Let's start today by simply reading our passage, Joshua 5:1-12:
(1) And then, as soon as all the kings of the Amorites heard,
who [were] on the other side of the Jordan to the west,
with all the kings of the Canaanites who [were] at the sea, that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the sons of Israel until we /they crossed over,
their heart melted
and there wasn't in them any longer inner strength from before the sons of Israel.
(2) At that time Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Make for yourself swords of flint,
and again circumcise the sons of Israel a second time."
(3) And Joshua made swords of flint,
and he circumcised the sons of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins,
(4) And this [was] the reason that Joshua circumcised:
All the people-- the ones coming out from Egypt, the men of war had died in the wilderness on the way while/when they came out from Egypt
(5) for/because circumcised, all the people coming out were,
while all the people born in the wilderness on the way while they were coming out from Egypt were not circumcised
(6) for/because forty years the sons of Israel walked in the wilderness until the whole nation-- the men of war coming out from Egypt -- finished (died),
who had not heeded the voice of Yahweh,
who Yahweh had sworn to them not to let them see the land
that Yahweh had sworn with an oath to their ancestors, to give to us-- a land flowing with milk and honey,
(7) while their sons he raised in their place.
Them, Joshua circumcised,
because/for uncircumcised, they were.
because/for they had not circumcised them on the way,
(8) And then, after the whole nation had finished being circumcised, they dwelled/remained in their place in the camp until they were [recovered/healed],
(9) and Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Today I have rolled back ("galaled") the reproach/taunt of Egypt from over you,"
and he called the name of that place Gilgal, up to this day,
(10) and the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal,
and they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho,
(11) and they ate from the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain on this very day,
(12) and the manna stopped on the next day, when they ate from the produce of the land,
and there wasn't still for the sons of Israel manna,
and they ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year.
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Verse 1:
(1) and then, as soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan to the west, with all the kings of the Canaanites who were at the sea, that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the sons of Israel until we /they crossed over, their heart melted,
and there wasn't still in them life/spirit from before the sons of Israel.
Since the very beginning of Joshua, we've been waiting for this moment. Yahweh is going to give Israel a home, where they can live in peace, in covenant relationship with him. And for weeks now, we've been ready to grab our swords, and get this thing done.
AJ (Author of Joshua) begins chapter 5 with a description of all the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites.
Everyone has heard what Yahweh did for his people, in drying up the waters of the Jordan, and everyone has panicked. Rahab had already told the Israelite spies how the people's hearts had melted (2:11), and that was BEFORE the Jordan crossing. When your enemy's hearts have melted, and when they are in total despair-- surely now, is the time to attack. Touch them, and they will fall over before you. They will flee in terror.
Verse 2:
(2) At that time Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Make for yourself swords of flint,
and again circumcise the sons of Israel a second time."
Here, we find our expectations built up, only to have them frustrated again. The kings are terrified, and at that time, Yahweh tells Joshua to make swords. And we are ready to hop out of our seats and cheer, because it's time to be brave and take the land. !!!!!!!!!! But these swords are not for Jericho. Yahweh needs them to make swords so they can be circumcised a second time.
And we sit here, and we maybe don't know what to do with this.
We tend to think that the book of Joshua is basically about two things: the conquest of the land, and the distribution of that land to the different tribes. But chapter 5 doesn't fit. Something is wrong with our understanding. We are missing something. What is it? Why is circumcision important? Let's keep reading, and see if we can't find an answer.
Verse 3:
(3) And Joshua made for himself swords of flint,
and he circumcised the sons of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins,
First of all, this is hilarious. Someday, when I'm a grown up, I won't smile when I read this. But that day is not today. Verse 3 describes Joshua faithfully obeying Yahweh's command. At this point in the book, we expect this. Joshua is a good leader. At every point, he always obeys Yahweh.
When Joshua was done, at some point, the location where he circumcised all the Israelites was renamed. That hill forever became known as the Hill of the Foreskins. This hill is apparently well-known-- AJ can give its name and assume his readers know where it is. So when you went on vacation to the Jordan River with your family, and you showed your children the memorial in the Jordan that Joshua made, and the one in Gilgal, you'd also show them the Hill of the Foreskins. And you'd tell your son, this hill marks the spot where Joshua obeyed Yahweh by circumcising all the men of Israel.
