The Walls of Jericho

Our world opposes God.

The theory of evolution attempts to explain our existence apart from God.  Science cannot explain many things, and our world is okay with that as long as the explanation does not involve God.  This is true when we try to explain consciousness, our thoughts and whether we have a soul.  This is true when we try to understand what life is.  It is glaringly obvious when we try to discuss origins and how to teach origins in our public schools.

This is not new.  Thousands of years ago, the Psalmist wrote:

¹Why are the nations so angry?  Why do they waste their time with futile plans?  ²The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.  (Psalm 2:1-2)[i]

What happens in the public arena also happens in our private lives.  There are people and situations that oppose the knowledge of God in our lives.  There are attitudes and habits within us that oppose the knowledge of God in our lives.  2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of this battle saying, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”  (ESV)  There are arguments and opinions raised against the knowledge of God.  These arguments and opinions exist within our hearts even as believers.

Today we are going to consider how we are to face and overcome these arguments and opinions using the walls of Jericho as a metaphor for the battle that must happen.

The Israelites crossed the Jordan River to take possession of a land promised by God to their ancestor Abraham.  The inhabitants of this Promised Land were not willing to give it up.  The first thing the Israelites faced when they crossed the Jordan River was the walled city of Jericho.  Jericho represented all the opposition they would face.  This was to be a decisive battle.  Defeat would mean annihilation for the Israelites.  Jericho had strong impenetrable walls.  As we look at how God led the Israelites to overcome Jericho’s defenses, we will learn how to overcome the obstacles to the knowledge of God in our own lives.

Joshua 6:1 says:

¹Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites.  No one was allowed to go out or in.

“The gates of Jericho were tightly shut.”

The city was ready for a siege.  It had a secure supply of water, which still exists to this day.  Joshua 3:15 tells us it was the harvest season so we can assume they had a ready supply of food.  Archaeological research has borne this out.[ii]  Grain, which normally would have been used by the conquerors, is found in abundance by modern archaeologists.  This picture is some of the grain stored in jars that was left behind when the Israelites burned Jericho.

[iii]

The gates were shut tight and they were set to last years against the Israelites.  The walls were massive.  Here is an artist’s conception of how the wall was built. 

[iv]

The wall was secure.  People lived in the area between the inner and outer wall with little fear of any attacker being able to get past the outer wall.

To be sure, Joshua’s army far outnumbered the residents of Jericho.  However, their defenses were solid.  Success was critical for Joshua.  There were no secure homes or places to fall back to for the Israelites.  Their options were victory or annihilation. 

This is true for us today.  The defiance of the world is represented by the tightly shut gates.  Our beliefs and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord are foolishness to the world.  However, our lives are the issue.  We choose to live in the camp of God with Israel rather than behind the seemingly secure walls of Jericho.

As Joshua approaches this fortress, He sees a man standing in the way with a sword.  Joshua 5:13-14 says:

¹³When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand.  Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”

¹⁴“Neither one,” he replied.  “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

Chapter 6 of Joshua and the conquest of Jericho rest upon this foundation.  “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

 

God is our Lord. 

Many, many years after Joshua, there was a governor of the land of Judah named Zerubbabel who was charged with rebuilding the temple of God.  It was an impossible task.  At that time, God said to Zerubbabel, “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”  (Zechariah 4:6)

This is the meaning of the man that Joshua met in the way.  

Joshua naturally wanted to know if this was friend or foe.  More accurately put, he said, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”  (ESV)[v] 

The answer he got was “Neither.” 

This is the first lesson we must learn about our walls.  The battle is not ours it is the Lord’s.  He is our Lord.  This means He is our master.  Therefore, we must bow to Him.  Joshua did this quite literally.  Joshua 5:14-15 says:

¹⁴“Neither one,” he replied.  “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence.  “I am at your command,” Joshua said.  “What do you want your servant to do?”

¹⁵The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”  And Joshua did as he was told.

Joshua puts himself at the Lord’s disposal.  “I am at your command.”  What do you want your servant to do?”

