Removing Condemnation

Day one hundred sixty-nine

This week has been crazy busy and to top it off I got sick part way through, but some how I have managed to keep going!  I am grateful for the energy that I have been blessed with, it comes in handy when I am on a deadline and I need to get things done.  I am especially grateful for the talents and gifts the Lord has blessed me with. I think I have used just about all of them and discovered a few new ones working on the Trek stuff.  So I thanked the Lord this morning for such blessings and I asked that He would please bless me that I would feel better and be able to finish the work that needs to get done.  He has done a great job being there for me so far! 

Joshua 5:9

Preparing His Army - Step Three - Removing Condemnation
In verse 9 the Lord makes the statement "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you."  What is the "reproach of Egypt"? 

The word reproach means:  The expression of disapproval or disappointment. Did God disapprove of Egypt or Israel?  I think the answer is both.

Israel 
In my research I found that the term "reproach of Egypt" could  reference two events during Israel's wilderness wanderings. The first is found in Ex. 32:1-12 when the Children of Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it as God. The other happened at Kadesh-Barnea when the children of Israel displayed unbelief and refused to enter into the promised land (Num 14:11-14). On both occasions, the Lord threatened to destroy the nation of Israel and start fresh with Moses. And, both times Moses interceded with the Lord and He gave them another chance. 

Egypt
When Moses interceded with the Lord he brought up the point that if He destroyed the Israelites He would give the Egyptians a reason to mock God. They would say that He brought them out of Egypt, but could not bring them to Canaan.

However, now they are in the land and God has proven that He is well able to bring His people into their possession. The Israelites had made it to the Promised Land and had proven that they were ready to enter. Therefore, the Lord tells them that He has rolled the reproach away. In other words, their past was no longer an issue. It was a new day!

What a great message the Lord is giving us:  We must get past the guilt of the past before we can walk in victory.  We need to put the negatives behind us, The Lord has certainly put them behind Him! What a profound message of love and forgiveness this verse gives us!

I can see how removing condemnation from Israel could help them prepare for victory.  Think about the times in your life when you have lived with the shame of things you have done. Maybe there have been times when you find yourself dwelling on the fact that you have failed the Lord.  It is difficult to live under the constant stab of self-condemnation.  We are least productive when we are focusing on the negatives instead of the positives.  The Lord knows this and knew that the Israelites needed to know that He had moved on and they needed to also. God is telling Israel that they are to walk looking to the victory of today rather than to the defeat of yesterday.

I know from my own experience that when I feel forgiven and loved that my sense of self-worth increases and my ability to recognize the Spirit is heightened.  If I were preparing to go into battle I would want to go in knowing that I am right with God and that He would be with me and protect me! Wait, we are preparing for a battle, it's just a battle of a different kind!  I love when the stories in the scriptures apply to us today!