Josué 5
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 5
Wiersbe - "Forgetting those things which are behind" (Phil. 3:13) is wise counsel for most areas of life, but there are some things we must never forget. In his farewell address to the nation, Moses repeatedly commanded the Jews to remember that they were once slaves in Egypt and that the Lord had delivered them and made them His own people (Deut. 6:15; 15:15; 16:12; 24:18, 22). This great truth was embodied in their annual Passover feast. They were never to forget that they were a redeemed people, set free by the blood of the lamb. (Exposition Commentary – Be Strong - Joshua). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary - Verses 10-12. A solemn passover was kept, at the time appointed by the law, in the plains of Jericho, in defiance of the Canaanites round about them. It was a performance of the promise, that when they went up to keep the feasts, their land should be under the special protection of the Divine providence, Exodus 34:24. Notice is taken of the ceasing of the manna as soon as they had eaten the old corn of the land. For as it came just when they needed, so it continued as long as they needed it. This teaches us not to expect supplies by miracles, when they may be had in a common way. The word and ordinances of God are spiritual manna, with which God nourishes his people in this wilderness. Though often forfeited, yet they are continued while we are here; but when we come to the heavenly Canaan, this manna will cease, for we shall no longer need it. Gilgal - Holman Bible Dictionary - name meaning, “circle,” and probably referring to a circle of stones or a circular altar. Such a circle of stones could be found almost anywhere in Palestine and led easily to naming towns “Gilgal.” The many references to Gilgal in the Old Testament cannot thus be definitely connected to the same town, since several different Gilgals may well have existed. 1. Gilgal is most closely associated with Joshua, but the number of Gilgals involved continues an unsolved question. After crossing the Jordan, Joshua established the first camp at Gilgal (Joshua 4:19 ). There Joshua took twelve stones from the bed of the river to set up a memorial for the miraculous crossing. Gilgal, the first foothold on Palestinian soil, became Israel's first worship place, where they were circumcised and observed the Passover. There God appeared to Joshua and affirmed his mission (Joshua 5:1 ). This Gilgal apparently became Israel's military base of operations (Joshua 9:6; Joshua 10:6; Joshua 14:6 ), though some scholars would identify this with a Gilgal farther north near Shechem. Joshua set up Gilgal as the border between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:7; compare Joshua 18:17 ), though many Bible students think the border town must be south of the original camp. Ehud, the judge, passed Gilgal in his mission to slay the king of Moab (Judges 3:19 ,Judges 3:19,3:26 ). David passed through Gilgal as he fled from Absalom (2Samuel 19:15,2 Samuel 19:40 ). This Gilgal is often located at modern khirbet Mefjir, a little more than a mile east of Jericho. Others would locate it at khirbet en-Nitleh, two miles southeast of Jericho. Still others remain baffled at finding a location. The boundary town is often seen as khan el-Ahmar or Araq ed-Deir. The military camp is at times located at tell Jiljulieh east of Shechem but without archaeological support. This could be the same Gilgal of Deuteronomy 11:30 , if Joshua's original town is not meant. Gilgal was also one of the three places where Samuel annually held circuit court (1 Samuel 7:16 ). This could be near tell Jiljulieh or at Joshua's first landing place near the Jordan. Saul was both crowned and rejected as king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:14-15; 1 Samuel 13:14-15 ). Gilgal established itself as a major place of worship for Israel with ancient traditions. However, it also permitted worship associated with other gods and became the object of prophetic judgment (Hosea 4:15; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5 ). 2. Elijah and Elisha were associated closely with Gilgal. At one time Elisha made his headquarters there (2 Kings 4:38 ), where Elijah was taken up into heaven (2 Kings 2:1 ). This was apparently tell Jiljulieh about three miles southeast of Shiloh, though it could still be Joshua's original Gilgal. 3. Gilgal of the nations is mentioned as a royal city near Dor (Joshua 12:23 ). The earliest Greek translation reads this as “kings of the nations in Galilee,” which many scholars think is the original reading, a copyist of the Hebrew text using the word “Gilgal” since it had become familiar in the earlier chapters of Joshua. If the Hebrew Gilgal is original, its location is not known. See Beth-gilgal; Elisha; Joshua; Samuel; Saul . Related Resources: What is the importance of Gilgal in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Easton's Bible Dictionary Gilgal Fausset Bible Dictionary Gilgal Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Gilgal 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Gilgal International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Gilgal Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Gilgal McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Gilgal The Jewish Encyclopedia Gilgal George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 5 10. And kept the passover. Heb. ‘and made the passover.’ The third from its institution. The first was observed in Egypt on the eve of their departure, the second at Sinai on the following year, Num. 9:1, 2, while during the long interval down to the present time it had been wholly suspended. Amos 5:25. On the fourteenth day of the month. That is, the fourteenth day of the first month, or Nisan.