Joshua 5:9-12 Commentary

Emerging from the Wilderness

The book of Joshua begins with a season of transition among God’s people. Their leader, Moses has just died. Joshua has been installed as their new leader. His job will be to direct the people into the promised land. They cross the Jordan and are now ready to enter the land.  Just as God’s covenant was made with Abraham and was later sealed with the sign of circumcision, so now God’s people pause to submit to the sign of the covenant.  Similarly, they celebrate their passover meal. Robert Alter writes of this celebration: “Of all the stipulated festival sacrifices, it was the Passover that confirmed a person’s full participation in the community of Israel…The celebration of the first Passover took place at the eve of the departure from Egypt, and so this second Passover marks the liminal moment of leaving the wilderness for the land as the first Passover marks the leaving of Egypt for the wilderness.” In both symbols (circumcision and Passover), as with the sacraments for God’s people today, we are reminded of our belonging and God’s faithful promises.

Leaving a Legacy

We might miss a significant piece of this text, particularly as the Lectionary gives us the celebration of the Passover but not its intended partner, the ritual circumcision of the Israelites prior to entering the Promised Land.  We know that Moses circumcised the Israelites as a part of their exodus from Egypt but then it seems the rudimentary conditions of the wilderness wandering did not allow for the practice to continue.  Thus now, on the threshold of the Promised Land, as verse 4 reminds us “All those who came out of Egypt—-all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.” There is a backlog of those who need to undergo the procedure. The practice, though, holds a great deal of weight, especially with the older generation who remembered slavery in Egypt, who had originally received the promise of a land of their own, all buried behind them in the wilderness. Whereas most generations overlap and, with that, share history and memory organically, this text demonstrates a distinct break. According to Bible scholar Joshua Creach, Joshua 5 offers circumcision as a sign “that the torch had been passed from those Israelites who were circumcised by Moses before the exodus to their children born in the wilderness. This is hinted at in verse two (and offers a far less frightening interpretation)  when it mentions that the people are to circumcised “a second time.”

Roll Away

In verse 9, when God promises the “reproach of Egypt” will roll away, that Hebrew word for something round, like a wheel (galoti) becomes the name of the location: Gilgal. It seems strange to bring up the reproach or disgrace of Egypt, especially after we’ve just acknowledged that none of the Israelites on the cusp of the Promised Land had been a part of the enslaved people in Egypt. What connection do they have to the reproach/disgrace of that time before they were even born? Some scholars believe this points to their uncircumcised condition.  That, in this way, the shame of being displaced has stayed with them even as they fled their enslaved state. Creach adheres to this view, as he points out: “In Joshua’s theological schema the wilderness generation never completely shook off the stigma of Egyptian bondage, because it was not willing to accept the freedom of land possession. The wilderness wanderers carried a disgrace that they could not remove.” It would not be removed until they entered the promised land on God’s terms and under God’s guiding hand.

Making the Connection

No doubt the popular favorite among this week’s Lectionary texts will be Luke 15. So it might be helpful to consider how the preceding themes in the Hebrew Scripture text can be drawn in and used as supporting material if the preacher is planning to preach on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Consider, first, how the Prodigal Son is emerging from the wilderness. His father’s purse now empty, he comes home to a sacramental feast.

Second, if your tradition holds baptism as a rite of initiation predicated upon the rite of circumcision, we might remember how the newly initiated in the early church were wrapped in new, unstained white robes upon emerging from the baptismal waters.  Similarly, the father insists his Son is given a robe and ring to signify his homecoming and his belonging again to the household.  The ritual of circumcision, so long delayed in the wilderness, demonstrates that God’s people have come home through a ritual of welcome.

Finally, the imagery of disgrace and reproach rolling away is beautifully embodied by the Father offering a welcome to his wayward son.  Whether a people moving out of the wilderness into their new homeland or a son traveling home to his Father’s arms, both demonstrate the promise in Psalm 32, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

Worship Idea/Children’s Message

The idea of our sin and burdens “rolling away” has been captured in numerous hymns and praise choruses over the years.  The imagery is rich and you might have some fun with it during the children’s message.  First, have the kids pass out marbles in the congregation.  Second, you can show a video of a marble run, Third, either mostly set up ahead of time or do it all during the children’s message but, using one of these simple kits, you can create a marble run. Finally, you might consider using this as an image for a prayer of confession or a time of response after the sermon.  Invite people to hold their marbles as they recall their sins, then standing during a song of response (bonus points if the song has rolling imagery) people can come forward to feed their marbles into the marble run to signify it being removed from them.

[Note: In addition to these weekly sermon commentaries on the CEP website, we also have a resource page for Lent and Easter with more preaching and worship ideas as well as sample sermons on the Year C Lectionary texts.]