The story of the Israelites conveyed within Joshua is amazing. In chapter 5 three important events that are noted. First all the men of Israel were circumcised a second time because all the men who left Egypt who were circumcised died in the wilderness and the men born over the forty years wandering were not circumcised. This time of circumcision is appears to be a time of great joy and excitement because it shows the people reaffirming their devotion to God as His people.

After the people healed from their circumcision they celebrated the Passover which reminded them of their deliverance from Egypt. What a joyous time! The second event happened the day after the passover when the people ate produce from the land. This is important because until that day the people were dependent upon Mana from God to sustain them. The day after they ate from the land the Mana ceased. I had forgotten that every day of every year for forty years the people were dependent on God for Mana.

The third and most amazing event detailed in Joshua 5 gives me shivers and chills as I read it. “Now when it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with His sword drawn in his hand. and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” 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?” The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13-15 NASB) I am truly speechless about this: The captain of the host of the Lord! Joshua goes up to confront this man to see if he is for or against Israel but quickly finds that it doesn’t matter. What did the man look like? Was this a Chistophany? I do not know whether this is an appearance of Christ or just an angel of God but needless to say it is amazing how before God we lose all the power we think we have because before God our only response is to fall down and worship. It is encouraging to know how powerful God is because I am so weak and helpless but my strength is found in Him. The God that I see as I read through my Bible is the same God that I know today and I find strength and courage as I wait upon learn to trust and follow Him.

What do you place your trust and confidence in? Do you ever find yourself arrogant thinking that you are invincible? Education, money, property, strength, family, friends, and beauty are things that people their confidence in. In Canaan the city of Jericho placed it’s hope and pride in the cities wall. When the Jordan river dried up allowing the Israelites entry into the promised land was the confidence of the people of Jericho shaken? When the Israelites circled the city consistently for six days what did the men and women of the city think? The eyes of the city watched the circling day after day probably with ridicule and taunting but on the seventh day of circling the city the Israelites circled seven times and with a shout the wall of Jericho fell. The only people spared from death were the family of Rahab because she had hid the men who had spied on the city. The story of Jericho’s defeat and total destruction is an encouragement and a warning for me. Any stronghold that I hold in my life can be utterly destroyed just as Jericho was and this fact is encouraging to me knowing that my sinful flesh has no foothold against the power of Jesus Christ. Anyone who places their hope in anything but Jesus Christ will place their world is in jeopardy just as Jericho and they need to heed the warning of scripture. Where do you place your confidence

– Numbers 10:35

The Israelites are setting out in Numbers chapter 10 to claim the land that God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What an amazing site it must have been to hear the ring of a silver trumpet and then the orchestration of the multiple millions began as the Israelites set out and follow God. The image that is given in Numbers chapters 9 and 10 is one of dependance. The only time that the Israelites moved the camp was when God raised the cloud up from the Tabernacle.

I have never looked at the journey of the Israelites in such a structured way. I had thought that when the Israelites moved about in the wilderness that it was more of a random wandering. It was truthfully a relationship that was one of a Father leading His children.

Before the departure of the Israelites they celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month two years after their departure from Egypt. It was their time to remember what God had done in delivering them from their bondage in Egypt. I think that the passover was a passionate time of remembrance because in Numbers 9:6-10 God gives instruction for people who become unclean because of a dead person. These men wanted to bring their offering to the Lord but they were unclean. This is contrasted to a man who is clean and doesn’t observe the Passover. The clean man will be cut off from his people. The Passover celebration seems a little foreign to me today. What significance does it hold for the church today? I think the Passover is a marker that points me to Jesus Christ and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. There is a lot of foreshadowing of the Messiah in the story of the Israelites freedom from their bondage. Just as the Egyptians held the Israelites in bondage so too my sin held me in bondage. I was under the wrath of God for the sins that I committed. There was not way for me to find freedom until Jesus Christ died on the cross. His blood is the lambs blood placed upon me just as the blood was places on the lintel and doorposts of the Israelites. I am very thankful for the provision that God blessed the world with through the death of Jesus Christ.

In chapter 10 God instructs Moses to create two trumpets of silver which were blown at various and different times such as when the Israelites were heading to war so that “[they] may be remembered before the Lord [their] God, and be saved from your enemies” Numbers 10:9b. I see many similarities in my daily life to the blowing of these trumpets. These trumpets blown for feast, assembly, and war were an integral part of the Israelites daily lives. I look upon these trumpets as one way that the Israelites were communicating and showing dependance on God. My trumpet is prayer. When I go to God in prayer it is my reaching out seeking to be remembered by God and seeking assistance. Seeing how much just a trumpet played a role for a nation I am convinced that my prayer life is even of greater importance.

Lord, I pray that you will instill a desire to include you in all areas of my life and that I will seek you in prayer. This journey I am on is one where I am following you and unsure where I am headed but I trust that you are faithful. I am thankful for your help.