Essential Spiritual Preparations

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt. 6 For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord. So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 He raised up their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. 8 After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered. 9 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal today.

4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt.

FOOD FROM THE LAND

6 For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord. So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

7 He raised up their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. 8 After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.

9 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal today. 10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.

10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. 11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. 12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. 12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

COMMANDER OF THE LORD’S ARMY

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”

14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?” 15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did that.

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”

Introduction:

In our fast-paced world, speed is valued. The quicker something can be done, the better. We live in a microwave, fast-food, fast-paced world. The children of Israel have just miraculously crossed over the flood stage Jordan river on dry ground. Stones were placed at Gilgal to remember the miracle God performed. Now with Jericho just a few miles away, surely the time is now to push forward since the people are on such a mountaintop high. I am of the personal conviction that great harm is done to the kingdom when we base our actions solely on what we perceive as emotional momentum. Entire congregations languish and struggle today because they have built their ministry on emotion and not steady faith. Faster is not always better.

15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did that.

Remember the old fable about the tortoise and the hare? Who won the race? It was the tortoise. Slowly and methodically he finished first, ahead of the physically faster hare.

Verse 1 in Chapter 5 is a bridge verse that affirms the promises that God has already made to his people beginning with Abraham that the promised land would be given to them by God. The tribes of people on the other side of the Jordan were already defeated. But in God’s timing, not the people’s timing, the land would be possessed. There is purpose to what God is doing here with the children of Israel, and likewise we must remember that there is purpose to what God does for us, in us and through us today as his children.

In order for the people to personally experience victory, there were essential spiritual preparations that needed to take place. God’s concern is obedience, holiness and faithfulness from his people. There were some essential spiritual preparations that the people needed to take before heading to Jericho. Notice first:

I. Renewed Obedience

The wilderness wandering was a result of disobedience and a lack of trust on the part of God’s people. This disobedience continued in the fact that during the wilderness wandering the covenant sign of circumcision was not being performed. This sign goes all the way back to Abraham and . Every male child was to be circumcised on the eight day as part of a covenant sign as a part of membership in God’s family.

Obedience and Vulnerability - Faith

This act of circumcising all of the males would have meant that the fighting force of men would have been greatly diminished - meaning that Isreal would hav been vulnerable to attack from surrounding enemies. But God has handled this by demonstrating his power previously with the drying up of the Jordan and caused the hearts of the enemies to melt with fear.

When we obey God, we may feel vulnerable - but God always provides when we act in obedience and faith.

Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way - to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

Sometime we justify disobedience because of the consequences obedience may cause. This is not faith. Nor is it obedience obviously. Faith trusts God with everything, even the consequences of obedience. When we obey God’s word and trust confidently in God we can rest in God’s protection and that the outcome is secured.

Sometime we justify disobedience because of the consequences obedience may cause. This is not faith. Nor is it obedience obviously. Faith trusts God with everything, even the consequences of obedience. When we obey God’s word and trust confidently in God we can rest in God’s protection and that the outcome is secured.

God’s Protection

Obedience and Sanctification (v.9)

“Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.”

God’s Pr

This physical operation on the body was meant to be a symbol of a spiritual operation on the heart. “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer” (, NKJV). No amount of external surgery can change the inner person. It’s when we repent and turn to God for help that He can change our hearts and make us love and obey Him more.

, “ 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.,as That person’s praise is not from people but from God.

, “You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.”

, “You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.”

, “You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.”

II. Recalling Our Deliverance

The annual Passover feast reminded the people of God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Yet there is not evidence to suggest that they were faithful in keeping the Passover observance while wandering in the wilderness.

We should never forget that we have been delivered as well. Set free by the blood of the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world, the Lord Jesus.

, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.”

God is always working to get Egypt out of his people. In the renewal of the covenant sing of circumcision and the observance of the Passover the people are being reminded to not look back and desire the things of Egypt, where they worshipped pagan gods and were in slavery. They have now crossed over Jordan - they are to enter into their inheritance of the promised land.

, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Verses 12 relates to us that the people were eating now from the fruit of the land. There days of wandering are officially over. God’s promises are being fulfilled.

III. Realizing the Presence of God

When we obey and trust, we experience the blessings of God and his presence. We realize who is in charge.

Joshua has a special encounter here at the end of chapter 15. Joshua meets what many bible commentators believe is the pre-incarnate Christ. He encounters a man with a sword drawn in his hand. Joshua asks him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

The answer he receives is “Neither, I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.” He has not come to take sides but to take charge. I can only imagine the loneliness that Joshua must have experienced. Leadership can be a lonely place. It can cause depression when you think about the weight and impact of decisions and the care and concern for people. God had already promised to be with Joshua, and now he appears to Joshua and assures him. Joshua may have been going ahead to scout out Jericho to assess the problem ahead of him, it is here that the Lord meets with him.

God is with us in our confusion

God is with us in our fears

God reveals himself to us in the darkness and gives fresh light from his word

Are you submitted to his sovereign rule? Are we concerned with his priorities? The question is not whether God is on our side, but are we on his?