Set For Restoration-2 Series

SET For RESTORATION-II—Joshua 5:2-12

God restored/renewed/rededicated Israel as His covenant people.

God’s people must be restored.

How can God’s people be restored?

What can bring restoration to God’s people?

4 settings for spiritual restoration.

Ps. 147:3— “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.”

We have already found that a setting for spiritual restoration is...

1. A RENEWED FLESH(:2-8)

Today we will also discover that...

2—A Setting for spiritual restoration is...

A RENEWED HEART(:8-9)

Explanation:(:8-9)Sealed Trust

:8-9—“Now it came about when they had finished circumcising all the nation, that they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.”

:8—“Now it came about when they had finished circumcising all the nation, that they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.”

All the current nation of Israel was circumcised at Joshua’s command.

The nation remained in place until those circumcised were healed.

“now as it was on the tenth day they passed over Jordan, & came to Gilgal, where they were circumcised, there were three entire days between that & the fourteenth, when they kept the Passover; during which time they kept within their tents in the camp, being unfit to move from thence, for on the third day of circumcision they were usually sore, Gen. 34:25; but being well on the fourth, were able to attend the passover.”—John Gill/NAC

Gen. 34:15-18, 24-25—[prince Shechem had violated/raped Dinah, the daughter of Leah thru Jacob]“But on this condition we[the sons of Jacob deceitfully] will consent to you[Hamor & his son Shechem]: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, then we will give our daughters to you, & we will take your daughters to us; & we will dwell with you, & we will become one people. But if you will not heed us & be circumcised, then we will take our daughter & be gone.” And their words pleased Hamor & Shechem, Hamor’s son.”.....“And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor & Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon & Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword & came boldly upon the city & killed all the males.”

*Circumcision(a surgical procedure) is a tactical nightmare when anticipating battle.

‘in the very teeth of his enemies he[Joshua] reduced the major part of his army to a state of total helplessness, simply trusting for protection in the arms of Jehovah!’—Clarke

No doubt some if not many had trusted Joshua(God’s man) rather than God’s working thru Joshua—God had “exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; & they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.”(4:14)—These ‘went thru the motions’ in more subtle ways than had the previous generation.

The circumcision was a means of employing the heart...

Example:

Josh. 11:1-9—“And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, & to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, & in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanites in the east & in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, & the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. So they went out, they & all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses & chariots. And when all these kings had met together, they came & camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel. But the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses & burn their chariots with fire.” So Joshua & all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, & they attacked them. And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them & chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, & to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining. So Joshua did to them as the LORD had told him: he hamstrung their horses & burned their chariots with fire.”

Thru such physical determination & accountability, Joshua was divulging to the nation, his dependence upon the LORD. & not trusting in chariot & horse.