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Friend, revival begins with consecration!

Joshua 5:2-3  At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time." 3  So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 9  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. 

After Israel crossed the Jordan and stepped into the land of promise, something unexpected happened. Before a single battle was fought, before Jericho’s walls were confronted, God stopped the entire nation. Instead of preparing weapons or military strategy, the Lord gave Joshua a very different command: circumcise the nation again.

The wilderness generation had neglected the covenant sign.

Those who had been born during the forty years of wandering had not been circumcised, and before Israel could begin the conquest of the land, their covenant identity had to be restored. God was making it clear that victory would not begin with warfare -- it would begin with consecration.

The people of God first had to remember who they were.

Circumcision had always been the mark of belonging to the covenant given to Abraham. It represented separation, identity, and devotion to God. By commanding this act before the battles began, the Lord was reminding Israel that inheritance flows from covenant, not merely from effort. The conquest of Canaan would not be won simply by strength or strategy -- it would be won by a people who were aligned with God.

Scripture tells us that at that moment God “rolled away the reproach of Egypt.” Even though Israel had physically left Egypt decades earlier, the wilderness years had left lingering marks on their identity. Before they could fully step into promise, the shame and influence of the old life had to be removed.

This moment also points to a deeper spiritual reality. In the New Covenant, circumcision is no longer physical -- it is spiritual. The apostle Paul speaks of the circumcision of the heart, a work of God that removes the old nature and brings us into new life. Being born again is the true circumcision, where God cuts away the old identity and forms a new one rooted in Him.

Revival always follows this pattern.

Before conquest comes consecration. Before victory comes surrender. Before the people of God can take ground in the world, their hearts must first belong fully to the Lord. God is far more interested in forming a consecrated people than in producing quick victories.

The Lord was preparing Israel not only to fight battles, but to carry His presence in the land.

Friend, before God leads His people into greater victory, He calls them into deeper consecration. Revival is not sustained by enthusiasm alone -- it is sustained by hearts that belong fully to Him. Allow the Lord to deal with the old influences of Egypt that may still linger in the heart. Let Him renew your identity and restore the covenant within you. When a people are consecrated before God, the reproach of the past is rolled away -- and they become ready to advance into every promise He has prepared.

George & Baht Rivka (Currently in Tennessee)
Please pray for our son, Obadiah, and his team on the mission field in Ethiopia.