Thursday, November 19, 2015

Morning Devotions: Joshua 4:19 - 5:12

Joshua 4:19-5:12 nasu Monday, October 26

Joshua 4:19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth[1] of the first[2] month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 Those twelve[3] stones[4] which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 He said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' 22 then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' 23 "For YHVH your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as YHVH your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of YHVH is mighty, so that you may fear YHVH your God forever."

Joshua 5:1 Now it came about when 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 how YHVH had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.

Joshua 5:2 At that time[5] YHVH said to Joshua, "Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel[6] the second[7] time." 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth[8]. 4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them[9]: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along The Way after they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the sons of Israel walked forty[10] years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to YHVH, to whom YHVH had sworn that He would not let them see the land which YHVH had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along The Way.

Joshua 5:8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed[11]. 9 Then YHVH said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

The morning Devotion connected with this passage can be found
here Morning Devotions: Joshua 4:19 - 5:12
Joshua 5:10 While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover[12] on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.  12 The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.



[1] Ten or tenth is one of the perfect numbers, and signifies the perfection of Divine order, commencing, as it does, an altogether new series of numbers. It pictures completion.
[2] One or first As a cardinal number it denotes unity; as an ordinal it denotes primacy. Unity being indivisible, and not made up of other numbers, is therefore independent of all others, and is the source of all others. So with the Deity. The great First Cause is independent of all. All stand in need of Him, and He needs no assistance from any. (Bullinger)
[3] Twelve is the number of perfection in government.
[4] Stones /ta ‘eben the word for stone is a compound word from ‘av (or abba) which is Hebrew for Father; and  ben which is Hebrew for son. ‘Av is the house of the mighty God. Ben is the house of the righteous seed. What they have in common is the letter bet picturing a house. The stone is the house of The Almighty’s righteous Son.  1Peter 2:4-8
[5] Magnificent Grace had been shown to Israel (the Jordan dry). It was after that awesome event that Israel was asked to do something difficult. Circumcision.
[6] The Almighty first demonstrated  his power is supernatural, then he asked the nation to enter the covenant of Torah via circumcision. Our faith is in the Almighty
[7] The second time The number 2 communicates “a difference” (there is no difference with one or first) 2nd , though different in character, yet one as to testimony and friendship. The Second that comes in may be for help and deliverance. But, alas! where man is concerned, this number testifies of his fall, for it more often denotes that difference which implies opposition, enmity, and oppression (bullinger)
[8] Means “the hill of foreskins”
[9] Obedience to Torah commanded by YHVH Josh 1:7-9 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Torah which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of Torah shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for YHVH your God is with you wherever you go."
[10] Fourty …association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement— (not judgment, like the number 9, which stands in connection with the punishment of enemies, but the chastisement of sons, and of a covenant people). (bullinger)
[11] There was no fear of attack because of the fear of the Canaanites and Amorites who heard that Israel cross on dry land.
[12] Without circumcision they could not have kept the Passover.