Chapter Ten - Joshua 5:1-9

You Want Me to Do What?!

        The nation of Israel has now crossed over to the west side of the Jordan River and has set up a memorial to the crossing of the river. The writer of Joshua in chapter five, verse one, gives us a glimpse of what the enemies of Israel were thinking once the word got to them about the miracle that enabled the Israelites to cross the river.

Joshua 5:1

So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

        “…their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer...” They heard what God did at the banks of the Jordan and they found themselves weak-kneed. They knew they had no chance against the God who could instantaneously dry up a raging river, so they were crushed.

        Did you know that when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, the enemy that fights against you—the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age, the spiritual hosts of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12)—will tremble in fear?  Romans chapter eight is a great chapter to read if you are looking to understand what a “Spirit-filled” Christian looks like. In verses 38 and 39 Paul writes: For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

        That principality, that power that tries daily to tempt you to ungodliness, will now see you in the light of what Jesus has done in your life and will tremble. Oh sure, they will still try and put up a fight, but they know that God will give you victory!

Try to Explain This!

        Now to me, when I first began to study this book, this next series of verses was a bit confusing:

Joshua 1:2-9

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time." So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, "a land flowing with milk and honey." Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

        They had just crossed the Jordan into a hostile land. Its inhabitants, though they were afraid, were still going to put up a fight to keep their land. And then God tells Joshua to take all the males, the warriors, and cut the tip of… how can I say this delicately… their very sensitive nether regions (did I say VERY sensitive)… to cut the tip off! Talk about opening yourself up for defeat! This “area” that was being surgically altered with sharp rocks… well, let me say this… that area, when there’s pain down there, causes even the strongest of strong men to shiver in a dark corner crying like a twelve-year-old sissy girl!

        Why didn’t God have Joshua do this a month ago, a week ago—shoot for that matter, why didn’t He just wait until the land was fully conquered before He opened the men up for ridicule and defeat from their enemies? Well, just like when He led His people the long way to the Red Sea and again out of the way to the wrong side of the Jordan River, maybe God wanted to teach us something.

        What is the lesson here? For the Israelite people, the act of circumcision was initiated by Abraham at the command of God in Genesis seventeen. It was an outward sign of a covenant between God, Abraham, and his descendants. It’s like, for example, my wedding ring. My wife and I made a covenant to love and cherish each other till death do us part; as a symbol of that covenant we each wear a ring on our left hand. It is an outward sign of an inward commitment. It doesn’t make us married, but it shows that we are married.

Becoming Spiritually Vulnerable

        The picture God paints for us in the story of the crossing of the Jordan River is that of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book of Acts, when people are baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit, something happens; they might start speaking in tongues (Acts 2, 10, 19), or teach a powerful message (Peter, Stephen), or speak with boldness (Acts 4). Something that glorifies God happens.

        But for many it’s uncomfortable to speak out, people may think you’re a weirdo and it opens you up for ridicule and criticism. Nobody likes to expose themselves like that. When we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, God will reveal to us our gift(s): It may be the gift of prophecy, the gift of ministry, the gift of teaching, the gift of encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy, or any combination of these gifts.

        When we receive these gifts and begin to use them, we become vulnerable. That’s just the way it is, but we get over it and we find that God made us to do something. Through our vulnerability, we find our purpose. That purpose shows others an outward sign of our inward commitment. The commitment came first; the sign of the commitment came later.

        When the nation of Israel took that step of faith, based on belief, into the Jordan River, God showed up and brought them into the Land. Then He asked them to do something that would make them vulnerable. That something, circumcision, is an outward expression of the inward commitment that they already had.

        When God brings you into a Spirit-filled life (our Promised Land), He will ask you to step up and put yourself in a vulnerable position. He may ask you to talk to someone, minister to someone, or give to someone. In your obedience, you will show others that you are serious about the inward commitment that you made when you took that step of faith, based on belief, into a relationship with the Holy Spirit.