessions. For several days after the act of mass circumcision, the whole nation was in a position of “clear and present danger.” Yet the people unitedly agreed to perform this act of faith. If they were to lay claim to God’s promises, they knew they had to begin by totally committing themselves to the loving care of their faithful covenant God.

Baptism should mean the same thing today. In many parts of the world, it does have just that same significance. In one vast country today, whole villages of Christians are being murdered, tortured, and burned out by adherents to another religion. In another country, Christians have been targeted for enslavement or death by starvation. To be baptized under these conditions is to face the threat of death or worse.

So the old way of God’s challenging the faith of His people who live in the midst of an alien society continues today. In our current situation, let us soft Christians of the West recapture the total life-commitment involved in baptism. Let us stand by our commitment to Jesus as Lord that has been publically sealed by our baptism. Let us say with full determination by the grace of God: “As for me and my house, we will serve the covenant LORD” (Josh. 24:15).

The consequences of Israel’s renewed commitment to the LORD of the covenant were experienced instantly. After the ritual of circumcision had been completed, Israel celebrated the Passover. For 40 years they had eaten nothing but manna from heaven and had drunk nothing but water from the rock. But now they could enjoy the rich fruit of the land of promise—freshly baked bread, roasted grain, and wine from the surrounding vineyards (Josh. 5:10–11). Shortly thereafter they saw the intervening hand of the LORD by the collapse of Jericho’s fortifications. So the door was opened to them to enjoy the full blessings of their redemption.