Dear Saints: I would be glad to preach to you a few minutes about the wonderful things that I have discovered up here in the land of Canaan. This is truly a goodly land, and I read in Josh. 5: 11-12, "And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."
The reader will now remember that Israel first had manna from heaven given them as it is described beautifully in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus, and the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness their manna never ceased. But here we read that after they had crossed Jordan and struck camp in Canaan, and had eaten of the old corn of the land, the manna ceased. And let the reader remember this wonderful statement, that God said, "Neither had the children of Israel manna any more." So, beloved, there is such a thing as getting into the land and living on the old corn and fruit.
We next notice that the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel. Up till now Joshua had been the servant of Moses; but now, as Moses was taken to his heavenly reward, Joshua was to become the leader. Joshua was to take the place of Moses, for we read that Joshua means "savior." We read that Moses for forty years stood between Israel and God, and that Moses carried the Israelites in his bosom, as a mother carries her child. For anyone to take the place of Moses he must truly be a remarkable personage; so Joshua was to be both a leader and a savior to the Israelites. We read in Deut. 34: 9 that "Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses [the servant of the Lord] had laid his hands upon him." We now notice several things that Joshua was to do.
First, he was to re-establish the rite of circumcision among the Israelites; for when they disobeyed God at Kadesh-barnea, and turned back into the wilderness, and became a band of wanderers, they lost the rite of circumcision, and for forty years they failed to circumcise their children according to the commandments that God gave to their father Abraham. Just so when any man backslides, he loses that which he had received. For forty long years they wandered without the rite of circumcision in their camp. We read this remarkable statement: "For their young ones had not been circumcised." Right here let me add a wonderful statement that is often made by the Rev. Will H. Huff. He says that God desired to make Israel a nation of priests, and they disobeyed God and made a nation of peddlers.
Second, we read that Joshua re-established the Passover, for in their traveling they had lost that also; they were without the rite of circumcision and the Passover. All this goes to prove to us that nothing is so dangerous as to disobey God and turn backward when God says, "Go forward." For the rite of circumcision and the Passover were the two beautiful distinguishing marks between the Israelites and the heathen about them.
Third, we read that God said to Joshua, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you" (Josh. 5: 9). Wherefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, which means, "roll"; and the reproach of Egypt being rolled away, they were happy and free. No longer were they to work under the lash of the taskmaster; no longer were they to gather straw and make brick; no longer were they to work in the slime pits. They were out of bondage; they were out from under the dominion of Pharaoh; they had safely crossed the Red Sea; they had seen their enemies buried under the red sand; they had the manna from heaven; they had the golden pot, which represents a pure heart filled with manna from heaven. They had finished their wanderings in the wilderness; they had seen the river Jordan divided; they remembered the pile of stones in the bottom of the river, which God commanded them to pile up to remind them that He had brought them through the divided waters of Jordan. They saw the heap of stones on the bank that God commanded them to pile there as their public testimony. They were now eating parched corn and grapes and pomegranates, and the good things of the land of Canaan, for the reproach of Egypt had been rolled away.
They were now ready to take up their march around the walls of Jericho. But at that time as Joshua was walking around the camp of Israel, behold, he met a man with a drawn sword in his hand, and Joshua met the man face to face and said, "Who art thou? Have you come to fight for us or have you come to fight against us?" The man said, "Nay, but as the captain of the Lord's host am I come." Joshua realized that a heavenly messenger stood before him, and he fell on his face, and said, "Take the lead. Behold, I will follow thee." Joshua woke up to the fact that he had a Leader in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And from the days of Joshua until now, every man that is willing to be led will find the Leader, and every man that is willing to be taught will find the Teacher, and every man that is willing to obey will find a Commander.
Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud) (2015-03-31). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson (Kindle Locations 2456-2493). Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition.
The reader will now remember that Israel first had manna from heaven given them as it is described beautifully in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus, and the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness their manna never ceased. But here we read that after they had crossed Jordan and struck camp in Canaan, and had eaten of the old corn of the land, the manna ceased. And let the reader remember this wonderful statement, that God said, "Neither had the children of Israel manna any more." So, beloved, there is such a thing as getting into the land and living on the old corn and fruit.
We next notice that the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel. Up till now Joshua had been the servant of Moses; but now, as Moses was taken to his heavenly reward, Joshua was to become the leader. Joshua was to take the place of Moses, for we read that Joshua means "savior." We read that Moses for forty years stood between Israel and God, and that Moses carried the Israelites in his bosom, as a mother carries her child. For anyone to take the place of Moses he must truly be a remarkable personage; so Joshua was to be both a leader and a savior to the Israelites. We read in Deut. 34: 9 that "Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses [the servant of the Lord] had laid his hands upon him." We now notice several things that Joshua was to do.
First, he was to re-establish the rite of circumcision among the Israelites; for when they disobeyed God at Kadesh-barnea, and turned back into the wilderness, and became a band of wanderers, they lost the rite of circumcision, and for forty years they failed to circumcise their children according to the commandments that God gave to their father Abraham. Just so when any man backslides, he loses that which he had received. For forty long years they wandered without the rite of circumcision in their camp. We read this remarkable statement: "For their young ones had not been circumcised." Right here let me add a wonderful statement that is often made by the Rev. Will H. Huff. He says that God desired to make Israel a nation of priests, and they disobeyed God and made a nation of peddlers.
Second, we read that Joshua re-established the Passover, for in their traveling they had lost that also; they were without the rite of circumcision and the Passover. All this goes to prove to us that nothing is so dangerous as to disobey God and turn backward when God says, "Go forward." For the rite of circumcision and the Passover were the two beautiful distinguishing marks between the Israelites and the heathen about them.
Third, we read that God said to Joshua, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you" (Josh. 5: 9). Wherefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, which means, "roll"; and the reproach of Egypt being rolled away, they were happy and free. No longer were they to work under the lash of the taskmaster; no longer were they to gather straw and make brick; no longer were they to work in the slime pits. They were out of bondage; they were out from under the dominion of Pharaoh; they had safely crossed the Red Sea; they had seen their enemies buried under the red sand; they had the manna from heaven; they had the golden pot, which represents a pure heart filled with manna from heaven. They had finished their wanderings in the wilderness; they had seen the river Jordan divided; they remembered the pile of stones in the bottom of the river, which God commanded them to pile up to remind them that He had brought them through the divided waters of Jordan. They saw the heap of stones on the bank that God commanded them to pile there as their public testimony. They were now eating parched corn and grapes and pomegranates, and the good things of the land of Canaan, for the reproach of Egypt had been rolled away.
They were now ready to take up their march around the walls of Jericho. But at that time as Joshua was walking around the camp of Israel, behold, he met a man with a drawn sword in his hand, and Joshua met the man face to face and said, "Who art thou? Have you come to fight for us or have you come to fight against us?" The man said, "Nay, but as the captain of the Lord's host am I come." Joshua realized that a heavenly messenger stood before him, and he fell on his face, and said, "Take the lead. Behold, I will follow thee." Joshua woke up to the fact that he had a Leader in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And from the days of Joshua until now, every man that is willing to be led will find the Leader, and every man that is willing to be taught will find the Teacher, and every man that is willing to obey will find a Commander.
Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud) (2015-03-31). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson (Kindle Locations 2456-2493). Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition.