The first command Joshua received was to take off his sandals.  He was instructed to show proper reverence to God.

Please follow me here, because I am going to make a jump.  However, it is connected.  When I think of showing proper reverence to God, the first thing I realize is that God does not want us to conquer all walls and barriers. 

Jesus could have called ten thousand angels so that He would not die on the cross, but it was God’s will for Him to suffer.

Paul prayed 3 times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, but God said no.  It was God’s will for him to suffer the weakness Paul called a thorn. 

We have goals.  When our goals are blocked, we get angry.  We get frustrated.  When our goals are blocked, we can even go nuclear in hopes of clearing out the wall that is before us.  However, just because it is my goal does not mean it is God’s goal.  If even the Son of God had to pray, “Not my will but Thine be done,” how much more do I need to pray the same way?

We must bow to our Lord.  We must stop trying to recruit God for our side.  He is the Lord.  He is the master.  Some obstacles, walls or barriers are there because He has put them there.  We must learn the difference.

As Joshua took off his sandals and worshiped, he was then ready to face the tightly closed gates of Jericho.  He knew God wanted him to take Jericho.

God gave Joshua specific instructions.  Joshua 6:3-4 say: (Slide 10)

³You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.  ⁴Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn.  On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.

With 2 million people, each person could carry a stone and stacking it up against the wall build a siege ramp.  If they built ladders, they could simply overwhelm the city with numbers

Here is a picture of the ruins of ancient Jericho.  (Slide 11)

[vi]

If archaeologists are accurate, there would have been several thousand people in Jericho at the time.  While the walls were impressive, two million people should have been enough to figure out a way to get over the walls.

However, their orders were clear, “March around the town.”  This is the second lesson we learn.  God is our Lord.  We must bow before Him and then second we must wait upon God.

Wait upon God.

They did not sit in their tents to wait upon God.  They engaged in the pointless activity of walking around the city.

How do we wait upon God?

I use the word wait because of Isaiah 40:31 that says: (Slide 12)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  (KJV)

The idea in the passage is to look eagerly for a thing.  This waiting implies anticipation and expectancy.  While it implies trust, it does not imply passivity.  The Israelites took action.  Theirs was action taken in obedience.  It made no sense, but it was obedience.

This requires faith.  Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God and that He rewards those that seek Him.

When we face walls in our lives we must first seek the Lord, and we must obey the Lord.  Some of the things we are told to do may seem pointless like walking around a wall.  And, some things may seem trivial.

God says not to lie, but do we tolerate little untruths in our lives? 

God says not to have even a hint of immorality among us, but do we allow our eyes to look at a woman to lust after her?

God says to forgive others, but do we harbor resentment?  

A struggle with a lack of faith or with doubt might be more about obedience than about the believability of the gospel.  The skeptic’s argument against Christianity may be more about morality and questions of integrity than about the truth of God’s existence.

Decisions are more about the heart than the brain.  In other words, decisions are emotional.  This is why God addresses the heart and the desires.  Waiting on the Lord, means setting our hearts on things above.  If Israel had not had their hearts set on God, they could have stormed the city, looted it and gone on, but at what cost?

The walls in our lives can be overcome by first recognizing that God is our Lord, bowing to Him, waiting on Him and then speaking for Him.

Joshua 6:15-16 says:

 ¹⁵On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before.  But this time they went around the town seven times.  ¹⁶The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout!  For the LORD has given you the town!

The final day in the conquest of Jericho started with a long march.  They walked around the city 7 times.  Then they shouted.  This was the shout of victory.  It announced to the inhabitants of Jericho that their time was up.  It announced to the world that God was conqueror.

Romans 10:17 tells us “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”  (ESV)  In Colossians 1:28 Paul says, “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us.” 

