Flint-Stone Faith
Reflective Reading: Joshua 5
Caution! Sensitive material! Could cause squeamishness, nausea, and potential P.T.S.D.!
I invite you to turn in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 5. If you know anything about the book of Joshua, you know that this chapter is unusual. It’s like a divine curve ball that can catch you off guard if you’re not watching carefully. As you begin to read, you will find that there are three unlikely topics presented:
1. Circumcision
2. Passover
3. The Captain of the LORD’s army
I love it when unexpected and unusual things surface in God’s Word. Whenever this occurs, you can be sure that God is about to reveal something big. Before, however, we can understand why these seemingly unrelated topics appear, we need to travel back in time about 3400 years. This is going to take some creative imagining so let’s pretend we’re really there…
1400ish BC
The last few days have been filled with excitement. It finally looks as though we will be entering into the promised land. It’s about time. Can you imagine, an 11-day journey has taken us 40 years! Soon we will be able to get off this steady diet of Manna. It’s been a blessing to have amazing food service all these years, but I’m ready for a change in menu.
Moses died last night? Seriously? Oh no! Who is going to lead us now? Who? Oh of course—Joshua! He’ll do a good job. Moses certainly spent quite a bit of time mentoring him. What’s that you say? God himself told Joshua to take his shoes off just like he told Moses! He also told him to be strong and courageous; to fear not, neither be dismayed, for the LORD God was going to go with him wherever he would go. Way to go Joshua! Looks like everything is going to be just fine, though we do have some roadblocks before us—like the unpassable Jordan River, giants, cities with walls as thick as a house and as tall as a tower, and soldiers with metal chariots. I hope Joshua is ready for this.
Did you hear that? Caleb just told me that the God of the universe is going to be right with Joshua and fight the first battle himself! Wait till the Canaanites hear this news—they’re going to be shaking in their boots! But first we need to cross the Jordan River. Did God say how we are going to get across? It’s at flood stage you know—that’s about ten feet deep!
We made it! We’re on the other side of the river. What a miracle, although none of us actually got to see it! Two million of us crossed over to the other side and didn’t even get our feet damp. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see the actual miracle. It was reported that God stopped the river about 25 miles upstream, near a place called Adam. Oh well…walking across on dry ground was enough of a miracle to remember! And don’t forget those huge stones that Joshua had the men erect so we would never forget. Those babies aren’t coming down any time soon.
Now it looks like we’re marching toward our first big challenge. Wow! Look at that wall surrounding this city. It’s Jericho. I’ve heard about this place. They say it’s impenetrable. Wait, did you hear that? The messenger said that God is going to destroy all the buildings and infrastructure, but we will have to fight the enemy. I can live with that. As long as he is going to be with us, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Wait! Did he really say what I think he said? No way, Hosea!
Even the ink for my pen quill just dried up at this news. What news? Joshua wants all of the men, regardless of age, to be circumcised. Seriously? I’m out of here! Can you imagine? The soldiers need to be ready for battle; and prior to one of the greatest military advancements in world history, he wants everyone to be intimately wounded? What captain would require such an irrational and painful medical procedure prior to a battle?! And that’s not all—this gets worse. Joshua tells the men to perform the procedure with flint stones.
If I were in the camp during this time, I would be on my way out, post haste! But then, I imagine what Joshua would have said to me,
“Mark, we don’t have to always understand why God gives us the assignments that he does, but he always has our best interest in mind. If you walk away from this difficult assignment now, you will walk away from every difficult assignment in the future. Our great God is looking for faithful and obedient men who will serve him unconditionally, regardless of the cost. Will you be one of those men?”
Sometimes that’s all it takes…just a reminder of what this life is really all about—faithfulness and obedience to this good God who loves us and knows what is best for us. So, my friends, let the surgery begin! (Gulp! Easier said than done.)
As I was studying this passage of Scripture, I was reminded of something from science class many years ago. The use of a metal knife during surgery can cause infection, especially 3400 years ago! If any of the metal particles from the knife were to imbed in the wound, it would oxidize, causing infection. Here’s where it gets interesting! Cutting skin with the use of a flint stone would not oxidize or cause infection. Though using flint is a harsher way to cut the skin, God was protecting his people. God often disguises his protection in the form of painful situations. The question is, “Can we trust him?”
This is starting to make sense, but couldn’t God have given the men a less personal, less intimate, less painful assignment? Why circumcision? In my 47 years of knowing the LORD as my Savior, I have learned that before any major battle, God often requires intimate wounding. I have learned that God’s assignments of difficult tasks, difficult marriages, difficult children, difficult friends, difficult jobs, and difficult churches, often, if not always, require intimate wounding.
The 17th century sage, Francois Fenelon wrote,
“The Great Physician who sees in us what we cannot see, knows exactly where to place the knife; He cuts swift and deep into our inner most being, exposing us for who we really are; but pain is only felt where there is life and where there’s life, is just the place where death is needed most. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it dies, it will bring much fruit.”
If we are to be ready for an assignment that will require a deep commitment, wounding is a pre-requisite. Intimate wounding is often God’s method. It prepares us for deeper relationships, gives us the ability to counsel and teach others, and equips us for true leadership.
This then brings us to our second unlikely event—Passover. An event that we’ll take a deeper look at next time, along with a guest appearance from the “Captain of the LORD’s army.” But for now, we have some truths to consider and some choices to make. We can, like the children of Israel, go back to wandering for another 40 years or advance and receive the promises. If you choose to advance, know that it may require, intimate wounding.
Blessings to you and yours as we enter this New Year!
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading:
The Brave Heart (Ages 9+)
The Courage of Nikolai book or Audiobook (Ages 9+)
The Locked Cupboard (Ages 12+)
Let Go - by Fenelon (Ages 12+)
