Honoring the Covenant

Joshua Chapter 5

When all the Amorite kings west of the River Jordan and all the Canaanite kings heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear.

The Lord told Joshua, to use knives of flint to make the Israelites a circumcised people again. So Joshua made the knives and had the entire population of male Israelites circumcised. Joshua had to do this because all the men who were old enough to bear arms when the people left Egypt, had died in the wilderness. None born after the Exodus or during the years in the wilderness had been circumcised. Now those males needed to rest in camp until they were healed.

While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal, they celebrated the Passover and began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared that day, and it was never seen again. From then on, they ate from the crops of Canaan.

After crossing the Jordan the people began to conquer Canaan. As Joshua approached Jericho, he looked up and saw a man facing him with sword in hand. Joshua asked if he was friend or foe. And the man replied, "Neither one. I am commander of the Lord's army." Joshua fell on his face in reverence and told the man he was at his command and would do whatever he wanted. The commander told Joshua to take off his sandals, "for this is holy ground". And Joshua did as he was told.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW the rite of circumcision for the Israelites was unique in that other cultures used circumcision as a sign of entry into adulthood. But Israel used this rite as a sign of following God.
Manna disappeared. For forty years God supplied it to the Israelites as a sign of miraculous faith. From now on, the Israelites would harvest food from the land.
Some say the commander of the Lord's army was an angel of superior rank. Others say he was God in human form. Joshua's response of awe and respect were correct responses to our holy God.

How does this chapter relate to us today? Even in difficult times, the Israelites celebrated their Passover. And this just goes to show that once again tradition/celebrations can be a comfort and a reminder of the miracles that God provides us. Also the fact that Joshua respected and honored the angel of God, reminds us that God is just as important today as in Joshua's time, even though removing shoes is not longer the cultural way to show it. We can show it in other ways, such as through our daily devotions. Can you imagine Joshua's face when the angel told him who he was? Can you imagine what your own reaction to an angel of God would be? Have you seen an angel? I pray that we can all be visited by an angel at one time in our lives, for it would certainly mean a sign of God's ultimate love.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
Health: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Teli’s family, Logan and the newly born Stella who is taking mother’s milk now and Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family.
Spiritual Uplifting: Gail, Mary
Restoration of faith: Al, John
Love and support for: Claire, Hunter
Support: Haiti, Chile, those cleaning up the gulf coast oil spill and those who lost their livelihood there. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.