Revering the Word
Joshua 5 Honoring God who has provided for his family.
Good morning everyone. This morning we're in Joshua chapter 5 and Israel has now crossed the river. They have set up camp and now they are about to head towards Jericho. Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed that their hearts melted and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel. Imagine that word going out that this nation whom God is for who dries up rivers who fed in the wilderness is now coming and God's favor is upon them and the surrounding nations indeed were concerned and isn't it interesting that you know this miracle is not only known by Israel but it's known by the people around God parted that river Hallelujah. At the time of the Lord at that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time." So also Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibbeth Peroth. This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them all the people had come out of Egypt who were males all the men of war died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt for all the people who came out were circumcised but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised for the sons of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness until all the nation that is the men of war who came out of Egypt perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord to whom the Lord had sworn that he would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us a land flowing with milk and honey their children whom he raised up in their place Joshua circumcised for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them along the way. That's very interesting that they did not continue to follow circumcision which was given to Abraham's family while they were in the desert maybe I don't know because of the conditions of the desert maybe because they were essentially camping in the midst of a desert and you know however they used to do it when they were in Egypt they just stopped doing it but it seems as though this is a sign of Israel's unfaithfulness you know they did do a lot of things of unfaithfulness while they're in the desert and the fact that they're not honoring God and circumcising their children while they're in the desert is really a reproach or something that they're not honoring God with and he's like you know what I'm doing this miracle for you I'm bringing you this into the land but you still haven't even you know done what I've asked you to do to identify as my people you know it also was a cleansing thing you know it's it's hard for us to relate today you know most of us were circumcised after we were born so therefore we never had a deal with the foreskin around our penis that was a thing that could get infected it was an area that could be unclean very easily it's it's healthier to not have that foreskin and it also identified themselves as God and you know there was a spiritual aspect to it because you were honoring the Lord by doing it later on in Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 4 it says this one now this is much later when Israel is again not following God picking it up in Jeremiah 4 actually verse 3 Jeremiah says this for thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem break up your fallow ground and do not sow among thorns circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskin of your heart men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem or else my wrath will go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it because of your evil deeds so the sign of circumcision was a sign of dedication a sign of holiness a sign of honor unto God and Israel stopped doing it in the desert and before God brings them into this land and blesses them he's wanting to stop and pause and have them honor the commands that he has given them and thereby identifying as his people now when they had finished circumcising all the nation they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed so that had to take a while you know as I would imagine doing this as an adult would take longer to heal than as a little baby so it was gonna take some time where they had to wait 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 which means rolled or rolling to this day and I think this is just like cap stoning the fact that they are now completely out of Egypt out of the desert and they're now entering the land that God had promised to give Abraham while the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the 14th day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho I talked about that in the previous podcast that they crossed over on the 10th day which I thought was very interesting and that's the day that Jesus rode into town many years later and now they're celebrating the Passover Thursday night which became their Friday at sunset there this is their first Passover post-desert on the day after the Passover on that very day they ate some of the produce of the land on leaven cakes and parched grain the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year isn't that interesting like soon as they get to this feast of Passover and they've crossed the river God stops the manna and now they're eating from the land it's amazing how God can just do what he wants and time things up the way that he wants pretty incredible now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went to him and said to him are you for us or for our adversaries he said no rather I indeed now come as captain of the host of the Lord so Joshua recognizes this person as from God an angel in fact some even believe that this is a an image of the Lord Jesus Christ a pre a pre they call it a Christophany a place where Jesus showed up in the Old Testament so some think that's what this could be no rather indeed I come now as captain of the host of the Lord of God's heavenly army and Joshua fell on his face through the earth and bowed down and said to him what has my Lord to say to his servant the captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua remove your sandals from your feet for the place where you are standing is holy and Joshua did so isn't that interesting and I wish we knew a little bit more about exactly where Joshua was but I think that what it appears to me is that with the great victory that is about to be given in an amazing and miraculous way to Israel God is trying to show Joshua that he is with them that he is for him that God's gonna take care of Israel just as he he did in the desert just as he helped them cross the river just as he fed them now he's going to give them victory and he wants Joshua as leader to honor him and to realize God's hand of protection and blessing is upon him and Israel and before they move forward to March and to take Jericho they pause and pray take off their sandals and acknowledge God and really that's what this chapter seems to be about isn't it before the victory they they are celebrating the Passover they're getting their lives right they're circumcising their heart of flesh they're consecrating themselves to the Lord and now they're praying and recognizing God's provision before they take their next step oh praise the Lord that we have the Lord on our side that we have the favor of God that we have now become part of the family of God through Jesus that we do not go through this life on our own that we do not fight alone but that the Lord is with us he's with us now not only in this season of life but he will be with us in our heavenly home hallelujah I'm grateful for God's blessing upon Israel upon Joshua but I'm also grateful today to be part of the family of God and have the blessing of Jesus I mean we never forget and we may remember that we are the people of God we are part of his family he is our Abba Father hallelujah God bless you all