The battle is not joined until words are spoken.  Romans 10:10 says, “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”  The mouth speaks out of what fills the heart and our mouths are an important part of the battle.  With the words of our mouth, we commit ourselves to the Lord and His way.  I do not think there is any magic in this.  It only follows from God being Lord.  We bow to Him.  We wait on Him.  If we wait expectantly for Him, it follows that we will have His word in our hearts.  When the time comes, we will know what words to speak.  Eventually, every knee will have to bow to the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Whether we speak to ourselves or to our neighbors, we must speak the truth of God’s word.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/06/The-Walls-of-Jericho.aspx

[iii] ibid

[iv] ibid

[v] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[vi] http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/06/The-Walls-of-Jericho.aspx

Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 3 and 4

Life is full of transitions.

One day you are single.  The next day you are married.

One day you are a high school senior.  The next day you are a high school graduate.

One day you are in your mother’s womb.  The next day you are in diapers.

One day you are alive.  The next day you are in heaven or hell.

Some transitions are beyond our control.  An auto accident can change a life in a single moment.  Sickness and disease can change a life.

We prepare and plan for some transitions.  We study for years to get our high school diplomas, our bachelor’s degree or our master’s degree.

Once the transition is made, there is no going back.  The change is permanent.  We can long for the past, but it is gone.  We can resent the past, but it cannot be undone.  We can wish we were never born, but here we are. 

God is Lord of all our transitions.

The crossing of the Jordan River by the Israelites is often used as a picture of our transition into heaven.  Certainly, death is our final transition here on earth.  However, there are many transitions before we meet that final transition.  The example of God leading the Israelites across the Jordan can help us deal with all our transitions.

Joshua 3 and 4 tell the story of Israel’s great transition.  From this story, we can find encouragement and instruction to help in our own transitions.

Look at Joshua 3:1.

Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.[i]

We understand that “early the next morning” is referring to the morning after the spies returned from Jericho.  In Joshua chapter 2, we learn that Joshua sent two spies into Jericho.  These men stayed in the house of Rahab, and brought back a report saying, “The LORD has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”  (Joshua 2:24)

There is a significant detail in chapter 3 verse 1 that can easily be overlooked.  It says, “the Israelites left Acacia Grove.”  Other translations call this place “Shittim.”  The word “Shittim” means Acacia.  The Israelites were camped in an area covered with Acacia trees.  They had been camped here for some time. 

God led the people up from the wilderness through the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan.  These and other kings east of the Jordan were utterly destroyed by the Israelites.

When the Israelites reached Acacia Grove, they were in the territory of the Moabites.  Balaak, king of Moab, saw the massive Israelite camp and knew he could not take them in a fight so he hired a seer named Balaam to curse them.  God would not let Balaam curse Israel.  Therefore, Balaam told Balaak how he could get Israel to curse themselves.  Balaak sent beautiful women to invite the Israelites to join in celebrating festivals to their gods.  These festivals were particularly attractive because they involved these beautiful women giving their bodies to the men. 

Numbers 21 through 25 tells the story of the battles with Og, Sihon and Balaak.  Numbers 25 verse 9 tells us that 24,000 people of Israel died there in the camp at Acacia Grove.

After the incident with the Moabite women, Moses gave final instructions and took care of final details.  Then, he died.  God took him to a mountaintop, showed him the land on the other side of the Jordan and took him home.

God is Lord of our transitions.

The first lesson we learn from the Israelites transition is God is merciful.

The past cannot be undone.  The 24,000 that died in Acacia Grove could not be brought back.  The horrible sin that the Israelites committed was now part of their past.  Moses was gone.  He was not coming back.  We must first understand that God does not hold the past against us.  Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” It is incredible, but God’s mercies are fresh every morning.  He does not hold the past against us.  1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

God does not hold the past against us, and He is willing to remove our sins from us.  However, sometimes we are unwilling to let go of the past.  I am not saying we should forget the loved one we lost.  I am not saying we will not miss the use of the body part we lost.  I am saying we will have to accept a new normal.  I am saying that we will have to embrace God’s purpose for us.  Moses is gone.  Joshua is the leader now.  Things will never be the same.  We must move on from Acacia Grove to the Jordan. 

