YT 16 Joshua part 11a chapter 5:4-13; Exodus 12

The Book of Joshua

Part 11 A
Chapter 5:4-13; Exodus 12

The LORD’S Passover ~ First Month

Recapping:

As we saw from our previous lesson circumcision was a sign of the “sentence of
death” in the cutting off of the foreskin protecting the transmission of the seed.

This sign said to the seed of Abraham (those born of the flesh both birthed in his
household and those bought with money) that God’s Eternal Covenant ~ man in His
image after His likeness ~ a kingdom of sons of God is all the LORD’S doing.

Abraham’s seed ~ men in the flesh could produce nothing. The sign
(circumcision) declared that the flesh body of man had the sentence of death. The land
promised was the LORD’S purchased by the Take Me offering. The seed to inherit the
land ~ sons of God would be those born of the Seed of God ~ the Covenant Son.

This is the sign of the circumcision:

God’s plan is to have man in His image, after His likeness. So He began with
having man in His image but not after His likeness because that would take the
Covenant Son.

God would come clothed in a body of flesh in the image of God (the image of
God being flesh and bone) in the likeness of man: meaning that flesh and bone body
that the Covenant Son would come clothed in would be in the likeness of man ~ the life
of that body being blood.

Jesus, the son of Man would come as God the Son clothed in the image of God,
flesh and bone according to the likeness of man.

Then Jesus would “cut off” that body in death; lay it down; raise it up 3 days later
flesh and bone, the image of God, in the likeness of God ~ that body being spirit Life ~
Eternal Life.

Jesus was born again in that body. The Son of Man now becomes the Son of
God. Jesus is the very 1st begotten Son of God ~ God’s seed of Eternal Life for other
sons.

The “plan of circumcision” was from the very beginning in Eternity past.

It is with this understanding that the generation of Joshua’s day proceeded with
the circumcision the 2nd time (collectively). In order to inherit the land promised there
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YT 16 Joshua part 11a chapter 5:4-13; Exodus 12

must be the cutting off of the flesh. Circumcision is a sign ~ Joshua’s generation
understood what it meant. Circumcision is a sign of the sentence of death. It does not
mean that everyone in Abraham’s line believed.

2nd Time Circumcision

Joshua 5:4-9: ~ the second time:

“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. 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.”

“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. 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. 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.”

Those that came out of Egypt did not circumcise themselves because they had
not obeyed the voice of the LORD. The reason they had not was because of the
condition that the nation was in at that particular time.

When the nation was in Egypt, they sold themselves into bondage. They knew
that they were God’s covenant people because they had it declared in the heavenly
revelation of the Eternal Covenant in the luminaries. But the only thing that mattered to
them was getting to the land ~ not because they were God’s Covenant people ~ they
didn’t want to do anything God’s way. And they would not recognize that they were
idolaters. They walked around the wilderness because they would not obey the voice of
the LORD. But God proceeded anyway ~ He raised up the seed of their children ~ those
are the ones that are going to go into the land.

Hence the circumcision the second time in Joshua’s day ~ the separating of the
“flesh” protecting the channel for the transmission of the seed figuratively witnessed of
the testimony of the nation as God’s people, having cut off the flesh as a sign of the
sentence of death.

Figuratively circumcision was a pictorial uniting them with the Covenant Son’s
death and resurrection that they might be born sons of God.

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YT 16 Joshua part 11a chapter 5:4-13; Exodus 12

Circumcision is a figure ~ it does not mean all of them had life, as evidenced later
in Joshua. There are those who were circumcised that actually believed the truth of the
picture and were born again. And there are those who were circumcised and it was just
a religious rite so that they could enter the land and have their inheritance.

Thus, the connection of Egypt ~ those things of the world with its way of thinking
were rolled away. They entered the land not as sons of men in the flesh, but as a
Covenant People.

Thus this 2nd time ~ the generation under Joshua ~ the children God raised up in
the stead of their fathers ~ by circumcising the foreskin, acknowledged three things:

1. God’s Covenant of Eternal life is by faith alone in the Righteousness of the

Covenant Son. (They have the sentence of death in their body. How can they
live forever but by the Seed of the Covenant Son?)
2. He would be God to them and to their seed.
3. He would give them all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession.

Men of War

Finally, the repeated phrase “men of war” needs to be recognized and

acknowledged. The phrase indicates that a formal military combat has been declared
and engaged in by peoples and nations.

Although the generation under Joshua would be fighting the “ite” nations in the
land promised, they were not going to war as such ~ there was a protocol of warfare
and peace terms.

