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Along the Way

Yehoshua (Joshua) 5:7 
And their children, whom He raised up in their stead, Joshua circumcised them; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.

Before the very first Pesach, every male of Israel was circumcised.  So when Israel came out of Egypt, all the males of Israel were circumcised.  However, after this first circumcision, it does not seem as though they continued to practice circumcising their children on the eighth day after they were born, even though YHWH had commanded them to do this.

Shemot (Exodus) 12:48 
And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will keep the Passover to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

In keeping Pesach to YHWH, all the males of YHWH are to be circumcised, and no uncircumcised male may eat of it.  This raises a very serious question about Israel keeping Pesach for the forty years in the wilderness.  Scripture records that they kept it the second year at Mount Sinai.

B’midbar (Numbers) 9:1-3 
1 And YHWH spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “Moreover let the children of Israel keep the Pesach in its appointed season.
3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, you shall keep it in its appointed season; according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof, shall you keep it.”

YHWH clearly commands Israel through Moshe to be careful to keep Pesach the second year, or second time after coming out of Egypt, and to be sure to keep all of its ordinances.  One of those ordinances was to make sure all the males were circumcised.  Because of what is recorded in the opening passage of Scripture, one cannot say for sure today that they kept this commandment, the commandment of circumcision.  However, when one takes into consideration the passage from Yehoshua which clearly states that no person was circumcised after leaving Egypt, then it seems that one can rightly surmise there were young male children who were not circumcised when this particular Passover was kept.

This is rather alarming after all YHWH had done in the sight of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt and then in providing for their daily needs with water and manna, and also in several of the plagues with which He had already struck Israel for their stubborn disobedience.  What were these people thinking in choosing not to keep the commandment of circumcision?  One truly wonders!

Things have not really changed down through the ages, as man always thinks he can figure out a better way to come to the Creator, a better way than what YHWH has clearly recorded in Scripture, a way in which YHWH clearly states that no one should add to or take away from what He has commanded.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 12:32 
“Whatever I command you, that shall you observe to do; you shall not add to it, nor take away from it.”

Yet in man’s flawed wisdom, he consistently thinks he is much wiser than he truly is.  In this instance, one can see that YHWH clearly commanded Israel to keep Pesach and to make sure to keep and do all the ordinances associated with Pesach.  Did they?  Apparently not.  Why? 

Mishle (Proverbs) 14:12 
There is a way which seems right to a man;
But its end is the way of death.

Now, please consider that it was only the second time in which Israel was to keep Pesach.  The first time was on the eve of YHWH bringing them out of Egypt.  So here they were only a year later.  This means that any of the male children born after coming out of Egypt were less than a year old.  Perhaps one can now begin to see the reasonings of man begin to surface.  After all, these youngsters would not understand Pesach, anyway.  Neither would they actually partake of it, as they would have all still been nursing on their mother’s milk.  So, what was the need to circumcise these youngsters, anyway?

The need was to obey YHWH!

The need was not to toss aside the commandment of YHWH in favor of man’s idea!

Yet, it seems that man is in this same boat today.  Instead of listening to the persuasive arguments of men, one needs to just obey the Voice of YHWH our Elohim in all matters.  One needs to go back to the beginning and simply read and do what YHWH has commanded us to do.

YHWH has commanded His people to observe the aviv barley and the new moon to begin a new year.  Man says that one does not need to do this.  Who will you obey?

YHWH has commanded His people to circumcise all males.  Man says that one does not need to do this.  Who will you obey?

YHWH has commanded His people to kill and eat the Pesach lamb and to put its blood on their doorposts and lintels.  Man says that one does not need to do this.  Who will you obey?

YHWH has commanded His people to keep Pesach with all of its ordinances throughout all their generations.  Man says that one does not have to keep all the ordinances of YHWH to keep Pesach.  Who will you obey: YHWH or man?

Some men say that one does not need to obey YHWH because Yeshua did away with all that.  However, Yeshua taught that He did not do away with any of it.

Matithyah (Matthew) 5:17 
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the prophets; I came not to destroy, but to verify.”

Some men say that one does not need to obey all the ordinances according to the commandments of YHWH in how He instructed His people to keep Pesach because there is no temple now.  However, there was no temple when He instructed His people to keep Pesach in Egypt, and there was no mishkan when His people kept Pesach the second time at Mount Sinai.

The Babylonian mindset is one in which it is okay to keep the commandments of YHWH as long as it is convenient.  However, if it is not convenient, then it is quite okay not to keep His commandments.  Now really, what kind of mindset do you desire to walk in?  Will you walk in a mindset in which you will obey YHWH and all His commandments regardless of the inconvenience?  Or, will you walk according to the ways of this world, which will surely lead one to death and destruction?

ABBA YHWH, fill us with Your Spirit that we might walk in all of Your commandments to please You because we love You; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach.  Amein.

Shabbat Shalom
Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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