When we put our faith in the Lord of all our transitions, we can trust His mercy.  We can also trust His purpose.  This is the second lesson we learn from the Israelites’ transition. 

God is good.

Joshua 3:9-11 says:

⁹So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the LORD your God says.  ¹⁰Today you will know that the living God is among you.  He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.  ¹¹Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River!

During their 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites had a consistent problem.  Each time they came to an obstacle, they would complain, “The Lord has brought us out here to kill us.”  Joshua tells the people, “Today you will know that the living God is among you.  He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.”  God had a future and a plan for His people.  He had sustained them 40 years in the wilderness.  He had led them out of Egypt.  He parted the waters of the Red Sea.  He gave them Manna and kept their clothes from wearing out.  For 40 years, God demonstrated His mercy and His goodness.  Now as they approach the big moment of transition, once again, God is promising a bright future, His presence and His provision.

God does the same for us.  To be sure, circumstances and events are not always positive.  The Jordan River was in flood stage.  It was a real barrier.  Without Divine intervention, the people were not getting to the other side.  We are blind to the future.  When we get married, we anticipate bliss.  Too often, our hopes are dashed.  When we hear the diagnosis from the doctor, we are crushed.  When the boss says, “We are down-sizing,” we wonder how we are going to make it.

God is good. 

I am not saying that everything that happens is good.  God give us the power, authority and ability to choose.  Therefore, sin and evil exist in this world.  Even given this fact, in our darkest days God gives us this assurance:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

The Apostle Paul repeats this assurance in another way when he says:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  (Romans 8:28)

The Israelites trusted God’s purpose.  God provided a new leader.  God led with the Ark of the Covenant.  Everything changed, no more pillar of fire by night, no more cloud by day.  They left behind their parents’ bodies in the wilderness.  They left behind the ease and certainty of Manna.  They left behind the familiarity of Moses.  They moved ahead into the unknown of conquest, battle and making a new home.  Their only confidence was God is good.

They also learned that God is unchanging.

Joshua 4:4-7 says:

⁴So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel.  ⁵He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the LORD your God.  Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.  ⁶We will use these stones to build a memorial.  In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’  ⁷Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant went across.’  These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

Joshua built a memorial. 

It was important that the people never forget what God had done.  Moses instituted the Passover festival.  It was important that the people never forget what God had done.  Only once has God parted the Red Sea.  Only once has God stopped the flow of the Jordan.  However, it was the same God that did both.

God has progressively revealed Himself throughout History.  In other words, what God shows us of Himself builds upon what He has shown previous generations about Himself.  He does not change.  Today, He is the same God who parted the Red Sea.  He is the same God that led the Israelites across the Jordan.  However, the Israelites did not yet know about Nazareth, Mary and Joseph, a manger or about Jesus.  When they crossed the Jordan, they did not yet know how they were going to defeat the walled city of Jericho.  We know all these things and more.  We know that God raised Jesus from the dead.  We know that God gives us His Holy Spirit.  We know that God has given us His Word, the Bible.

Since we know that God is unchanging, we have confidence that whatever the Jordan we face we can trust God.  Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, and trust also in me.”  (John 14:1)

God is Lord of our transitions. 

God is merciful so learn from the past, build on the past, but do not let the past stop you from following God when He calls you to cross the Jordan.

God is good so trust God’s plan, even when you cannot see hope for tomorrow.

God is unchanging so build on what He has shown you.  Move forward in your relationship with God.  Never forget what He has done.  His word is a memorial to His great deeds.  Visit it often. 

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved

Rahab: When God Prepares the Way

Joshua 2

Some battles seem too big for us.

Many of us reach an uneasy truce with our battles.  Maybe your battle is with anger.  Maybe your battle is with lust.  Maybe your battle is with envy.  Maybe your battle is with lying.  We all have battles.

Jesus has saved us.  We are going to heaven.  However, the battle with sin and victory in this life continues.  We accepted Christ and received new life, but we still struggle with sin.

Is the promised land of our salvation just for the future?  Is it just for heaven, or is it for this life and the next?  I believe it is for this life and the next.

