[5:1] 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.
[2] At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” [3] So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] 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. [7] 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.
[8] When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. [9] 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.
(Joshua 5:1-9 ESV)
Joshua and the Israelites now has come across Jordan’s river, close to the walls of Jericho. God then spoke to Joshua and asked them to circumcise themselves before the LORD. In a human military point of view, people might see this as a foolish act namely a suicidal action. Why? All the men will be unable to fight properly for several days, this means they expose themselves to the enemy’s attack, and made themselves completely vulnerable - and the consequences as we can imagine is a total lost before they even ready to fight. History may told them a lesson that this is not a good idea: If we remember what happen in Genesis 34:24-25, it told us a story when Simeon and Levi killed all the men of Hamor and Shechem by tricking them to be circumcised as a condition for Shechem to marry Dinah after she had been defiled. They were killed because they can’t fight properly when they are in pain because of the circumcision. But let’s first notice when did God spoke this command to Joshua: verse 2 stated that “At that time” which refer to verse 1; It is when all the kings of the Amorites (their enemies) heard what the LORD has done for Israel, and their hearts melted which causes them to have no spirit at all to fight this people of God. Morally, they already lose the war. They did not have the guts anymore to face God’s people. We see here that God is at work, and when God asked the Israelites to circumcise themselves, God asked Joshua and the Israelites to trust Him and obey His command. Trust and obedience are 2 things that can’t be separated. It is like a coin with two sides: If you are fully trusting Him then you will obey all His command. If you disobey God, then probably you are not fully trusting Him, acknowledging and trusting that He is God who is able, and God who is sovereign in all the things, the LORD of all.
Now, when verse 1 is mentioned here, the Israelites may not know in detail what’s happening on the other end apart from the news in Joshua 2 from Rahab. They may not realise that their enemy has no spirit to fight. What they know is that God asked them to obey even to do something that may seem contrary to what we or human may think is right. Through all of any difficult moment in our lives or any circumstances we face, we have to trust that God is in control (that God is always at work - behind the scene), and to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. We are reminded in a difficult decision that we may face, that we seek what is pleasing Him more than what makes us comfortable.
Here God asked them to circumcise themselves, what does that suppose to mean? verse 7 told us why: it is because this generations (people who are born on the way in the wilderness) has not been circumcised. The first generation has been circumcised though but they are all perished in the wilderness because they did not obey the LORD. This is also what is referred to in verse 2 by the word “a second time” which refer to the 2nd circumcision to the nation. But why did they have to be circumcised? what is so important about circumcision? Circumcision is a sign of a covenant between God and His people. Genesis 17 told us the story of why Israelites has to be circumcised. In verse 7 and 8 of Genesis 17, God establish a covenant with Abraham, telling him that God wants to put Himself as the God of Abraham and his descendants (through Isaac); From God’s side the sign will be that God will bless Abraham and make him multiply greatly. God promised Abraham that he will become the father of many nations, and also God will provide his descendants with a land (the promised land: canaan), and He will be their God. For Abraham, God asked him to circumcised himself and all his descendants including all the males that Abraham bought with money. If one was not circumcised, he will be cut off from His people and considered as the people outside of the covenant (read Gen 17:9-14). That is why God asked Joshua and the nation to be circumcised because God still acknowledging them as His people as He is faithful, and God wants them to acknowledge YAHWEH as their God. God has been so kind towards them on the way in the wilderness, their parents has disobeyed God and has not circumcised their children but God who is faithful still keep His promises to delivery them because He is their God.
God asked Israel to obey Him and teach them to surrender all to Him, as it is not Israel who will fight with the Canaanites but God who will fight for them for His name’s sake. For us today, it is also the same lesson, even when we face a tough decision or situation, when we are doing ministry, we have to look to Him our God. What we do is not to make things better, or to solve a problem, but what we do is for His name’s sake, by pleasing Him through our obedience which shows our attitude trusting God fully. This verses teach us that we are God’s people, we are His, and so we have to consecrate our live, knowing that our life is not ours, but His.
[10] 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. [11] And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. [12] 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.
