April 27 | Waking with The Word | Joshua 10: 6,7,9,15,43

Joshua 10:6  And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp toGilgal,

Joshua 10:7  So Joshua ascended fromGilgal,he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

Joshua 10:9  Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up fromGilgalall night.

Joshua 10:15  And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp toGilgal.

Joshua 10:43  And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp toGilgal.

As I read chapter 10 I couldn't help but notice all the times Gilgal is mentioned in this chapter. This was where Joshua and the children of Israel had set up camp. This is where they came to lay their heads at night after a long day of battle. This was the place where they took their meals, where their wives and children would spend their days while the men went to battle. Gilgal was home base, a place of constant revisiting.

Now before we can make a spiritual application we must first understand the significance of Gilgal. Lets go back to Chapter 5. 

There are 3 things that happened at Gilgal that make it so significant.

Circumcision

Joshua 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. :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. 

This was the place where they had to be circumcised, before they ever drew a sword on the enemy they had to first draw it on themselves. In chapter 5 there had been an entire generation of Israelite's that had never been circumcised. This circumcision represents the cutting away of the flesh. This was the first order of business in preparation for their military campaign in Canaan land, and should be ours as well.

The 1st bloodshed was that of themselves and before we ever fight the enemy we will first have to fight our self. Paul said that in his flesh dwelt no good thing, and in another instance he said he died daily! Dear friends, make sure the flesh is dealt with it is a horrible enemy, one that must be defeated 1st of all. There could have never been a Jericho had there not been a Gilgal. There will never be victory in your christian life until you've dealt with self 1st.

Communion

Joshua 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. 

The Passover had not been kept by this generation because of the instruction given to Moses in Exodus 12:48. You had to be circumcised to take of the Passover. Now that the reproached had been rolled away and their flesh dealt with they were able to take the Passover meal in remembrance of their redemption from Egypt. Don't we do the same before we take of The Lords supper? Before a christian takes communion we are instructed to examine ourselves. If there is some sin, some bit of self that needs to be dealt with then we cut away that sin, we confess it and ask for forgiveness that we might not take communion unworthily. Passover to the Israelite's is as Communion is to the church. 

Consumption

Joshua 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.

Their diets changed there at Gilgal. They were no longer eating manna but moved to parched corn. Manna would sustain them for walking but it wasn't going to do for warring. I challenge you to do a word search of "parched corn" every where it is mentioned it is being served to people doing strenuous labor. God wasn't expecting them to fight a war on food that was meant for walking. The supply will always match the surroundings. God doesn't expect us to fight a war on a diet meant for the wilderness, and don't expect a diet suited for the war if all you do is wander in the wilderness. God moves his people from the milk of The Word to the strong meat of The Word as your christian life develops and as you move from living for self to living for Him.

Conversation

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.Gilgal was the place where Joshua had a conversation with The Captain of The Lords Host. The place where he talked to God and God talked to him with words of assurance and instruction on how to fight the battle.

Now back to chapter 10. Notice our verses, some indicate their returning to Gilgal and some indicate their coming from Gilgal. In their battles with the enemy they are either returning to Gilgal for rest and restrengthening or they are leaving Gilgal ready for another battle. Dear reader, we as Christians fighting for our Canaan need to be always returning to a place of cutting away our spiritual flesh, dying daily as Paul said. We need to always be returning to a place of communion with our Lord and a place of remembrance of the redemption that was bought for us on Calvary. We should in times of weakness return to a place of consuming the Word of God, our provision for the battle. When we need instruction and assurance return to a place of conversation with our Lord. In chapter 10 we see them returning over and over again to Gilgal for strength and we should do the same. Are you tired? do you need strength? Do you need rest?Revisit that place in your christian life when you dealt with your flesh. Revisit that place in your christian life when you communed with your Lord. Revisit that place in your christian life when you were consuming meat for the battle instead of milk for the babes. Revisit that place of conversation with God for assurance and instruction.

Notice they didn't camp at Jericho, or Ai or any other place of victory. They camped at the place of victory over self. Every victory was rooted in that 1st victory at Gilgal over the flesh. Dear reader you'll never have victory over the enemy until you have victory over the flesh. This will be a constant revisiting like Israels to Gilgal, but with ever visitation strength was gained for the next battle. Crucify your flesh, remember the price paid for your sin, live in The Word of God and pray without ceasing. That's home base for the christian in today's battle that's where we should set up camp. 

Go back to Gilgal for strength!!

Onward Christian Soldiers!!!