Main Idea
God deliberately places His people in positions of weakness to teach them that true victory comes not from human strength but from His presence, protection, and power.
Key Verse
“But the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.” (Joshua 5:9)
Commentary
Joshua 5 unfolds at a moment of immense strategic tension. Israel has just crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, an act that terrified the surrounding nations (v. 1). By human logic, this was the moment to strike Jericho before the enemy could regroup. Instead, God halts the advance and commands Joshua to circumcise the entire generation of men born in the wilderness (vv. 2–8).
This act left Israel completely vulnerable. Circumcision was a covenant sign, but it also incapacitated the men for several days. Genesis 34 demonstrates how dangerous this could be: Simeon and Levi attacked the city of Shechem while the men were recovering from circumcision, and no one resisted. Israel now faces the same weakness, but this time surrounded by hostile enemies. The people are entirely dependent on God’s protection.
This vulnerability teaches Israel that their survival does not rest in weapons, strategy, or numbers, but in the Lord’s power. The terror God had placed in the hearts of their enemies (v. 1) serves as a shield, holding them back until Israel heals. Dependence is the lesson—before the battles begin, God shows them that His presence, not their strength, secures victory.
The timing is equally significant. Immediately after the circumcision, Israel celebrates Passover for the first time in the land (vv. 10–12). This festival recalls God’s deliverance in Egypt, when the blood of the lamb shielded them from judgment. Once again, while they are vulnerable and unable to fight, God protects them. Passover links their past redemption with their present inheritance, reminding them that God saves by His power, not theirs. On that day, the manna ceased, and they ate from the produce of the land, marking a transition from wilderness provision to covenant fulfillment.
Finally, God prepares them for Jericho with a highly unusual strategy. They are to march around the city for seven days, carrying the ark of the covenant, blowing trumpets, and saying nothing until the appointed time (Joshua 6:1–16). No siege engines, no battering rams, no arrows—just walking in obedience. The seven days are long enough for the men to regain their strength after circumcision, but the point is deeper: God wins the battle, not human power. By the time the walls fall, the people are both physically healed and spiritually consecrated.
Joshua 5 reveals a profound principle: God’s strategy begins with consecration, not conquest. He often leads His people into seasons of weakness and waiting so they will learn dependence on Him. Vulnerability is not failure but preparation.
Life Application
This chapter invites us to embrace the counterintuitive ways God works. In our culture, strength is prized, efficiency is idolized, and vulnerability is often seen as weakness. Yet in God’s economy, weakness becomes the place where His power is revealed (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). Israel had to be made helpless before they could be made victorious.
Many of us resist vulnerability. We want to keep control, manage outcomes, and enter battles on our own terms. But God often asks us to pause, consecrate ourselves, and admit our dependence on Him before He leads us forward. This might mean waiting longer than we expect, facing circumstances beyond our control, or being stripped of resources we thought we needed. In those moments, God is teaching us to trust Him as our shield.
The Passover celebration reminds us that remembering God’s past deliverance strengthens faith for present challenges. When we feel weakest, recalling how God has already provided sustains us. Just as Israel looked back to Egypt’s redemption, we look to Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), whose blood secures our salvation. Our greatest battles are not won by our might but by His sacrifice.
The march around Jericho reminds us that obedience matters more than human ingenuity. God could have brought down the walls instantly, but He required Israel to walk in faith for seven days. Sometimes God’s strategy looks foolish to the world, but it is the path to victory. We must be willing to follow God’s Word, even when it does not make sense to human logic.
What Can I Do?
Identify an area of vulnerability in your life right now—whether physical, emotional, financial, or relational. Instead of resenting it, ask God how He might be using it to teach you dependence on Him.
Establish a practice of remembrance. Write down specific ways God has delivered or provided for you in the past, and revisit them regularly to strengthen your trust in His present work.
Ask Yourself
How do I usually respond when God calls me into vulnerability—do I resist, or do I allow Him to teach me dependence?
What “Jericho” am I facing right now, and how might God be asking me to prepare through consecration before conquest?
Where have I seen God’s protection hold me in place when I was weakest?
Do I trust that obedience, even when it seems illogical, will bring greater victory than relying on my own strength?
How does looking back to Christ’s sacrifice strengthen me to face present challenges?
Guided Prayer
Thanksgiving: Thank God for the times He has protected you in weakness, sustained you in waiting, and reminded you of His faithfulness.
Intercession: Pray for those who feel vulnerable right now—physically, spiritually, or emotionally—that they would experience God’s protection and peace.
Petition: Ask God to help you embrace consecration before conquest, to trust His timing, and to obey His Word even when it seems counterintuitive.
Confession: Confess the ways you have resisted dependence on God, relied on your own strength, or rushed into battles without first consecrating yourself.
Praise: Praise God as your Defender, Deliverer, and Commander, whose power is perfected in weakness and whose presence secures every victory.
