Joshua 5:1

As soon as all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel. (Joshua 5:1)

When God walks with His people, even the kings of the land lose heart—but God still has work to do in His own people first.

The Enemy's Hearts Melted

Joshua 5 follows directly after chapter 4, where Israel crossed the Jordan River. The Jordan was a barrier, and God broke it down by parting the waters so the people could walk across on dry land. The people who crossed the Red Sea fathered children who then crossed the Jordan—both by the power of God.

Because Israel walked with God, He took care of them and made a way for them. Their enemies heard about it. Imagine the Jordan River drying up—you would hear about that downstream and all over the place. It terrified the kings of the land, broke their spirit, and left them psychologically vulnerable. God was already fighting for His people and had already made an impression on the kings of the land He promised to give Israel.

So clearly, if the enemy kings are disturbed, Israel should rush right in and take the land, right? But God has something He needs to take care of first with His people.

A Second Circumcision

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time. (Joshua 5:2)

Circumcision is an outward—albeit largely private—sign indicating commitment to God and belonging to Him. Where did it come from? We see its origin in Genesis 17. God told Abram he would become the father of many nations, changed his name to Abraham, and established a permanent covenant: He would give them the land of Canaan as a permanent possession, and He would be their God.

In Genesis 17:9 God commands the sign of that covenant: every male must be circumcised at eight days old—whether born in the household or purchased from a foreigner. "My covenant will be marked in your flesh as a permanent covenant." Anyone not circumcised would be cut off from his people.

It's important to remember that the Bible deals with people as they were, not as we wish them to be. Slavery was wrong, is wrong, and will be wrong, but it was common practice at the time, and God still made His covenant available to slaves and slaveholders alike. The point stands: if you were not circumcised, you were not God's people.

So why must Joshua circumcise the males now? Scholars disagree—some say it was impossible or inconvenient in the wilderness, others that it marked the rebellion of the generation that died there. Ultimately it doesn't matter. What matters is that it had not been done, and now it needed to be done. They were on the verge of entering the land promised in the very covenant that circumcision signified, and the Passover laws required circumcision to participate.

Delayed Obedience Is Short-Term Rebellion

Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath Haraloth. (Joshua 5:3)

Joshua is quick to obey even in difficult things. I sometimes obey slower at uncomfortable tasks, especially when I have to bring challenging words to someone who won't receive them well. This was a challenging set of instructions—imagine telling the whole nation, "We have to do this before we step into the promised land."

But delayed obedience is just short-term rebellion. When we choose to delay obeying, we are rebelling for that period of time. When we procrastinate or drag our feet, we are choosing rebellion, even if only for a short while. We see how bad this looks in our own children—when we tell them to put their shoes on and they don't, we call it rebellion. But in our own lives we excuse the same delay as "procrastination." We tend to allow our own rebellion when we think we have a good reason. Joshua simply stepped up: "We're going to make flint knives and be circumcised right here, right now."

Every Generation Must Commit

All the males of the people who came out of Egypt... had died in the wilderness... yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness... had not been circumcised. (Joshua 5:4–5)

Everyone who left Egypt was already circumcised, but those born in the wilderness were not. An entire generation was uncircumcised. This shows us that every generation needs to make the commitment. God has no grandchildren. My salvation does not transfer to my kids—unlike, often, my bad habits. We teach our kids, pray for them, and set an example, but the decision to follow Christ is ultimately theirs. That is one of the scariest things I've had to process: there is nothing I can do to make my children be saved. I cannot be a good enough parent for that. I can only help them, training them up in the way they should go.

In twenty years of youth ministry, one of the saddest things I saw was parents trying to force their salvation on their kids in an extremely legalistic manner—exalting rules over a relationship with Jesus. Yes, there are rules, and we hold our kids to a standard, but rules without the same grace we've received produce a crushing yoke instead of a light burden, and they give a false picture of Jesus as harsh and unforgiving.

Point one: Do we discipline our children in a way that reflects the grace that Jesus shows us? We couldn't follow the law, so we must understand our kids cannot either. The law is good—it points us to Christ because we cannot perfectly fulfill it. We need to show our kids, in our example, a picture of Jesus as loving and forgiving. And since we are broken, we need to repent to them when we fail and hold them to a standard we couldn't keep ourselves.

Train Up a Child

The other end of the spectrum is parents who don't guide their children at all, leaving them to a world that wants to destroy them—often calling it "letting them find their own path." We are called to train up our children, not throw them willy-nilly.

