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Awesome Hands - part 162: “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” - Discussion

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Awesome Hands – part 162

“Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?”

December 21, 2019

Circumcision is an important step in a Christian’s walk with the Lord. Often times it is easy to think of circumcision as a “one and done” type of situation, but being that circumcision is no longer an outward act that must be followed to be a child of God, we must look toward the inside of the cup to see where this act really gives its true purpose.

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  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.

In our study today, I hope that the Word can be used to help us become closer to Him than we were yesterday while we cut away more of the old man in each of us.

We find ourselves in the camp of Israel with Joshua leading the people to the place of Gilgal. It is named Gilgal because of what happens today in our study.

The only time that hand is mentioned in our verses today is at the end of the chapter, but as always, I like to read the context of our story in our to help us understand why it is important for all us in 2019.

Firstly, we will read the verse containing the word “hand” and then we will read the rest to give us some perspective.

Jos 5:13  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?
Jos 5:14  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?
Jos 5:15  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.

Now, I don’t know what you all are thinking, but that was a quick read. However, there is so much that can be inferred from those three passages. However, before we get to that I am going to read the beginning of the chapter to help us set the stage of Joshua’s encounter.

Jos 5:1  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.
Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
Jos 5:4  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.
Jos 5:5  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.
Jos 5:6  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.
Jos 5:7  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.
Jos 5:8  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.
Jos 5:9  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.

It is no secret to a Christian that they must be circumcised, but we just read that circumcision is of the heart.

None of the children of Israel were able to enter into the promised land who disobeyed the voice of the Lord. In fact, they had to roam around in the wilderness until they all died.

It was only then, when the type and shadow of the old man died, that Israel was permitted to cross the river Jordan, being baptized in type, to then become circumcised as a child of God.

Once everyone was circumcised, there was a time of rest that took place. They didn’t suddenly go on a march to fight the giants of the land and the rest of the armies of Canaan. What they did was wait on the Lord as His people.

The Lord takes us where we need to be when we need to be there, and because this event happens here, the Lord tells the people He has “rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you” thereby naming the place “Gilgal”.

What a strange name at first glance. However, if you want to see the power of the work of the Lord throughout the generations of men, then this word “Gilgal” will help you do that.

H1537

gilgâl

Total KJV Occurrences: 41

gilgal, 41

Deu_11:30, Jos_4:19-20 (2), Jos_5:9-10 (2), Jos_10:6-7 (3), Jos_10:9, Jos_10:15, Jos_10:43, Jos_12:23, Jos_15:6-7 (2), Jdg_2:1, Jdg_3:19, 1Sa_7:16, 1Sa_10:8, 1Sa_11:14-15 (3), 1Sa_13:4, 1Sa_13:7-8 (2), 1Sa_13:12, 1Sa_13:15, 1Sa_15:12, 1Sa_15:21, 1Sa_15:33, 2Sa_19:15, 2Sa_19:40, 2Ki_2:1, 2Ki_4:38, Neh_12:29, Hos_9:15 (2), Hos_12:11, Mic_6:4-5 (4)

This word is always translated the same. So far so good.

H1537

gilgâl

BDB Definition:

Gilgal = “a wheel, rolling”

1) the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho, here Samuel was judge, and Saul was made king; later used for illicit worship

2) dwelling place of prophets in northern Israel about four miles

3) a region conquered by Joshua, site unsure

Part of Speech: noun proper locative

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: the same as H1536

The BDB defines this word to mean “a wheel, rolling”. Well, the word “wheel” immediately pops out to me, and the BDB says this word is the same as H1536.

H1536

gilgâl

BDB Definition:

1) wheel

Part of Speech: noun masculine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a variation of H1534

Same Word by TWOT Number: 353j

H1536 means wheel as well, and it is used only in one place in scripture.

H1536

gilgâl

Total KJV Occurrences: 1

wheel, 1

Isa_28:28

Isa 28:28  Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

In the broader context, let us see what the Lord tells us in Isaiah 28:28 when put into context of the surrounding verses.

Isa 28:23  Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
Isa 28:24  Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?
Isa 28:25  When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
Isa 28:26  For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
Isa 28:27  For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
Isa 28:28  Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.
Isa 28:29  This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

It might be right about now that you are asking yourselves where this line of thought is coming from.

Give ear, hear the voice of the Lord, hearken and hear His speech! “For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him,” tells us that as God does this for the plowman, so He does it for all of His people, yay for all of creation for that matter.

What instruction does He have for us when He “rolls” away our reproach of Egypt from us and shows us where we are “rolling”?

Did you notice that H1536 is a variation of H1534? No, I suppose you didn’t since I just read right through that 😊

Here is the variation, and I will read some of these for emphasis of the point. However, I will not read them all.

H1534

galgal

Total KJV Occurrences: 11

wheels, 6

Isa_5:28, Jer_47:3, Eze_10:2, Eze_10:6, Eze_23:24, Eze_26:10

wheel, 3

Psa_83:13, Ecc_12:6, Eze_10:13

heaven, 1

Psa_77:18

rolling, 1

Isa_17:13

Eze 10:1  Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
Eze 10:2  And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
Eze 10:3  Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Eze 10:4  Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory.
Eze 10:5  And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
Eze 10:6  And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.

