And The Walls Came Tumbling Down Mini Series Part 1 Of 2 Series

“And The Walls Came Tumbling Down” Mini-Series (Part 1 of 2)

Joshua 5.13-6.5

January 11, 2015 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A The text takes place 40 years after Moses had freed God’s Chosen from Pharaoh’s Egypt.

1 It’s interesting that our protagonist has a past of faithfulness.

a Moses, upon leaving Egypt, had send 12 spies into Canaan and only 2 came back with ready to take it, Caleb & Joshua.

b Because the Hebrews feared going into Canaan, God made sure none of the generation who left Egypt would enter the Promised Land.

Joshua 5:6 (NASB) 6 For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

aa The only exception was Caleb & Joshua.

Numbers 26:65 (NASB) 65 For the LORD had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

bb God blessed Joshua with His Presence like He had for Moses.

2 The first thing this post-wilderness generation did was get right with God. (Resume circumcision, observing Passover)

Joshua 5:8-9 (NASB) 8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

B Joshua 5:13-15 (NASB) 13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" 14 He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" 15 The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

Joshua 6:1-5 (NASB) 1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 "You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 "Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 "It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead."

1 (ETS) Joshua was reminded by the Lord that he, Joshua, was second in command.

a (ESS) We will never know the full true measure of victory until we realize there is a God and we’re not Him.

b (Obj.) I hope you’ll discover the victory that only comes by unconditionally surrendering to the Lord.

2 (PQ) Who is the decision maker in your life?

a Let’s look at the first of four results that we can expect if we’ve unconditionally surrendered to the Lord.

b Pray.

Joshua’s showed that his heart trusted in God’s promises to lead the children of Israel into their inheritance: The Promised Land.

1 40 years before Joshua had this encounter with the “Captain of the Host of the Lord,” Joshua had been selected as one of a group of 12 spies that Moses had sent out on a reconnaissance mission into Canaan just after the Israelites left Egypt.

a Of the 12 that were sent, only Joshua and Caleb came back encouraged by what they had seen.

I The first result we can anticipate when we’re unconditionally surrendered to the Lord is . . . Our hearts are truly revealed.

Joshua 5:13-15 (NASB) 13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" 14 He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" 15 The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.