You shall teach them diligently to your children... when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Teach them diligently—this is not half-thought-out. Talk about the things of God in our homes and out and about. When you see someone driving like a dingbat on the freeway, you can explain that doesn't honor God, and that our response should honor Him. Talk to them when you go to bed and when you wake up—at the beginning and end of the day, reminding them how much God loves them.

What we do around our kids and when they can't see us should be marked by our relationship with Jesus—that's the "tying it on our hands." Like frontlets, it should be kept on the forefront of our minds. And our home should be different from an unbeliever's home—not about putting up "live, laugh, love" posters, but about how you and your spouse interact, how you treat your children and friends, and what you allow and don't allow in your home.

The Generation That Died in the Desert

For the people of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. (Joshua 5:6)

This recalls Numbers 14. When God first brought Israel to the promised land, they responded in fear: "Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and our children will become plunder; wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" There were kings and armies in the land, and they were terrified, even though God had promised them victory.

God's response: "None of you will enter the land... except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land that you rejected... But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years, and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness." Because the parents gave in to fear—fear that God would not do what He expressly promised—the children suffered the consequences.

Your Children Are Eternal

That principle still holds: children pay the price for their parents' failures. My children will pay the price for my failures. This is why it matters so much. Your job is not eternal. Your golf handicap is not eternal. Your education, hobby, bank account, retirement, home—even your service to your church—none of those are eternal. But your children are.

Point two: your children are eternal. They are beings that will last for all time. How much time do we spend on things that are ultimately worthless? Parents, be bold, persistent, tireless, and gracious in your calling. The lasting impression is rarely what we say—our children see what we do and how we live. Do we model that we trust God with what we have, or do they learn from our actions that God is not who He says He is?

Being a parent is a sacred responsibility. God has given us the task of molding people He loves; He asks us to raise His children. But here is a word of comfort: there are no perfect parents, and it is never too late to start being better. One of the most influential things we can do is ask our children for forgiveness when we're wrong. If you need to ask your child for forgiveness—no matter how old they are—do it today. Pause, set a reminder, do whatever you need to do, but don't miss this opportunity. It will often start with "I'm sorry—I'm sorry I placed more value on this than on you. I'm sorry I showed you an incorrect picture of who God is."

Even if your children are wandering in a wilderness you brought them into, you can still reach out to them. Remember, God is faithful even when we fail, and God loves our children more than we do—and better than we do. So pray for them, love them, and show them your love for God in how you live.

Circumcision and the New Covenant

So it was their children whom he raised up in their place that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. (Joshua 5:7)

The children of the parents who recoiled in fear were now at the promised land, but uncircumcised. They needed to be made right with God by the removal of their flesh. So what does this mean for us? Are we still required to be circumcised? The New Testament tells us a great deal.

If you get yourself circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all... You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ and you have fallen from grace... For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything. What matters is faith working through love. (Galatians 5:2–6)

Paul is addressing people trying to become Jewish in order to be better Christians—trying to be circumcised to be more holy. But our standing with God rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, not on a mark in our flesh.

In 1 Corinthians 7:17–24 Paul says each person should remain in the condition in which he was called: "Neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but the keeping of the commandments of God." And in Philippians 3:2–3: "Watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh."

You were also circumcised with him, with a circumcision not done by hands... When you were buried with him in baptism... he made you alive with him, and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of death... by nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:11–14)

Circumcision for us is reflected in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is not a matter of works done in our flesh—it has nothing to do with a flap of skin. It has to do with what is happening in our hearts.

Defenseless, Yet Never Safer

When the circumcision of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their place in the camp until they were healed. (Joshua 5:8)

Circumcision made them vulnerable for a time. God left them defenseless and dependent on Him as they took their first steps in the promised land—all their fighting men unable to fight, run, or do anything except pray for a quick recovery. Yet they were never safer, because they were walking with the Lord. How quickly we forget that when we walk with God we are completely secure in His care. Until He calls me home, no weapon formed against me will prosper except what He allows for His purpose.

And the Lord said to Joshua, today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua 5:9)

The reproach of Egypt—the influence of ungodly society—was removed by the covenant of God, renewed and remembered at Gilgal. Point three: the reproach of sin is rolled away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We need to accept that sacrifice and surrender to Him. Without His death in our place, there is no circumcision and no work that can make us right with God. Your parents can't save you, your kids can't save you, your spouse can't save you. Only by receiving the gift of Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection can we enter the promised land He has for us.

