Action IS Remembrance... Joshua 5

3 Actions to Exercise Israel’s Memory… Circumcision, Passover, Removing Sandals

(Remember who you are; Remember where you’re from; Remember I will provide a Leader.)

Our last juncture in Joshua helped us see how God lead the Israelite people across the Jordan river. Chapters 3-4 are written to help the reader see God’s faithfulness in an almost utilitarian way. If someone says they can fix your leaky sink - you trust that they can by way of their credentials… and the outcome of their work.

Israel trusted that God was faithful based upon His credentials. He delivered them from Egypt, He provided for them in the wilderness, He had a “strategic” plan from replacing Moses as a leader for His people.

We’ve also seen how God - in the midst of transition - is carrying out His ultimate plan… to provide salvation for all mankind and be glorified as God of the universe (Look back at God’s treatment of Rahab in chapter 2).

Today, we make our final trek into the Promised Land before the difficult obedience involved in conquest.

So, what do you do before stepping up to the plate and preparing to “swing away” and bring home the runners that are on base? You take stock. You remember ALL the reasons you’re about to do what you’re about to do. Today, we’ll see how God reminded Israel who they were, where they came from, and that God would always lead them.

Joshua had lead the Israelites successfully through the “battle” of Jericho and had given them the confidence to march onward into the lands west of the Jordan River. They had one particularly helpful asset “in their back pocket”. A reputation...

Joshua 5:1 (ESV)

As soon as 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 that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

Before this moment, the only other mention of “melted hearts” came from Rahab. She used this phrase in Joshua 2:11 as she recounted what the city of Jericho knew about the Israelites victories over Sihon and Og - Kings of the Amorites. The words give the connotation of melting or wasting away.

At this point, Israel has accomplished their first leg of the journey and they have passed their first challenges in obedience. At the command to take Jericho - in less-than-usual military fashion, they successfully destroyed the city, it’s inhabitants. Now, they embark on their first full-scale, community wide initiation right - circumcision of all the men who were sons of the first generation of ...

Joshua 5:2–9 ESV

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

The first instance of “Remembrance IS Action” is described through Joshua’s initiation to circumcise all of Israel. Now, as I proceed, given it’s a communion Sunday, we have K-5 present. Parents, I assure I will be prudent.... but, I must explain briefly a couple things concerning circumcision. If not, you and I miss the picture that God intends the readers to have when writing this message concerning His servant, Joshua.

Circumcision was a medical procedure. Anyone above the age of 15 has likely heard of it either by way of medical discussion OR by novelty of student conversation - whether appropriate or inappropriate. In this section of Scripture, Joshua identifies the Israelites as uncircumcised and requires the entire nation to go through this surgical/physical, sociological rite.

There’s a specific audience intended to re-inaugurate this act - the “young men of war” spoken of in verses 4-5. The previous (you could say ‘original’) generation to receive the promise of the land had all died in the wilderness. They were ALL circumcised while slaves in Egypt. Those men of war (as well as the rest of the nation coming out of Egypt) had died in the wilderness. Now, a new group of warriors as well as an entirely different generation of Israelites needed confirmation that they would receive the promises guaranteed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… all the way down to Moses.

The original generation’s circumcision was an act of association and remembrance that God had chosen for Himself a people. (Genesis 17). As the writer continues to help his readers see the themes of leadership transition, this is another potent example signifying God’s plan.

Among the many ways God could have “activated” His promise to the people of Israel - He chose to “resurrect” an existing practice. During the wandering in the wilderness, NO MALE babies were circumcised. Why is that significant?

Circumcision was THE physical act chosen by God to qualify: Who His people were.

The significance was BOTH physical and spiritual.

Physically, there’s no getting around the act. For the recipient - there body would literally bare a mark that indicated their assimilation into God’s chosen people - Israel.

Spiritually, the circumcised male was now an official “recipient” of Yahweh’s promises. A question comes to mind about God’s willingness to bless His children… what about everyone else? God already made accommodation for anyone who wanted to partake in Israel’s blessing. Those who were bought OR those who were foreigners and aliens who wished to enter into the promises of Abraham had to take on this bodily act of remembrance.

God instituted an ACTION for remembrance.

It was essential to receive their benefits and so that those around them knew they were the children of Yahweh!

PASSOVER

Joshua 5:10–12 ESV

While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

The second instance that Action is Remembrance, is the re-institution of Passover. There are a couple important notes to make about this celebration of Passover - to understand what’s going on in the text - but to also understand how it impacts our time at the communion table today.

First...

How many times had the children of Israel celebrated the Passover since they left Egypt? 1 TIME! They celebrated it the night before they left (Exodus 12-13) , then one more time, after crossing the Red Sea in Kadesh Barnea at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 12-13 ).

Sad note... you remember what happened shortly following the celebration of Passover in the Sinai wilderness? THE BICKERING BROKE OUT! Remember this… it’s going to be important before we come to this table.

The second thing you need to know about the celebration of Passover was that it was relegated to the children of Israel - ALONE. BUT… there was a caveat… any foreigner or alien who wanted to take part in the blessings of Israel’s inheritance of the Promised Land could do so… simply undertake circumcision and be enumerated among God’s chosen people Israel and receive the blessings guaranteed them.

At this point there was also No. More. Manna! Israel now ate from the produce of the land! They now partook from what they had been promised. So, the manna stopped… but the feasting DID NOT! This will play into communion momentarily.

The Final Action -

Joshua’s Encounter with The Commander of The LORD’s Army

Joshua 5:13–15 ESV

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Remember the themes of this book?

Another Moses

Transition as a people

Be strong, courageous, and obedient.

In the first two actions that that are remembrance, we have community wide events. The men of Israel, men of war and men of the community as a whole, we circumcised. At the age of 40 - it was an action NO ONE would forget.

The Passover was a meal shared by the people of god AND any foreigner, alien or bought slave who would undertake the mark to receive the blessing of the promised land - circumcision. Manna was no longer needed as the divine provision it was, rather, their promise (the land of Canaan) they had all their physical needs provided.

Finally, the last action to solidify Israel’s remembrance was another reaffirmation of Joshua’s leadership. He was commanded by The Lord himself to take off his sandals to walk upon Holy ground… and as his predecessor Moses obeyed, so Joshua obeyed.

So… what does this have to do with Communion today?

We celebrate Communion as an Action that is Remembrance!

You see, as followers of Christ, we are bearing the mark of circumcision. However, it is NOT with the circumcision of the flesh; but with the circumcision of Christ.

Colossians 2:11

Colossians 2:11 ESV

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

Explain: Just as the act of circumcision identified and set apart each male child as a child of God and the benefactor of His promises; So followers of Christ have been identified and set apart by the sacrifice of the Son of God.

Passover was the meal shared to celebrate God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt…

So we celebrate communion because of Jesus deliverance of us from the power of sin and the penalty of sin.

Just as the manna ended when Israel came across the Jordan; the promise met their needs.

Jesus, the promised Messiah has met our need for salvation.

The Commander of the LORD’s Army was present to lead Israel through their conquest… So Jesus is present with all believers to reconcile them with God the Father; showing Himself in our stead when at our death.

Communion