“It was at that time that Adonai said to Y’hoshua, ‘Make yourself knives of flint, and circumcise the people of Isra’el again, a second time'”.-Joshua 5:2
Over the past week, we’ve been discussing the circumcision ceremony that took place at Gilgal.
This mass surgical operation was an absolute requirement necessary before the very first Passover was celebrated in the Promised Land.
I want to delve into this circumcision event a little more but before I do a reminder.
Keep in mind that the principles and laws established in the Torah will now begin manifesting themselves in a real and practical fashion once God’s Chosen People enter the Promised Land.
We are now transitioning from theory to application and this is represented by Israel crossing over the Jordan into Canaan.
Recall the 2 reasons why the Lord ordered Joshua to administer the 2nd mass circumcision.
FIRST, while all Hebrew males had undergone circumcision before departing from Egypt, due to their rebellion they were prohibited from entering into the Promised Land.
SECOND, since no circumcisions were done after Israel left Egypt, the 2nd generation was an uncircumcised bunch.
So with that in mind, let’s jump right back into our text study.
Notice the instruction that the knives used to surgically remove the foreskins were to be made out of flint.
This is a point that has baffled scholars for like forever.
What adds to the confusion is that Joshua’s time occurred in what archeologists call the “Late Bronze” or “Early Iron” age (around 1200 BC to 1000 BC).
The reason why the name of a certain type of metal was used to classify a certain period in history is because that particular metal was the hardest substance in use at the time for making knives, spears and other cutting or stabbing objects.
My point is that the Lord was commanding Joshua to use a type of material that had gone out of use about 3 centuries earlier.
But why?
Wouldn’t it have been wise to use the latest knives made out of the highest quality and hardest metal technology available to man at the time?
One reason scholars offer up is because Abraham used a flint knife when he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord.
In addition, Abraham and Jacob would have used flint knives to perform circumcisions in their day.
Thus, as a way to preserve the sanctity of the memories provided by their ancestors, the Israelite priests also used flint knives instead of the more cutting edge blades crafted out of bronze and iron.
I guess this could be likened to why we raise up a traditional Torah scroll in the shul (synagogue).
Could you imagine raising up an Ipad containing the Torah during a worship service.
However, is that the real reason why God ordered Joshua to have the Israelites use flint blades to perform the mass circumcision?
Was it to preserve traditional memories?
The answer is NO.
Again, I go back to a point I’ve mentioned countless times in the past.
We must look at the patterns laid down in the Torah.
Patterns that once established reoccur over and over again in Scripture.
Let’s go back to the first event when the pattern of using flint knives to cut or carve was first established.
It happened when the Lord commanded the Patriarchs to build altars for sacrifice to Hashem.
God made it clear that any other substance other than flint was forbidden to be used in shaping the altar stones.
Why?
Because flint is a natural material that can be used as is.
In other words, human intervention is NOT necessary when it comes to using flint.
But not so with metal.
Metal has to undergo all kinds of human interventions.
It has be heated so as to make it free from all purities and then it has to be carefully molded so it can be used.
Again, this is NOT the case with flint.
Flint was a work of Hashem, just as the altar stones were.
And that’s the point.
In order to create metal, man has to step in and intervene and whenever imperfect man steps in to “assist” God, the Holiness and purity of the Lord’s creation is contaminated.
It is no longer a product of God but a product of man.
And that’s a big no-no.
That’s right.
I’m telling you there is a connection between those stones that were used to build the holy altar to Hashem…
…AND…
…the Israelite men who were circumcised at Gilgal under Joshua’s supervision.
Remember, this circumcision would transform those men from common to holy members of Hashem’s Kingdom.
That’s why it was forbidden to use a product of man’s hand on them in a ritual that would make them members of a holy body.
Here’s something else to think about.
There was nothing special or different about the stones used to create the holy altar.
They were just randomly picked up from off the ground amongst a pile of other stones scattered all over the place.
Yet, once these stones were chosen and then pieced together to produce a holy altar for Hashem, they became different.
They became sanctified and holy unto the Creator of the universe and were now different from the pool of stones from which they came.
Once that happened, it would have been blasphemy to carve them using manmade cutting tools.
Remember, anything made by the hand of man (including vaccines) will fall far short of Hashem’s standard of perfection.
Are you seeing the connection here?
Like the stones, members of a holy Israel were also plucked from a sea of humanity consisting of folks from all different races, cultures and nations.
And by the way, those of Egyptian descent also formed a huge part of Israel.
Ever since the days of Abraham, any person from any race or culture has always been permitted to become a Hebrew.
When I visited Israel, I encountered Israelis of all different races and colors.
But I digress, so let me get back to my closing point.
Just as the natural stones became Holy once they were elected to be put to use for the Lord’s work, so it was with the men who were plucked out of a sea of humanity to become Israelites.
And just as it was forbidden to use a manmade metal tool on the holified stones, it was also forbidden to modify the bodies of the men of Israel by removing their foreskins with a manmade metal knife.
Why do they not continue to use flint for circumcision?
Flint is only totally natural for use if you happen upon a piece that happens to be sharp.
Most flint requires working to form a useful implement – this is known as ‘flint knapping’.
You mistakenly refer to flint as ‘metal’ when saying it has not been in use for 3 centuries.
On a slightly different note, is there a connection between “Hashem” and the “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan?”