This passage teaches us the most
important doctrine in Christianity. It’s about our Lord Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection from the dead. Circumcision stands for the death of Christ and our
death with him. The Passover celebration was never observed during the journey
in the wilderness because there was no fulfillment and satisfaction in life. But
when they entered the land of God’s rest and performed the painful surgery of circumcision,
they celebrated the Passover. No death, no resurrection. Read and understand carefully
the Scriptures as our God speaks to Joshua.
Now when all the Amorite kings
and all the Canaanite kings heard that the Israelites crossed the Jordan, their
hearts melted in fear and they no longer had courage to face them (Joshua 5:1).
When God acts no one can reverse it. When God acts no person is free from being
melted in fear. This was happened not only for them but for all of us that we
may fear God because it is the duty of mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Every new
day is not coming automatically although it seems like it is. Our body is not
functioning naturally although it seems like it is. Every day is running and our
body is functioning not naturally but miraculously by the power of God. It is
impossible not to fear him when we see that he is such a God in our midst. Right
after crossing the Jordan, Joshua circumcised the Israelites. That was the first
thing God commanded to Joshua.
“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)
What is circumcision? Circumcision
is to remove the foreskin of male sex organ. It’s a simple surgery but painful
and leaves the patient almost immobile for a week until the healing and recovery.
The first circumcision was commanded in the Scripture for Abraham and his
household to obey when he was ninety-nine years old. It was the sign of the
covenant between God and man (Genesis 17:11). The covenant was that God would
bless Abraham as the father of many nations, God would make him fruitful and
the kings would come from him, and God would give the whole land of Canaan as
an everlasting possession. To seal the covenant God commanded Abraham to
circumcise him and all his male household.
Circumcision is a surgical
process to expose the hidden part of male sex organ, which represents the
hidden human ego. Humanity has been infiltrated and contaminated by the poisonous
disease called sin since the fall of man, Adam. Thus, regardless of tremendous
efforts and endeavors invested and made by the human race from the beginning,
the level of morality in human society has not been improved even a bit. The
sin of man must be paid off by death only. That’s what circumcision stands for,
the death of man in Christ Jesus.
In the covenant, the subject of
giving blessings to humanity is God and man is to receive his blessings. God
commanded man to make a sign to remember the covenant between him and man in
the form of circumcision which required a painful surgery. Obeying the
commandment of God means to expose the hidden ego as it is to be seen by man on
daily basis. God inscribed his covenant in such a way as a daily reminder
because without admitting the hidden sin within, the covenant had no value. Jesus
says that unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood there is no life in us
(John 6:53). We’re ever in need of Jesus Christ who is the true living bread
and true drink (John 6:55). No death in Christ, no resurrection life in us. That’s
the reason God commanded the Israelites to circumcise before facing the enemy,
the city of Jericho, although it could be a dangerous moment for the enemy. So,
Joshua obeyed and circumcised the Israelites.
“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. 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. And after the whole nation had been
circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.”
(Joshua 5:4-8)
The reason why he circumcised
the people because all the new born in the wilderness during the journey had
not been circumcised. Although the old generation had been circumcised they
were not allowed to enter the land since they had not obeyed the Lord. It is
significant to note that physical circumcision is not a deposit guaranteeing
for entering the land flowing with milk and honey. Another important point is
when the new generation was circumcised. It was not before crossing the Jordan
but after entering the land and setting their foot on it. Although they were
not circumcised physically God allowed them to cross the Jordan and enter the
land because they obeyed the Lord. God teaches his people that true
circumcision is not circumcision of body by human hand but that of the heart by
the Spirit (Romans 2:29).
“Circumcision has value if you
observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had
not been circumcised. So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s
requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The
one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you
who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.”
(Romans 2:25-27)
Although God commanded to
circumcise, the physical mark cannot be a deposit guaranteeing the favor of
God. It has no value if they do not obey God in heart and mind. Even if they
are not circumcised physically and obey God they are considered as circumcised in
Christ.
“Neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.” (Galatians
6:15)
Then the Lord God said to Joshua
the most remarkable statement that God had rolled away the reproach of Egypt
from them. God made them alive through the death of the Son Jesus Christ.
“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. On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month,
while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the
Passover. 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 5:9-12)
God then said to Joshua that God
had rolled away the reproach of Egypt from them. Egypt stands for in the
Scripture the flesh which refuses to submit to the Lord God. So, the reproach
of Egypt means the state of influence and control by the flesh. That’s where
the Israelites were in Egypt under the iron grip of King Pharaoh. They were in
the slavery labor, being treated harshly and severely over four centuries. They
were robbed of the basic freedom as human beings and forced into bone-crushing
labor, let alone as the chosen people of God, descendants of his promise. So,
the place was named Gilgal which means God rolled away the reproach of Egypt.
