Crossing The Final Hurdle

Joshua 5:6-12

Jos 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. 7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. 8 And 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. 9 And 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. 10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. 11 And 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. 12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”

The nation of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness unnecessarily because of a mindset. God had led them to Canaan, yet fear paralyzed them. They underestimated God’s ability and refused to go forward. The Egyptians saw them as a nation of refugees, a homeless people. They saw themselves as weak and powerless. The Israelites failure to enter the Promised Land was also a reproach. This lesson shows us the danger of underestimating our God, but also the impact of failure, fear, and oppression. It also shows that when God’s children are faithful to Him, God can cause great opposition to melt away. God can change the attitude of those who oppose us. Before this new generation are allowed to possess the land, they must take care of some unfinished business.

Israel passed through three stages to get to this point: release, reliance and now responsibility. In the release stage, everything was done for them. God brought out on eagle’s wings, warmed them with fire at night, cooled them with a cloud by day, fed them with manna and gave them water from a rock. The next stage was reliance. During this stage God tested, tried, and prove Israel. The process was designed to renew their minds, renew their faith, and renew their reliance on God. Now this young nation must receive God’s Law and take it to heart. They must re-establish worship ceremonies, embraced the rites of a covenant people and rediscover who they are. They must accept responsibility for their decisions and their actions. The wilderness generation never accepted their responsibility properly. But now this Joshua generation are ready to go to the next level. They crossed over Jordan, build a memorial, moved in position for conquest. Their enemy has been paralyzed by fear and what better time than now to attack.

Yet, this was not God’s plan. God is never in a hurry though His children often are. From God’s viewpoint, Israel was yet ready to fight. There is some unfinished business that must be addressed. It was time for renewal. Consecration must precede conquest and victory. Before God leads this young generation into conquest, He must lead them through three needed experiences. Covenant renewal – Circumcision, Worship Renewal – Passover Celebration, and Personal Responsibility – No more free lunch, appropriation of the produce of the Land. Many believers seem anxious to go to the next level, yet are hindered, because they have some unfinished business at this level. Their step up requires circumcision. Once the people of Israel were circumcised God said to Joshua “today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt off you so the place was called Gilgal which means to roll away.”

The reproach of Egypt had to do with their past and was marked with three things: a history of slavery, relentless oppression and their continued disobedience. You might think, why was so hard to shake off Egypt? This new generation had never experienced the slavery and oppression of Egypt, they were born and raise in the wilderness. Yet the reproach of Egypt was passed down to them. Each of us has within us the “Reproach of Egypt” that must be rolled away.

Reproach of Egypt is the baggage passed down to us. They are the things we must battle from an old mindset, our flesh and our arch enemy, Satan. And there is an operation in which God’s Spirit cuts away all those lusts and dominions of evil: When the Word of God is preached by God’s anointed in the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost, it becomes that sharp knife! Heb 4:12, 13, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”