Joshua 4-5 Invasion Delayed By God For A Reason

The Israelite army was entering the land, and God made the point by again parting waters as He had when He’d brought them out of Egypt.  They were only about 8 miles from their first target – Jericho – but God wanted them prepared before He could trust them with victory, according to my commentary.  Their covenant with Him needed to be restored and their reproach removed.

Throughout their 40-year trek through the wilderness, none of the newborn boys had received the mark of the covenant – circumcision – as Moses had commanded.  So God directed that every man be circumcised.  This would effectively disable the conquering army for up to two weeks, yet God kept them from being attacked during that time by making the indigenous people frightened of them. 

Their “reproach” was “the ridicule of the enemy when Israel failed to trust God and enter the Promised Land originally.  God was going to show that He does indeed FINISH what He STARTS. 

They also were arriving just in time to celebrate the Passover, and when they did, the manna ceased to be delivered from heaven.  My commentary said, “If the Passover reminded the Jews of their redemption from Egypt, the manna reminded them of their desire to go back to Egypt … Too many professed Christians contradict their profession by exhibiting an appetite for what belongs to their past life … Using the imagery from Joshua, it means “You have crossed the river and are now in your inheritance.  Don’t look back and desire the things of Egypt or the wilderness.  Let God feed you and satisfy you with the harvest in the inheritance.”

I wonder if most of us aren’t quite a bit like those Israelites newly arrived in the Promised Land – almost unwilling to let go of the old and the familiar to enable ourselves to grasp all that God has planned for us.

Father, thank You for the reminder that the old life has been left behind and that I am to be living in the new life Christ gave me.  At times, my memories cause me to want what You don’t want me to have.  I want to always agree with You.  Remind me of where You’ve brought me and Whose I am.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford