Joshua 5
McGeeCHAPTER 5THEME: Fear falls upon the Amorites; a new generation is circumcised; the divine visitorcaptain of the hostIn this chapter we learn that the rite of circumcision was performed; the manna ceased and they began to eat the old corn of the land; finally, Joshua was confronted by the unseen Captain of the “host of the LORD"Joshua needed this vision at this time. These three things are important to see.
Joshua 5:1
FEAR FALLS UPON THE AMORITESBecause the Jordan River was at flood stage, the Amorites and Canaanites did not expect the Israelites to cross over. They expected them to cross over after the flood season was over. They probably thought they had quite a bit more time to prepare for battle, and it was a shock for them to discover that God had enabled Israel to cross Jordan.
Joshua 5:2
A NEW GENERATION IS CIRCUMCISEDThe new generation had neglected the rite of circumcision, which was the badge of the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant, you remember, gave Israel the land of Canaan. They had neglected to observe this rite during those years of wandering through the wilderness.
Joshua 5:6
Both in spirit and in reality the children of Israel had not kept the rite of circumcision, which was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. The children of Israel had walked forty years in the wilderness until all of the men that had come out of Egypt, who were men of war, had died. The Lord had given them children, and they are the ones whom Joshua circumcised. At this time, God rolled away the reproach of Egypt. The “reproach of Egypt” means that during the latter years of the Egyptian bondage this rite had been neglected, and the neglect had continued during the wilderness wanderings. Therefore, the place where Joshua circumcised the children of Israel was called Gilgal, which means “a rolling.”
Joshua 5:10
It was in the spring of the year, at the time of the latter rains, that Israel performed the rite of circumcision and then celebrated the Passover. The reproach of Egypt was rolled away from Israel. God had promised to give the descendants of Abraham the land, and the promise was about to become a reality. All of this has a spiritual message for us today. The old nature is no good. The old nature cannot inherit spiritual blessing. The old nature cannot even enjoy spiritual blessing. The old nature will not like Canaan, nor anything in the heavenlies. In Gal_5:17 Paul says, “For the flesh lusteth [which is literally wars] against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Paul found that there was no good in the old nature. He also discovered that there was no power in the new nature (see Rom. 7). The circumcision of the children of Israel recognized these facts.
Joshua 5:11
Manna was a picture of Christ we are told in the New Testament. Jesus said, “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (Joh_6:49-51). Manna represents Christ in His death. He is the One who came down to this earth “to give his life a ransom for many.” When Israel arrived in Canaan, the manna ceased, and they began to eat the old corn of the land.
Joshua 5:13
THE DIVINE VISITORCAPTAIN OF THE HOSTThis is the call and commission of Joshua. It is the same as Moses’ call on the plain of Midian at the burning bush. Moses was told to remove his shoes, for the ground upon which he stood was holy (Exo_3:5). The children of Israel had crossed the Jordan River and were camped on the other side. One morning Joshua probably got up and looked over the scene. It was an impressive sight.
There were the camps of all twelve tribes of Israel around him. As he looked at it, I think he swelled with a little pride. He was the one in charge, and GHQ was in his tent now. Then he happened to look down at the edge of the camp, and he saw someone with a drawn sword. Joshua may have thought, There is someone down there who doesn’t seem to know that I am the general here. I’d better go down there and put that fellow in his place!
So he walked down there and, according to our translation, said, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” Now in good old Americana he said, “What’s the big idea? Who gave you an order to draw a sword?” Then that One, whom I believe was the pre-incarnate Christ, turned to him, and when He turned, He said, “Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come!” Notice the reaction of Joshua. He fell on his face before Him. You see, Joshua learned that GHQ was not in his tent after all. It was at the throne of God. God was leading them. Actually, he was not captain of the hosts of the Lord; he was under Someone else. And he would be taking orders from Him. We shall be seeing this in the next chapter as he marches the army around the city of Jericho for seven straight days. If you had stopped Joshua on the sixth day and said, “Look, General Joshua, this is a silly thing to be doing,” he probably would have said, “That’s exactly what I think.” “Then why are you doing it? You are in command here.” Joshua would say, “You are wrong. I take my orders from Someone above me. I am only a buck private in the rear ranks. I am doing this because I have been commanded to do it.”