The things that happened to Israel are an example for us.  As the Children of Israel were to enter into the Promised Land, so, we too, are to enter into our promised land.  Hebrews 4:1 calls it entering into his rest when it says, “God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.”[i] 

A generation of Israelites died in the wilderness.  They never entered the promised rest.  They never entered the Promised Land.  Hebrews 3:17 says of them, “And who made God angry for forty years?  Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness?”  Hebrews 3:19 sums up the lesson we learn from this generation.  It says, “So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.”

We were not brought out of the Egypt, otherwise known as the world, in order to end up corpses in the wilderness.

Joshua led the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan.  He led them into the Promised Land.  He led them into their rest.  However, it was a battle.  Three times God said to Joshua, “Be Strong and courageous.”  (Joshua 1)  Joshua’s job would take courage and strength.  However, the promise of God’s presence accompanied it.  God promised that no one would be able to stand up to Joshua.

In Joshua chapter 2, Joshua makes his first tenuous expedition into the Promised Land.  It is not an assault.  It is not a bold move.  He looks at the situation.  Verse 1 of chapter 2 says, “He secretly sent out two spies.”

I do not understand what Joshua is thinking.  He could stand on his side of the Jordan and see the other side.  He could look and see the walled city of Jericho.  What is he hoping to find out?  We do not know the answers to these questions.  However, we do know what Joshua found out.  He found out that God had prepared the way before them.

As we look at our battles, we too will find that God has prepared the way before us.

Look at Joshua 2:1.

Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove.  He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.”  So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.

I do not think these were immoral men.  One of the commentaries I read said that the word translated “prostitute” could also be translated “Innkeeper.”  However, they could have entered town and asked for a prostitute just to stay in disguise, pretending to be weary travelers doing what weary travelers do.  Whatever the reason, how likely was it they would by pure chance end up at the house of the one person who would feed them, hide them, protect them and advise them?  How is it that they just “happened” to stay the night at Rahab’s house?

God had prepared the way.

As you set out on your first tenuous expeditions to claim your promise, you will find that God has prepared the way.  Others have fought the same battle you face.  For example, if your battle is anger, you will find that many have fought that battle.  Or, if your battle is lust, you will find that many have fought that battle.

The story continues.  Look at Joshua 2:2-3.

But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”  So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”

Busted!  Joshua may have sent the spies out secretly, but the enemy was not fooled.  He knew why the Israelites were there, and he was out to stop them.  He was king.  This was his city.  He was there to protect it.

As you set out on your first tenuous expeditions to claim your promise you will find that the enemy is there and will not like you poking around in his territory.

Rahab’s quick thinking saved the men from certain death.

Look at verses 4 through 7 of Joshua chapter 2.

⁴Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from.  ⁵They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close.  I don’t know where they went.  If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”  ⁶(Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.)  ⁷So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River.  And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.

Rahab was ready.  It says here that she had hidden the spies.  It does not say she was warned in advance, but somehow she knew and she prepared a hiding place.  She had hid them under flax bundles.  She then diverted the search.  She directed the king’s men to search in the wrong place.

I cannot say that you will be hidden under bundles of flax.  However, God does promise in 2 Corinthians 10:13, “When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

God knows what we need and prepares the way before we set out. 

The men were led by providence to the right place to stay.  Their hiding place and safety were prepared before them.  Next, we will see the information Rahab gives them.

Look at verses 8 through 11 of Joshua chapter 2.

⁸Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them.  ⁹“I know the LORD has given you this land,” she told them.  “We are all afraid of you.  Everyone in the land is living in terror.  ¹⁰For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt.  And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed.  ¹¹No wonder our hearts have melted in fear!  No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things.  For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

What incredible words!  “I know the LORD has given you this land.”  This came from one of the residence of the land.  She had not lived under Moses’s leadership.  She had not eaten Manna.  She had not seen the miraculous hand of God defeating Pharaoh’s army.  She had only heard about all these things.  What is more, she informs the spies that everyone in the land has heard.  “Everyone in the land is living in terror.”  “Our hearts have melted in fear!”  “No one has the courage to fight.”

