Year 1, Day 190: Joshua 5

Today we get more parallels from the story of Joshua and the walk of spirituality for those who follow Jesus Christ.  The three events portrayed here in this chapter are: circumcision, Passover in the Promised Land, and the meeting of the commander of the Lord’s army.

Circumcision

Hopefully, some of these things are obvious parallels into spirituality.  But let’s make sure.  First, we have the circumcision of the new generation.  As the Bible explains, there had been a circumcision that Moses commanded as they came out of Egypt.  But that was the generation that died in the wilderness.  This is a new generation being circumcised.

In terms of comparing it to Christian spirituality, the rite of circumcision has always meant a symbolic gesture of “putting off that which is sinful.”  In fact, many people throughout time have called the act of circumcision the death to their carnal self.  You don’t get much closer to the tone and tenor of the New Testament than that!  In the New Testament we would equate this moment with the receiving of the Holy Spirit.  When a person puts off that which is sinful and turns to God, such a person receives the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ.*

Returning to Joshua, notice that this moment of circumcision happens in the Promised Land rather than in the wilderness.  The Hebrew people needed to cross over the Jordan before doing this act.  So it is with the person of faith in Jesus Christ.  They do not receive the Holy Spirit while they are wandering through the wilderness of their sin.  The Holy Spirit is received when a person crosses through the spiritual Jordan, following Christ as He died upon the cross.  The person of faith receives the Holy Spirit when they turn from the carnal pleasures of this life and instead turn to the true salvation that only comes from God through Christ.  Like the Hebrew people who crossed through the Jordan before being circumcised; Christians must likewise follow Christ into the spiritual promised land and exit the wilderness of their sin before receiving the Holy Spirit.

Passover

Second, in this chapter we have the celebration of the Passover.  We have a reminder here of the provision of God.  It was God who heard their cries in Egypt; it was God who brought them out of Egypt.  It was God who denied the prior generation access to the Promised Land.  It was God who had brought these people to the point of crossing the Jordan, and it was God who had brought them across the Jordan. 

Yet, it was God who even now kept the people from battle for a little time.  God knew it was important for the people to not yet attack Jericho.  You see, the typical human strategy after coming across the Jordan would be to rush into battle and attack with having the advantage of surprise.  However, God does not want a human tactic.  God wants His people to be prepared for battle so when it comes they will truly understand all the forces at work.  So the people pause and have the Passover.  They are spiritually fed before going into battle.

How often is this true with us?  We get spiritually charged up and surge out into the world ready to do battle.  And how often do we fail because we assume that religious zeal can overcome our lack of desire to plan and prepare?  No, God’s path here is higher.  The follower of Christ must die to their sin and their own agenda, follow Christ to the cross, receive the Holy Spirit, and then stop to allow God to prepare them for the spiritual battle ahead.  Sending unprepared troops out into a battle is merely asking for a slaughter to happen and for morale to diminish among the troops.  Only when the troops are willing to be subdued and properly prepared can victory happen.

Christ in Joshua

This then leads us to the third event of the chapter.  It is only when the troops subdue themselves and allow God to spiritually prepare them does Joshua meet the commander of the Lord’s army.  In fact, given that this phrase only occurs elsewhere in the Hebrew scriptures in Daniel 8:11 where it is translated as the “Prince of the host of the Lord,” I believe that Joshua meets the Lord Himself.  I believe that Joshua meets Christ.  Here we have the complete pattern for preparing to conquer the Promised Land.

1. They understood that they were wandering in their sin, and the wilderness was the analogy to their sinfulness.
2. The only way out of the wilderness was to cross the Jordan – to go through the waters – and that path was only a way that God could make happen.
3. They had to circumcise themselves and put aside their carnal nature.
4. They could not rush into battle, but needed to take time to spiritually prepare for battle.
5. They must understand that the battle they fight is not for themselves and for their glory but ultimately for the glory of God.

Only when these things are done do the Hebrew people go forth and conquer Jericho. 

We should learn from them.  We’ve been talking a little bit each chapter how the story of Joshua conquering the Promised Land parallels our spiritual journey of bringing the Kingdom of God to our lives here in the present.  Thus, we have here the complete pattern for coming into the fullness of conquering this carnal world and being the spiritual beings that God desires us to be.  Those 5 steps above that applied to the Hebrew people likewise apply to us.

1. We must understand that we are wandering in our sin, and sin is a wilderness.
2. We must understand that the only way out of this wilderness is through Christ and His death on the cross.  Our path to salvation is not one of our making but of His.
3. We must put our carnal selves to death and receive the Holy Spirit.
4. We must not rush into battle but pause and become spiritually prepared for the battle to come.
5. We must understand that the battle we fight is for God, and God is the commander.  We wait upon Him and work for His agenda and His glory, not the other way around.

What is great is that we have this wonderful parallel to the spiritual battle ahead of us given to us centuries before Jesus Christ even walked bodily upon this earth!  God is consistent, so should we be consistent in our approach to the spiritual walk.  We can trust Him.  As He was there for Joshua, He will be there for us as we lay conquest to our own lives.

<>< 

*Also notice that from a New Testament perspective the concept of baptism need not be present for reception of the Holy Spirit to occur.  The New Testament is very clear that the Holy Spirit can be received before a person is baptized with water, while they are baptized with water, or after they are baptized with water.  See Acts 19:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 2:1-4, and John 20:19-23 as examples of where the Holy Spirit comes separately from the baptism of water.  See Acts 8:26-38 as an example where the coming of the Holy Spirit approximates the baptism of water.  See Acts 10:44-48 where the coming of the Holy Spirit clearly precedes water baptism.