When I was younger, I lied to my friend’s dad. It was a small thing, and the consequence for telling the truth would have been minor. However, I did it anyway. I knew that lying was wrong when I did it; I felt bad about doing it, and yet still preferred to evade any consequence by choosing deceit instead.
It was a reproach—a feeling of disgrace—that I had forgotten about until I shared that story in a marrieds class years later.
As I shared that story, I was prompted to call my friend’s dad to confess and ask for his forgiveness. He didn’t even remember the situation. However, to me, it was something I realized I hadn’t addressed and needed to rectify. That apology lifted the reproach. Yet, countless other situations, thoughts, and more have arisen and will continue to do so that may not be resolved with an apology. Perhaps you can relate? Are there things you’ve said, done, or thought that you can’t fix or settle for a variety of reasons?
This is the story of all humanity, echoing back to Israel, God’s people.
As Israel was coming out of their 40 years of wandering in the desert, God instructed Joshua to circumcise the sons of Israel, a sign of their covenant identity with Him, first given to Abraham (Gen. 17) and confirmed with Moses (Exodus 4). Now, this new generation, after having watched their parents and grandparents die because of their lack of faith, was expected to identify themselves once again with God as His covenant people.
Two questions instantly arise: (1) why hadn’t they already been circumcised, and (2) what is the benefit of circumcision?
The first point is simply a mystery and is a reality of their situation. For whatever reason, these young Israelite boys grew up in a community of people committed to God but not complete in their obedience to His commands. Therefore, before entering the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, God would ensure their obedience through this new leader, Joshua.
We’re given a little insight into the answer for the second question by looking at Joshua 5:9, which states that, “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.” The implication is that without circumcision, the people would be a living reproach. This means that they would be unfit to continue as God’s people in this new land, because they would not be rightly related to God. Not quite the start you would want when seeking to be faithful to God’s commands. Thus, Joshua followed through and removed the reproach from Israel by having all the sons circumcised. The name of the place where this occurred came to be called Gilgal, which means “rolling.” Joshua’s leadership and the people’s obedience “rolled away” their approach and prepared them for their new life as God’s people in the land of Canaan.
It would be nice to report that their reproach stayed far away, but the opposite is unfortunately the end of their story. Sadly, the kingdom of Israel was ripped apart just two generations after David became king, and these were subsequently decimated by Assyria (2 Kings 17) and later by Babylon (2 Kings 24). They did not obey and therefore brought reproach upon themselves.
Later, Daniel would acknowledge Israel’s failures and seek God’s forgiveness in Daniel 9:16: “O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.” Daniel is simply confessing Israel’s sin and subsequent disgrace among the nations and seeking God’s strength and power to “roll away” their disgrace. It was a prayer of desperation, and one that would be a long time in coming.
However, the answer to David’s prayer finally came, but not in the way they expected. Indeed, God’s answer to this prayer was not only unexpected but also rejected by most in Israel. The “rolling away” of reproach from Israel would first be the pouring on of reproach on Israel’s God, Jesus Christ.
Listen to how Paul describes this unexpected solution in Romans 15:3, “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.'”
What is Paul saying? How could this be the answer to Daniel’s prayer?
Three things:
- Whether by thought, word, or action, we have brought reproach on ourselves.
- As those made in the image of God, our reproach has brought reproach to God.
- Therefore, for our reproach to be removed, we need Someone outside us to not only forgive us for our reproach but also to give us a new identity (free from reproach and immune to it).
On the cross, Christ bore our guilt, dying in our place, enabling God to forgive our sins. His resurrection conquered death, allowing the Holy Spirit to renew us (Titus 3:5-7) and roll away our reproach forever by granting us a new identity in Christ (Galatians 2:20). This is the glorious gospel, a promise God offers to all who believe: Christ bore all reproach—past, present, and future—for God so loved the world…
Be encouraged! God bore our reproach on the cross, offering new life, free from disgrace, in Him.
Our response to such a promise?
“…let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb 13:13).
— July 3, 2025