(Joshua 5:10-12 ESV)
This next 2 verses to me are such a beautiful verses where Israel has been given a day to remember God’s kindness and goodness to them. There are 2 points highlighted in these verse namely: passover and the cease of manna; and these 2 things brings Israel to remember and to reflect on God’s work and His goodness to them. It is also not a coincidence that God asked them to be circumcised before they kept the Passover, as the passover is an event that God has done for His people: Israel to deliver them from the bondage of Egypt; and circumcision as what’s mentioned above is a sign someone is God’s people, a sign of covenant. Passover is the time when God kills all the firstborn in Egypt - look at Exodus 12. While they were waiting till completely healed, they could remember the Passover: by this, they were remembering that they were a people delivered, and remembering God’s work of deliverance. In the same way, we are to be in constant remembrance of our redemption at Calvary, and live our lives in the shadow of the cross.
The second is about the ceasing of manna: verse 11 is a time description of when the manna ceased. Throughout their journey in the wilderness, God gave manna as a special provision for His people, and if we remember what Israel has done in return is often to murmur instead to give thanks to the LORD. I would expect they had taken this special provision from God as something for granted. Then there was a day (Verse 12) when the manna stops. They might think “oh maybe this is Sabbath”, but even the next day they might wait for the manna, and the manna never come again because it was God’s special provision for a special time, and now it is no longer needed, as God provides Israel with a different medium (through the produce of the land). But when the manna stops, i would expect some of them would miss that, they now realise how fortunate they were before when God gave them a special provision. To us today, how often we take things for granted? We too often take God’s special provision for granted, aren't we? What about the Holy Spirit’s presence? what about His work to touch our lives and others? what about every breath or chance that God gave to us? too often we are unappreciative and ungrateful to God’s kindness and mercy. Too often we see a new Christian (Either somebody else or ourselves), really serves God with all we have, because God has just “touched” us through miracles, but along the time, we too will find difficult time, and as we grow in faith, we will have to face the lesson of endurance, and at that time, often we began to take things for granted.
On the other hand from this ceasing of manna, we and the Israelites too can learn another lesson: to reflect on God’s goodness in the past. The Israelites now should realise that God has been so good to them. It is the reality that God gave to us, that there are times for every season: there are times where we gather from the bread of heaven, but also there are times where we do hard labor. The same way we as Christian lives: there are times where God gives us His special provision, or His special miracle, but there are times (and most of the time) where God let us do the hard labor, and toiling for His glory so that we may live in contentment, and to live more and more like Christ day by day.
~ Paul Hartono
[2] At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” [3] So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] 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. [7] 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.
[8] When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. [9] 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.
(Joshua 5:1-9 ESV)
Joshua and the Israelites now has come across Jordan’s river, close to the walls of Jericho. God then spoke to Joshua and asked them to circumcise themselves before the LORD. In a human military point of view, people might see this as a foolish act namely a suicidal action. Why? All the men will be unable to fight properly for several days, this means they expose themselves to the enemy’s attack, and made themselves completely vulnerable - and the consequences as we can imagine is a total lost before they even ready to fight. History may told them a lesson that this is not a good idea: If we remember what happen in Genesis 34:24-25, it told us a story when Simeon and Levi killed all the men of Hamor and Shechem by tricking them to be circumcised as a condition for Shechem to marry Dinah after she had been defiled. They were killed because they can’t fight properly when they are in pain because of the circumcision. But let’s first notice when did God spoke this command to Joshua: verse 2 stated that “At that time” which refer to verse 1; It is when all the kings of the Amorites (their enemies) heard what the LORD has done for Israel, and their hearts melted which causes them to have no spirit at all to fight this people of God. Morally, they already lose the war. They did not have the guts anymore to face God’s people. We see here that God is at work, and when God asked the Israelites to circumcise themselves, God asked Joshua and the Israelites to trust Him and obey His command. Trust and obedience are 2 things that can’t be separated. It is like a coin with two sides: If you are fully trusting Him then you will obey all His command. If you disobey God, then probably you are not fully trusting Him, acknowledging and trusting that He is God who is able, and God who is sovereign in all the things, the LORD of all.
Now, when verse 1 is mentioned here, the Israelites may not know in detail what’s happening on the other end apart from the news in Joshua 2 from Rahab. They may not realise that their enemy has no spirit to fight. What they know is that God asked them to obey even to do something that may seem contrary to what we or human may think is right. Through all of any difficult moment in our lives or any circumstances we face, we have to trust that God is in control (that God is always at work - behind the scene), and to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. We are reminded in a difficult decision that we may face, that we seek what is pleasing Him more than what makes us comfortable.