—From this remarkable portion of the sacred narrative we may learn, (1.) That in whatever circumstances we are placed, religion should be our first concern. If ever there were circumstances which would seem to justify the postponement of religious duties, one would think they were those of Joshua on this occasion, when he had but just set foot on the land where great and powerful nations were prepared to combat for their very existence. Yet we behold him calmly and sedately engaging in the duties of religion, as if it were of vastly more consequence that God should be honored and served in the way of his appointment, than that the preservation or triumph of Israel should be secured. (2.) To place implicit confidence in God, even in the midst of the most appalling dangers. Nothing, to human view, could have been more rash or perilous than for the chosen people, just at this juncture, to suspend all their military preparations, and give themselves to the celebration of a religious festival. But conscious of being in the way of duty, they reposed so strong a confidence in the protecting power of Jehovah, that they gave themselves no concern as to the many dangers by which they were surrounded. Provided our motives and our conduct are right, we can be in no hazard of confiding too implicitly in God. Joshua 5:11 On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. unleavened cakes: Ex 12:18-20 13:6,7 Lev 23:6,14 Joshua 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 12:25+ “When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite (PASSOVER). Exodus 16:35+ (CESSATION OF MANNA WAS PROPHESIED) The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Leviticus 23:5-8+ (FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD) ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD’S Passover. 6 ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 ‘On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 ‘But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’” YAHWEH CHANGES ISRAEL'S DIET On the day after the Passover, on that very day - This is another important time phrase and marks a transition. In Joshua 5:1-9 we have seen their new position as a result of circumcision and now we see their new beginning in celebrating the Passover. THOUGHT - Manna from heaven is an idiom which refers to "an unexpected benefit or assistance, especially when it comes at the time when it is needed most." They ate some of the produce (KJV = "old corn") of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain - Manna from Heaven had ceased, but God's supply for His people shifted to the produce of the promised land. How they received the produce is not stated, but it was clearly from the land, not the sky. However in both cases it was still God Who supplied the bounty! When Israel entered Canaan, it was spring, "the days of the (barley) harvest" (Josh 3:15+) and so grain was available. Some propose that the inhabitants of the area had left grain behind when they fled to Jericho for safety and that grain was also available. Whatever was the source, it is clear that Yahweh prepared a table for His people in the presence of their enemies, and Israel did not have to be afraid (Ps 23:5). Note that the day after the Passover is the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the people were able to use the grain of the land to make unleavened cakes. God had promised to provide for the people when they entered the land Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, (Deut 6:10-11+) Believer's Study Bible - (vv. 11,12) Note the emphasis achieved by alternating repetition in these verses. There was no need to continue the "heavenly bread" after Israel entered into their possession (Ex. 16:1-30; Ps. 78:25; John 6:48-51). Typical of God's redemptive program in Scripture, the miraculous was only temporary. Stephen Grant - They feasted on the benefit of other men's labours. This was true of all the land that the children of Israel possessed and is a beautiful picture of the blessings of salvation which a believer comes into by faith. The blessings have been provided at great cost to the Lord, and the believer is required only to take possession of His provision. The Lord had also promised the people that when they went up to Jerusalem three times a year to observe the feasts, they could leave their land since no man would "desire thy land" (Ex 34:24). As they observed the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread in the plains of Jordan, they received the first evidence of the Lord's protection. They were unmolested by the people of Jericho or the other cities nearby which, in itself, was evidence of the Lord fulfilling His promise. (What the Bible Teaches - Joshua Judges Ruth) Davis - Clarence Macartney (see his great sermon Come Before Winter) told the story about Dr. John Witherspoon's wisdom in this regard. Witherspoon was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and president of the (then) College of New Jersey. He lived a couple of miles away from the college at Rock Hill and drove a horse and rig each day to his office at the college. One day one of his neighbours burst into his office, exclaiming, 'Dr. Witherspoon, you must join me in giving thanks to God for his extraordinary providence in saving my life, for as I was driving from Rocky Hill the horse ran away and the buggy was smashed to pieces on the rocks, but I escaped unharmed!' Witherspoon replied, 'Why, I can tell you a far more remarkable providence than that. I have driven over that road hundreds of times. My horse never ran away, my buggy never was smashed, I was never hurt.' So we must beware of thinking that God is only in the earthquake, wind, and fire; of thinking that manna but not grain is God's food. Most of God's gifts to his people are not dazzling and gaudy but wrapped in simple brown paper. Quiet provisions of safety on the highway, health of children, picking up a paycheck, supper with the family—all in an ordinary day's work for our God. (Focus on the Bible Commentary – Joshua: No Falling Words) The Passover and the Lord’s Supper Compared The Passover The Lord’s Supper The Passover was a memorial of a physical deliverance from Egypt by the sacrifice of a lamb (Ex. 12:1f). