Latest revision as of 14:13, 22 June 2022

Theological Proposition/Focus: You might think that after crossing the Jordan Israel would get straight to work conquering the land. However, this was not the case because the people were not spiritually ready. God cares about the spiritual and often asks his people to ensure they are spiritually ready for the tasks at hand.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: God expects his people to to identify with him, to celebrate has done while still looking to the future and to wholly revere him.

Introduction:

Image: I wish you had told me that earlier.

Have you ever been told a story, asked a favor, or received more details and thought "I really wish you had told me that earlier?"

Need: We are in the midst of God's works but as we watch God work, let us not forget his holiness.

Preview: After crossing the Jordan God wanted his people to know that he expected them to identify with him, to celebrate the works he has done while still looking to the future and to wholly revere him.

Setting the Stage:

Recall that in Joshua we saw God was in charge, in Joshua 2 we saw that God saves, in Joshua 3 we saw that God is in control, and in Joshua 4 we saw we saw that memorials are important both for reminding us of what God is doing and teaching us what God has done. At this point we might be inclined to think that the stage is set and Israel is prepared to begin the conquest but in Joshua 5 we put on the brakes and realize that there is still an important step that needs to be completed. God's people need to be fully prepared before moving forward.

Joshua 5:1

Body

God expects His people to identify with Him (2-9).

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. 4 Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. 5 All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. 6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. ^[1]

Here we have an interesting situation. Upon crossing into enemy territory, God reminded people that there was an important standard they had failed to satisfy.

The Standard: Circumcision was expected.

Back up with me for a minute to the time of Abraham.

Read Gen. 17:9-14 we see that circumcision was symbolic of God's covenant with Israel.

In fact," though other ancient Near Eastern groups performed circumcision, this ritual action became the most significant marker of Jewish identity." ^[2]

Now that we have an idea about the command to be circumcised we can better understand the situation that the people were in,

The Situation: Circumcision had not been completed.

In verse 5 we see that all the people who came out of Egypt had been circumcised. However, it seems that those born during the wilderness wanderings had not been circumcised.

The problem is that circumcision had important significance.

The Significance: Circumcision represented the covenant.

Circumcision is surgery on the reproductive organ, and so naturally connects to the propagation of the race.

Circumcision was done on infants after 8-days demonstrating that God's people need his cleansing grace from birth.

This placed the people in a significant conundrum, they were supposed to have been circumcised but had not been circumcised. The solution was simple.

The Solution: Circumcision was conducted.

Notice something significant here.

If I were planning this out I probably would have asked people to be circumcised on the other side of the Jordan before entering enemy territory.

However, I think God wanted his people to demonstrate faith.

We don't get to identify with God when it is convenient.

Rolling away the reproach of Egypt may be a reference to not practicing circumcision in Egypt.

In Egypt circumcision was reserved for priests and upper class citizens

Hence, it seems unlikely that the Egyptians would have allowed their slaves to conduct such a practice.

Image: We are used to identifying with companies, brands, ideas

I think that sometimes we are numb because we are inundated with identification. We wear shirts that advertise brands, we put bumper stickers on our cars, and we like companies on Facebook. With all the identification that takes place, I wonder. Do we identify with God?

So naturally, we ask the question,

MTR: Ask yourself, am I identifying with God?

Consider some of the ways we can identify with God.

Baptism

Baptism: Believers Baptism is Christ's ordained means of identification with him.

Now I want to be careful here. There are many denominations that argue that baptism has in fact replaced circumcision and based on this argument they argue for infant baptism. This is not the case. Consider

Read Colossians 2:11-12 notice Faith is key

In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Key to this passage is the idea that this circumcision was not performed with human hands but is rather a circumcision of the heart and faith is the key here.

Circumcision symbolized membership in the covenant community in the OT. However, entry into the community in the NT is based on faith and so baptism should be post faith

The simple fact is that one way of identifying with God is through believer's baptism.^[3]

Love for one-another

John 13:25 states that world will know is by our love

1 Cor. 13:8 states

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

In the early Church particular Spiritual Gifts were normative as evidence that God was at work in the Church. However, as the early Church matured these sign gifts passe away and are no longer normative. What remains for the Church to use to identify itself? Love!

God expects His people to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future (10-12).

9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. 10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan. ^[4]

The Standard: Celebrating Passover was expected.

Some commentators believe this was only the third Passover ever celebrated. The first would have been in Egypt as in Exodus 12:1-28, the second at Mount Sinai just before the people broke camp to move toward Canaan (Numbers 9:1-5). However, other commentators view this as just two previously mentioned observations while many other observations had been completed.

I know that for many of you reading through the book of Leviticus is not on your top ten books of the Bible but tucked away in Leviticus is an important command.

Among the celebrations that are commanded in Leviticus 23 there is an important command to celebrate the Passover in Leviticus 23:4-8. See also Deuteronomy 16:1-8.

The Situation: It was time to celebrate Passover.

