PREPARATION FOR THE SPIRITUAL WAR All attention was concentrated on the inauguration of the new land, dividing it, and enjoying its goodness; But God kept them a little while in Gilgal, to reveal to them an important spiritual fact: That conquest is not based on the great number, nor on the mighty arm; but through the sanctified life in the Lord, the Grantor of inheritance. God presented them with the spiritual weapons, by which to work in them, in order to enjoy His free promises; despite the great opposition of the evil one. 1- The animosity of the nations incited against them 1 -- 2 2- The second circumcision 3 -- 9 3- The new Passover 10 4- Eating of the produce of the land 11 -- 12 5- Appearance of the Commander of the army of the Lord 13 -- 15 1- The animosity of the nations incited against them: After the crossing over of the children of Israel, the kings of the Amorites, and the Canaanites got very agitated, and started to join their forces against them, and against their God! That was a war that carried the image of the original war between God and the devil. The later cannot stand the light, and would not bear to see the entry of anyone into the fellowship of God’s Kingdom. With every spiritual success, the enemy gets agitated, and makes war, if not openly, he would do it secretly; and if not through strangers, he would do it through relatives, and even through the body itself, and sometimes through those who call themselves ministers in the Church ... That is why the Lord advises us that “A man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10: 36). Their crossing over the Jordan, is not the end of strife, but rather its beginning; and our enjoyment of the holy Baptism, does not mean that we have reached the consummation of conquest, but it would mean our enjoyment of new divine blessings, that would agitate the devil much more. With every conquest, and with every triumph, the spiritual war 88 would get fiercer; thus the believer rises from glory to glory, through the successive triumphs, and through the attacks of sins against him. The first thing that God clarified to His people after their crossover of the Jordan was to reveal the existence of opponents. It is as though, the first step in our spiritual life, is to realize the fact, that there is a dangerous enemy facing us; not of flesh and blood, but as expressed by the apostle: “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6: 12). This enemy would never stop wrestling with us with every apparent and concealed way, day and night, in order to destroy our faith and hope in Jesus Christ. Realizing the seriousness of the bitter deceits of this enemy, we should also realize the capabilities of our true Joshua to destroy the devil, to scatter his plots, and to cancel his authority over us. That is why, St. Augustine cries out, saying: [The tempter is coming against me with a mighty army, but he can not overcome me, because You have broken his dignity, and given me the courage to face him] 1. As to the spiritual weapons, that became ours in Jesus Christ, it starts with the second circumcision; namely, the spiritual circumcision. 2- The second circumcision: “At that time the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” (Joshua 5: 2) When God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants after him, as an everlasting possession (Genesis 17: 8), circumcision was the seal of that covenant by which God’s promises are realized. Why does God say to Joshua, “Circumcise the sons of Israel again ... a second time”? At that time, they were not circumcised, as all males who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness, and no one of them entered into Canaan except Joshua and Caleb. In order that the descendants of Abraham would enjoy that promise, all of them were committed to be circumcised in Gilgal, to enter into the holy fellowship of the people of God. God had warned Abraham, saying: “The uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Genesis 17: 14). They had to get circumcised, having come out of the wilderness, and the circumstances in Gilgal were convenient . 1 مناجاة 16 89 for circumcision ... But why does He say: “Circumcise them again ... a second time”? The scholar Origen answers this question, saying: [We say that whoever was educated under the law, and was taught the preaching of Moses, forsaking the mistakes and falseness of idolatry; that he has consummated the first circumcision according to the law. But, having transferred from the law and prophets to the Bible, we have to be circumcised again by means of the “Rock” – that was Christ (1 Corinthians 10: 4). Then, in us would be realized the word of God to Joshua: “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” (Joshua 5: 19) 1 That was also clarified by Father Lactanius, saying: [This second circumcision is not to be in the flesh, as was the first one, which is still followed by the Jews; but it is the circumcision of the heart and the Spirit, granted by Christ2, the true Joshua. St. Cyprian quoted this phrase from both the Old and New Testaments, to confirm to the Jews their need for the circumcision of the Spirit, and the vanity of that of the flesh3. The second circumcision took place in the Gilgal, directly before taking over the cities of Canaan. That was to confirm to the congregation, that the burial in the Jordan and the resurrection concern the Lord Christ Himself, who was buried and rose; that, by our union with Him, we would be crucified, buried, and risen with Him; It is the realization of the Baptism on a personal level, for every member of the congregation. In the Gilgal, we see the twelve stones taken out of the Jordan, to represent the body of Christ in its wholeness, having experienced burial and resurrection. While in circumcision, we see every member of the congregation personally enjoying the burial and resurrection. The Book emphasizes: “So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.” (Joshua 5: 3) If the flint or rock refers to the Lord Christ (1 Corinthians 10: 4), these knives refer to the cross of the Lord, received by the believer, to be crucified with Him, and to get circumcised for all the works of the old man, to enjoy the new man, who is risen from the dead. 1 In Jos. Hom 5: 5. 