Joshua 5:1-9--The New Generation Circumcised

Joshua 5:1-9
English Standard Version

The New Generation Circumcised
5 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

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Today's passage starts by telling us of the feelings that the kings of the Amorites and the Canaanites that lived on the West side of the Jordan River felt when they saw and heard of the way in which the LORD miraculously dried up the Jordan River so that all His people could cross over on dry ground.  The text says that their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them.

However, the text seems to take a strange twist, for just when we think the military campaign is supposed to start, the LORD stops Joshua and the people for the generation that came out of Egypt had not been faithful to circumcise their male children as they were commanded (remember that we mentioned last time that this is Passover).  So then God tells them that they must be circumcised before they would be allowed to enter the Land, for it only belonged to His covenant people, and the sign of the covenant was circumcision.  So it was that Joshua circumcised the males of Israel there that day at Gibeath-haaraloth, and they remained in their places in the camp until they had been healed.

So then the LORD told Joshua that these people no longer were under the reproach of Egypt, for they had chosen for themselves that they would follow the LORD, that they belonged to Him, and He belonged to them.  So the name of that place was called Gilgal (remember that God changes the name of places when He wants people to remember what happened there), which means "a circle of stones," "a wheel" or "a rolling away."  For sure there is probably some allusion to the flint stones used to circumcise the people there, but God gives us the meaning when He says that their reproach has been rolled away.

Why do this now?  Exodus 12 tells us that no uncircumcised man was to eat the LORD's Passover, and as we said last time, this was the 10th day of the 1st month (the date of Passover) and the LORD will require that they be circumcised before they celebrate this feast.  Yes, Passover is associated with the time that they came out of slavery in Egypt and their redemption, but we know that it also points forward to a greater Passover where the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, our Passover Lamb, would take all our sins upon Himself so that the reproach and judgment for our sin would be taken upon Himself.  There will be a Passover Meal in heaven one day that is being prepared for us, and no one will participate in that meal that we call the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that is not first identified with Christ through the covenant of His blood which circumcises not our bodies, but our hearts--not something done outwardly, but inwardly by the Holy Spirit, and all of those who follow after the LORD are to follow after Him in believer's baptism as commanded by Jesus and taught by the apostles.  These are the signs of the New Covenant that belong only to those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  They cannot expect to be the beneficiaries of a covenant which they have not joined in, and so it is that they must be circumcised and join in celebrating the LORD's Passover before any of the blessings that were meant for them may be released to them.