What significance does Passover hold for the Israelites in Joshua 5:10? Setting the Scene at Gilgal “On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.” (Joshua 5:10) Roots of Passover • Established the night God struck Egypt’s firstborn and delivered Israel (Exodus 12:1-14) • Commanded as “a memorial… for all generations” (Exodus 12:14) • Celebrated “at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month” (Leviticus 23:5) Why Celebrate Now? • First Passover inside the Promised Land—forty years after leaving Egypt • Signals that the nation’s wilderness discipline is complete (compare Numbers 14:34) • Occurs immediately after the new generation is circumcised (Joshua 5:2-9), restoring full covenant status so they can rightly keep the feast (Exodus 12:48) Covenant Renewal Through Obedience • Circumcision + Passover = twin signs of belonging to the LORD • Public declaration that Israel will conquer Canaan under God’s terms, not their own • Affirms God’s unbroken promise from Abraham to Moses to Joshua (Genesis 17:7-8; Exodus 6:6-8) From Wilderness Provision to Promised Provision • The very next day they eat produce of the land; manna ceases (Joshua 5:11-12) • Transition from daily miracle-bread to covenant blessing of harvests (Deuteronomy 8:7-10) • Passover acts as the hinge between two eras: wandering and possessing Foreshadowing Greater Redemption • Passover lamb points ahead to “Christ our Passover, sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7) • At Gilgal God’s people stand in a land of promise because of shed blood; at Calvary believers stand in eternal promise for the same reason (John 1:29) Living Lessons Today • Remember: God’s past deliverances fuel present courage • Obey: Spiritual victories flow from honoring God’s commands, not strategizing alone • Transition well: When God ends one season and begins another, mark it with worship and gratitude • Trust the Lamb: Every Passover—including the one at Gilgal—whispers the gospel of a greater rescue |
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