Joshua 5
5
God’s People at Gilgal
1All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea became terrified of the Israelites. For when they heard how Yahweh miraculously dried up the Jordan so that the Israelites could cross over, all their courage melted away.
2At that time, Yahweh commanded Joshua, # 5:2 Yahweh and Joshua were friends. How wonderful to know that God will converse with his servants. “Make knives of flint and circumcise # 5:2 Circumcision, the cutting off of the foreskin from the penis, was the sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham (see Gen. 17:9–14). The reason for doing this is given in Josh. 5:4–7. The male children born while Israel was wandering in the wilderness for forty years had not been circumcised. This would leave Israel vulnerable for a number of days as the men healed. the men of Israel again.” # 5:2 Or “the second time.” All male Israelites had been circumcised before their exodus from Egypt (see Ex. 12:44–51), so this would be the nation’s second time. 3So Joshua made stone knives and circumcised all the men at a place they named Circumcision Hill. # 5:3 Or “Gibeath Haaraloth.” Gibeath Haaraloth means “Hill of Foreskins.” There could have been more than a half million men who were circumcised at that time. The Hebrew word for “circumcision” is muwl, which means “to cut short,” “to blunt,” “to destroy,” or “to cut in pieces.” The principle of circumcision is that the flesh (human nature apart from divine influence) must be cut off and removed if God’s people are to enter into the fullness of their spiritual inheritance (see Col. 2:10–11; 3:9). Circumcision was performed on the eighth day after birth (see Luke 2:21). Eight is the number of a new beginning. The circumcision of the heart (see Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:29) frees us to hear from God, to live in the Spirit of God (see Phil. 3:3), and to enter into the fullness of God (see Rom. 6:1–14).
4-6Joshua had to circumcise all the men and boys—all the fighting men. Although they had been circumcised before leaving Egypt, the male children born during the forty years they spent in the wilderness had not been circumcised. Also, by the end of that forty years, all the fighting men who had come out of Egypt had died because they had not listened to the voice of Yahweh. So Yahweh had made an oath that they would not see the land he had promised to give their ancestors, a fertile land. 7So he raised up their sons in their place, and Joshua circumcised them because they had not been circumcised on the way.
8After the circumcision was completed, the whole nation waited in the camp until their wounds had healed. 9Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today, I have rolled away your disgrace from being slaves in Egypt.” For that reason, the place is named Gilgal # 5:9 Gilgal means “circle” or “roll away.” It became their headquarters during the early days of their conquest of Canaan. to this day.
10While encamped at Gilgal, not far from Jericho, # 5:10 Or “in the plains of Jericho.” the Israelites celebrated the Feast of Passover # 5:10 The Feast of Passover commemorated their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. See Ex. 12:1–14. in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month of Abib. # 5:10 Abib was the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar and was later changed to Nisan after the Babylonian captivity. It is roughly April in the Gregorian calendar. 11The very next day, they ate for the first time food grown in Canaan—roasted grain and flatbread made without yeast. 12On that day, when they ate the produce of the land, the manna # 5:12 Manna means “what is it?” See Ex. 16:14–15, 31. For forty years, God supernaturally fed his people in the wilderness (see Ex. 16:35). Manna is also called “angels’ food” (Ps. 78:25). stopped falling from heaven. The Israelites never ate manna again, but that year they enjoyed the fruit of the land of Canaan.
The Commander of the Armies of Heaven
13When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw standing in front of him a man holding a drawn sword. # 5:13 There is nothing in the text to indicate that this was a vision. Joshua physically saw this tangible man before him. Joshua approached him and said, “Are you on our side or on our enemies’?”
14“Neither,” he replied. “I have not come to take sides but to take charge. # 5:14 This encounter was not a matter of Joshua gaining the allegiance of the Lord but of the Lord gaining the allegiance of Joshua. I am the Commander of Yahweh’s armies.” # 5:14 No doubt, the imposing walls of Jericho that stood before Israel intimidated Joshua. Suddenly the Commander came to take over the leadership of his armies. Also, these armies were not only earthly but also the greater armies of the angelic host that stood ready to follow their heavenly Commander into battle. See 2 Kings 6:15–17. He was about to give Joshua a supernatural and illogical strategy for taking the city of Jericho. At once, Joshua threw himself facedown to the ground and worshiped, # 5:14 Joshua worshiped this “Commander,” showing that he was neither an angel nor a human messenger but Jesus. This was a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ). Furthermore, the Commander called the ground Joshua was upon “holy” because of the presence of the Holy One. Compare Gen. 16:7; 18:22; 32:24–32; Ex. 3:5; Judg. 2:1; 6:12–18; 13:3–22. and he said to him, “I will do whatever you command, my Lord.”
15The Commander of Yahweh’s armies said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground!” And Joshua obeyed. # 5:15 See Ex. 3:5. This chapter teaches us many principles to prepare us to enter our own spiritual “promised land” to claim our endless spiritual blessings (see Eph. 1:3). First, we cross over into a new day, burying our old identity in Jordan’s flood. Second, we submit our hearts to Jesus (Joshua), cutting off flesh, experiencing the circumcision of the heart. Third, we enjoy a Passover Feast, receiving full deliverance from sin and victory over our enemies (see 1 Cor. 5:6–8). Fourth, we get a new diet for conquerors (see Heb. 5:11–6:3). Manna (the life of Christ while he was on earth) has ceased, and the new roasted grain has become our feast. Jesus passed through the fires of God’s judgment for our sins and has now become the grain of wheat who fell into the ground (see John 12:24–26). Now he is raised with many grains of wheat (our co-resurrection with Christ, see Eph. 2:6). We eat the unleavened bread of single-hearted devotion and purity in the love feast we enjoy in Christ (see 2 Cor. 11:3). Fifth, we encounter the Commander of Yahweh’s armies, knowing that he will lead us forward in “endless triumph” (2 Cor. 2:14). These principles prepare us to enter into our spiritual promised land and into a new dimension of spiritual warfare (see Josh. 6).
Currently Selected:
Joshua 5: TPT
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Passion Translation® is a registered trademark of Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
The Passion Translation පිළිබඳ වැඩිදුර දැනගන්න