When news got around about how Israel had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, notice that the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast hearts melted in fear, and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites, Joshua 5:1.
Armerding, in his commentary, says the following.
‘From the human standpoint, if ever there was a time to strike at the Canaanites, it was right after the Israelites had gained entrance to the land. Fear had taken hold of the inhabitants of Palestine. But divine plans are not made according to human strategy.’
Just as any modern army must make preparations before going into battle, so must Joshua’s army. Back in Joshua 3:5, Joshua instructs the people to consecrate themselves.
They were dedicating themselves to holy use, and it was only then that they could cross the river. Now, further spiritual preparation must take place before the people can fully move ahead to possess the land.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The church in the wilderness has now come up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, and looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. How terrible she was in the eyes of her enemies, and how fair and clear she was in the eyes of her friends.’
Joshua is commanded to make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again, and so Joshua did as God commanded and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth, Joshua 5:2-3 / Joshua 1:7.
Fawver and Overstreet, in their commentary, say the following.
‘Flint knives, Exodus 4:25, are sharpened by chipping away at the edge of the stone, so that clean, sterile stone is exposed, since bacteria and viruses cannot grow in rock. Circumcision was thus performed with an instrument possessing comparable sterility to today’s surgical scalpels. In view of the likelihood of infection following this operation with a contaminated instrument, use of the flint knife was enormously beneficial and therefore commanded by the Ultimate Healer.’
The reason why the Israelites hadn’t been circumcised is that all those who came out of Egypt, all the men of military age, died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt, Joshua 5:4.
All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not, Joshua 5:5. 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 because of disobedience, Joshua 5:6.
God had sworn to them that they wouldn’t see the land He had solemnly promised their ancestors to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey, Joshua 5:6.
It was God who raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised, Joshua 5:7. They were still uncircumcised because they hadn’t been circumcised on the way, Joshua 5:7.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Why did God wait to command the circumcision of the new generation until now rather than on the plains of Moab? Perhaps He did so because He wanted to bring the people into the land before enforcing this aspect of the Law. This is consistent with God’s dealings with humankind. He first gives and then asks, Romans 12:1.’
When all the males of fighting age had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed, Joshua 5:8. God tells Joshua, today He has rolled away the reproach of Egypt from them, Exodus 32:12 / Numbers 14:13-16 / Deuteronomy 9:28 / Deuteronomy 32:27, and so, the place has been called Gilgal to this day, Joshua 5:9.
No male child in Israel could miss this constant reminder that he was different from male children who were not Israelites. No adult male would ever be able to forget God’s covenant. No wife in Israel would be able to forget.
Circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17:10; it was to have a spiritual meaning, Deuteronomy 10:16 / Deuteronomy 30:6 / Jeremiah 4:4 / Jeremiah 9:26, and it served as a constant spiritual reminder.
Unfortunately, many today try to make baptism like circumcision and say that it is a sign of our salvation, we are baptised to show that we have been saved. That would be fine, except that the Bible nowhere makes that comparison.
Baptism is given for a purpose, in order to be saved, Mark 16:16 / Acts 2:38 / Romans 6:1-4 / Acts 22:16 / Galatians 3:27 / Colossians 2:11-13 / Colossians 3:1-6 / 1 Peter 3:21. The only sign or seal that we are given is that of the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 1:22 / Ephesians 1:13-14 / Ephesians 4:30.
The writer tells us that the people celebrated the Passover, Joshua 5:10 / Exodus 12:43-51. Without circumcision, one was excluded from the Passover, Exodus 12:44 / Exodus 12:48.
This is the third Passover recorded in the Bible; the first was in anticipation of the deliverance from Egyptian bondage, Exodus 12:1-20. The second was at Sinai just before the people broke camp for Canaan, Numbers 9:5.
The Lord’s Supper marks for us a type of deliverance today. In Christ’s death, we are delivered from the bondage of sin. In Christ’s death, we are delivered from the bondage of death. We remember this in the Lord’s Supper until He comes again, 1 Corinthians 11 / 1 Corinthians 5:7.
