CHAPTER 5

(1451 B.C.)

CIRCUMCISION

¹And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the Children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them anymore, because of the Children of Israel. (Even though the hearts of the kings of the Amorites melted with fear before Israel, still, as Chapter 10 proclaims, they would oppose Israel. No matter what, Satan will oppose the Child of God, but victory is assured if Gods Way is followed, even as did Joshua.)

²At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the Children of Israel the second time.

³And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the Children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

⁴And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

⁵Now all the people who came out were circumcised: but all the people who were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. (Israel was about to smite the Seven Nations of Canaan with the Sword of the Lord. But before they were fitted to use that Sword on others, they must themselves feel its sharpness and die beneath its stroke. This was illustrated in Circumcision, which in essence is a Type of the Cross. Separation was made and blood was shed. We as Believers are to be separated from the world, and this can only be done by looking to Christ and the Cross, which latter the blood symbolizes.

Only those are fitted to use the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, who have themselves experienced the death-stroke which it gives to Nature that is, to the natural man, his wisdom and his goodness. It is most bitter to a man to learn that all his goodness must be slain with the Sword of the Lord just as much as all his badness. But to the true Believer, this is most sweet; for it brings him into a Resurrection life, and the power of that life takes all strength from Satan. Man, as man, let him be ever so religious, has no strength against Satan. Jerichos walls never fall before him!

So, Circumcision was a symbol of Christ and the Cross, and the price that He would there pay in order to deliver fallen humanity.)

⁶For the Children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the Voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land, which the LORD swore unto their fathers that He would give us, a land that flows with milk and honey. (An entire generation died because of unbelief. As stated, the only two, of the nearly three million who left Egypt, who finally reached the Promised Land were Joshua and Caleb. Unbelief was the downfall, while Faith was the victory [I Jn. 5:4].)

⁷And their children, whom He (the Lord) raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way (while in the wilderness).

⁸And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole (in the face of the enemy, Joshua rendered the entirety of the male population helpless; but their weakness would be their strength [II Cor. 12:9-10]).

⁹And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. (The reproach of Egypt was dual. So long as Israel wandered in the Wilderness, Egypt reproached them with the taunt that Jehovah could not bring them into the Promised Land; and, further, all of Egypt that attaches to a Servant of God is a reproach to him. That double reproach was rolled away at Gilgal.)

THE PASSOVER

¹⁰And the Children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. (This is the first Passover in the Promised Land. Israel eating the Passover proclaims that her Redemption out of Egypt, and her position in the Land of Promise, were alike due to the preciousness of the Blood of the Lamb. True spiritual victories can only be won where there is this Testimony to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Circumcision symbolized the death of self. The Passover symbolized testimony to the Blood of the Lamb.)

MANNA CEASES

¹¹And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.

¹²And the Manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the Children of Israel Manna anymore; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (Manna was Angels food it was sufficient for the Wilderness and its defective spiritual life; however, the old corn of the land symbolized the Word of God, and is a necessity of the strength needed for spiritual conquests. Everything must be by the Word.)

THE MAN WITH A DRAWN SWORD

¹³And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries? (This was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, Whom Joshua didnt recognize.)

¹⁴And He (the Lord) said, No; but as Captain of the Host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What says my Lord unto His servant? (Joshua then recognized Him as the Lord. Concerning this, Williams says, An absolute condition of victory is full surrender to Christ as Lord. He must be accepted as Captain, be permitted to plan, and be fully obeyed.)

¹⁵And the Captain of the LORDs Host said unto Joshua, Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place whereon you stand is Holy. And Joshua did so. (The demand that the shoes be removed from Joshuas feet, and the removal of those shoes, guaranteed that He Who now spoke to Joshua was a Divine Person, actually, as stated, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.

The removal of the shoes in essence indicated that Joshua was giving up all ownership and leadership, thereby giving Christ total control.

We have four steps to victory here: 1. The death of self Circumcision; 2. Testimony to the Blood of the Lamb Passover; 3. Feeding on the Word of God old corn of the land; and, 4. Subjection to Christ as Lord pulling off the shoes.)