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of a spiritual deliverance in Jerusalem through the sacrifice of the Lamb (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). The Passover was also an anticipation in shadows and types of a future fulfillment-the person and work of Christ in His first advent, which encompassed His birth, sinless life, and death on the Cross as the Lamb of God to redeem us from the clutches of sin. The Lord’s Supper not only points to the fulfillment of those types, but it is to be kept also in anticipation of a future fulfillment, the second advent and kingdom of God on earth when the Lamb becomes the Lion. Source - Hampton Keathley George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 5 11. And they did eat of the old corn of the land. Of the old grain, of whatever kind it were. This they probably found in abundance in the deserted granaries of the inhabitants, who had fled away, and betaken themselves for safety to the defenced city of Jericho. The original phrase, however, may be rendered simply, ‘They did eat of the product or yielding of the earth,’ in contradistinction from the manna which came from heaven. And parched corn. That is, the new corn of the present year, which they found standing in the fields. The new or green corn was parched to enable them more easily to grind it for food. This would not be necessary in respect to old corn. On the morrow after the passover. Meaning, probably, on the sixteenth day of the month; for the paschal lamb was killed and roasted on the fourteenth, and the feast began that night, which, according to their reckoning, formed a part of the fifteenth day, through the whole of which the feast continued, so that the sixteenth day was the morrow after the passover, when they were required by the Law (Lev. 23:10, 11) to offer to God the wave-sheaf of the first fruits, and then were allowed to eat the rest. In the self-same day. Perhaps importing the very great eagerness of the people to feast upon the fruits of the land as soon as they might lawfully do it. Having previously renewed their covenant with God and partaken of its seals, circumcision and the passover, they wished at once to enter upon the enjoyment of all the rights and privileges thereby confirmed to them. Joshua 5:12 The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year. the manna: Ex 16:35 Ne 9:20,21 Rev 7:16,17 they ate some of the yield of the land De 6:10,11 Pr 13:22 Isa 65:13,14 Joh 4:38 Joshua 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE MANNA SUDDENLY CEASED THE LAND PROVIDED PRODUCE The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce ("old corn" KJV) of the land - The Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month, the following day they ate produce from the land and the following day the manna ceased. Manna ceasing as suddenly as it had begun was evidence of its supernatural Source, and it signaled a new chapter in Israel's history. The "bread from heaven" (Jn6:31,32) ceased as suddenly and miraculously as it had begun (Ex16:4,15). God does not dispense miracles capriciously, but with a redemptive purpose. The manna was essential for the survival of His people during their sojourn in the wilderness, but not afterwards. God's laws by which natural processes are ordered are good laws, so miraculous intervention therein is only rarely necessary. Typical of God's redemptive program in Scripture, the miraculous was only temporary.
Josué 5
Wiersbe - Joshua had read in the Book of the Law what Moses had said to the Lord after Israel had made the golden calf: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (Ex. 33:15, NKJV). The Lord had promised to be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses (Josh. 1:5), and now He reaffirmed that promise in a personal way. Like his predecessor, Joshua refused to move until he was sure the Lord’s presence was with him. This paragraph records one of the pre-incarnation appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the Old Testament. To Abraham the pilgrim, the Lord came as a traveler to share in a friendly meal (Gen. 18:1–8). To Jacob the schemer, He came as a wrestler to bring him to the place of submission (32:24–32). The three Hebrew men met Him as their companion in the furnace of fire (Dan. 3:25), and Joshua met Him as the Captain of the Lord’s armies. Our Lord always comes to us when we need Him and in the way we need Him. It must have been a great encouragement to Joshua to realize that he was not alone. There is a loneliness to leadership that can be disturbing and even depressing as you realize how much your decisions affect the lives of others. “To be President of the United States is to be lonely,” said Harry Truman, “very lonely at times of great decisions.” Joshua must have been feeling some of that loneliness. God had promised to be with Joshua (Josh. 1:5, 9), and the people had prayed that the Lord would be with him (vv. 16–17). The enemy knew that God was with Israel (2:8ff), and Joshua had encouraged his people with this promise (3:9ff). Joshua was now experiencing the reality of that promise! The Lord met him as Captain of the