“1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. 2 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. 7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. 8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. 9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. 11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. 12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:1-15).

     When we get saved, we bring a lot of the old baggage from our old lives into our new lives in Christ. Like the children of Israel, we all have a lot of Egypt (the world) left in us after we get saved. Israel had been miraculously delivered from Egyptian bondage, but the bondage to Egypt was still within their hearts. They had lived there for 400 years. They had learned and adopted many of Egypt’s customs. Although they were God’s chosen nation, most of them thought like Egyptians. Getting saved does not mean an automatic erasure of old practices, old desires, and old attitudes. Neither does getting saved automatically transport us to the mountaintop of a faith walk with God.

     Most Christians seem to spend some time in the Wilderness of Sin after they are saved. It is in the Wilderness where God works to clear away the hindrances to His blessings from our lives. It is in the Wilderness that we learn to die to the things of this world and choose to live by the life changing principles of faith and obedience. Many Christians never get beyond a Wilderness experience of Christianity because they never fully die to the things of this world and never fully yield their lives to the will of God. Their lives are lived somewhere between deliverance from the bondage of sin and the victories that are theirs in full surrender to God’s will. They may occasionally taste of Promises Land blessings, but most of them will die in the Wilderness of Sin never fully realizing the blessings that are theirs in Christ Jesus.

     Israel had just spent 40 years on a death march through the Wilderness. Because of their failure to trust God and occupy the Promised Land 38 years earlier, Israel’s time in the Wilderness was just one endless funeral procession. According to Numbers 1:46, the total number of men of war over the age of twenty that refused to go in and occupy the land at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers chapter 14) was 603,550 men. That is the group referred to in Joshua 5:4. That means there were about 45 of these men buried every single day of the 38 years they wandered in the Wilderness (not counting the death of women and children). Joshua 5:5-6 tells us these men “were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD.” Hebrews 4:6 tells us they “entered not in because of unbelief.”

     Joshua chapter five details a transition that should be the experience of every Christian. That transition is the transition from spiritual infancy (immaturity) to spiritual adulthood (maturity). That transition is the transition from head knowledge to a practical faith walk with God. In between is the Wilderness. The Wilderness depicts the Christian life lived in limbo somewhere between unbelief and a real practicing, heartfelt faith. This transition is absolutely critical to the Christian life.

     This transition to spiritual maturity is definitive. That means it has defined perimeters. There are certain definitive truths that become the practical realities in a person’s life when this transition has taken place. Joshua chapter five details these practical realities. Each of these practical realities are directly related to this place called Gilgal (ghil-gawl').

     The word Gilgal means a place of rolling. This place was called Gilgal because it was the place where God “rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off” the children of Israel (Joshua 5:9). The word “reproach” is from the Hebrew word cherpah (kher-paw'). It refers to that state of affairs which rests upon a person’s reputation bringing him shame or disgrace. The “reproach of Egypt” went far beyond the physical enslaving of a people. The “reproach of Egypt” was the spiritual enslaving to the practices and attitudes of a culture completely foreign to the commandments of God. When Israel came out of Egyptian bondage, they came out a “mixed multitude.”

“37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle” (Exodus 12:37-38).

     This “mixed multitude” was a hodge-podge of people that consistently continued to influence Israel negatively. They came along with the crowd because they had seen a manifestation of divine power, but they were not converted in their hearts. They came after the God of Israel, but did not have a foundation of faith or truth. As a result, they were a constant source of spiritual weakness and division. Their lives of non-faith were infectious and destructive.

“4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes” (Numbers 11:4-6).

     They were constantly pre-occupied with things that were pleasing to the flesh. Their needs and their wants always seem to be at the forefront of every situation. They were never satisfied with what God provided, constantly murmuring against the leadership God provided, and infecting others with their carnality as they complained. Satan used this mixed multitude to lead immature believers away from God into carnal pre-occupation with the things of this world.

