Joshua 5

CHAPTER 5

Circumcision at Gilgal (5:1–12)

1 Just as the people of Jericho had heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea (Joshua 2:10), so the Amorites and Canaanites heard how He had dried up the Jordan River. These miracles had demonstrated the Lord’s great power (Joshua 4:24), and because of them the surrounding people were filled with fear—as the Lord had promised they would be (Exodus 23:27).

2–8 The Lord told Joshua to circumcise the Israelites again²⁶ (verse 2). CIRCUMCISION was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the Israelites; an uncircumcised man could not share in the blessings of the covenant (see Genesis 17:9–14 and comment). Since one of those blessings was the gift of the promised land (Canaan), only those who were circumcised were entitled to an inheritance in the land.²⁷

However, the Israelites had not carried out this covenant requirement during their forty years in the desert²⁸ (verse 5). Therefore, every male under forty now had to be circumcised. The “mass operation” was carried out at Gibeath Haaraloth, which means “hill of foreskins” (verse 3).

Let modern readers not take this scene lightly. The Israelites had just crossed the Jordan, an action that symbolized death to self and commitment to God. Then the first thing God required of them was to be circumcised, a procedure that symbolized the cutting away of the sinful nature (Colossians 2:11–12). It is not enough to simply “cross the Jordan”; our hearts must be “circumcised” as well (Deuteronomy 30:6; Romans 2:28–29). We must daily practice self-denial (Mark 8:34) and resist the desires of our sinful nature (Romans 8:12–13; Galatians 5:16,24). This, then, is the deeper significance of the circumcisions at Gibeath Haaraloth.

9 Here Joshua says that he has rolled away the reproach of Egypt from the Israelites. This “reproach of Egypt” was the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt and also their homelessness for forty years in the desert. Joshua had just led the Israelites into their promised land; thus the reproach had been “rolled away.” That is why their first encampment in the promised land was called Gilgal, which sounds like the Hebrew word for “roll.”

10–12 In addition to circumcision, one other important observance had been neglected during Israel’s years in the desert: the celebration of the Passover, the commemoration of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus 12:1–13 and comment). The PASSOVER had been celebrated only once since the Israelites left Egypt, and that celebration took place at Mount Sinai on the first anniversary of the original Passover (Numbers 9:1–5). So now the people celebrated the Passover at Gilgal (verse 10). The circumcision of the Israelites had to take place first, since no uncircumcised male was allowed to celebrate the Passover (Exodus 12:48–49).

After the Passover, the Israelites ate unleavened bread (verse 11); to eat anything with leaven in it was forbidden for seven days following the Passover feast. Ordinarily, the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread would have followed immediately after the Passover (see Exodus 12:14–20), but this was not feasible since the Israelites had only just entered the promised land and were getting ready to move against Jericho.

The Israelites had been eating manna (verse 12) for forty years in the desert (see Exodus 16:4,14–15,31). During that time, the manna had been God’s miraculous provision of food for the whole nation. Now that the Israelites had set foot in the promised land—a fertile and fruitful land—they would no longer need the manna.

The Commander of the Lord’s Army (5:13–15)

13–15 Joshua looked up and saw a man . . . with a drawn sword (verse 13). This “man” was certainly an ANGEL of the Lord, if not the Lord Himself.²⁹ His drawn sword symbolized God’s involvement in the coming siege of Jericho.

At first thinking this was only a man, Joshua asked him whose side he was on. “Neither side,” was the answer. And then the “man” told Joshua who he was: the commander of the army of the LORD (verse 14).

It is not suitable for us to ask the Lord whose side He is on—as if God took sides like an ordinary human being. God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34–35). The only suitable question to ask is if we are on God’s side! Let us not assume that God “has to be on our side” just because we are Israelites or “Christians.” God is only on the side of those who love Him and obey Him with all their heart—something possible only through faith in Christ and through God’s indwelling HOLY SPIRIT.

God had sent His “commander” to direct Joshua in Israel’s battle against Jericho—and, we can assume, in future battles as well. God was going to give the orders as well as give the victory. Joshua suddenly recognized that he was speaking to a divine being and fell facedown in reverence (verse 14). Then he asked for instructions.

What was the first instruction? Take off your sandals (see Exodus 3:5).

There is a profound truth here. Before we ask for battle instructions, we must first “take off our sandals.” We must understand that we can be of no use to God if we do not humble ourselves before Him and acknowledge His HOLINESS and power. Our own swords and sandals will not gain the victory; but our faith in God will. God, through His angelic hosts, will fight the battle for us; we only need to obey His commands. And Joshua did so (verse 15).