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The Passover Celebrated
v. 10. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, having once more been accepted into the full covenant relation with Jehovah, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
v. 11. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, on the fifteenth of Nisan, Lev_23:5-6, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day, roasted harvest ears or kernels of grain roasted at the fire, for it was not lawful to eat of the new crop until after the offering of the first sheaves on the sixteenth of Nisan, Lev_23:10-11.
v. 12. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land, that is, on the sixteenth of Abib, or Nisan, neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. The people had now arrived in Canaan and no longer needed the bread of the wilderness. It should be noted here once more: "The feeding of the Israelites with manna remains a miracle of God which has, indeed, in nature, a faint analog, but can never be explained on natural principles. " (Keil. )
v. 13. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, while the children of Israel were in camp at Gilgal, Joshua, apparently, being engaged in deep meditation and prayer to Jehovah, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand, taken from the scabbard and ready for slaughter. That was the Prince of the host of angels, the great Angel of the Lord, the Angel of the Covenant, of one essence with the Lord Himself, who had accompanied Israel from Egypt and from Sinai. And Joshua went unto Him and said unto Him, Art Thou for us or for our adversaries? It was a question natural in the circumstances and appropriate for the general of the forces of Israel.
v. 14. And He said, Nay, He belonged neither to the one nor to the other, but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come, Prince of the innumerable angelic armies. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, in the attitude of abject submission and entreaty, and did worship, recognizing this Prince as a higher being, though not yet sure of His identity, and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant?
v. 15. And the Captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, as Moses did in the presence of the burning bush, Exo_3:5; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. This undoubtedly reminded Joshua of the experience of Moses, and proved to him that this Prince of the heavenly host was He who had manifested Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Joshua did so. It is then that we may expect manifestations of Christ's divine grace and mercy, when we use the means of grace instituted by Him and are found in the way of our duty. Then it is also that He encamps round about us with the host of His angels and wages war for His Church against the world and the devil.