JOSHUA CHAPTER 5
[In Joshua-4 we read about the fall of the walls of Jericho - here is a letter received on the subject:]
Klapwijk, H.
Aurore Links Estate
Somerset West 7130
South Africa
Dear Mr Davidiy
I have just finished reading your most excellent book, Lost Israelite Identity
and wish to congratulate you & During my own lifetime, of 82 years, I
have written a few, short Afrikaans and Dutch books about world politics
& On page 142 [ Lost Israelite Identity ] you wrote that at Jericho the
walls miraculously fell down. Perhaps I can be of assistance by letting you
know
why they fell down that it was all God's plan, the Israelites not knowing
that. But first, I have been a navigating Officer on an American troopship
during WW2. We were operating in the Pacific, were many times in Australia,
usually we have about 2,000 troops aboard.
Now, we always let these troops know NOT to jump together on deck, as in
case 1,000 of them would jump on the front deck, and the other 1,000 on the
deck behind, a momentum could occur that could cause the ship to break up.
The same thing happens when soldiers cross a bridge: They are ordered to
march out of step , or the bridge may collapse.
Well, the same thing happened at Jericho.
The Israelites were silent when they compassed the city, only the trumpets
were blown, and they most probably kept in step . And there were not a few
thousand of them but about one million! They walked around the city once
a day, for six days. That had an INVISIBLE effect on the walls of Jericho.
On the seventh day they marches around in step seven times and at the call
of Joshua they all shouted with a great shout .
They brought the walls down!
So, God used a law of nature to bring down the walls of Jericho.
With kind regards
Yours truly,
H. Klapwik
Joshua-5
[Joshua 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.
<<ALL THE KINGS OF THE AMORITES>>: In Hebrew Amori , in Akkadian Amuru .
Amorites were also east of the Jordan though the Bible refers to the areas
west of it. In the Middle East one of the names for the Land of Israel on
both east and west sides of the Jordan was Amuru . This name could also
beapplied to Syria which the Israelites also conquered and settled in. The
name Amuru and Amori was later applied by others to Israelites (and perhaps
also to the inhabitants of Syria in general) long after the original Amorites
had been wiped out or driven out.
After the exile of the northern Israelites, A King of a combined force of
Cimmerians, Guti, and Scythians was later referred to by the Assyrians as
King of the Amuru : This is was of the numerous proofs identifying at least
part of the Cimmerians, Scythians, and Goths with exiled Israelites.
[Joshua 5:2] AT THAT TIME THE LORD SAID UNTO
JOSHUA, MAKE THEE SHARP KNIVES, AND CIRCUMCISE AGAIN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
THE SECOND TIME.
<<SHARP KNIVES>>: In Hebrew Charvot (knives) Tsurim (of flint),
i.e. knives of flint. Flint can be split very thinly and used to make cutting
instruments that are extremely sharp.
[Joshua 5:3] AND JOSHUA MADE HIM SHARP KNIVES, AND CIRCUMCISED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AT THE HILL OF THE FORESKINS.
[Joshua 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.
[Joshua 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.
In a sense the Israelites in the Wilderness were prototypes of the Israelites in Exile.
I never saw an explanation I considered convincing as to why they had not been circumcised.
Nowadays most males in the USA and (up till recently Australia) are circumcised
automatically. In Britain most are not but many amongst the aristocracy and
Upper Middle Classes are. The Royal family also used to circumcise. They
say that Diana and Prince Charles stopped it.The circumcision of Royal males
used to be performed by a Jewish Mohel or
professional circumciser.
In Jewish circles they used to have a joke: Everybody who does something
for the royal family is likely to be knighted and receive a coat-of-arms
with the tools and products of his profession. What will the Royal
mohel put on his?
Cicumcision is healthier for both the males and their female partners. It
makes for greater mental stability amongst males and a longer and safer sex
life. On the other hand it may decrease libido and intensity of feeling in
the actual act itself. In Russia circumcision was forbidden for many years.
Immigrants to Israel from Russia are often uncircumcised and have the operation
performed here. Some of these Russian Jewish immigrants were reported in
an Israeli newspaper as saying that their performance is now not as good
as it once was. Maybe this was psychological? Maybe not. A Midrash also makes
the same remarks. I never knew anyone circumcised from childhood who ever
regretted it. I once had a friend in Australia from Austria. He had problems
so the local Roman Catholic Irish doctor advised that he get circumcised.
He did and his condition improved.
The Lost Ten Tribes according to tradition stopped keeping the commandment
of circumcision long before they were exiled. On the other hand the Jews
kept this commandment even though in Roman times at some stages they risked
death by doing so. Also in Russia it was quite risky to perform this operation
but many Jews managed to do so. Even non-religious Jews went to great lengths
to keep this commandment.
[Joshua 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.
<<MILK AND HONEY>>: These must be good for you. Some of
the Commentators say that by honey is meant the product of dates, others
say it means ordinary honey made by bees.
[Joshua 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.
[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.
[Joshua 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.
<<ROLLED AWAY>>: in Hebrew galothi <<GILGAL>>:
Probably denoting a ring of stones but it can also mean roll away . We have
here a play on words. We also have a recurring Biblical theme that the name
of a person or place
eflects the essence of what is named and its destiny.
[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.
<<FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH>>: of Nisan, i.e. Passover.
[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.
[Joshua 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.
[Joshua 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?
[Joshua 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?
He was an angel.
[Joshua 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.
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