JOSHUA 5 Introduction: The Canaanites were devastated upon learning of the passage of the children of Israel through Jordan.

Joshua is ordered to circumcise the people of Israel, so that they might eat the Passover, which they were now to observe. Meanwhile, the people having a sufficiency of corn from the land, the manna ceased. As Joshua was considering how to take Jericho a man appeared who said that he was the captain of the host of the Lord, who encouraged and directed him as to what to do with regard to the conquest of the land, and particularly of Jericho. A. The panic of the enemies (v.1). 1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel (Note 1). Note 1: When our spiritual enemies see that we are trusting God, obeying God, and are willing to step out in faith (even when it seems crazy), they instantly lose confidence in their battle against us. It seems that our enemies always remember that If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) They know that when we are really trusting in God, their defeat is assured. Melting of the heart is a great thing, if it melts unto repentance. But sometimes after the heart melted before God, it then solidify again into an even harder state. B. The purification of the people (vv.2-9). 2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time (Q1,Q2,Q3). 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORDto whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Then 1

Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you (Q4).Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. Q1: What is the meaning of circumcision for the Israelites? (Ans. Gen 17:9-14, It is stepping out in faithful obedience and identifying ourselves as God's people.) Q2: Why do they have to be circumcised again the second time? (Ans. vv.4-6) Q3: Why do they need to be circumcised upon reaching the promise land? (Ans. The Israelites had been baptized in the Jordan River. And Gilgal is a picture of what happens next in the Spirit-filled life. In circumcision, the flesh is dealt with literally. And likewise, it is the picture of renouncing the flesh and worldly desires. It is dying to self and living to God. Joshua used a sharp knife to do this and the sharpest knife I know is the one sharper than any two-edged sword, which is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, I encourage you to unsheathe the sharp knife of the Word and, with an open mind and heart, study the Word and see if the Lord confirms these things in your heart. Q4: What reproach of Egypt was God talking about? (Ans. Their shame from Egypt, the shame of their degrading slavery. How was the reproach rolled away? By their radical trust and obedience to God, by taking the specific action He told them to. For God called Israel to a place where, by faith, they could see themselves as an obedient, trusting people, and to stop seeing themselves as they were in their slavery and bondage. This is the same work God wants to do in us, taking away the dishonor and shame of our previous sin and rebellion, and seeing ourselves as who we are in Christ Jesus. C. The passover of the lamb (v.10). 10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho (Note 2). Note 2:The original Passover itself could never be repeated, but there was power in its remembrance. They were to always live remembering that they were a people delivered, and remembering Gods 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. 2

D. The provisions from the land (vv.11-12). 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year (Q5). Q5: Why do you think God had stopped sending them manna? (Ans. When the people were able to provide for themselves from the rich produce of Canaan, God stopped the manna. He didnt want them to get lazy, but to enter into a new partnership of trust with Him. You had to trust God to bring the manna every day; but you also had to trust Him to provide for you through other means. God always provides; but He is perfectly free to change the source of His provision from time to time. We need to trust in Him, not in His manner of provision, or we will stumble when that changes. E. The presence of the Lord (vv.13-15). 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand (Q6). And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are You for us or for our adversaries? 14 So He said, No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come (Q7). And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, What does my Lord say to His servant? (Note 3, Q8) 15 Then the Commander of the LORDs army said to Joshua, Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did so. Q6: What kind of a person is this mysterious Man? (Ans. The Man announces that He is the Commander of the army of the LORD. Though the title could perhaps be applied to an angel such as Michael (Rev 12:7), but Joshuas falling down and worshipping is inconsistent with angels, who never receive worship (Rev 22:8-9). Notice also that the Man commanding Joshua to remove his sandals was a clear proof that the Man standing before him was the voice from the burning bush. Hence, this Man is God Himself who came down to be in command. Furthermore, this mysterious Man is none other than a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. Joshua was on the verge of battle, so the Lord appeared to him as a man of war. Abraham was a pilgrim (Genesis 18), so the Lord appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre as a traveler. So we need to watch for the Lord appearing to us through the circumstances and people around us. Q7: What do you think about the answer of the Man when Joshua asked Him, Are You for us or for our adversaries? 3

(Ans. Joshua boldly approaches this mysterious Man with a drawn sword. As a shepherd over Gods people, he has a responsibility to see if this man is a friend or a foe. Joshua asked a very logical question to this Man. However, the response of the Man is curious, it seems out of line and not a proper answer for Joshuas question. In a sense, the Man refuses to answer Joshuas question because it is not the right question, and it is not the important question to be asked at that time. The question shouldnt be if the LORD was on Joshuas side, the proper question should be if Joshua was on the LORDs side. It's never an issue if God is on our side, because the real issue is if we are on His side. Note 3: Joshuas total submission to Jesus Christ shows that he knows who is really in charge. It is also a sure guarantee of victory for Israel. When we follow after the Commander of the army of the LORD, how can we lose? Q8: Why did Jesus come to Israel at this strategic time? (Ans. Jesus had come to instruct Joshua in the plan to capture Jericho and most of all, before Israel could conquer anything else in the promised land, He had come to conquer Israel. They have to be conquered by God first and Joshuas total submission shows that they were really conquered by God. This is the missing element in a life of victory for many Christians; they have not been, and are not continually being, conquered by God. Conclusion: We must deal with the past (19). The new generation had not received the mark of the covenant (Gen. 17), so this ritual was a reaffirmation of their relationship with God. Circumcision symbolizes putting off what belongs to the sinful flesh (Rom. 8:13; Col. 2:1112) and devoting the heart wholly to the Lord (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4). The nation had experienced this collectively in crossing the Jordan, but it had to be made personal. We must trust for the present (1012). The nation stopped eating manna and started eating food that God naturally provided. There is a place for the miraculous, but God never wastes miracles. If we do the possible, He will do the impossible. The women baked unleavened bread for Passover, and the nation remembered how God had redeemed them from the land of Egypt. We must submit for the future (1315). Joshua met Jesus Christ and learned that the Lord already had a plan for taking Jericho. All Joshua had to do was obey and remember that he was on holy ground. From that time, whenever Joshua took off his shoes, it reminded him that he was second in command. That was the secret of his victory (2 Chron. 20:15).