Now, the weird thing about circumcision in this verse, is that Israelite men were supposed to be circumcised 8 days after birth. Why on earth, did Joshua have to do this for all of them now?
Verses 4-7 explain why:
(4) and this [is] the reason that Joshua circumcised:
All the people-- the ones going out from Egypt-- the males-- all the men of war had died in the wilderness on the way/road when they came out from Egypt,
(5) because circumcised, all the people coming out, were,
while all the people born in the wilderness on the road/way when they came out from Egypt were not circumcised
(6) because forty years the sons of Israel walked in the wilderness until they were finished-- the whole nation-- the men of the camp-- the ones coming out from Egypt,
who didn't heed the voice of Yahweh,
who Yahweh swore to them not to let them see the land that Yahweh swore to their fathers to give to us-- a land flowing with milk and honey,
(7) while their sons He raised up in their place.
Them, Joshua circumcised because uncircumcised, they were,
because they hadn't circumcised them on the road/way,
Picture 2 generations of Israelite men. The older group, group 1, was the group that came out from Egypt. They were circumcised. But they were disobedient-- they refused to heed the voice of Yahweh. And proof of that, is that for FORTY YEARS they hadn't circumcised their children. Yahweh had promised their ancestors that he would bring them into the promised land-- he promised. But he swore that this promise wouldn't be good for them personally because they disobeyed.
What Yahweh decided to do, instead, was raise up their children in their place. His promise to the ancestors stands--but he will fulfill that promise to their children. This is group 2: Yahweh's replacements.
Why is circumcision so important? Some of us maybe think the OT is one big collection of legalistic commands. We read Joshua as NT Christians, and we kind of shake our heads at this. Circumcision. Pfff. We don't read this sympathetically. So let's rephrase this. Why is it so important that the Israelites be circumcised, that Yahweh refuses to give them one more foot of the promised land until they obey him on this? Why was circumcision such a big deal--not to legalistic Israelites, this is unfair-- but to God?
Our answer is found in Genesis 17 (ESV).
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,[b] but your name shall be Abraham,[c] for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Circumcision is the sign of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel. Do you submit to Yahweh alone as your God? Do you serve him alone? Do you worship him alone? If you want to do this, and join in the covenant he has established with Israel, you get circumcised. And when you, as an Israelite parent, have children, your responsibility here is clear. The covenant is not just for you; it's a covenant for your children as well. So when your little boy is born, you have to circumcise him. Do you want him to be cut off from Israel? Do you want him to disobey God, and break God's covenant? No. You want him to grow up and live faithfully toward Yahweh. You want him to be part of God's people, because you love God and are committed to him. And so you circumcise him, and you teach him about the wonders Yahweh has done for us.
The fact that the older generation went 40 years without obeying Yahweh on this--- is appalling. It raises questions about whether, at some point, you can look at these people and identify them as God's people at all.
We do need to read Joshua 5 as NT Christians. We Gentiles don't need to be circumcised. But if you don't read Joshua 5, and Genesis 17, sympathetically, fairly, you will find it impossible to appreciate the OT as God's inspired word. And you'll make a mess of the NT as well.
Verses 8-12:
(5:8) and then, as soon as the whole nation was finished being circumcised, they dwelled in their place in the camp until they were [healed],
(9) and Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Today I have rolled back ("Galaled") the reproach/taunt of the Egyptians from over you,"
and he called the name of that place Gilgal, up to this day,
(10) and the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal,
and they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening on the plains of Jericho,
(11) and they ate from the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain on this very day,
(12) and the manna stopped on the next day, when they ate from the produce of the land,
and there wasn't still for the sons of Israel manna,
and they ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year,
At the beginning of chapter 5, AJ was trying to tell us that circumcision is more important--more fundamental to what Yahweh wants-- than conquering Jericho. Here, in verse 10, he's trying to tell us that the Passover is also more important to Yahweh than Jericho. "And they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho." They are right on the outskirts of Jericho. The city is right there, ready for the taking. But there is something far more urgent they have to do. It's time for the Passover.
