Joshua 5:2-12 (focus verse 5 – NIV)
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.
Before possessing the Promised Land, three important events took place. The first was the rite of circumcision. It had apparently been neglected in the desert (see Genesis 17). It was an important physical sign of the covenant relationship (the contract) with God that had been established with Abraham. Here on the cusp of the Promised Land, all the men who had been born throughout the wilderness journey were to undergo circumcision. Throughout the centuries it has been the quintessential sign of ethnic belonging and biological lineage for Jewish men. In the New Testament, the rite of water baptism has become the outward manifestation of putting off the old, fleshly man, and becoming a new creature in Christ (Col. 2:11-14). Water Baptism is a key to spiritual victory for us in our day. If you have made a commitment to follow Jesus, then be sure to get water baptized. (Call WEAG for details.)