Joshua 5 - Circumcision at Gilgal | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church
The Bible by David Alley · David Alley
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Show Notes
In this video listen to Joshua 5 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.
In Joshua 5 describes how the Amorites melted in fear in the face of the impending invasion. As Hitler swept across Europe in WW2 the people in the nations before him were afraid. They sensed the inevitability of what was ahead, and so too the Amorites. So why continue to resist? This is sadly what people do, continuing to resist Christ. The smart Amorite would have realised something different was called for, and we find in coming chapters that the Gibeonites did endeavor to do something different.
As people it is repentance which is called for. Psalm 76:7 says, “who can stand before the Lord?” We realise that repentance is our only hope. Next a surprising thing happens. The men of Israel are all circumcised at Gilgal. Verse two describes a hill of foreskins. The circumcision of 600000 men would have indeed created a hill of foreskins. The timing of such an event was also not something any sensible human would have chosen.
We saw in Genesis 34 the story of Dinah and the Shechemites and how the circumcision of the men of Shechem rendered them unable to fight, and they were defeated. However God sees spiritual rightness with God as more important than military preparedness. God is no doubt teaching them to trust him through this. The men of Jericho could have attacked at this point, it was their opportunity, but because of fear they never took it, and most likely did not know to take it.
In verse 9, the Lord told Joshua that after the circumcision, the reproach of Israel was now removed. There is something about being uncircumcised which brings reproach. We are of course talking of spiritual circumcision, not the physical as the book of Galatians makes clear, yet the physical as in this story is where we learn about the significance of genuine circumcision.
This is the Lord of hosts, none other than Jesus. It is clear that Jesus is not on our side, but rather that we choose to join his side. Even though he is the servant of all, it is us who are called to lay down our lives and serve Him. He was the Lord of hosts here, and remains the Lord of hosts today. He leads the army of God, which is not Joshua’s army, but rather His army.
The Lord was fighting with, for and before Joshua.