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ヨシュア記 5

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1 ヨルダンの向こう側、すなわち西の方におるアモリびとの王たちと、べにおるカナンびとの王たちとは皆、イスラエルの人々ので、ヨルダンを干しからして、彼らを渡らせられたと聞いて、イスラエルの人々のゆえに、心は消え、彼らのうちに、もはや元気もなくなった。

2 その時、はヨシュアに言われた、「火打石の小刀を造り、重ねてまたイスラエルの人々に割礼を行いなさい」。

3 そこでヨシュアは火打石の小刀を造り、陽皮の丘で、イスラエルの人々に割礼を行った。

4 ヨシュアが人々に割礼を行った理由はこうである。エジプトから出てきた民のうちの、すべての男子、すなわち、いくさびとたちは皆、エジプトを出た後、途中、荒野で死んだが、

5 その出てきた民は皆、割礼を受けた者であった。しかし、エジプトを出た後に、途中、荒野で生まれた民は、みな割礼を受けていなかった。

6 イスラエルの人々は四十年の間、荒野を歩いていて、そのエジプトから出てきた民、すなわち、いくさびとたちは、みな死に絶えた。これは彼らが主の声に聞き従わなかったので、は彼らの先祖たちに誓って、われわれに与えると仰せられた地、乳と蜜の流れる地を、彼らに見させないと誓われたからである。

7 ヨシュアが割礼を行ったのは、この人々についで起されたそのどもたちであった。彼らは途中で割礼を受けていなかったので、無割礼の者であったからである。

8 すべての民に割礼を行うことが終ったので、民は宿営のうちの自分の所にとどまって傷の直るのを待った。

9 その時、はヨシュアに言われた、「きょう、わたしはエジプトのはずかしめを、あなたがたからころがし去った」。それでその所の名は、今日までギルガルと呼ばれている。

10 イスラエルの人々はギルガル宿営していたが、その月の十四の夕暮、エリコの平野過越の祭を行った。

11 そして過越の祭の翌、その地の穀物、すなわち種入れぬパンおよびいり麦を、その食べたが、

12 その地の穀物を食べた翌日から、マナの降ることはやみ、イスラエルの人々は、もはやマナを獲なかった。その年はカナンの地の産物を食べた

13 ヨシュアがエリコの近くにいたとき、を上げて見ると、ひとりの人が抜き身のつるぎをに持ち、こちらに向かって立っていたので、ヨシュアはその人のところへ行って言った、「あなたはわれわれを助けるのですか。それともわれわれのを助けるのですか」。

14 彼は言った、「いや、わたしは主の勢の将として今きたのだ」。ヨシュアは地にひれ伏し拝して言った、「わがは何をしもべに告げようとされるのですか」。

15 すると主の勢の将はヨシュアに言った、「あなたののくつを脱ぎなさい。あなたが立っている所は聖なる所である」。ヨシュアはそのようにした。

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 5

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 5: The Circumcision and the Passover

In this chapter, the Israelites are now in the land of Canaan, and local Amorite and Canaanite kings lose heart to oppose them because of God’s miracle at the river Jordan.

God tells Joshua to circumcise all the men who were born since they left Egypt, because none were circumcised in the wilderness, and their fathers who were have now all died. So Joshua obeys, requiring circumcision of all the men of Israel.

As a result, God says to Joshua : “I have this day rolled away the stain of Egypt from you.” The place was therefore called Gilgal, which means “rolling”. The Children of Israel camped there till they were healed. They then ate the Passover using the food of the land for the very first time, and the daily manna, which had been provided by God every day in the wilderness, stopped.

Then, Joshua has an encounter with an angel:

When Joshua lifted his eyes he saw a man opposite him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua asked him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” The man answered, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Joshua fell and worshipped and asked what he should do? The man said, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy”. And Joshua did so.

Note that this chapter is the very first one when the Israelites are in Canaan, and straightaway two important Jewish rituals are carried out – circumcision and the Passover. Circumcision is the cutting off of the foreskin. It means to become purified from loving oneself and the world, and the outer things of life, and to be righteous before God inwardly. (See Arcana Caelestia 2102.)

This meaning helps us see why elsewhere in the Bible it often talks about “circumcising your heart”. The circumcision in Canaan was to mark the new generation, which spiritually for us means that our regeneration always involves new states. (True Christian Religion 601)

The Passover was originally a meal to mark leaving slavery in Egypt, so it is very appropriate for celebrating entering the promised land. The spiritual meaning of the Passover is rich and complex, but, put simply, it is about the presence of the Lord with us, especially when we attribute life’s good events and blessings to the presence of God. “The Lord has done this for me… The Lord has done that for us.” (Arcana Caelestia 7902) The reason that it is a meal is that we share meals together, often in families, and spiritually everything in us comes together to be joyful and thankful.

The first camp of the Israelites in Canaan was at Gilgal, a place close to Jericho, the name of which means “rolling”. We’ve looked at its connection with circumcision but more generally, to ‘roll’ is to move forward, move on, keep going. This is a powerful early-in-the-story description of our regeneration, with its trials and blessings, both of which aim to keep us moving forward to be evermore in the life the Lord wants us to have. (Arcana Caelestia 8911)

With all this early first feeling of having finally got to Canaan, the land which God had always promised to give them, it is so very appropriate that Joshua is met by a militant angel of the Lord, the Commander of the army of the Lord. (Arcana Caelestia 7277). Note carefully that when Joshua asks if he is for us or for our enemies, the Commander says “No.” Spiritually this is very significant because the Lord uses everything – good and evil – peace and temptation – to lead us towards heaven.

The Commander declares that Joshua is to remove his sandal from off his foot because where he stands, this is holy ground. Spiritually, “holy ground” is the whole sweep of life, and our sense that all of it is the Lord’s gift to us. (See Arcana Caelestia 566, 1585)

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Arcana Coelestia # 7277

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7277. 'And will lead My army, My people, the children of Israel' means that those among whom forms of good and truths are present are to be delivered. This is clear from the meaning of 'leading out' as delivering; from the meaning of 'army' as all kinds of good within truths, dealt with in 7236, thus those among whom forms of good, and truths from these, are present; from the meaning of 'people' as that which has reference to those in whom spiritual good and truth are present, dealt with in 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619, thus those who belong to the spiritual Church, 2928, 7207; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with above in 7271, thus those in whom forms of good and truths are present.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.