Nisan 11 – Brit Milah – Today in the Bible

Nisan 11 – Brit Milah

April 18, 2024

Nisan 11, 5784; from sunset April 18, 2024, to sunset April 19, 2024

This is the name Yehoshua (Joshua); Joshua means “The LORD Saves.” The top image was written ~2,000 years ago and was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The bottom image was written ~1,000 years ago and is from the Aleppo Codex (the Crown of Aleppo). The top image was written on a scroll, possibly in Qumran, near the Dead Sea. The bottom is in a bound manuscript, written in Tiberias, near the Sea of Galilee, which later made its way to Aleppo (Syria). The Aleppo Codex is now housed in the Shrine of the Book alongside the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Circumcise Again the Sons of Israel

Yesterday was a big day for “Am Israel” (the People of Israel). After 40 years of waiting, they finally crossed over the Jordan River and entered the land promised to Abraham. Even though Abraham didn’t live to see the day, he had a blessed life while on earth and he had the promise – the inheritance – that he could pass on to his children.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” – Genesis 17:1-8 (NKJ)

If you think about it, it’s been that way for every generation since Abraham. None of us have lived to see all of God’s promises fulfilled with our own eyes; but we have the opportunity to study the past, believe and trust now, and pass these things on to future generations. The covenant between God and Abraham in Genesis 17 continues…

And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.

“He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” – Genesis 17:9-14 (NKJ)

Today’s email is titled “Brit Milah” which means “Covenant of Circumcision.” The Bible tells us that after the children of Israel cross over the Jordan River, they performed this ritual at Gilgal. According to the Midrash, the story we just read about Abraham occurred in just two days’ time, on the 13^th day of Nisan. We pick up with Joshua today, where we left off yesterday.

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer, because of the sons of Israel.

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth (which means Hill of Foreskins). – Joshua 5:1-3

Our featured image for today is that of a flint knife. The Times of Israel tells us that it was found by first graders during a dig in Israel.

The Hebrew word translated as “again” (“circumcise “again” the sons of Israel”) comes from the root “shuv” meaning “to turn or return.” The word “shuv” is often used in the sense of repentance. In the verses above, it means “a returning to the circumcision; a returning to the covenant.” This generation was able to return to the covenant of circumcision after they “turned” or “repented.” Their repentance was proven by obeying the LORD and crossing into the Promised Land – as opposed to their ancestors who initially refused to do so when God commanded them. They then later tried to make a go of it on their own when God told them not to.

And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt. For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. And their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.

Now it came about when they had finished circumcising all the nation, that they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. – Joshua 5:1-9 (NAS)

Similar to Gibeath-haaraloth which literally means “hill of foreskins;” the name Gilgal has a literal meaning too. It is derived from the verb root “galal” which means “to roll or roll away, etc.” The LORD tells us why, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” There may also be a connection to the act of circumcision… “a rolling away of the foreskins.” The rabbis tell us that the circumcision was done now in preparation for the bringing of the Passover offering in three days’ time.

We may as well go full bore into Hebrew today and finish up with one last word that makes a connection to Abraham, covenants, circumcision, and the crossing of the Jordan. That word is “karat” which means “to cut or cut off.” God cut (karat) a covenant with Abraham. The covenant of circumcision is also connected to this word. Anyone who was not circumcised was cut off (karat) from his people. And, yesterday, God cut off (karat) the waters of the Jordan from descending so the people of Israel could cross over. And now, today, the children of Israel were returned to the covenant of circumcision.

To read all of our posts about Joshua, please click on the image above.