And then we see this:

Eze 23:23  The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
Eze 23:24  And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
Eze 23:25  And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.

God has “wheels” as a burning fire, which He calls His people, but He also uses the physical “wheels” of the enemies of God to pass judgment on the people of God when they disobey Him. There is always a positive and negative.

Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

We shall all be judged, and with the judgment we are judged with, we as the fiery wheels of God, will execute that same saving judgment to others. For us to get to this point, we must become the people of God who “roll” the narrow Way to Truth and Life.

Why do I say “roll” the narrow way?

Jos 5:9  And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled (H1556) away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

H1556

gâlal

Total KJV Occurrences: 20

rolled, 6

Gen_29:3, Gen_29:10, Jos_5:9, Job_30:14, Isa_9:5, Isa_34:4

roll, 4

Gen_29:8, Jos_10:18, 1Sa_14:33, Jer_51:25

commit, 2

Psa_37:5, Pro_16:3

occasion, 1

Gen_43:18

remove, 1

Psa_119:22

removed, 1

Isa_38:12

rolleth, 1

Pro_26:27

run, 1

Amo_5:24

seek, 1

Gen_43:18

trusted, 1

Psa_22:8

wallowed, 1

2Sa_20:12

This word is a verb and is translated the majority of the time as rolled or roll, but there are two times we see it translated as something quite different as the word “commit”.

Yes, this directly relates to our study today about the land which the Lord has brought us into as His people as He rolls way our reproach.

Psa 37:3  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Psa 37:4  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Psa 37:5  Commit (H1556) thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psa 37:7  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Indeed, we shall be spiritually fed with His Word. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He give us the desires of our hearts.
Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Pro 16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Pro 16:3  Commit (H1556) thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

This word commit is so powerful, especially when we compare it to its true intention and not only the English it has been translated into.

“Roll” thy way unto the Lord”, or “Roll” thy works unto the Lord, seems like a weird English was to say this, but it is the meaning behind this concept that makes it much more potent.

Here are a few of the times that this same word in, “rolled (H1556) away the reproach of Egypt from off you” is translated.

Gen 29:3  And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

Gen 29:10  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

Isa 9:5  For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 34:4  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Psa 119:22  Remove (H1556) from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

These events are all significant examples for us in the lives of the people of God, and that brings me full circle back around to Joshua and the three verses I said have significant things that can be inferred from them.

First, notice that there was a time-lapse between this circumcision event and Joshua seeing the captain of the host.

There was the first Passover in Canaan.

Jos 5:10  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.
Jos 5:11  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.
Jos 5:12  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.

This would have been a significant change for all of these people. The “manna from heaven”, as they thought of it, never happened again. Their old ways and lives were indeed “rolled away”.

However, there is a new “rolling” that must take place. A “rolling” forward as the fire of the Word of the Lord in the hearts and minds of His people.

Of course, in this example of Joshua, it is a type and shadow of this mindset.

Jos 5:13  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?
Jos 5:14  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?
Jos 5:15  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.

It can be inferred that Joshua was alone. Why, because he lifted up his eyes and he suddenly sees a “man”. If Joshua had soldiers around him they would have immediately defended Joshua or minimally taken this man into custody given that Joshua was the leader of the people.

Joshua knows he must go to take Jericho, and he also knows the Lord is with Him. After all, we know we are told in Joshua 1:6 and 1:9 to “be strong and of good courage”.

Jos 1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Jos 1:6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Jos 1:7  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Jos 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Jos 1:9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

I do not believe for one second that Joshua feared this “man” that suddenly stood before him with a sword in his hand. Notice it isn’t recorded that Joshua say this “man” as anything other than a man, but we can infer that he must have been able to deduce that this could be something other than a man.

Why do I say that? Well, there were many miraculous things that happened with Joshua is aware of that happened throughout the history he would have known about.

Joshua’s reaction is to ask this man if he is for the people of Israel or for the adversaries of Israel. Upon hearing the reply, Joshua immediately reacts and recognizes “the voice” of the one He is speaking with.

This whole study is focused on who we are to the Lord and why it is we should be strong and of a good courage.

When the Lord baptized us into His service, there is NO TURNING BACK to the Lord. You are His, and He is yours. Things always roll forward with the Lord.

When He circumcised you in your heart, He rolled away the reproach of your old man. The war of the flesh with the mind of God is already won, but we are just going through the motions of this war playing out as the birthing process is happening of the new man being born in us day by day, more and more.

I will leave you all with this thought concerning who you are in the Lord. Your worst enemy is yourself.

When we read Joshua 1:5, we should be jumping for joy, not for what we think is being said, but for what is being said to the new man in us that can rejoice that the Lord is indeed on OUR SIDE.

Jos 1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee

There is NO MAN that can stand before you, INCLUDING YOURSELF. The Lord is with us, He will not fail us and he will not forsake us.

Our flesh and carnal mind will always tell us, heck it will scream and yell at us, that there is no possible way we are the Lord’s and He is ours since we know every nasty and evil thing about ourselves, but do not believe it for a second. The Captain of the Lord's host fights with you.