2 Divine Inst. 4: 17. 3 Treat. 12 to Quirinius 1: 8. 90 Thus, the circumcision appears as the power of an inner life, where man enjoys the practical fellowship together with his true leader -- Jesus Christ -- accepts His crucifixion, to enjoy the power of His resurrection, that grants conquest and triumph over the devil, and even over death itself. “So it was, when they have finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you’. Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.”(Joshua 5: 9) The word ‘Gilgal’ means (rolling away); God intended to roll away from them the reproach of servitude, connected in the minds of the old people, to Egypt. The scholar Origen says: [To approach the meaning of this phrase, all the people, even though having been under the law, and having received the teachings of Moses, yet they still had the reproach of Egypt in them; namely, the reproach of sin. Who could be compared to the apostle Paul in keeping the law? He who says: “Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3: 6); Yet, he proclaims, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another” (Titus 3: 3). Does not he mean here the reproach of Egypt? But Jesus came, and gave us the second circumcision, “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3: 5); purified our spirits, rolled away that reproach, and granted us in its place, the promise by the good conscious toward God. Thus the second circumcision has rolled away our reproach, and purified us from wickedness and sins. Therefore, if we, by faith, crossed over the Jordan, by virtue of the Bible, and purification by the second circumcision, we should not fear the reproach of the previous sins; hearing His words: “I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt.” 1. He also says: That is what the Lord intends to say in the gospels: “Your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2: 5); yet He also says: “Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5: 14). If you would sin no more after being granted the forgiveness of sins; your reproach would be rolled away from you. But if you commit new sins, you are going back to the old reproach, and may be worse; as though you have “trampled the Son of God under- foot, and counted the blood of the 1 In Jos. Hom 5: 5. 91 covenant by which you were sanctified a common thing” (Hebrew 10: 29). ... Yes, whoever delivers himself to adultery after receiving the Bible, would have his reproach worse than him who does that, while still under the law. For, it is said, “Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot“?! (1 Corinthians 6: 15). Do you see how, through negligence, the reproach would accumulate, to weigh upon you?! Oh! You would not be accused of uncleanness, but of defiling the sanctuaries; for about you is said: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you“? (1 Corinthians 6: 9); and, “If any one defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him” (1 Corinthians 3: 17) 1. He also said: [Add to this, that “He who commits sexual immorality, sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6: 18).; not only against his own body that became a temple of God, but against the body of the whole Church; for when defiling his own body, as a member, he would infect the whole body. ... Therefore to consummate in ourselves the second circumcision, and to have the old reproach rolled away from us, let us separate ourselves from these defilements, to be pure in body and in Spirit, to be able to “lift up holy hands” (1 Timothy 2: 8), pure mouth and lips, to glorify God with a true heart, by our prayers and deeds, in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom is the glory and authority, to eternity] 2. Having known our spiritual enemy, and acquired the second circumcision, that purified us from every defilement, and set us free from every authority by that enemy, so as not to give him in our heart, an inheritance, we are committed to arm ourselves with the new Passover. 3-The new Passover: “So the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.”(Joshua 5: 10) In our study of the Book of Exodus, we have talked in some detail about the Passover, and the connection between the old Passover and the new one. But here, having crossed over the Jordan, to the Promised Land, the people were committed, before starting the strife, to enjoy the second circumcision; and when their wounds are healed in Gilgal, they would keep the new Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, on the plains of Jericho. Here we notice: 1 Ibid. 2 Ibid. 92 (1) The connection between circumcision and Passover is a connection between Baptism and the Eucharist -- the new Passover. The believer cannot enjoy and share in the sacrament of Passover, unless his heart is circumcised in the water of Baptism, in which he gains membership in the body of Christ. Then in the Eucharist, we would enjoy the holy body, to abide in Him and He in us. This connection reminds us of the old rite of Baptism, when most of the Catechumens used to gain the secret of Baptism on the eve of the glorified feast of the Passover -- the feast of the conquest over death, and the gaining of the power of resurrection in Christ, risen from the dead. The newly baptized believers come out clothed in the white garments of triumph, holding the lighted candles, to enter into the (chore) of believers, to enjoy communion in the holy Sacraments (the Eucharist), right after the Baptism. In Baptism, they crossed over from the old man to the new man; while in the Eucharist, they cross over from earth to heaven itself, through their union with God in Jesus Christ, our true Passover. (2) It was not possible for the people to leave their places in the camp, to begin war, before they were healed (Joshua 5: 8). So, if we have gained crucifixion with our old man, in the water of Baptism, we shall have to be completely healed, through casting off our wicked habits altogether. And as said by the scholar Origen, [It is a sort of a painful strife, to forsake the old habits of sin, to enter into a totally new life ... In my opinion, this is the time spoken of by the Book, during which we have to stay in our places, as though in pain of circumcision, until we are healed. Healing is complete when we carry out our new duties with no murmur, and get used to what we used to consider before as a difficult task. We can say that we have truly healed, when our iniquities disappear, by the power of the new habit and virtue becomes in us, a second nature1]. 