The Amorites And The Canaanites Are Afraid Series

# 21~ Joshua 5: 1-15 11-9-14

Our text verses in Heb. 11: are 30-31.

Heb.11:30-31 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. --- That happens in Joshua 6:

By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

~ We read about her helping the 2 Israeli scouts in chapter 2: -- when the walls of Jericho fall down and Jericho is taken by the army of Israel in chapter 6: -- ~ ~~Rahab and her then believing family will be saved, they were the only believers there, the rest were destroyed.

@@ Joshua 5:

1 And 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 any more, because of the children of Israel.

Let me quickly point out the ‘WE” in verse 1, -- this tells us that Joshua was among those who passed over, and also that he probably is the writer.

Israel had crossed the dried up Jordan River back in chapters 3-4.

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~ We see here that these kings are on the same side of the Jordan the Israelite s were now on; and their mentioned to set them apart from the other kings of the Amorites on the eastern side of Jordan, who were already conquered by the Israelite s.

~ The Hebrews had already slain the five kings of Midian, also Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og of Bashan, -- Rahab mentioned that happening back in chapter 2: --

~ When the news that God had stopped the waters of Jordan on behalf of His chosen people Israel reached the kings of the Amorites and of the Canaanites, their hearts melted with fear.

Melting hearts are a great thing, if they melt unto repentance, but these were not unto repentance, these people were scared and felt hopeless, there was no way they could stand against Israel because of their God.

> Exodus 23:27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

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

~The command did not require Joshua to repeat the operation on those who were already circumcised, but to resume the ordinance, the covenant of circumcision which had been long discontinued.

Apparently, all during the forty years of wondering in the wilderness, none of the sons born during that time had been circumcised. --- Now God commanded that this be done. – Apparently this is referring to “the second time” in verse 2.

God gave particular orders for the keeping of this Passover, This was the first observance of the Passover since the exodus; the date of this command to keep the Passover in the wilderness was given shortly after the erection and consecration of the tabernacle.

> Numbers 9:5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

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The Israelites were under no obligation or command to continue to keep the Passover afterwards, until their settlement in the land of Canaan.

> Exodus 12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

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The people that had not been circumcised could not partake of the Passover; this is why Joshua was circumcising the people at this time in Joshua 5:2.

> Exodus 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

~Remember no one could partake of the Passover until circumcised.

Let me remind us that the complainers are found in Numbers 14: and these all died off, from 20 years old and up. – Their children are the people that crossed the Jordan, they must be circumcised.

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

4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. – “The murmurs and complainers.”