Chapter 184 of 1163

JOSHUA 5

Israel had experienced a great miracle, the enemy was frightened, and God was at work. Now was the time for action! But God told His people to wait. Why? So that He might prepare them for the conquest of the land.

We must deal with the past (1–9). The new generation had not received the mark of the covenant (Gen. 17), so this ritual was a reaffirmation of their relationship with God. Circumcision symbolizes putting off what belongs to the sinful flesh (Rom. 8:13; Col. 2:11–12) and devoting the heart wholly to the Lord (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4). The nation had experienced this collectively in crossing the Jordan, but it had to be made personal.

We must trust for the present (10–12). The nation stopped eating manna and started eating food that God naturally provided. There is a place for the miraculous, but God never wastes miracles. If we do the possible, He will do the impossible. The women baked unleavened bread for Passover, and the nation remembered how God had redeemed them from the land of Egypt.

We must submit for the future (13–15). Joshua met Jesus Christ and learned that the Lord already had a plan for taking Jericho. All Joshua had to do was obey and remember that he was on “holy ground.” From that time, whenever Joshua took off his shoes, it reminded him that he was second in command. That was the secret of his victory (2 Chron. 20:15).

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