RENEWING COMMITMENT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt — all the men of military age—died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.

Joshua 5:1-12

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Joshua, Chapter 5, opens we see where word of Israel’s arrival in Canaan had moved quickly. Earlier in this chapter, we learned from Rahab that people were already aware of Israel and God’s almighty presence with them. Canaan knew Israel was coming. And now that they had crossed the Jordan in miraculous fashion (“…the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites…had crossed over), scripture tells us that “all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast”…felt their hearts melt and “no longer had the courage to face the Israelites”. They knew the worst was yet to come.

But before Israel could advance beyond their encampment at Gilgal, there were a few things they needed to do…things that would serve to renew their commitment to the Lord and help them move forward together united in one holy cause.

We see where the Lord ordered Joshua to "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again” which Joshua did. You’ll recall that circumcision was important in Old Testament days because it had been commanded by God to Abraham as a sign of one’s covenant with Him and all his descendants that would follow (Genesis 17).

Our passage tells us that those who were about to go forth and fight in the name of the Lord had not been circumcised for the following reason:

“All those who came out of Egypt — all the men of military age—died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So he raised up their sons in their place…”

It was these sons raised up to fight like their ancestors had that Joshua circumcised and they were uncircumcised because “they had not been circumcised on the way”. So Joshua ensured that all those going forward to battle were bearing the sign of God’s covenant with them. Their commitment was renewed and “the reproach of Egypt” had been “rolled away” from them.

Circumcision wasn’t the only act of renewal that occurred before Israel headed into their first conflict at Jericho. We read where “on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover”. This was critical, not just because God had ordered Israel to observe it, but also because Israel needed a reminder of God’s awesome power of deliverance. Because of Israel’s obedience in following God’s guidance to spread the blood of the sacrificed, unblemished lamb on their doorposts, they were passed over when death fell upon all the firstborn of Egypt. Remembering God’s faithful act of protection in Egypt could only serve to further strengthen the Israelites confidence and faith as they headed into war with Canaan’s current inhabitants.

So Gilgal was certainly a place of renewal. But it also was a place of new beginnings.

Israel had been blessed with manna since the beginning of their exodus from Egypt. You’ll recall that God sent it to them when they were hungry and in need. It became their daily bread and sustained them through difficult times (Exodus 16).

Now, Israel was in the Promised Land…a land that the Lord had promised was flowing with milk and honey. Indeed, there was plenty of food for Israel to partake in and we read where on the “day after the Passover…they ate some of the produce of the land”, eating “unleavened bread and roasted grain”. With food now available and in plenty, Israel no longer needed manna and scripture tells us it “stopped the day after they ate this food from the land” and “there was no longer any manna for the Israelites”. For they would eat “of the produce of Canaan”.

Recommitted to God’s promise, reminded of His deliverance and protection, and nourished for the struggles ahead, Israel was now ready to move forward and take what God had set aside for them.

How about you? Do you feel prepared to handle life’s challenges before you? Do you feel energized and ready to move forward, able to handle whatever might come your way? Have you kept in mind that you serve a God of deliverance…a God of protection who expects us to walk the path He sets before us with confidence and hope and faith? Are you in a place where you need to renew and refresh your commitment to the Lord in your life?

Friends, renewal is something we all need and we need it constantly. In fact, I feel we need to renew our commitment to the Lord each and every day if we want to move ahead fully prepared. I pray that each and every one us will turn to God each and every morning as we wake and say these words:

“Thank you Lord for the blessing of this day and for Your mercy and grace and love. As I rise, I commit myself to You just as You have committed Yourself to me. Use me as an instrument of Your will to Your glory, I pray. I offer myself to You as Your willing servant. Amen.”

If we say this and truly commit to it, rest assured that the Lord is going to use you for awesome purposes. For He and He alone can take ordinary people like you and I and make us extraordinary…just as He is about to do with Israel. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com