Joshua Chapter 5 reflects on the Passover at Gilgal and the fall of Jericho.
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The Passover at Gilgal
As soon as the Amorite and Canaanite kings learned that the Lord stopped the waters of the Jordan River from flowing, they quaked in fear of the Israelites. As a result, they backed down.
Circumcising the Israelites
The Lord commanded Joshua in chapter 5 to make flint knives and to once again circumcise the Israelites. The reason the Lord wanted this was because not everyone there had been circumcised. Those who came out of bondage in Israel had been, but those who came out of the wilderness in the years following the exodus from Egypt had not.
While many were born during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, none of them had been circumcised. This would change with the new edict issued by the Lord. Once the process of circumcision had been completed, the people remained camped at the same location until everyone was fully healed. Joshua did as the Lord commanded.
The Fall of Jericho
Joshua reached the location of Jericho and, to his surprise, he saw a man standing in front of him with a sword in his hand. Joshua asked him if he was a friend or foe. The man replied that he served the Lord as the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua immediately fell to his hands and knees as he realized he was speaking to a representative of the Lord.
Joshua asked the man what was wanted of him and what message the Lord had for him. The man replied that Joshua was to immediately take off his sandals. The reason for this was the ground he stood on was holy.
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Joshua 5 (King James Version)
1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
2 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.