How do we go from Gilgal to Golgotha in an Old Testament story like Joshua’s?
It happens.
We have already covered the fact that Joshua is a shadow and type of Jesus, but in Joshua Chapter Five we can begin to see so much more.
WELCOME
Welcome to the COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY where we are studying The Book of Joshua every Thursday. If you wish to receive an e-mail with our lessons once a week; just sign in by clicking the “Submit” button above. We would love for you to join our word-by-word, page-by-page study.
It is our hope to eventually study all the way through The Holy Scriptures of our bibles. Our approach is from the view of a child; as if we are just hearing the stories for the first time. So far we are a gathering of 122 laymen. We want to listen intently for what our adored Heavenly Father is saying to us.
Last week the Israelites had just crossed the Jordan River. Twelve of them carried some very important memorial stones over to the camp inside the gilgal.
FEAR IN THE LAND
Now that Israel is actually inside the land of Canaan the Amorite King and the Canaanite King realized that God was with Joshua and the Israelites.
They had heard of how the river parted for them to cross over even in the middle of the flood season. They knew it wasn’t by chance.
These Kings and their armies were so afraid of the Israelites and their Great God’s protection that they did not even confront Israel as they entered the land and made their camp.
MARKED FOR GOD
God wanted to plainly identify Israel as His own. Nothing significant was going to happen until that was completely accomplished.
God’s mark of identity has traditionally been circumcision. That is exactly what He commanded Joshua to do first.
One generation of the slaves who left Egypt had died in the wilderness by now. They were unfaithful to God’s commandments to cross over into the Promised Land; so He did not let them enter. God kept his promise to Abraham by allowing their children to enter the promised land instead of them.
The sons that made up those children were all grown now. They were all old enough to be in the military; but they had not yet been circumcised.
As soon as they entered the land, God told Joshua to circumcise each male Israelite.
Joshua obeyed these instructions.
The sons of Israel remained in Gilgal for three days, until they had healed from the procedure.
GOD ROLLED AWAY THE REPROACH
During this time of healing God spoke to Joshua and said “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” The scripture in Joshua 5:9 goes on to tell us; “So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.”
This last statement from God brings us back around to more of the meaning of the word “Gilgal.”
The word “reproach” refers to shame. As slaves the people of Israel had lived in constant shame. The act of circumcision requires the cutting off of the foreskin of the male. Through the circumcision of each male of Israel God symbolically “cut off” the shame they suffered in Egypt as slaves. Also the shame of the disobedient generation before them had been forgiven and removed. Here is where God was doing something new.
These marked men of God were the first free citizens of the new nation called Israel.
A NEW IDENTITY IN A NEW LAND
As we mentioned previously, one meaning of the word “gilgal” is “to roll away.” God was rolling away their old identity as people of bondage and giving them a new identity of freedom by the power of God. This happened at Gilgal.
Gilgal also means a “wheel” or a “circle.” This was where they had placed stones in a circle acknowledging the miracles of God. Also this was where their shame was rolled away like a wheel.
At Gilgal they not only lost their shame and found a new identity; they also found their new operating center. It was surrounded by the stones that spoke of God’s basic laws; the Ten Commandments. From those best ways they would operate in this new place where God had led them.
NEW HIDING IN THE OLD
We can take this even further when we realize that “gilgal” comes from the same root word as “Golgotha.”
There seems to be a New Testament meaning hiding in the Old Testament story of Joshua at Gilgal.
The gilgal of Joshua points us forward to the Golgotha of Jesus.
Israel was not the only nation to suffer shame. All nations and all people have the shame of sin. At Golgotha Jesus rolled away our past shame. At the cross our sins were “cut away” and all believers became circumcised of the heart in Christ.
We are assured of this truth in Colossians 2:11-12; in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
We are like those new stones taken from the riverbed where the commandments of God rested in the Ark of the Covenant that was held up by the priest of the nation.
FIRST FRUITS OF THOSE TO COME
Years later; Jesus was placed inside a sealed tomb. A large stone blocked the door to the entrance to where He was. The stone was “rolled away” on the third day because Jesus was resurrected from the dead into new life. He became the First-Fruits to receive everlasting life from God’s harvest.
Now the “living stones” are led through a leader they call “The Rock.” We all came out of the river like those stones into a new place and a new life. It was a type of Resurrection. Our Resurrection to new life was only possible because Christ rose first. He was the First Fruit of God’s Kingdom. After three days in the grave; He rose to prove to the world that He was Messiah. His rising from the grave brought healing to ALL nations, Israel as well as those who came after Israel.
THREE DAYS OF HEALING
Three days after the circumcision; the Israelites had healed.
In the new land they became the first-fruits of a brand new nation.
The circumcised from an operating center that upheld God’s laws would lead all other nations into knowing and understanding the ways of God.
BELIEVERS IN GILGAL
You and I are like those uncircumcised Israelites who were stumbling aimlessly through the dessert without having a true home.
Jesus came and offered us a new home and a new shameless identity in a new place where the stones of our reproach have been rolled away. Our shame has now been replaced with stones that are helpful and meaningful to remind us of God’s ways. In Him those stones that held the commandments of God came to Life; Him first and all who followed Him next. Our Rock of Salvation guides us safely through the lands of our enemies. He is the leader of the living stones that now make up The Church of The Living God. He will always be in the center of all that we do.
All we have to do is believe in Jesus as our Resurrected King and join in the participation of life with Him. In this way we will be building up a new nation too. It will be made up of living stones. This new nation will be called The Kingdom of God. It belongs to our Father.
Our Gilgal is the Cross. The Cross followed by The Resurrection to New Life has now become the very center from which we operate in this world. This is how we will overcome in the last days as we wait on Jesus to come to take us to our new home.
Those old Israelites were also given the proper tools to over come their enemies. God was with them and carried them on to many new victories.
God always keeps His promises.