Imagine the excitement of anticipation; after forty years of being punished for the rebellion of your parents; there is a change of tide in the air. The long awaited crossing of the Jordan River, into the Promised Land is just ahead.
Rahab Protects the Spies Chapter 2
Joshua; the Commander in Chief; of Israel; sends spies to check out Jericho. This is the target of their first victory in the new land. The spies are found out and a city wide search is made. The spies have no where to hide and there is no escape.
Risking her own life and her entire household, a woman named Rahab, a prostitute, hides the men. The King of Jericho calls Rahab and demands that she turn the men over. She claims that they are no longer with her. Returning to the men, she makes a deal with them. Because she has risked everything to save the men; she asks that her family be saved when the Israelites comes to destroy Jericho. They agree. She then helps them escape by lowering them over the city wall by a rope.
Joshua 2:11-14 ESV And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. (12) Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign (13) that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." (14) And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you."
The Israelites Cross The Jordan on Dry Ground Chapter 3
The Ark of the Covenant was a glorious sight; gold shining bright in the sun. Carried on poles by Levite priests, it was symbolic of the Almighty God going before the people of Israel. As the priest’s feet touch the water of the Jordan River, the river stops flowing. They stand in the middle of the Jordan and the people cross over on dry land.
Joshua 3:14-17 ESV So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, (15) and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), (16) the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. (17) Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
Memorials of the Jordan Crossing Chapter 4
God commanded Joshua to have twelve stones taken from the Jordan River, where the priests stood on dry ground as the children of Israel passed over. The stones were to be erected as a memorial to the miracles of their crossing.
Joshua 4:1-3 ESV When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, (2) "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, (3) and command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'"
A Second Exodus
An interesting side point to this crossing is that they crossed over on the tenth day of the first month of the year. This is the exact day that the Passover lamb is always set aside for holy use of the Passover. As the Passover lamb is chosen on the tenth day of the first month, the people chosen to inhabit the Promised Land, crossed over into it, on the tenth day of the first month. It was a second exodus, leaving the wilderness of wanderings; as the first exodus was the leaving the bondage of Egypt.
Joshua 4:18-22 ESV And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. (19) The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. (20) And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. (21) And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?' (22) then you shall let your children know, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.'
A Second Baptism: The Red Sea and the Jordan River: A type of baptism
Paul is very clear about the Red Sea being a baptism for the Children of Egypt as they left Egypt. The same would apply to their children who left the wilderness and were baptized by passing through the Jordan River. It was a second baptism, just like the second circumcision. The descendants of those who left Egypt were never circumcised. In like manner they were not baptized.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 ESV For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, (2) and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (3) and all ate the same spiritual food, (4) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
Circumcision: A Second Circumsion of the people Chapter 5
Because no one was circumcised in the wilderness for forty years, the new generation of men had to be circumcised before taking procession of the Promised Land. All of the men who left Egypt died in the wilderness. They were circumcised. Their children were not. So God commanded Joshua to circumcise this new generation. The next thing they do, here at Gilgal is keep the Passover.
Joshua 5:2-5 ESV 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.
Passover Is Kept In The Promised Land And Manna Ceases
The first of the seven annual festivals of the LORD is the Passover; immediately followed by the seven days of Unleavened Bread. It has become tradition through the ages until the present, for the Jewish people to call these eight days by just the word Passover. But God gave them as two separate festivals in Leviticus chapter 23. God requires all males to be circumcised in order to eat the Passover. Therefore, Israel crossed the Jordan, circumcised all the men and then kept the Passover. The LORD’s Seven annual festivals were given as an ordinance forever, through all of their generations.
Joshua 5:9-12 ESV 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. (10) While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. (11) And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. (12) And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
The LORD Appears To Joshua
It is amazing how often the LORD has literally and personally appeared to the Patriarchs of old. God appeared to Abraham on His way to destroy Sodom, He wrestled with Jacob; appeared to Moses in the burning bush and upon the mountain so that his face shone so bright that he had to wear a veil before the people. Here the LORD appears to Joshua, as a man with a drawn sword (Joshua 5:13-15 below the Exodus quote).
Exodus 34:29-30 & 35 ESV When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. (30) Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. (35) the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Joshua 5:13-15 ESV When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" (14) And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" (15) And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
Fall of Jericho Chapter 6
The Israelites had to be extremely excited and filled with adrenalin. This was the beginning of promises to come true. They had just finished celebrating the Passover, the memorial of their exodus from Egypt on the heels of their exodus from the wilderness. If ever a people had been ready, it was Israel.
The LORD spoke to Joshua and told him that Jericho’s victory was in his hand. The instructions were simple. The army was to go before and march around the city once each day for six days. Seven priests were to march around the city before the Ark of the Covenant; each priest carrying a trumpet. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times and the priests were to blow the trumpets. When they made a long blast on the trumpet; the people are to shout and the city would be leveled; the wall would fall flat!
Joshua 6:9-16 ESV The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. (10) But Joshua commanded the people, "You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout." (11) So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. (12) Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. (13) And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. (14) And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. (15) On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. (16) And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city.
Everything and everyone was completely and utterly destroyed; men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, were all put to the edge of the sword. No one was to take any of the spoils; but all of the silver, gold, bronze and iron were to be put into the treasury of the LORD. All was destroyed except the dwelling of Rahab and her family; who were safely brought out as promised. Then they burned the city.
Joshua 6:17-21 ESV And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. (18) But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. (19) But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." (20) So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. (21) Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to understand that you work today as you did with Joshua. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Give me the faith that I need, to trust in you to fight my battles, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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