Here God asked them to circumcise themselves, what does that suppose to mean? verse 7 told us why: it is because this generations (people who are born on the way in the wilderness) has not been circumcised. The first generation has been circumcised though but they are all perished in the wilderness because they did not obey the LORD. This is also what is referred to in verse 2 by the word “a second time” which refer to the 2nd circumcision to the nation. But why did they have to be circumcised? what is so important about circumcision? Circumcision is a sign of a covenant between God and His people. Genesis 17 told us the story of why Israelites has to be circumcised. In verse 7 and 8 of Genesis 17, God establish a covenant with Abraham, telling him that God wants to put Himself as the God of Abraham and his descendants (through Isaac); From God’s side the sign will be that God will bless Abraham and make him multiply greatly. God promised Abraham that he will become the father of many nations, and also God will provide his descendants with a land (the promised land: canaan), and He will be their God. For Abraham, God asked him to circumcised himself and all his descendants including all the males that Abraham bought with money. If one was not circumcised, he will be cut off from His people and considered as the people outside of the covenant (read Gen 17:9-14). That is why God asked Joshua and the nation to be circumcised because God still acknowledging them as His people as He is faithful, and God wants them to acknowledge YAHWEH as their God. God has been so kind towards them on the way in the wilderness, their parents has disobeyed God and has not circumcised their children but God who is faithful still keep His promises to delivery them because He is their God.
God asked Israel to obey Him and teach them to surrender all to Him, as it is not Israel who will fight with the Canaanites but God who will fight for them for His name’s sake. For us today, it is also the same lesson, even when we face a tough decision or situation, when we are doing ministry, we have to look to Him our God. What we do is not to make things better, or to solve a problem, but what we do is for His name’s sake, by pleasing Him through our obedience which shows our attitude trusting God fully. This verses teach us that we are God’s people, we are His, and so we have to consecrate our live, knowing that our life is not ours, but His.
[10] 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. [11] And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. [12] 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.
(Joshua 5:10-12 ESV)
This next 2 verses to me are such a beautiful verses where Israel has been given a day to remember God’s kindness and goodness to them. There are 2 points highlighted in these verse namely: passover and the cease of manna; and these 2 things brings Israel to remember and to reflect on God’s work and His goodness to them. It is also not a coincidence that God asked them to be circumcised before they kept the Passover, as the passover is an event that God has done for His people: Israel to deliver them from the bondage of Egypt; and circumcision as what’s mentioned above is a sign someone is God’s people, a sign of covenant. Passover is the time when God kills all the firstborn in Egypt - look at Exodus 12. While they were waiting till completely healed, they could remember the Passover: by this, they were remembering that they were a people delivered, and remembering God’s work of deliverance. In the same way, we are to be in constant remembrance of our redemption at Calvary, and live our lives in the shadow of the cross.
The second is about the ceasing of manna: verse 11 is a time description of when the manna ceased. Throughout their journey in the wilderness, God gave manna as a special provision for His people, and if we remember what Israel has done in return is often to murmur instead to give thanks to the LORD. I would expect they had taken this special provision from God as something for granted. Then there was a day (Verse 12) when the manna stops. They might think “oh maybe this is Sabbath”, but even the next day they might wait for the manna, and the manna never come again because it was God’s special provision for a special time, and now it is no longer needed, as God provides Israel with a different medium (through the produce of the land). But when the manna stops, i would expect some of them would miss that, they now realise how fortunate they were before when God gave them a special provision. To us today, how often we take things for granted? We too often take God’s special provision for granted, aren't we? What about the Holy Spirit’s presence? what about His work to touch our lives and others? what about every breath or chance that God gave to us? too often we are unappreciative and ungrateful to God’s kindness and mercy. Too often we see a new Christian (Either somebody else or ourselves), really serves God with all we have, because God has just “touched” us through miracles, but along the time, we too will find difficult time, and as we grow in faith, we will have to face the lesson of endurance, and at that time, often we began to take things for granted.
On the other hand from this ceasing of manna, we and the Israelites too can learn another lesson: to reflect on God’s goodness in the past. The Israelites now should realise that God has been so good to them. It is the reality that God gave to us, that there are times for every season: there are times where we gather from the bread of heaven, but also there are times where we do hard labor. The same way we as Christian lives: there are times where God gives us His special provision, or His special miracle, but there are times (and most of the time) where God let us do the hard labor, and toiling for His glory so that we may live in contentment, and to live more and more like Christ day by day.
~ Paul Hartono
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