Joshua 5:6-12 NKJV “No More Shame” May 7, 2023
Intro: Today let us explore the place called Gilgal where God prepared His people for the promise. They had been delivered out of Egypt, but they weren’t ready! God told Moses that there was a quicker way to the promised land but because the people were not ready for war, they needed to go a longer way so they would not run back to slavery because of the fear of war. Even after they had crossed the Red Sea, they still weren’t ready! They had wondered in circles for 40 years in the desert until all the disobedient were buried. Moses is dead; Joshua is called; The Army is young, strong and the Walls of Jericho are in sight but they weren’t ready. Just as Moses parted the Red Sea, Joshua parts the Jordan River and God let’s us know that they are almost ready, so He tells Joshua to circumcise the men before they charge on Jericho.
The Renewal “Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place.” God had promised them ALL of Canaan – A land that flows with milk & honey but they were not ready because of what their parents failed to do when then were babies. Often, we do more harm than good when we try to keep the reality of pain out of our children’s lives! We say to ourselves that I will never let my child suffer like I suffered, but in the end they suffer more. ILLS: I never let my children win at chess or pool undeservedly. There are winners and losers in life and my job as a father was to teach my children how to be a gracious winner and how not to be a sore loser. Now these grown Hebrew men must suffer the pain of the knife because of what their parents failed to do when they were children.
Verse 1 tells us that the enemy who occupied Canaan heard about the powerful manner in which the Lord brought His children through the Jordan and that they were totally demoralized by these events. It would appear that this would be the perfect time for Joshua to lead the people forward onto the attack. However, instead of commanding His people to go forward into the battle, God commands that they be cut and remain at Gilgal. Now they are weak, laid up healing and at risk before their enemies. They must renew the covenant with the Lord before they receive the Promise! While the ways of the Lord may appear strange to you and me, let me remind you that the ways of the Lord are not our ways, Isaiah 55:8-9. While the things that happen in this chapter appear strange against the backdrop of impending battle, the truth of the matter is God is simply preparing His army to fight. In fact, God's battle are spiritual battles. If we expect to fight well in these battles, then we must make the right kind of spiritual preparations. To the Hebrew, circumcision was a reminder that they were a "marked people." For the Christian, anything that is displeasing to the Lord needs to be cut off from your life. As we move through this life, we face times of testing just like these men in Israel did. They had just crossed over the Jordan on dry ground and often, after we see the mighty hand of God working in our lives, that is when pride will rise up in us and we will think that we are unstoppable. When those times come in your life and mine, you can be sure that the Lord will allow us to go through a time of RENEWING, knowing that God will take care of us during the healing times of life. His one requirement is that you place your trust in Him, especially while you are healing.
The Reproach "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." This day God rolled away shame of Egypt. The term "reproach of Egypt" has reference to their history of slavery and the events of disobedience during their wilderness wanderings found in Exodus 32 namely, when the Children of Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it as God. The Lord threatened to destroy the nation of Israel and start fresh with Moses. And Moses interceded with the Lord and reminded Him that He would give the Egyptians a reason to mock God. They would say that He brought them out of Egypt but could not bring them to Canaan. Therefore, THIS DAY He tells them that He had rolled that reproach away! In other words, there was no more shame!
Many of God's children today are still living under the "reproach of Egypt". You may be living with the shame of things you did before you came to faith in Christ. You may be ashamed of times when you have failed the Lord since you were saved. Some of you live under the constant stab of self-condemnation. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Let me remind you this morning that if you place your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, your past is not an issue any longer. The reproach of the old life has been removed forever! 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Leviticus 26:5 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. Lift your head walk upright!
The Remembrance "Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land.” In the next few verses, we find Israel once again keeping the feast of the Passover. When the Lord sent the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, upon Egypt, He told His people to select a lamb, kill it, put its blood on the door posts of their houses and then cook and eat the lamb. When DEATH came through Egypt that night, He would see the blood on their doors and would "pass over" those protected homes and the firstborn would live. Israel was commanded at that time, to make this a yearly feast. They were to remember that it was that night in which the Lord had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. It is only recorded one time that they had celebrated Passover in 40 years. Now that they are in Gilgal, the first city in Canaan, they eat the feast of the Passover for the first time in the Promised Land. You see, for 40 years they had eaten manna (bread from heaven) every day. However, when they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan, the manna ceased. Now, the Passover reminded Israel that God had brought them out of Egypt, but the manna was constant reminder of what they had left behind in Egypt. Remember that God did not rain down bread from heaven until they complained how hungry they were in the wilderness and how much food they had when they were slaves in Egypt (Exodus 16:3). You see, it took 10 plagues for God to bring His people out of Egypt, but it took 40 years for God to get Egypt out of His people. Even during the three year ministry of Jesus, He said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Paul said, 1 Corinthians 10 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. We have come today to remember that the same God who removed the Shame of Sin and provided Manna for Moses can remove your shame of yesterday and be your Living Bread today! Hebrews 12:1 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
