"Gilgal": Joshua V

For the Israelites, Gilgal served as a transition point—from the defeat of death to the victory at Jericho, from the wanderings in the desert to the freedom of the Promised Land. But before the Israelites conquer Jericho, and before they enter into redemption, freedom, and life, they celebrated the Passover and commemorated God’s work. In Gilgal, Mackintosh connects this important moment of transition from Israelite history to the larger transition point in salvation history of Christ’s death and resurrection, where the old order of wandering is replaced with promises of freedom and life. Using the story at Gilgal in Joshua 5 as a metaphor, Mackintosh reminds us of the importance of commemorating our own salvation history.