     The Wilderness was a place where God purged out this mixed multitude (and those they had infected) from the congregation of Israel. This is the first essential truth regarding Gilgal. After 40 years in the Wilderness, the mixed multitude and the infected carnal believers were purged out.

     Secondly, Gilgal was the place of repentance (Joshua 5:2-5) from their old way of life and their consecration to a new way of life as obedient covenant people once again. This twofold inward reality of faith was to be portrayed through the outward act of ritual circumcision. The outward ritual was intended to be a mere physical portrayal of an already existing inward reality.

“28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:28-29).

     Paul taught that this same twofold inward reality was the responsibility of every Promised Land (Kingdom Age believer) Christian as well.

“14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:14-15).

     Third, Gilgal was a place of remembrance (Joshua 5:10). God’s timing was perfect as always. God brought the purged remnant to the Promised Land side of the Jordan on the 10th day of the first month (Joshua 4:19). Immediately on the 10th day, they were circumcised. This allowed for the normal three days for healing after the circumcision. The 14th day of the first month was the day that God had ordained for the remembrance celebration of the Passover Feast. This is only the third time in 40 years that Israel kept the Passover that God commanded them to keep every year. The first time was in Exodus 12:1-28, just before they were delivered from Egyptian bondage. The second time was at the beginning of the second year in the Wilderness at Mt. Sinai (Numbers 9:1-5).

     This means that Israel had forgotten to remember what God had done in delivering them. They forgot to remember because they failed to be obedient to the command of God to keep the Passover. The Passover was ordained as an ordinance of remembrance just as the Lord’s Supper is the N. T. fulfillment. How easy it is to forget Calvary’s Cross and the death of our Redeemer for our salvation.

“23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (I Corinthians 11:23-26).

     Lastly, Gilgal was the place of a change in relationship (Joshua 5:11-12). This changed in relationship is represented by the change in the food they ate. For almost 40 years God had provided Manna for them everyday for that one day except on Friday when He provided enough for both that day and the following Sabbath Day. The transitional truth of Gilgal is that the children of Israel had grown from immature believers who were mere children of God to spiritually mature believers who became mighty force with God. Now they were to “eat of the old corn of the land” (Joshua 5:11). This transition was a time when God’s children were finally able to assimilate and implement into their lives the spiritual realities that are the mark of spiritual adulthood. They no longer needed to be bottle-fed.

“12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

     These four criteria were the necessary foundations before God could take these people to the high ground of spiritual warfare.

1. They needed to be purged of the mixed multitude of unbelievers and carnal believers.
2. They needed to completely turn from their old ways of life and consecrate themselves to a life of obedience.
3. They needed to remember that the source of their redemption and the power of a resurrected life lie in the Person of God, not in human strengths, large numbers, or abilities.
4. They needed a change in relationship with God. They needed to begin to implement the spiritual realities they had learned into the everyday practices of their lives and begin to live in spiritual maturity (“the just shall live by faith”).

     Once all of these things were accomplished, Joshua was confronted by the “Captain of the host of the LORD” (Joshua 5:13-15). This Christophany was a visible reminder to Joshua that, although the Lord’s presence would not be visible in this form in the future, His presence would always go before them as the “Captain of the host of the LORD.”

     The ground upon which Joshua stood was “holy” (Joshua 5:15). “Holy” is from the Hebrew word qodesh (ko'-desh) referring to a place or thing separated unto God. It was holy ground because it was a place where the conditions were met that fulfilled the requirements for the children of God to join themselves with the angelic host of Heaven in order to fight against the forces of evil.

     The ground upon which Joshua stood was a holy place because a consecrated people now joined themselves to God’s forces by being completely separate from the things of the world and completely consecrated to serving the Lord. It was holy ground because a holy people met and joined forces with a holy God. We will never occupy our Promised Land or fully realize God’s promises in this life until we get out of the Wilderness of Sin and begin to live our lives separate from the world and separate unto God.

“17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. . . 1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 6:17-7:1).