The LORD the said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal today.

Joshua 5:9 Christian Standard Bible

In Joshua 5 we read about when Israel had come into the promise land to conquer it. But, before they can begin the conquest a 40 year old mistake has to be corrected. All the men must be circumcised before the nation can inherit the land.

We might ask how could something like this happen? After all the covenant of circumcision was given all the way back in Genesis to Abraham. But we see in Joshua 5:4 the previous generation, the generation who came out of Egypt during the exodus, did not circumcise their sons in addition to their unfaithfulness and rebellion in the wilderness.

When Joshua says that they need to correct this, that all these men have to be circumcised, no one complains! I can imagine what excuses might have been offered: “That’s not our fault we weren’t circumcised.” “That was so long ago, why does it matter?” or “It’s too late now to do it.” None of these or other excuses are offered. The men simply obey. They admit the error and make the correction. And what happens as a result? God says the shame and the reproach from the previous generation from the Exodus have been removed from the nation.

Now, what does this whole episode have to do with you and me? Sometimes, when an error or past mistake comes to light from years ago, we can be tempted to make some of those hypothetical excuses that I offered above. There is the temptation not to take ownership. However, a lesson from this event in Israel’s history is that it is never too late to do the right thing. It is never too late to admit wrong and make the necessary corrections.