Gilgal

So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 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. – Joshua 5.8-9

Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away. Every burden of my heart rolled away.

Those are the opening words of yet another great old kid’s chorus. One of the many blessings of working with children is that we get to learn all kinds of great little songs and we have sung them so often that they stick on our heads and jump back out at the strangest times.

I looked up the word Gilgal when I saw why God gave this place that appellation – ‘...I have rolled back the reproach of Egypt…’ The word means just that – ‘rolled away.’ So of course I thought of this old song.

At Gilgal God gave the people a fresh start and a new life. It was the closing chapter of the slavery in Egypt and the beginning of a new life in Canaan. God rolled away all of problems that Egypt had brought and gave them new life.

I came to Gilgal on the 12^th February 1974. When I put my faith in Christ He rolled away all the sins and reproaches that had condemned me and He gave me new life in Christ.

Have you been to Gilgal? Has God’s rolled away your own sin through the blood of Christ?

Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away

Every burden of my heart rolled away

All my sins had to go ‘neath the crimson snow – hallelujah