Joshua 5:10-12

"And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal; and they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain, in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow, after they had eaten of the produce of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."

There are only three instances of Israel's observance of the Passover up to and including the example here.[19] The other occasions are recorded in Exodus 12:1-15, in which is the account of their observance of it in Egypt; and the other took place on the first anniversary of the original Passover (Numbers 9:5). In this connection, Dummelow tells us that only three subsequent observances of the Passover are recorded in the Bible, these being: (1) that ordered by Josiah (2 Kings 23:21-23); (2) Hezekiah's (2 Chronicles 30); and (3) that of the returned exiles (Ezra 6:19).[20] Despite these limited references to it, however, "Critics freely admit that there may have been annual observances of the Passover throughout substantial portions of Jewish history."[21]

"Ate of the produce of the land ..." (Joshua 5:11). The English Revised Version of 1885 rendered this "the old corn (grain)" of the land, and, it is apparently not absolutely certain that the current rendition is accurate. Plummer stated that, "Whether new or old, we have no means of telling."[22] If it was the new corn (grain), it would have been barley, for the wheat harvest came six weeks later. To us it would seem that not a lot of importance attaches to the question.

The cessation of the manna on the very day that Israel ate of the produce of the land of Canaan, however, is of very great significance. Why did it cease? Henry suggested these reasons: (1) this prompt cessation of manna showed that it was not by chance or mere coincidence that it had been supplied; (2) Israel did not need it any longer; (3) it showed that Christians should not expect extraordinary supplies in situations where supplies may be had in an ordinary way.[23] The mention of unleavened cakes here is natural. The eating of unleavened bread for an entire week was celebrated in connection with the Passover; and, despite that it was a special festival, it was so closely associated with the Passover, that, in time, the feasts became practically united in the minds of the people.

It is of the greatest importance that a comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the whole Pentateuch is understood by the author of Joshua to be in the possession of all the people. "He assumed that the facts (about the Passover, the Unleavened Bread, etc.) were already well known from the Mosaic law, and he did not, therefore, think it necessary to give any fuller explanations."[24]

The sudden cessation of the manna, and of the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night has its counterpart in the New Dispensation. Plummer noted that:

All extraordinary demonstrations of God's Providence ceased with the crossing of Jordan, and in the history of the church, nothing is more remarkable than the way in which miraculous gifts of God - healing, prophecy, and the working of miracles - ceased when Jesus Christ ascended into heaven.[25]

It was in keeping with this amazing truth that Paul himself prophesied the cessation of tongues, prophecy, supernatural knowledge, etc. (1 Corinthians 13:8). In fact, to the specific things mentioned we must also add all of the charismatic gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. There was a childhood age of the church, in which all kinds of wonders attended her establishment, but the church moved out of that beginning era. "The whole counsel of God, once made known in Christ, the spiritual laws, like those of the natural world, would move in their natural course."[26] There would be no further need for special heavenly interruptions such as that seen during the age of miracles.