Fresh Courage: Battle Ready

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Joshua 5 tells the story of the Israelites first few weeks inside the promised land. It is a pause moment; a time of preparation and alignment to get them battle ready!

Testimonies pave the way to new territories

In the very first verse of the chapter, we read about how the news of what God had done traveled ahead of the Israelites, all the way to the coast, and unsettled the opposition. When we tell testimonies about what God has done, those stories have power to stir faith and silence the opposition, preparing the way for us to move into new territories!

What story are you telling?

Faith is the key to covenant

The testimony of God's power put the enemy on the back foot, and just as well, because what came next put the Israelites in a vulnerable place. God required this new generation to go through the process of circumcision - something that had been neglected since they left Egypt. This was a mark of the covenant made with Abraham back in Genesis 17, and was a requirement for celebrating the Passover meal. This would be the third Passover - the first was the original one in Egypt, the second a year later at Mt Sinai, and now this one, some forty years on. Following the circumcision and Passover, God then told them their reproach from Egypt had been removed. In essence, this is a picture of restoration to Divine promise, a mark of the covenant, a reminder of God redemption, and their shame being removed.