4- Eating of the produce of the land: The children of Israel passed, as far as their feeding is concerned, through three stages: The first stage on their coming out of the land of Egypt: “They took their dough before it was leavened ... in their clothes on their shoulders” (Exodus 12: 34); and when this was exhausted, and they had nothing to eat, they entered into the second stage, as God poured on them the manna from heaven; that was mentioned by the Lord Christ, saying: “Your fathers ate the manna in the 1 Ibid 6 C1. 93 wilderness, and are dead” (John 6: 49). Then finally, when they entered into the land of promise: “And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain on the very same day. Now the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land.”(Joshua 5: 11, 12) In the first stage, the dough was connected to their clothes (Exodus 12: 34), namely, with their body; they ate for the sake of the needs of the body; having been still in the stage of spiritual childhood, connected to the body and the earthliness. But once they entered into the wilderness, God provided them with the manna from heaven, to confirm to them, that they should not worry for their bodies, as He is the One to sustain them and care for them both spiritually and physically. Now, in the new land, the Word of God, offers Himself as the heavenly Bread, saying: “I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the Bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 7: 51). The believer used to pass through these three stages: In the first stage he used to eat to live; in the second stage, he did not worry, as God provided him somehow, with his physical needs; But in the third stage, man finds in God Himself, his fulfilling eternal food. 5- The appearance of the commander of the army of the Lord: As Joshua, with the people of God, crossed over the Jordan, set forth to the Gilgal, set the memorial stones; sanctified the people by the second circumcision; and enjoyed with them the Passover and the new produce of the land; ... everything became new for them; ... Joshua proceeded to Jericho. He probably realized that he is now alone without Moses; facing a new kind of war; against a city with high walls, and towers that could sustain for a long time under siege; Joshua could not disregard those cities, and proceed to other ones; as they would remain a real danger, and could strike them from the back! He probably was thinking of the animosity of the Canaanite nations around them (Joshua 5: 1, 2).... Anyway, Joshua, being the man of faith, the Word of God appeared to him, as the Commander of the army of the Lord, to support him. If it is God Himself, who purifies their hearts by the new circumcision; abiding them in Him by the new Passover; and fulfills 94 them by the new land produce; He would not abstain from letting His living Word appear in a visible way, to confirm to Joshua: “As Commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.” (Joshua 5: 14) He is not just an angel or an archangel, but the Word of God Himself; saying to Joshua: “ Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” (Joshua 5: 15) The same words were said to Moses, when the Lord appeared to him, through a burning bush (Exodus 3). We have previously known, in more detail, that taking the sandal off, is a confirmation of the necessity of taking off the earthly cares, and the vain glories; and a confirmation that the minister is not the Groom of the Church, but its servant; The true Groom being the Lord Jesus, working in him1. The scholar Origen says: [Joshua realized by Spirit, that he was not facing someone sent by the Lord, but the Lord Himself; he would not worship the Lord, if he could not recognize Him] 2. As to calling Himself the Commander of the army of the Lord; that is not something strange for the Word of God; about Whom is said in the Book of Isaiah: “I have made Him a Witness to the peoples, a Leader and Commander of the peoples” (Isaiah 55: 4). And in the Book of Revelations, He appears sitting on a white horse; clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, followed Him on white horses; and out of His mouth goes a sharp sword (Revelations 19: 11 - 15). How amazing is God’s love, and how great is His care! As He gets His believers into a war against the devil and his evil works, He goes before them as a victorious Commander, to conquer with them. And when our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5: 8); there, we shall find, on our side, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5: 5). When we get hungry, He offers Himself a living Bread; whoever eats of it, would never gets hungry; When we feel lonely, He comes as a unique friend, to support us; and even as a true spiritual Groom, to fill up any void in us; If we feel lost, He offers Himself as the Way and Truth; And when death comes to us, He become to us the resurrection! In His love, He provides us with everything, to fulfill every need in us! St. Cyprian: Treat 12: 2: 16. . 1 راجع تفسير الخروج، أصحاح 3 2 In Jos hom 111. 95 Finally, St. Anthony the Great, sees in the talk of Joshua, the son of Nun, to the Commander of the army of the Lord, a living example of how we can differentiate between heavenly visions and devilish ones; saying: [When you see a vision, do not fall down with fear; But ask bravely: Who are you? and from where have you come? If the vision is holy, you can be sure of that, when your fear is transformed into joy. But if it is from the devil, the vision would instantly weaken, before the steadfastness of your mind ... That is how Joshua, the son of Nun, did to make sure of the identity of who came to help him] 1. 1 Vita Antonii 43.
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