In verse 10 we read that it was the 14th day of the month. It happened to be the first month of the year in the Jewish Calendar and so it was time to celebrate Passover.

The Significance: Passover memorialized God's deliverance.

The Passover was one of the most significant historical events

Recall the events that led to the first Passover.

Israel was in bondage in Egypt.

God commanded that the people eat a special meal together

While the people ate together God passed through the land and struck all the firstborn ensuring their deliverance

The Passover represented God's deliverance

The Solution: Passover was celebrated

In some sense the Passover became a set of bookends.

The Passover marked the beginning of the Exodus from Egypt and now the Passover marked the end of wandering in the wilderness.

The Results: God's new provision.

Remember that throughout the wilderness wandering, God had provided for the people. However, the people did grow tired of the manna and complained. Now God was providing for the people in an entirely different way. Now the people were able to take part in the fruit of the promised land.

The passages emphasizes the stopping of the manna mentioning it twice.

I think the emphasis here is that the people are not longer a wandering people. God had provided manna in the past but now he was moving into a different means of provision.

MTR: Ask yourself, am I celebrating God's past works while moving forward to God's future works?

Image: Late night video game nights have lost their appeal.

Emily and I were married young, we were really still just kids. In fact, one of the staples of our early marriage was late night video game parties at our house. I was a nerd and set-up a fairly elaborate computer network throughout the basement of the house we rented. We built several computers using old parts from computers that had belonged to people at church and were no longer fully functioning or anything else we could get our hands on. Then every Friday night my friends we would have friends and younger siblings come over, Emily would cook a pile of burritos (and yes I mean a pile) and we would boot up all the computers and play Star Wars Galactic Battle Grounds late into the night. 15 years later when we were all together we had the bright idea of having a late night video game night like old times. I think we may have made it an hour before we put away the game and started talking about family and other parts of life. As sad as it was to admit. We had moved on in life.

Moving on and forward is part of life, and it seems to be part of spiritual life. We need to celebrate how God has worked throughout history but we also need to be careful that in celebrating the past we never forget that God is working now and into the future. God's works might look different. Don't get stuck wanting manna when the fruit of Canaan is right in front of you.

God expects His people to revere Him (13-15).

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. .^[5]

At first glance, verses 13-15 seem out of place. After all, the first two points of this sermon dealt with Israel's relationship with God. However, don't be fooled this section also has to do with Israel's relationship with God.

The Hebrew includes specific words that invite the reader to look into this particular narrative. We see that Joshua, being near Jericho comes across a surprising site. Joshua, as most of us probably would, immediately wanted to know if this man was for or against Israel.

The Standard: Recognizing God's sovereignty is expected.

The main point of all three sections has been that spiritual concerns are of primary importance.

Verse 15 is the first mention of holiness but the entire chapter has dealt with our preparedness for service to God.

The Situation: I think that the pre-incarnate Christ was on site.

I have read this many times and wondered who exactly is this. He is described as the commander of the Lord's army.

The term "commander of the army" is a general phrase that when used elsewhere, refers to a commander who sits under a king.

Joshua 5:14, Gen 21:22, 32; 26:26, Judg 4:2, 7; 1 Sam 12:9, 1 Sam 14:50; 17:55; e, 2 Sam 10:16, 18, 1 Kgs 1:19, 25; 2:5, 1 Kgs 16:16, 2 Kgs 5:1

Therefore, this is probably someone with supreme military authority.

Joshua's response suggests that he recognizes this as someone with a lot of authority but perhaps he is not sure if this God himself.

Joshua bows down in reverence and then uses the Hebrew אדון (Adoni or Master) to address the individual.

Joshua does not ask what God has to say but what his master has to say.

However, verse 15 is suggestive that this may have been nothing short of God himself.

Theologically, all three members of the Trinity are equally God but God the Son submits to God the Father.

Altogether this leads me to the conclusion that this was perhaps the pre-incarnate Christ.

In any-case I cannot dogmatically state what is going on but I do know that the key is that

Joshua displayed three attitudes

Humility,

Recognition of divine authority

Recognition of human inferiority (as evidenced by his calling himself the servant

What this passage tells us is that

The Significance: God demands holy submission.

Once Joshua put enough of the pieces of the puzzle together, I would think he would want to immediately know the battle plan. However, that is not God's first priority. Time and time again we see that God's first priority is our holy submission to him.

The Solution: Joshua submitted to God.

Image: When the boss comes to town.

MTR: Ask yourself, do I revere God knowing that He is on-site?

Conclusion:

Image:

1. ↑ The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jos 5:2–8.
2. ↑ Kyle R. Hughes, “Circumcision,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
3. ↑ Rathbun, Ken. “Colossians 2:11-12 and the Circumcision-Infant Baptism Analogy.” Faith Baptist Bible College. Last modified November 12, 2021. Accessed June 16, 2022. https://faith.edu/faith-news/colossians-211-12-circumcision-infant-baptism-analogy/.
4. ↑ The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jos 5:9–12.
5. ↑ The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jos 5:13–15.