The day after the Passover, the people ate of the fruit of the land, Joshua 5:11 / Numbers 33:3. Many years earlier, the people had tasted of the fruit of the land, Numbers 13:25-33, but they didn’t have the faith to go in and possess it.
Here, the people have a foretaste of what they will enjoy. They ate unleavened bread and roasted grain, Joshua 5:11 / Leviticus 23:7 / Leviticus 23:11 / Leviticus 23:14.
Remember, at this time, the manna ceased, Joshua 5:12. God had sustained them during this time miraculously, Exodus 16:35, but now the people will eat of the land they are about to possess, Joshua 5:12. In such a simple daily routine, they take the first step toward possession.
Joshua was out surveying the city, Joshua 5:13, but what was he doing? Was he praying? Was he saying, ‘God, what are we going to do’? Was he meditating? Was he checking out the enemies’ defences? Whatever Joshua was doing, we know he had a close encounter of the divine kind.
He saw a man standing with a sword drawn, Joshua 5:13, and so, naturally, Joshua asked him whose side he was on, Joshua 5:13. The man wasn’t on anyone’s side, but Joshua got quite an answer; he was the commander of the host of the Lord, Joshua 5:14 / 2 Kings 6:8-17 / Matthew 26:53.
At this, Joshua falls prostrate, asking what message there might be, Joshua 5:14. Note the KJV says that Joshua bowed down and worshipped him. The message is that Joshua is to take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground, and Joshua did as he was commanded, Joshua 5:15.
This was the same message given to Moses at the burning bush, Exodus 3:5. Joshua’s leadership is further confirmed, and God’s presence is confirmed, Numbers 22:31.
Hess, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The strange confrontation of Joshua 5:13-15 resembles that between Jacob and the man of God at Peniel, Genesis 32:22-32, and that between Moses and the burning bush, Exodus 3:1 to Exodus 4:17. In each case, the human protagonist encounters a divine messenger before facing a life-and-death conflict.’
He is the commander of the LORD’s army, and most commentators suggest this is an appearance of the preincarnate Christ. We know he is a divine being because if he had been any created being, he would have stopped Joshua from worshipping him, as did the angel for the apostle John, Revelation 19:10 / Revelation 22:8-9.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The appearance was that of God manifested in the Person of His Word. Hence, the command of Joshua 5:15. That the appearance was not in a vision merely is clear from the fact that Joshua ‘went unto Him’ and addressed Him.’
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It has been a very general opinion, both among the ancients and moderns, that the person mentioned here was no other than the Lord Jesus in that form which, in the fullness of time, he was actually to assume for the redemption of man. That the appearance was supernatural is agreed on all hands, and as the name Jehovah is given him, Joshua 6:2, and he received from Joshua Divine adoration, we may presume that no created angel is intended.’
In other places, Christ is described as the angel of the LORD, Genesis 16:7 / Exodus 3:2 / Exodus 23:20-21. Remember that the word ‘angel’ in Hebrew is ‘malak’, and it simply means messenger. This is a Christophany, which suggests that this is a preincarnate appearance of Christ, Genesis 12:7.
Haynes Jr, in his commentary, says the following.
‘A study of these passages reveals that the Angel of the Lord appeared in human form, Genesis 18:2 / Genesis 22:1-18 / Hebrews 13:2, and performed normal human functions, Genesis 32:24 / Numbers 22:23 / Numbers 22:31, yet he was an awe-inspiring figure, Genesis 32:30 / Judges 6:22 / Judges 13:22, exhibiting divine attributes and prerogatives including predicting the future, Genesis 16:10-12, forgiving sin, Exodus 23:21, and receiving worship, Exodus 3:5 / Judges 13:9-20.’
God expects us to be His people inwardly as well as outwardly, and we must catch the true significance of the Lord’s Supper and the reminder it serves to us, Mark 14:22-25 / Luke 22:18-20 / 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. We ought always to remember that we have God present with us for whatever battles we might face, Deuteronomy 20:4 / Hebrews 13:5.