Scripture Reading: Josh. 5
In this message we will consider chapter five of Joshua. This chapter reveals that all the kings were afraid because of the miraculous crossing of the river Jordan. Before the children of Israel attacked, the Canaanites were already defeated. Their spirit was gone. Although the Israelites had been disciplined, trained, and qualified, after crossing the Jordan they still needed further preparation before the attack.
Joshua 5 covers four matters of intrinsic significance. The first item is circumcision. Circumcision is a continuation of the burial in the death of Christ. By crossing the river Jordan, Israel’s old man was buried and they came out to become the new man. This was an objective work done by God. Israel still needed to apply it to their flesh. Therefore, they prepared knives of flint to cut off their foreskins. This cutting was their application of what God had done in the crossing of the river Jordan. By cutting off their flesh to roll away the reproach of Egypt, they were buried and resurrected, both actually and practically.
In the New Testament circumcision means the constant application of the Lord’s death to our flesh. Romans 6:3-4 says that we have been baptized into the death of Christ and buried with Him, but Romans 8:13 and Galatians 5:24 tell us that we should apply the circumcision of the cross to our flesh by the Spirit. In fact, our flesh has already been crucified, but in practicality we need to crucify the flesh day by day. This is the reality and practicality of remaining in the death and burial of Christ, and this is the significance of circumcision.
The second item of intrinsic significance in Joshua 5 is the Passover. The feast of the Passover was held to remember Israel’s redemption from the death judgment on the firstborn sons and their salvation from Egypt and from the tyranny of Pharaoh. This is a type of the Lord’s table. At the Lord’s table we remember Him as the Redeemer and as the Savior. Our portion today is not death but the partaking and enjoying of Christ at His table.
The third item of intrinsic significance is the eating of the produce of the good land. For forty years the children of Israel had been eating manna without any labor on their part. But when the manna ceased, their food could be produced only by cooperating with God. The produce of the land of Canaan came out of farming. This means that it was the result of man’s labor and cooperation with God. This is in keeping with Genesis 2:5, which says that God sends the rain and man tills the ground. This refers to the cooperation of man and God.
Both the manna and the produce of the good land typify Christ. Christ in the stage typified by the produce of the good land is different from Christ in the stage typified by manna. John 6, which is not a deep chapter, speaks of Christ as the manna who came down from heaven to feed us. In the Epistles Christ is no longer just manna; He is the produce of the good land, prepared through our laboring cooperation with God. This brings in more Christ for ourselves and others and provides a surplus to God as our offering.
The fourth item of intrinsic significance concerns the Captain of Jehovah’s army. The children of Israel were ready. They had been circumcised, they had enjoyed the Passover, and they had enjoyed the produce of the good land. However, they still needed a Captain. Then Joshua saw a vision in which Christ was unveiled as the Captain of Jehovah’s army. Joshua was the visible commander, but Christ was the invisible One. Before the children of Israel attacked the Canaanites, they were fully prepared and qualified with Christ, the embodiment of God, as their Captain. When they attacked Jericho, they did this under the commanding of the Captain typified by the ark. The ark, a type of Christ, who was their Commander-in-chief, took the lead to attack the enemies.
To prepare to possess the good land, we need to enter into these four items. We need to deal with the flesh, enjoy the Lord’s table, enjoy the all-inclusive Christ as the produce of the good land, and see a vision of Christ, the embodiment of God, as our Captain.
Now that we have seen the items of intrinsic significance in this chapter, let us consider some of the details concerning the preparation before the attack.
In verse 1 we see the reaction of the kings of the Amorites and the Canaanites to Jehovah’s miraculous deed in drying up the waters for Israel to cross over the Jordan. Their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit (boldness) in them because of the children of Israel.
Verses 2 through 9 speak of the circumcision of the new Israel.
The circumcision of the new Israel took place at Gilgal, which means “a rolling.” Concerning this, verse 9 says, “Then Jehovah said to Joshua, Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. So the name of this place has been called Gilgal to this day.”
The purpose of circumcision was to make God’s chosen people a new people for the inheritance of God’s promised land (Gen. 17:7-12; Josh. 5:6).
The circumcision of the new Israel typifies the circumcision of Christ, by His death, on the believers in the putting off of the body of the flesh for their inheritance, in resurrection, of Him as the God-allotted portion to them (Col. 2:9-12; 1:12).
Joshua 5:10 says that the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
The children of Israel were to keep the Passover to remember Jehovah’s redemption of Israel from the death judgment on their firstborn sons (Exo. 12:3-7, 11-14).
The keeping of the Passover was also to remember Jehovah’s salvation of Israel from the power of Pharaoh and Egypt (Exo. 14:13-30).
The keeping of the Passover indicated that just as Jehovah had saved Israel from Pharaoh and Egypt so would He destroy the tribes of Canaan and deliver Israel from them. Thus the keeping of the Passover encouraged the children of Israel and gave them the assurance that Jehovah would displace the evil Canaanites.
Israel’s keeping of the Passover typifies the believers’ keeping of the Lord’s table to remember the Lord’s redemption and salvation (Matt. 26:26-28). The Lord Jesus established His table with the bread and the cup to replace the Feast of the Passover. He has fulfilled the type, and now He is the real Passover to us (1 Cor. 5:7).
Joshua 5:11-12 speaks of Israel’s eating of the produce of the promised land.
Manna was the food from heaven in Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. The manna typifies Christ as the unconsummated heavenly food to God’s chosen people, not requiring the eaters to labor on it.
The produce of the promised land was the God-given food in their fighting in Canaan. This produce typifies Christ as the consummated God-given food to the believers, requiring them to labor on Him.
Joshua 5:13-15 is a record of the vision seen by Joshua.
Verse 13a says, “Now once, when Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, there was a man standing opposite him, and His sword was drawn in His hand.” This vision was an unveiling of Christ to Joshua.
Verses 13b and 14a go on to say, “Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are You for us or for our adversaries? And He said, Neither, but as the Captain of Jehovah’s army have I now come.” Whereas Joshua was the visible captain of Jehovah’s army, Christ was the invisible Captain of Jehovah’s army. Christ was such a captain to fight against the seven tribes of Canaan for Israel. Because of this, Joshua needed to stand on the position of sanctification all the time (v. 15).
