1. Joshua 5 Circumcision Gilgal Passover Manna Old Corn of the Land
Man with a drawn sword

2. Circumcision First mention:
Genesis 17: God’s covenant with Abraham and his seed -
v.8: “I will give to thee, and to thy seed all the land of Canaan;”
v.10: “this is my covenant- every male among you to be circumcised”
Circumcision was given to the nation of Israel, and NOT the church.

3. Spiritual significance
“Circumcision not done by hand, in the putting off of the body of the flesh…buried with him in Baptism.”
Colossians 2 v
“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God…and do not trust in the flesh.”
Philippians 3 v. 3
Circumcision is the negative side of saying No to the flesh!
Baptism answers to putting the flesh in the place of death.
(L. M Grant)

4. Flesh cannot enlist in the warfare; God judges it and sets it aside; and this is the meaning of circumcision. Circumcision is "the putting off of the body of the flesh" in Christ. It is an accomplished fact for every believer, just as much as the Jordan is for each of us, whether or not we realise its import. - Rossier

5. Gilgal
The Israelites always return to Gilgal - except in ch.7v2 where they were defeated.
- Ch 4v19; 5v9; 9v6; 10v6; 14v6; etc.
The return to Gilgal signifies daily the practical realisation of the fact that the sinful flesh of the believer (who has been raised with Christ) has no right to exist any more.
Gilgal is: "the mortification of our members which are upon the earth." Colossians 3: 5-8

6. Passover Exodus 12 - in Egypt Numbers 9 - at Sinai
Joshua 5 - in the Land
2 Chr under Hezekiah
2 Chr under Josiah
Ezra 6 - under Ezra

7. Passover “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” 1 Cor.5:7
“All the congregation of Israel shall keep it” Ex 12v47
“no uncircumcised person shall eat it” Ex 12v48
The Passover in Canaan corresponds with what the Lord's Supper is for the Christian.

8. As to fact: we are in the World.
Joshua 5 v.12
Only time the Children of Israel ate all three in the same day
As to fact: we are in the World.
As to experience: we are the Wilderness.
As to Faith: we are in the Land.

9. Manna Bread of Heaven Manna Light Bread Corn of Heaven
Bread of the mighty
Spiritual Food
Hidden Manna

10. Manna is Christ down here living for the glory of God; and is the food for His people.
Manna was gathered every morning, it was the daily food for the people. If they did not eat they would be: “feeble, faint and weary” Deut.25v18
We to need to gather the things of the Lord daily:
- reading his word, meditate on it, obey it, and living it.
John ch. 6v31
“ Our Fathers did eat Manna in the Desert”
John ch 6v33
“the Bread of God is he which came down from heaven”
There is nothing in this world which can sustain the believer spiritually

11. Old corn of the Land
Manna would speak to us of our Lord’s humiliation.
Old corn of the land speaks of Christ in his exaltation:
“If ye them be risen with Christ, seek those thing above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” Col. 3v1
Heavenly, glorified Christ, as a Man who had been through this sin-stained world in a spotless humanity, the unleavened bread, and who in this same humanity had passed through the fire of judgment like the parched corn, and who, having entered the glory in resurrection, sits as Man at the right hand of God.

12. Man with the drawn sword
Theophanic:
Jehovah appearing in a visible form: this happened only a few times:
- Gen.18 v1; Ex 3v2; Jud.6v12 etc
John could say (ch.1v14) “Word became flesh and dwelt (or tabernacled) among us…”
Joshua’s response:
No fear: went unto Him
Fell on his face
Worship Him
Shoes off feet: Holy ground

13. Man with the draw sword
The book of Joshua is the book of conflicts and conquests. The sword is freely used in carrying out the divine judgments upon the ungodly tenants of the land. Yet the first drawn sword, mentioned in the book, is in the hand of the Lord as He appeared unto Joshua. He fights for His people. He will yet execute the righteous judgments in the earth,
It will be impossible for those who are called to fight under a divine leader to remain associated, individually or corporately, with evil or defilement in the walk.