COMMENTARY: This is another scripture that strongly suggests that earlier commandments in the Law of Moses were symbolic representations of spiritual events. Clearly God is doing the work here and it is done on the heart — not on the flesh.

We also get our first clue that circumcision is related to the New Covenant. References to the heart always point to the New Covenant because the New Covenant provides that the law will be written on the hearts of men.

This scripture says that a New Covenant relationship with God was always possible — even in the time of Moses. This fact spoils the common assumption that the New Covenant was established only after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The New Covenant was, in fact, always available as the spiritual alternative to the literal Law of Moses. More to the point, it was always the desired covenant from God’s perspective.

What this says about circumcision is that God was always looking for people who would be circumcised in their hearts. Circumcision of the flesh was, and is, only a symbolic representation of circumcision of the heart.

Joshua 5:1-7 RSV When all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the people of Israel. 2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the people of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the people of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the LORD; to them the LORD swore 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. 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their stead, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

COMMENTARY: These verses continue to reinforce circumcision of the heart as a New Covenant feature. Joshua is a type of Christ who leads Israel into the Promised Land which is a literary term for the New Covenant. This story about Joshua prophetically forecasts Jesus leading both Jews and Gentiles into the Promised Land.

The command to circumcise the people before entering the Promised Land is God’s way of saying that the law must be written on the hearts of the people before they can enter into the New Covenant relationship with God. But it is a command to circumcise the heart and ear — not the flesh.

COMMENTARY: In this scripture, circumcision is equated with the ability to hear. God is warning people who cannot hear that they will be reproached for their inability to hear his word and delight in it.

Jeremiah is full of such warnings to Israel. They are all preambles to Jeremiah 31:31-34 which contains God’s clear promise to usher his people into New Covenant status. Thus, people with uncircumcised ears are equated to Old/First Covenant believers with uncircumcised hearts. They can hear and read God’s literal word but cannot understand the spiritual, symbolic meaning of what God is saying.

4 Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. 5 And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. 

6 So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin.” 9 Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

Titus 1:10-15 For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially the circumcision party; 11 they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for base gain what they have no right to teach. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 instead of giving heed to Jewish myths or to commands of men who reject the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.