Lord’s armies, whether in heaven or on earth. “The Lord of hosts [armies] is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps. 46:7, 11). Joshua would recall the song Israel had sung at the Red Sea: “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is His name” (Ex. 15:3). I appreciate the courage of Joshua as he confronted this stranger; for he wanted to know whose side he was on. With Joshua, there was no compromise: You were either for the Lord and His people or against them (Matt. 12:30; Luke 11:23). When Joshua discovered the visitor was the Lord, he fell at His feet in worship and waited for His orders. In Christian ministry great public victories are won in private as leaders submit to the Lord and receive their directions from Him. It’s doubtful that anybody in the camp of Israel knew about their leader’s meeting with the Lord, but that meeting made the difference between success and failure on the battlefield. The Chinese Bible teacher Watchman Nee wrote, “Not until we take the place of a servant can He take His place as Lord.” Joshua was reminded that he was second in command. Every father and mother, pastor, and Christian leader is second in command to the Lord Jesus Christ; and when we forget this fact, we start to move toward defeat and failure. The Lord came to Joshua that day, not just to help but to lead. “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NKJV). Joshua was an experienced soldier, whom Moses had trained for leadership. Yet that was no guarantee of success. He needed the presence of the Lord God. The Lord’s first order to Joshua revealed to him that he was standing on holy ground. This reminds us of God’s words to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5). Joshua was standing in “heathen territory”; yet because God was with him, he was standing on holy ground. If we are obeying the will of God, no matter where He leads us, we are on holy ground; and we had better behave accordingly. There’s no such thing as “secular” and “sacred,” “common” and “consecrated,” when you are in the Lord’s service. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31, NKJV). The sequence here is significant: first humble worship, then holy walk, then heavenly warfare. This parallels the “spiritual postures” found in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Joshua first bowed the knee (Eph. 3:14); then he submitted to a holy walk (Eph 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15); and then he went out to battle the enemy in the power of the Lord (Eph 6:10ff). Like Joshua, we have already been given our inheritance (described in Eph. 1–2) and we must overcome the enemy in order to claim it for ourselves and enjoy it. When Joshua met the Lord, he discovered that the battle was the Lord’s and He had already overcome the enemy. All Joshua had to do was listen to God’s Word and obey orders, and God would do the rest. God had already given Jericho to Israel (Josh. 6:2); all they had to do was step out by faith and claim the victory by obeying the Lord. In a meeting with a small group of missionaries in China, James Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship) reminded them that there were three ways to do God’s work: “One is to make the best plans we can, and carry them out to the best of our ability … or, having carefully laid our plans and determined to carry them through, we may ask God to help us, and to prosper us in connection with them. Yet another way of working is to begin with God; to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes.” Joshua followed the third plan, and that’s why the Lord blessed him. The main lesson of Joshua 5 is that we must be a spiritually prepared people if we are going to do the Lord’s work successfully and glorify His name. Instead of rushing into the battle, we must “take time to be holy.” In a letter to his missionary friend Rev. Daniel Edwards, the saintly Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne wrote: “Remember you are God’s sword—His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.” That letter was written in 1840, but its admonition applies to God’s people today. All of us are His ministers, His servants; and we want to be holy instruments that He can use successfully. (Be Strong -- Joshua: Putting God's Power to Work in Your Life) Joshua 5:14 He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" captain of the host of the LORD, Ex 23:20-22 Isa 55:4 Da 10:13,21 12:1 Heb 2:10 Rev 12:7 Rev 19:11-14 fell on his: Ge 17:3,17 Lev 9:24 Nu 16:22,45 Mt 8:2 Lu 5:12 Ac 10:25,26 Rev 19:10 22:8,9 What has my lord to say to his servant: 1Sa 3:9,10 Isa 6:8 Ac 9:6 my lord: Ex 4:10,13 Ps 110:1 Mt 22:44 Lu 1:43 20:42 Joh 20:28 Php 3:8 Joshua 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST OF THE LORD He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as Captain of the host of the LORD - NET = "He answered, "Truly I am the commander of the LORD's army." The man in Joshua 5:13 does not give a direct answer to Joshua's question as to whose side he was on. Indeed, He did not come to take sides but to take over! What Joshua needed to see very clearly at this time, was the truth that the battle was not his but the Lord’s battle. NET Note on no - Heb “He said, “Neither.” An alternative reading is לוֹ (lo, “[He said] to him”; cf. NEB). This reading is supported by many Hebrew MSS, as well as the LXX and Syriac versions. The traditional reading of the MT (לֹא, lo’, “no, neither”) is probably the product of aural confusion (the two variant readings sound the same in Hebrew). Although followed by a number of modern translations (cf. NIV, NRSV), this reading is problematic, for the commander of the LORD’s army would hardly have declared himself neutral.