If Joshua and the spies needed confirmation of God’s leading, this was it.  God said to Joshua, “You are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.”  (Joshua 1:6, NLT)  The information Rahab gave them was confirmation.  Victory was guaranteed.

In our battles, we have the same kind of information.  In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world." 

Some say there is no battle to be fought.  Based on Romans 6:11, which says, “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”  And, based on other verses in Romans 6 that say to yield control to God, some say that we are passive.  However, these verses are not passive.  The New Living Translation gets Romans 6:13 right when it says, “Give yourselves completely to God.”  This giving ourselves to God or yielding is not passive.  “The just shall live by faith.”  (Romans 1:17)  This certainly is the truth of Scripture.  In addition, we are called upon to put on the full armor of God.  Furthermore, we are called upon to stand firm.  All these are acts of faith, and they are also pictures of battle.

Many people have gone before and have given testimony to the life of faith.  Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

God has set a race before us.  He has prepared the way.  However, there is the sin that so easily trips us up.  Sin in general will keep us from entering the rest God has promised.  Unbelief in particular is the most grievous sin.  However, each person has a sin that easily trips him or her up.  I find I have many.  Whether by natural tendencies, upbringing or training we all have places in our life that will trip us up. 

These places are like Jericho.  They have strong walls.  They have armies. 

When Moses sent the twelve spies, ten of them came back and said, “They have strong armies and walls we cannot do this.”  Perhaps you have fought with your favorite sin all your life and are convinced you cannot defeat it.  Listen to the voice of Rahab.  She said, “For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”  (Joshua 2:11, NLT)

Jesus died to set us free.  It is possible to be free. 

I am not talking about sinless perfection.  The Scripture is clear, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”  (1 John 1:8, NLT)  God has prepared the way before us, but have we failed to take Jericho?

Rahab believed God, and because of this, she took action.  She arranged with the spies to save the lives of herself and her family.  Because of her faith, God has honored her with a place in Scripture, a place in the ancestry of Christ and we can assume a home in heaven.

The spies who had gone out secretly on this tenuous expedition came back with this report.  “The LORD has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”  (Joshua 2:24, NLT)

The first step in being free is being willing to take the first step.  If you are willing to send out your spies, you will find that God has prepared the way. 

If your tongue is your Jericho, you will find the Scriptures have an answer.  If your temper is your Jericho, you will find the Scriptures have an answer. If your lust is your Jericho, you will find the Scripture has an answer.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

Joshua

Read Joshua 1

The day had finally arrived.

The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness living in tents, eating Manna and wandering.  All those who were 20 years old or older at the time of their departure from Egypt had passed away.  40 years before when the Israelites faced this challenge, they had rebelled and refused to face it.

We all face big days.  Students will always have big tests to prepare for.  We all have deadlines.  We all look forward with anticipation to important events.  How do we face the challenges of life?  Are we overcome with anxiety?  Do we worry and fret?

Today we will learn from Joshua how God has designed for us to face life.

The short answer is faith.  God tells us to trust Him.  Joshua is an example of trusting God.  He trusted God for the timing.  He trusted God for the assignment.  Finally, he trusted God for the strength.

First, He trusted God for the timing.

Joshua 1:1-2 says:

¹After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant.  He said, ²“Moses my servant is dead.  Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.[i]

“Moses my servant is dead.”  This could have been a time of upheaval and trouble.  Moses led the people for 40 years.  Moses was the one who gave the law and taught the way of the Lord.  Joshua had been his assistant for 40 years.  These 40 years served as an apprenticeship for Joshua.  What is more, in Numbers 27 we are told that Moses laid hands on Joshua and transferred authority to him before the whole community.  In this manner, preparations were made for the transfer of leadership.

Even with the preparations, this was a big test for Joshua.  He had never been tested like this before.

