A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

males for forty years. Now it was an act of dedication whereby the people affirmed their
relationship to God and His covenant by circumcising their sons. Had it been practiced by the
generation which died in the wilderness, it would only have amounted to an act of hypocrisy.
God may have physically prevented Israel from committing this hypocritical act after their denial
of loyalty to Him at Kadesh Barnea.
The Scripture describes this circumcising of the army of Israel as rolling “away the
reproach of Egypt from you” (5:9). The name Gilgal literally means “a rolling.” Typically, Israel
was rolling away any sin and evidence of sin which might invoke the wrath of God. They were
eliminating the wrath of God so they could enter battle fully assured God could and would bless
their efforts on His behalf.
THE CENTRAL CAMPAIGN
(Josh. 5:10-8:35)
For the first time in thirty-eight years, Israel kept the Passover feast. In so doing, they
began to eat the produce of the land God had given them and the need for manna ended.
Therefore, “the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the
Children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year”
(5:12). Manna had never been given by God to satisfy Israel, only to sustain her until she could
possess that which God planned to give her. With the preparation for total victory complete, it
was time to claim that victory.
The conquest of Canaan by Joshua involved three major military campaigns. The first of
these was the central campaign which cut through the heart of the land. This was followed by a
southern campaign against the Amorite kings and then later a northern campaign against the
Canaanite kings. Over a period of about five to fifteen years, Joshua was successful in
conquering each of the thirty-one kings he faced in battle. And it all began with the conquest of
the alleged oldest city in the world, Jericho.
The battle of Jericho (5:10-6:27)
Though much of the military conquest of Canaan serves to demonstrate Joshua’s
brilliance as a military commander, the battle of Jericho was unique in this regard. Because it
was the first city-state to be conquered, God determined to give it to Israel in such a unique way
there could be no question but that the victory was His. Thus, the battle of Jericho was won
miraculously when the walls of the city fell down.
Joshua’s battle camp at Gilgal, though not far from Jericho, was well hidden from the
view of the city. While his army was recovering from the effects of their circumcision, Joshua
took the opportunity to look over the city of Jericho unobserved. At least he thought he had been
unobserved. But, “it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and
looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand” (5:13).
The general who was about to conquer Canaan would not be scared off by a single
soldier, so he challenged the man to identify himself, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”
(v. 13). But rather than take one of the two sides Joshua had suggested, the man simply identified
himself as the “Commander of the army of the Lord” (v. 14). Immediately recognizing the Man
as his Master, Joshua humbled himself before the One he had moments before challenged and
asked, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” (v. 14).
The Commander of the army of the Lord was a preincarnate appearance of Christ in the
Old Testament known as a Christophany. This scene of the meeting of Joshua and Jesus has been