Then they celebrated the
Passover and that very day they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened
bread and roasted grain. What is Passover? It’s the day of deliverance from the
bondage of slavery in Egypt over four centuries. It’s the day of the fulfillment
of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:13). On due time, God acted and sent
the angel of death to the whole land of Egypt and killed all the firstborns of
every household including King, the nobles, the peasants, and the slaves except
the household of Israel who obeyed Moses and killed the animals and put the
blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they ate the
lambs (Exodus 12:7). It’s the day of great liberation for the people of Israel
by the power of Almighty God.
During the journey in the
wilderness they never celebrated the Passover. Why did they not? It wasn’t
intended for them to wonder around the desert forty years. They chose not to
enter the land but to stay in the wilderness because of their unbelief and
disobedience. The journey was a long funeral procession because all the men who
were of military age when they left Egypt had perished in the desert. About
seventy men on average died every day. No wonder they kept on moving one place
to another. The journey was not a victorious march but a depressing defeat. Who
could be satisfied and fulfilled in the wilderness? The journey in the
wilderness must have been difficult, dry, empty, lonely, powerless,
unsatisfactory, wearisome, exhausted, and unfulfilled. It must’ve been
impossible for them to celebrate the Passover.
The journey in the wilderness
exactly represents our Christian experience. The born again experience produces
the exquisite joy and delight caused by the liberation and deliverance from the
powerful influence and contamination of the evil one through the blood of Jesus
Christ the Lord. It’s the perfectly legitimate and normal response of every new
Christian. It happened to the people of Israel that they couldn’t help but
dancing and singing in loud noise and joy after the cross of the Red Sea. But
soon or later the wilderness experience overshadows almost every new Christians
that they begin to experience the old life of failure and sin which nauseate
and irritate them greatly. They even doubt of the deliberation of Christ Jesus.
They thought that they couldn’t fall any longer since they received Jesus the
Lord. But in reality they do experience sinning and falling again and again.
This is called the journey in
the wilderness. Although it isn’t intended to experience, it is inevitably
coming because of unbelief and disobedience. The people of Israel could enter
the land in forty days, not forty years after crossing the Red Sea. However, they
bluntly refused to enter and take possession of the land which God promised to
give to the forefathers. God never allowed them to enter the land of his rest,
so all perished in the wilderness. Listen to the serious warning recorded in
the Book of Hebrews.
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today,
if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and
tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry
with that generation; I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they
have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never
enter my rest.”’” (Hebrews 3:7-11)
But our God allowed the new
generation to enter the land and take possession of it because they obeyed him.
Likewise, we can enter the land of his rest only when we completely submit
ourselves and obey him. It is significant that the celebration of the Passover
only came after the circumcision. Again circumcision stands for the death of
our Lord Jesus Christ as well as our death with Christ. Jesus says that he is
the way, the truth, and the life and no one can come to the Father except
through him (John 14:6). There is no other way to come to his rest unless we
die with Christ. No wonder the author of Hebrews urges the followers of Christ
to make every effort to enter the rest of God.
“Let us, therefore, make every
effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their
example of disobedience. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than
any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints
and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews
4:11-12)
Some might ask what really the
rest means. Is it doing nothing? Absolutely not! It is indeed an intense battle
against the flesh. The flesh of humanity vehemently rejects and refuses the
terms that we can enter the rest only through death. It insists exactly the
opposite that there is a way to save ourselves without death. It’s the lie
which deceived humanity from the beginning. People desire to satisfy the flesh
and follow the lie of the devil. But the Spirit of God is contrary to what the
flesh desires. The Spirit desires to obey to the will of the Father in heaven.
“For the flesh desires what is
contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are
in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” (Galatians
5:17)
Our Lord Jesus set the example
when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. There was a strange struggle
visibly observed in our Lord’s attitude that he experienced the extreme
pressure to pass the cup of suffering if possible. It’s because God the Father
made him who had no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was the most
intense battle for our Lord Jesus to obey the will of the Father. That’s the
reason being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops
of blood falling to the ground. An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened
him (Luke 22:43-44).
“He withdrew about a stone’s
throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ’Father, if you are willing, take
this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’” (Luke 22:41-42)
The manna stopped the day after
they ate this food from the land and there was no longer any manna for them but
that year they ate the produce of Canaan. The manna wasn’t the food God intended
to give permanently but just temporarily. It’s a teaching tool to impress in
their hearts that God in heaven fed them faithfully and no other could in the
impossible circumstance. The land of God’s rest indicates the redeemed humanity
and the produce of the land does the fruits of them. Indeed, they must have
truly satisfied by eating the produce of the land. It tells us that until we
enter God’s rest there is no true satisfaction and fulfillment in life.
Prayer: Thank you our Father in
heaven for opening our eyes of heart and mind to see the truth that we cannot enter
God’s rest unless we die with Christ. Thank our Lord Jesus who set the example
by denying himself in order to obey to the will of the Father in the Mount of
Gethsemane. Thank Jesus who obeyed and died on the cross, shedding his blood in
our place. Thank you Father to raise him up from the dead so that we may be
also raised with him and have life in him. May we never forget that we cannot
celebrate the Passover unless we enter his rest through death with Christ! In
Christ’s name. Amen.
March 2, 2016
© 2015-2016 David
Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
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