The more I read the Bible the more convinced I am that our God is an awesome God. Truly there is none like Him. He parts seas, conquers nations and a multitude of other things. The great thing about that is, Christians are not the only ones who realize it. James 2:19 says, "even the demons believe-and shutter." I think this is the reaction of many who see the work of God but are not in a relationship with Him; it is frightening to know what He can do without knowing how full of grace and mercy He is. The reason I say all of this is because the opening sentence in Joshua chapter 5 is " Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites."
Imagine this scenario for a second. Some of the most powerful kings can't fall asleep at night because they know that nothing can stop the Israelites and their God from conquering all they set out to conquer. They are so terrified they don't think they even have the strength to face these people. And the most important part is that they are not afraid of what Israel can do, but what their God can do. In short, if unbelievers believe God has the power to do mighty things, what is stopping us from believing.
Now you may be wondering why my title is about Israel in pain. Well, as we know Israel is forgetful especially when it comes to obeying God. This time they forgot, or chose not to, circumcise all of their male babies. I know it is an uncomfortable subject but the lesson learned is amazing so don't run away. At any rate, there were no Israelite males, (save Caleb and Joshua) who were circumcised. I don't really know what Israel was thinking because they must have realized by now that God does not forget or let things go unpunished. So, here we have a classic example of rebellion followed by sacrifice. Every Israelite male was circumcised no matter their age. Now, I am no expert but I am guessing it is ten times worse for older males so there is definitely a punishment going on. God could have reminded the Israelites each year so this would not happen but it seems that the worse the punishment the better you remember it. In short, I believe God was trying to make sure Israel did not forget again. However, our God is merciful and allowed the Israelites a time of recovery and rest before making them fight as well as secure them as the group to take the promised land.
Since this topic is a little awkward I am going to change the subject quickly. The chapter ends with Joshua servaying the wall of Jericho. As he is doing this we may wonder what he is thinking or doing. I imagine him praying maybe for courage, maybe for a sign that God is for them because the next thing that happens is a man is before him with a drawn sword. This man ends up being a "captain of the Lord of hosts." Just at the presence of a man fighting for the Lord, Joshua instantly falls flat to the ground and asks what God has to say to him. The man told Joshua to remove his sandals because he stood on holy ground. I am not sure what this means but certainly God must have been telling Joshua that He was near because He said the same thing to Moses from the bush.
One more thing I must add. The Israelites began to eat the food of the land instead of manna. I believe God was getting them ready to enter their land as well as tell them that their days of wondering, (and eating manna) are almost over.
~Elisabeth
Imagine this scenario for a second. Some of the most powerful kings can't fall asleep at night because they know that nothing can stop the Israelites and their God from conquering all they set out to conquer. They are so terrified they don't think they even have the strength to face these people. And the most important part is that they are not afraid of what Israel can do, but what their God can do. In short, if unbelievers believe God has the power to do mighty things, what is stopping us from believing.
Now you may be wondering why my title is about Israel in pain. Well, as we know Israel is forgetful especially when it comes to obeying God. This time they forgot, or chose not to, circumcise all of their male babies. I know it is an uncomfortable subject but the lesson learned is amazing so don't run away. At any rate, there were no Israelite males, (save Caleb and Joshua) who were circumcised. I don't really know what Israel was thinking because they must have realized by now that God does not forget or let things go unpunished. So, here we have a classic example of rebellion followed by sacrifice. Every Israelite male was circumcised no matter their age. Now, I am no expert but I am guessing it is ten times worse for older males so there is definitely a punishment going on. God could have reminded the Israelites each year so this would not happen but it seems that the worse the punishment the better you remember it. In short, I believe God was trying to make sure Israel did not forget again. However, our God is merciful and allowed the Israelites a time of recovery and rest before making them fight as well as secure them as the group to take the promised land.
Since this topic is a little awkward I am going to change the subject quickly. The chapter ends with Joshua servaying the wall of Jericho. As he is doing this we may wonder what he is thinking or doing. I imagine him praying maybe for courage, maybe for a sign that God is for them because the next thing that happens is a man is before him with a drawn sword. This man ends up being a "captain of the Lord of hosts." Just at the presence of a man fighting for the Lord, Joshua instantly falls flat to the ground and asks what God has to say to him. The man told Joshua to remove his sandals because he stood on holy ground. I am not sure what this means but certainly God must have been telling Joshua that He was near because He said the same thing to Moses from the bush.
One more thing I must add. The Israelites began to eat the food of the land instead of manna. I believe God was getting them ready to enter their land as well as tell them that their days of wondering, (and eating manna) are almost over.
~Elisabeth
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