Chapter 5
Faithful God & Unfaithful People
Bethany Covenant Church
Fall 2014
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Slave, Student, Spy, Soldier,
Successor, Servant
In chapter 5 we see Joshua as soldier and
servant.
Chapter 5
Unfinished Business Before the Battle
• Renewal of circumcision
• Passover celebration
• Appropriation of the fruit of Canaan
“Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the
Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the
Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts
melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.”
(Joshua 5:1, NIV)
• Israel’s conquest of Canaan began before a single arrow
was shot or single spear thrown.
• Faith comes by hearing and so does fear.
• Notice how the fear of the kings is compared to the faith
of the children of Israel in this chapter.
Let’s go back one
verse to look at fear
“He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know
that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might
always fear the LORD your God.”” (Joshua 4:24, NIV)
Chapter 5
Fear v. Fear of the Lord
• “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor
and life.” (Proverbs 22:4, NIV)
• “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, NIV)
• “The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the
wicked are cut short.” (Proverbs 10:27, NIV)
“At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and
circumcise the Israelites again.” So Joshua made flint knives and
circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.” (Joshua 5:2–3, NIV)
• Gibeath Haaraloth means “hill of foreskins.”
• So there will be no doubt about why God is
commanding this procedure it is explained in the
next 3 verses.
“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. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the
people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not.
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.” (Joshua 5:4–6, NIV)
See Numbers 14
“And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “How long shall
this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the
grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. Say
to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I
will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all
your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward,
who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land
where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of
Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:26–30, ESV)
Back to Gilgal
“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. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the
people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not.
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.” (Joshua 5:4–6, NIV)
How does Joshua know it is a land
flowing with milk and honey?
See Numbers 14
“Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among
those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the
entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is
exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into
that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people
of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but
the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”” (Numbers 14:6–9, NIV)
Back to Gilgal
“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.” (Joshua 5:7, NIV)
• The circumcised generation disobeyed and died in
the wilderness.
• The uncircumcised generation were obedient and
crossed the Jordan to live in the promised land.
• The obedient were circumcised so they could
entered into the covenant relationship with God.
Genesis 17:11
“And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained
where they were in camp until they were healed. 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.” (Joshua
5:8–9, NIV)
Egypt
Israel
asReproach
aCanaanites
joke and the
subject
If
you viewed
were king
of the
what
1. an
expression
ofdoing
rebuke
or disapproval
of
scornyou
for be
wandering
dying
would
atand
this
point?in the
2. the act desert
or action
of reproaching
during
the Exodus.or
disapproving <was beyond reproach>
God said
to Moses: of
“For
Pharaoh
will
Recall
what happened
3. a cause
or occasion
blame,
discredit,
or disgrace
at Shechem
of the people
of Israel,or
‘They
are
4. onesay
subjected
to censure
scorn.
wandering in the land; the wilderness
has shut them in.’” (Exodus 14:3, ESV)
Shechem defiles Dinah
• Jacob buys land from Hamor King of
Shechem; pitches his tent and builds
an alter (Genesis 33)
• One day Jacob’s daughter Dinah goes
to visit the women of Shechem
• Dinah is defiled by the prince of
Shechem; his name is Shechem
• Jacob and his sons are indignant, but
Shechem wants to marry Dinah
• Jacob’s sons tells Hivities they must be
circumcised to marry into the nation of
Israel (Genesis 34)
Shechem defiles Dinah
“All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his
son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. Three days
later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon
and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the
unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son
Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.”
(Genesis 34:24–26, NIV)
Back to Gilgal
“And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained
where they were in camp until they were healed. 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.” (Joshua
5:8–9, NIV)
If you were king of the Canaanites
what would you be doing at this point?
Chiasmus in Joshua 5:1-9
A their hearts melted in fear because of the Israelites. (5:1)
B circumcision (5:2-3)
C none born in the wilderness were circumcised (5:4-5)
D The Lord swore he would not let them see the land (5:6)
C’ not having been circumcised on the way (5:7)
B’ after circumcision (5:8)
A’ I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you (5:9)
“On the evening
Notice
that Passover
was
at Gilgal the
same place
No record
of Passover
celebration
since
were
circumcised.
days of
of the fourteenth
Mt. where
Sinai 38they
years
before.
NumbersThe
9:1-14
wandering are over.
day of the month,
while camped at
Gilgal on the
plains of Jericho,
the Israelites
celebrated the
Passover.” (Joshua
5:10, NIV)
No male,
Israelite
or foreigner
to eat
Passover
is on
a specific
day in theis Hebrew
Passover
Exodus
calendar;
theunless
timingcircumcised.
of events had
to be 12:48
perfect.
“The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the
produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 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.” (Joshua 5:11–12, NIV)
• Likely the people living in the promised land fled to
• God had taken his people out of Egypt, now He
the walled city of Jericho and left behind their
had to take Egypt out of His people.
grain.