There is a principle here.  1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.”  Temptations, experience and tests come into all of our lives.  Some are expected and others are not expected.  Some tests we have time to prepare for and others we do not.  The principle remains.  God will not allow the test to be more than you can stand.

There is a condition to this principle.  Wait on God’s timing.  God said to Joshua, “The time has come for you to lead these people.”  A number of times throughout the 40 years the people rebelled against Moses, and wanted to choose another leader.  Joshua could have joined the rebellion.  However, he was wholly devoted to the Lord. 

Another example of a person who had many opportunities to seize power and lead the people is David.  On a number of occasions, David could have killed Saul and seized the kingship.  Even though Samuel anointed David as a boy and David knew he was destined for the throne, he refused to take it before God’s time.

One area in which I see anxiety to rush God’s timing is in the desire to find a spouse.  Anxiety to rush God’s timing also happens in regards to jobs, houses, cars and possessions.  It is best to trust God to provide in His time. 

Having waited for God’s timing, the day came for Joshua.

Joshua trusted God for the assignment.

Joshua 1:2 says, “The time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.” 

How long had Joshua known this would be his role?  Throughout the 40 years in the wilderness, he was Moses’s assistant.  Moses defined his role or job.  At least from a human point of view, Moses was the boss.  We do not see Joshua complaining that He was not being used to his potential, or dissatisfied with his role.  Compare this to Aaron and Miriam, Moses’s brother and sister.  At one point, they took the attitude of saying, “Who does Moses think he is?” They challenged Moses’s authority and leadership.  They commented that God also spoke through them and that Moses was not the only one who could lead.  This was not a matter of waiting for timing to be right.  This was a matter of assignment.  What did God want them to be doing? 

They saw Moses.  Moses was in power.  Moses was in control.  In their view, they were just as capable, maybe more capable than Moses.  The eye of faith sees God.  God is in control.  Trusting God for our assignment means exercising these eyes of faith.

Please, do not interpret this to mean that anyone should stay in a bad situation.  If you are trapped in a situation in which you do not belong, then free yourself.  For example, if the law is being broken by you, your employer or by your partner, the situation has to change. 

Trusting God for our assignment means being faithful.  There will be seasons when you are used way under your potential.  A good example of this is Moses’s 40 years of tending sheep in the wilderness.  He was an educated competent leader, and he was tending sheep.  Moses, Joshua and David all had something in common.  They each knew God had chosen them for something special.  They all also spent years not doing what they knew they were meant for.  Not one of those years was wasted.  They each had a deep relationship with God.

There is a saying, “Bloom where you are planted.”  I would put it in Biblical terms:

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  ⁶Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

If you are seeking God’s will in all you do, you can be sure that God will put you where He wants you, and it will be the assignment you were meant for.  This is where Joshua was, in the assignment he was meant for.

In this assignment, he trusted God for the strength.

God encouraged Joshua three times to be strong and courageous.  In this encouragement, we find two important elements to trusting God.  First is the promise of God.  God says repeatedly, “I will never leave you or abandon you.”  God promised and repeated His promise to give Israel the land.  Second, Joshua is encouraged not to abandon God.  He is instructed to mediate on the Word of God day and night.  He is admonished to keep and do all that the Word of God required.

We have the same promise that Joshua had.  Jesus promised He will never leave us.  He has promised that He is always with us.  He has promised to keep us for Himself.  We also have the same encouragement not to abandon God.  Jesus said, “⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”  (John 15:4) 

The Psalms tell us of the secret of happiness when Psalms on says:

¹Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  ²But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.

Do you want to know the secret of being strong and courageous?  It is here.  First, know and trust the promise of God.  Second, meditate on the Word of God.

Colossians 3:2 encourages us, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

If your hope is in the things of earth, you have reason to fear.   If it is made of metal, it will rust.  If it is made of wood, it will rot.  If it is flesh, it will grow old.  If it is solid, it can be taken.

Why would we put our confidence and trust in such things?  The eye of faith sees the Almighty.  Without the eye of faith, we see only the world.

We can learn from the example of Joshua to trust God when our tests come.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.