Passover Remembered, Not Just Recorded

While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho. (Joshua 5:10)

The rules for Passover in Exodus 12 required everyone celebrating to be circumcised. So their first acts in the promised land were rededication and celebration—rededicating their hearts, cutting off their flesh, and celebrating how God rescued their parents in Egypt. Passover marked the death of Egypt's firstborn, except where doorposts were marked by the blood of the sacrifice—pointing directly to Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.

For them, this was not far-off history; it was something they lived. History and memory are two very different things. I once spoke to high schoolers about September 11, 2001, and they said, "Oh yeah, we learned about that in history." It hit me—for them it's a history lesson; for those of us old enough, we still remember the live coverage, and someone finally pointing out that the thumping sounds were bodies hitting cars because people were jumping rather than burning. There is something indelibly scratched in our memory that is different from what we merely know as history.

For Israel, Passover was visceral and real. Many of them remembered leaving Egypt, walking through the Red Sea, huddling in the house that night listening to the screams of the Egyptians. They were celebrating it as memory, not history.

What does that mean for us? We need to remember and recount to our children, "This is what it was like when God saved me. I was once lost, but now I'm found." That is powerful. When people see a changed life, that's what impacts them. That's why God has us remember these things and recount what He has done in our own lives.

A First Taste of Blessing

On the day after Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. (Joshua 5:11)

They had stepped into the land of blessing, and the day after renewing their covenant they had their first taste of its fruit. For 40 years it had been manna with the occasional quail. Now they began to taste the blessings of God—new flavor, new texture, like eating for the first time.

Imagine you had never had a steak. The first time you hear the sizzle, smell the aroma, see the grill marks, and finally taste it—what an experience. Or think of apples: all the varieties, all the ways to prepare them, from a crisp, juicy bite to the warm hug of a homemade apple pie. These varying tastes are part of the blessing God built into His creation, a sign of His love—a land flowing with milk and honey.

When Provision Looks Like Loss

And the manna ceased the day after they ate the produce of the land. (Joshua 5:12)

The next morning, for the first time in a generation, there was no manna on the ground. This was a shift of monumental proportions—the training wheels were coming off. God had hand-fed His people every morning for as long as most could remember, and now everything changed.

Point four: sometimes God's provision looks like loss. What had been as simple as picking food off the ground now required work. God's idea of perfection is not us as fat babies sitting on clouds with harps. Remember, before the fall God gave work in the Garden of Eden. His idea of perfection is us working with Him. We were created to partner with God in His work, not to avoid work. There is no retirement from work in God's kingdom—the work changes over time, but we are never meant to stop.

So Israel had to adjust to a new life with new challenges, temptations, and foes. There was no longer manna—which can look like a loss—but the verse continues: "they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." The reward is the promised land, but just because it was promised doesn't mean it was easy or free.

It is the same with salvation. We receive that gift freely from Jesus Christ, but it sets our feet on a path marked by difficulty and sacrifice as we are sanctified into His image. There will be sacrifice, difficulty, pain, and loss. Jesus is our promised land, but our path with Him requires that we wage war against our flesh and the enemy of our souls—a war fought on our knees, whose ultimate victory belongs to our Savior, but in which we still must join.

So let us strive to be people who walk in the promised land with our parents and with our children—people willing to focus on eternal things and not get hung up on transitory things that have no lasting value. Let us walk with eternity in our hearts.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we ponder the example You've set before us in the book of Joshua—the children of Israel rededicating themselves right after the Jordan River—as we ponder what it means to be set apart, to be circumcised for Your glory, I pray that You would help us see the importance of the roles You've given us, whether parent or child, and what it means to follow after You. Help us not to turn away from the work You lay before us. Help us not to take the easy path when You've called us to difficulty. And Father God, forgive us where we fall short—where our example of You is more like Moses striking the rock a second time.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice on our behalf, that it allows us to walk confidently in grace, clothed in Your righteousness. I pray right now for our children—the children of all those watching and listening, those maybe approaching this for the first time. Do a work in our children, Lord. Help us to be good examples, but ultimately we know it is between them and You, and I pray You would be gracious to them as You've been gracious to us. Be with my children, and I pray they would rely on You all their lives. Thank You for the position of parent and the position of pastor You've given me, and be glorified, Lord, in Your people. We pray these things, Jesus, in Your name, amen. God bless you guys. We'll see you next week.