• Manna represented the provision of their
• Psalms 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the
wandering and rebellion.
presence of my enemies;”
• Now they were allowed to eat the provision of
• Manna was food for the unfaithful generation that
their inheritance in the promise land.
wandered the desert.
Joshua Meets the Commander
of the Lord’s Army
“Then Moses said to [the Lord], “If your Presence does not go
with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15, NIV
“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?”” (Joshua 5:13, NIV)
• Joshua appears to be alone and is looking
at Jericho, probably to plan an attack.
• In Joshua’s mind the “man” with a sword
was either an Israelite or Canaanite.
• The sword represents two things:
• The Word of God; and
• The delay in God’s judgment is over.
““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?”” (Joshua 5:14, NIV)
• “Neither” is how the “man” is saying
he is not a mortal; he is not an
Israelite or Canaanite.
• Most commentators agree the
“man” is the pre-incarnate Christ.
• “Now come” refers to how God is
now going to take charge of this
battle, which means Joshua is no
longer in charge of the situation.
• Joshua the soldier then recognizes
he is relieved of duty and
pronounces himself a servant.
“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.” (Joshua
5:15,
NIV)was in heathen territory,
• Joshua
but the Lord was present and
the ground was now holy.
• The dirt on Joshua’s sandals
represented the sin of life in the
desert.
““Do not come any closer,”
God said. “Take off your
sandals, for the place
where you are standing is
holy ground.”” (Exodus 3:5,
NIV)
Preview of chapter 6
First two verses
“Now
Jericho was shut up inside
and outside because of the
people of Israel. None went out,
and none came in. And the LORD
said to Joshua, “See, I have given
Jericho into your hand, with its
king and mighty men of valor.”
(Joshua 6:1–2, ESV)
God is speaking in the past
tense about a future event.
Jericho was shutting out the
army of Israel and by obstinacy
shutting up any attempt to
reconcile or seek peace.
Chiasmus in Joshua 5:13-6:2
A Commander appears to Joshua with a drawn sword in his hand (5:13)
B Joshua falls on his face on the ground and worships (5:14b)
C Joshua asks Commander for word from the Lord (5:14c)
C’ Commander gives Joshua a word from the Lord (5:15a)
B’ Commander confirms that Joshua is on holy ground (5:15b)
A’ Lord tells Joshua he has already given Jericho into his hand (6:2)
What do we learn from chapter 5?
• The sequence and timing here is significant:
• Crossing the River Jordan (obedience)
• Fear in the hearts of pagans in Canaan (promised in Exodus 23:27)
• Circumcision (sacrifice, consecration and separation)
• Healing (protection)
• Reproach of Egypt removed (cleansing)
• Passover (celebration NOT allowed for uncircumcised)
• Manna stops & Israelites eat natural food (provision)
• Commander of the Lord’s army appears (presence)
• Worship
• Holy ground
• Heavenly warfare
What do we learn from chapter 5?
• Joshua was going about the business that the Lord had
assigned to him—conquering Canaan—when the Lord
himself showed up.
• It is while we are in the course of duty that we are most likely to
receive unusual blessing.
• Joshua asked the Commander what message he had.
• It is better to listen than to talk when in the presence of the Lord.
What do we learn from chapter 5?
• Joshua the soldier surrendered to the Commander and offered
himself as servant.
• “Not until we take the place of a servant can Jesus take His place
as Lord.*”
• God prepared His people before they engaged in the battle to take
Jericho and the land of Canaan.
• The spirit of God will never take you to a place where the grace of
God cannot hold you.
• God does not just call the prepared, he prepares the called.
*Watchman Nee
What do we learn from chapter 5?
• Fear of the Lord alone is not sufficient.
• Fear of the God of Israel caused the Canaanites to lose courage,
but it did not cause the Canaanites to repent.
• Rather than trust the Lord they trusted the walls of Jericho.
• Circumcision after entering the promised land.
• Involves blood and sacrifice.
• It came only after the people crossed the Jordan
• God would rather have your obedience than your sacrifice.*
*1 Samuel 15:22, Proverbs 21:2, Hosea 6:6, Jeremiah 7:22-23
PowerPoint Access Online
www.bccmv.org/book-of-joshua
Bethany Homepage/media/resources/Book of Joshua
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Bibliography
• Be Strong, Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Commentary Series.
• The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Campbell, Donald K.
• Opening Up Joshua, Ellsworth, Roger, Opening Up Commentary.
• Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible: Henry, Matthew.
• Warren W. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament
Wiersbe, Warren, W.
• Commentary on the Book of Joshua, Calvin, John, and Henry
Beveridge.
• The Teachers Bible Commentary, Philbeck, Ben F.
• The Books of History, Smith, James E., Old Testament Survey Series.
• Joshua’s Spiritual Warfare, Clarke, Thomas B.