Most Jews would say the Passover is the second most important Jewish holiday, behind only the Day of Atonement (if I google searched that correctly). The Passover is a celebration, and a reminder, of when Yahweh passed over the male firstborns of the Israelites when he was freeing them from their slavery to Egypt. The Passover is a really big deal. This morning, I'm not going to try to explain the Passover in detail. Instead, I want to take a peek at two different passages to help us understand how it was supposed to be observed. The first is Exodus 12:43-49:
43 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:
“No foreigner may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it.
46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.
48 “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.”
50 All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.
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The second is in Numbers 9:1-14 (at least read verse 13):
9 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. 6 And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” 8 And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”
9 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD's offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. 14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.”
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So what do we learn from these two passages? First, the Passover must be observed by every faithful Israelite. Anyone who doesn't observe it, and doesn't thank Yahweh by giving him an offering at Passover, shall be cut off from God's people.
Second, you can't observe the Passover unless you've been circumcised. And anyone who doesn't observe the Passover shall be cut off from God's people.
The reason both of these-- circumcision and Passover-- are such a big deal, is that these are signs of Yahweh's covenant with Israel. To deny these, to disrespect them, to ignore them-- is to reject God himself. If you value what God has done for you, you will thank him at the times He expects you to, in the way that He expects you to.
For 40 years, the Israelites either observed the Passover wrongly, sinfully, or they didn't observe it at all.
But we find ourselves once again, filled with hope at Joshua and this generation. Moses had thought this was hopeless; he thought this generation should surely abandon God (Deut. 32:27). But Joshua is a great leader. And what chapter 5 shows is that the people are living faithfully, in commitment to the covenant they established with Yahweh. They listen to Yahweh's voice. They are committed to obeying him.
When we take a step back, and think about this story as a whole, what do we see?
Taking the promised land is not the end goal. We are confident Yahweh will win. We are confident that He is strong and that He is committed to Joshua and Israel.
What is God trying to accomplish in the book of Joshua? What's the bigger picture?
What Yahweh is working toward in the book of Joshua is the establishment of one people, living faithfully to him, on a land that is dedicated to him. The boundaries of Israel mark Yahweh's territory. Rightfully, he is the ruler of the world. He created the whole world. But Yahweh has marked off this land as holy--as dedicated to himself.
And if Israel is going to live on this land, they need to live as people dedicated to him-- holy. This is the bigger picture. And this is why the actual conquest needs to get put on hold. Circumcision and the Passover are far more important. They point to what God actually wants-- a people living faithfully, in covenant relationship with him. If this isn't what you want--if this doesn't appeal to you-- you need to leave Yahweh's land. If you resist, and fight, you're going to get killed.
When we first read Joshua 5, we were maybe surprised. Why don't the Israelites take this opportunity to take Jericho? Why not strike while their enemies are demoralized? But hopefully, after reflecting on the chapter as a whole, we get it. And we find ourselves pleased. Joshua and this generation see God's ultimate goal. They get circumcised, because they want to be part of the covenant that God established with Abraham. They are grateful to God for what he has done for them in the past-- and so they celebrate the Passover and give him an offering as a thank you.
Does this sound legalistic? The Israelites remember when God saved them from their enemies, and enter into a covenant relationship with their Savior. They thank God for what he's done. They know what God is doing, and they obey God. They live for him.
Amen? Amen.
It's at this point, that they are ready to take Jericho. Maybe. Our story continues in verse 13:
(13) and then, when Joshua was in/at Jericho, he lifted his eyes,
and he saw,
and LOOK! A man standing before him,
with his sword drawn,
and Joshua walked to him,
and he said to him,
"For us, are you?,
or for our enemy?",
(14) and he said,
"No,
for I am the commander of the army of Yahweh.
Now I have come,"
and Joshua prostrated on his face toward the land/earth,
and he bowed down to him,
and he said to him,
"What does my lord say to his servant?",
(5:15) and the commander of the army of Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Take off your sandal from on your foot,
because the place where you are standing on it, consecrated/holy it is,"
and Joshua did thus.
The Israelite men have all been circumcised, and been marked by the sign of the covenant. And all the people have observed the Passover. Maybe, NOW is the time to take Jericho. Now is the time for real swords. It's no accident that the commander of Yahweh's army shows up now.
Because it's now, that the Israelites are living completely, fully, in obedience to God.