Israel neither declared war on the “ite” nations nor offered them peace. They
were simply entering into the land they were promised as the iniquity of the Amorites
was now full (Genesis 15:16).

Israel was merely claiming what was theirs by following their Conqueror: the
Man of War into the land that “all the kings” recognize as the LORD. The battle is not
Israel’s but the LORD’S.

Therefore, in keeping with the figurative language of the text ~ Joshua’s

generation Israel is a pictorial of the future generation Israel ~ the remnant who will go
into the land to possess it as an everlasting possession following the Conqueror, the
Covenant Son.

When the remnant goes into the land, she does not go into the land and fight for
it. And figuratively neither does Joshua’s generation. They were following the Man of
War.

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This is figured in the conclusion of the chapter with the Man with the drawn sword
in his hand ~ the Captain of the host of the LORD. He is the Man of War on the behalf of
His people: the LORD is His name (Exodus 15:3).

Joshua’s Generation

These sons of Israel are a new creation ~ these sons are sons of God! The
reproach of Egypt is rolled away, their confidence is not in themselves but in the
Covenant Son. Their testimony of the hope of Eternal life and the land given as an
everlasting possession is God’s doing, and man adds nothing to it.

So as to not lump everyone together: not all those who crossed over the Jordan;
and participated in the ceremony of the Mounts; and were circumcised; and celebrated
the Passover were sons of God (believed). Jehovah is the heart knower. It is a pictorial.

One Last Figure of Circumcision

Within the text of Joshua is the emphasis that it is the males that are to be
circumcised. While this might seem obvious to the Western mind, there are some
cultures that circumcised both genders ~ a desecration, perversion and corruption of the
Truth. The issue is Seed for Eternal Life that is provided by God’s Seed, Christ.

The males are circumcised because it is the male who transmits the seed. The
female gender would “enter into” the Covenant of circumcision ~ the cutting off of the
flesh by faith ~ worshipping God in spirit and having no confidence in the flesh.

All sons come from seed ~ sons of humanity and sons of God. Sons of God
come from God’s Seed ~ the Covenant Son. Man cannot help God out ~ in his flesh
dwells no good thing because the body has the sentence of death in it (Romans 3:9-12;
7:18). In the sign of the circumcision is the testimony of the faith of the Son of the
Covenant ~ who loved and gave Himself.

That is what Abraham taught his household, to those born in his household and
to those bought with money because the issue is Seed for sons of God to inherit the
land.

Joshua 5:10-13:

“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. 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. 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.”

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“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?”

Clearly from the text of Joshua it is understood that the land, circumcision and
Passover are all interrelated to the Covenant of Faith. The Eternal Covenant declared in
the heavenly revelation of the stars with their signs (months); the land; circumcision;
and Passover are all the LORD’S doing.

Everything is God’s work. Man does not have a part in God’s work. We think that
we do, we want to, but it is impossible. It is so hard to think of everything beginning with
God, even though Genesis 1:1 states “In the beginning God…”

How willing God is to make Himself known. He wants to share Himself so greatly
that He is willing to reveal Himself in many ways to draw a person to Himself. And God
does it over and over, generation after generation to serve His purpose for the glory of
God. God is so other than His creation who hordes and hides.

It is also understood from the text that the reader has understanding of the
significance of the LORD’S Passover as it pertains to the kingdom of God and the
Covenant people Israel.

Thus, in order to understand the LORD’S Passover, several questions need to be

considered. When was Passover instituted ~ for whom was it instituted? What is the
figurative message contained within the ceremony of the LORD’S Passover and what is
the figurative message of the stars with their signs in the Eternal Covenant connected to
the LORD’S Passover?

These questions will necessitate us to back up in Israel’s history. God first spoke
to Abraham that his seed would be in a land that is not theirs (Egypt). But they are going
to come out of Egypt when the iniquity of the Amorites is full. Israel comes out (Moses’
day) and goes into the land when the iniquity of the Amorites is great (Joshua’s day).

What is Israel’s condition when she departs from Egypt? She has sold herself
into slavery and she is an idolatrous nation. But God sees her as His covenant people.
Now is the time to deliver her and redeem her out of Egypt. Israel is being delivered out
of Egypt so that she can go into her land, to establish the kingdom.

Calendar Change

When the time of deliverance came for Israel to depart Egypt, the first thing the
LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about was the change of the calendar for the nation;
and then God details the ceremony of the LORD’S Passover. It takes both Moses and
Aaron to “figure” what God is going to do.

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As are the ways of God ~ He reveals the end of His plan first (let us make man in
our image, after our likeness); and then proceeds to fill in His accomplishment of His
plan. This is a pattern within the Scripture beginning with the creation record.

