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Post by Josh on Sept 13, 2009 18:23:01 GMT -8
Post your comments, questions, and discussion starters on Joshua chapters 5 and 6 as replies to this post.
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Post by Josh on Oct 5, 2009 17:00:10 GMT -8
Joshua 6:21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. If this stands out as a difficult passage to anyone, please take this link to a discussion on the topic of: Divinely Sanctioned Violence?For other themes from Joshua chapters 5 and 6 (the story of the battle of Jericho), post them here. |
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Post by Josh on Oct 9, 2009 8:17:29 GMT -8
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Post by Josh on Oct 9, 2009 8:20:47 GMT -8
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"
14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"
15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
I've always loved this little passage. Besides the fact that I see this as a Christophany (appearance of the pre-incarnate Jesus), I just love the idea that God is above our allegiances and that His agendas supercede our own.
Also, this vignette is basically Joshua's "burning bush" moment.
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Post by Josh on Oct 9, 2009 8:27:41 GMT -8
At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.Gibeath Haarloth means "hill of foreskins". 
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Post by robin on Oct 9, 2009 11:36:35 GMT -8
How do you get circumcised a second time? I'm afraid to ask what was cut off.  |
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Post by Josh on Oct 9, 2009 12:13:16 GMT -8
 Actually, it was the "next generation" of Israelites who hadn't been circumcised yet that he was referring to (fortunately) Still, adult circumcision ain't no laughing matter!
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Post by yeshuafreak on Oct 9, 2009 13:24:00 GMT -8
some rabbis interpret this (whether literally or drashically, you decide) that this "second circumcision" referred to the literal circumcision after there was a spiritual circumcision f their hearts under mosheh- and vice versa for other rabbis.
i find this interesting
shalom
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ben
Advanced Member
Posts: 115
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Post by ben on Oct 10, 2009 15:10:03 GMT -8
Ouch
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Post by sarah on Oct 10, 2009 18:43:39 GMT -8
I love how this illustrates how God's logic and timing have little to do with our own. By what stretch of reasoning is a human general going to decide that a few days before the first critical battle is a great time to have his army of men go through such a painful procedure? I doubt that they were feeling physically ready to march around the city!
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Post by Josh on Oct 10, 2009 20:34:12 GMT -8
True, true Sarah.
yeshuafreak wrote:
Kind of strange when the text explains both circumcisions as as literal.
Was this midrash pre or post AD 70?
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Post by Josh on Oct 11, 2009 16:38:46 GMT -8
Good teaching today, dad! Especially the flint knives  |
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Post by Josh on Oct 12, 2009 12:12:17 GMT -8
The discussion yesterday about whether or not the Israelites actually celebrated Passover during their wilderness wanderings or whether or not Moses was himself circumcised was new to me and interesting. Definitely worth some further investigation.
Based on Exodus 12:48:
"An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it."
and our knowledge that the new generation was not circumcized in the desert, it sure seems like the Israelites must not have celebrated Passover.
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Post by Josh on Oct 12, 2009 12:21:48 GMT -8
Okay,
I'm reading Numbers 9:1-13 and it says there that they at least celebrated the Passover at Sinai. It also says that if someone doesn't celebrate Passover, they are to be cut off from their people (although interestingly it does provide for a late-Passover excuse).
On the one hand, we have a passage saying you can't have Passover without being circumsized, on the other we have one saying you must be cut off if you don't celebrate it, but we know that many in Israel (the young folk) weren't circumcized during the wanderings, so it seems they couldn't have celebrated it, but if so, why weren't they "cut off"?
Hmmm, any insight on peicing this all together?
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Post by Josh on Oct 12, 2009 12:30:57 GMT -8
Well, from what I can find:
Jewish tradition holds that the Israelites only celebrated Passover 1 time in the desert after the Exodus- that was at Mt. Sinai (Numbers 9) and that thereafter they did not celebrate it because they were under a curse from God until they entered the Promised Land with Joshua.
As to Moses being uncircumsized, I don't see any good evidence.
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