Remember Your Journey from Shittim to Gilgal

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord (Micah 6:5b NIV)

[Important: Read Joshua Chapters 4 and 5 also.]

This journey was an important one in the life of the Israelites. And the lessons from it are most important.

First of all, the Israelites had a new leader. Moses was dead. And they were at the end of their desert wanderings. God had trained Joshua under Moses and had given him the leadership and the command to lead the people into Canaan, the Promised Land.

So remembrance of this journey calls us to move forward for the training period is coming to an end.

Secondly, Shittim was the last stop of the Israelites desert wanderings and Gilgal their first stop in the Promised Land. But there should be something in between that God wants His people to remember!

Yes, it was the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River which was then flowing at its flood stage. As soon as the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord touched the water it divided. And the people crossed over on dry ground.

God asked Joshua to pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan and set them as a memorial. God is asking us to remember His great acts on our behalf by looking at the memorials of His deliverance.

Finally, Gilgal meant new beginnings. It was the place where the people were circumcised. That was the outward sign that God rolled away the shame and disgrace; the reproach that the people had endured in Egypt, the land of slavery.

They also celebrated the Passover reminding themselves of God delivering them from the destroying angel by the blood of the sacrificed lambs. They also ate the food of the land for manna had stopped falling.

So out of all this God wants you to remember that you are called to move forward thinking of His righteous acts on your behalf in the past. To you Gilgal means rolling away of shame!

More Manna:

Be Still, and Know that I am God

Have Mercy on Me, O God

Open Wide Your Mouth and I will Fill It

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