Thus, the calendar change for the nation declares the end of the plan for the
nation in the kingdom as the stars with their signs declare. And so, we are going to be
looking “to the end” ~ the establishment of the kingdom by looking at the beginning of
months for the nation.

Exodus 12:1-28: Read

If you only read Joshua 5:10-12, you would miss out on all the details regarding
Passover. It is the LORD’S Passover, and depending on where you are in Israel’s
history, sometimes it is called Unleavened Bread and Passover is not mentioned. Also,
we usually think lamb as the sacrifice and yet a goat was also allowed and depending
on Israel’s history, oxen and bullocks were offered.

But first God instructs His covenant people ~ the nation Israel that they are to be
on a calendar separate from the other nations. They are a separate people ~ they are
the LORD’S covenant people.

In addition, “this month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the
1st month of the year to you.” Thus, signifying spring to be the New Year for the nation.

If God says this is now the 1st month ~ what was the original first month? It was
the 7th month. God makes the 7th month the 1st month. Why? Because this is a
Covenant people ~ God is doing a brand new thing.

We know from reading Joshua that Israel entered the land on the 10 th of the 1st
month. And from the text in Exodus 12, we know what takes place when Israel enters
their land.

The 1st Month ~

The name of the 1st month is Abib but is not identified by name until Exodus 13:4.
Abib has the meaning “green ear of corn.”

Later after the Babylonian captivity the name of the month is changed to Nisan
meaning a “Banner ~ a miracle.” The name Nisan is used in the books of Esther and
Nehemiah. The Babylonian captivity is much later than Joshua’s day. The name is
changed because of what God is doing in Israel’s history. God always does everything
by purpose and design. Nisan is only used in Esther and Nehemiah because of events
in their history.

The constellations of the 1st month ~ the four luminaries as seen in the heavens
are on the basis of the tabernacle of the dominant luminary. The Sun is tabernacling in

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the constellation of Pisces. The four constellations in the heavens of the 1st month to
give light upon the four corners of the earth are Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra.

Any of the four constellations displayed in the heavens, along with the
constellation the sun is dwelling in (for any given month) presents a figurative pictorial of
a portion of the prophetic plan of God declared in the 12 signs of the Eternal Covenant.

As the universe is ruled by mathematical equations that cannot change,

everything is synchronized in a prearranged order. Although the beginning of months
(the ordinal) has changed, the order of the luminaries remains the same.

Thus, the surveying of the revelation of the five constellations in the heavens for
the month in consideration (in the text) must be read beginning first with the
constellation that the sun is dwelling in and then the remaining four.

For Example:

Although one cannot see the constellation the sun is positioned or “tabernacling”
in, that constellation must be “read” first because the sun is the greater light. The sun
shines the light of truth on the other constellations. Pisces, the 1st month, is going to
“light” up Libra, Virgo, Leo and Cancer.

The constellation the sun is in, Pisces, is the dominant luminary and in figure
represents the Son, giving the seer of the luminaries an overall theme of the remaining
four constellations of the stars with their signs. Pisces gives the theme of the four
constellation that are in the night sky. The seer goes out to look at the figurative
message of the luminaries in the heavenlies. He is not going out to look at the pretty
stars ~ there is a message of the Covenant Son.

The four visible luminary signs are “read” from right to left. The sun’s path
indicates the direction in which they must be read.

God’s law of physics requires a year for the earth to revolve around the sun and
the rotation of the earth on its axes along with the revolution of the planet around the
greater light produces “the sun’s path.”

Thus, the figurative message of the language of the stars with their signs are
read in the same manner as the Hebrew language ~ right to left; and in order of their
decans. Thus the night sky would be read: Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra.

Each constellation has three decans. The word decan means “a part”. The
message of each decan is a part of that constellation’s message. Once the figurative
message of each constellation of each sign is read in order, then comes the considered
message of that month collectively.

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As the five stars signs are a pictorial concerning a particular theme ~ they need
to be considered as one figure. Thus, the seer is not looking at four separate
constellations, but one figurative pictorial of the five constellations collectively of the
Eternal Covenant.

The theme is a pictorial of the Person and Work of the Covenant Son as it
pertains to Israel. The heavenly revelation is a heavenly pictorial of an earthly kingdom
of sons of God. The constellations picture near (pertains to the text being read); far
(what is going to be); and future (end of the age) fulfillments. The Eternal Covenant is
Eternal and all interwoven ~ which would be very comforting to the nation Israel. When
Israel comes out of Egypt, she is going to spend 40 years wandering around ~ but she
has the promise of the first month for a future.

This concludes lesson A.