Possessing the Land - Part 4
Remember Your Roots - Read: Joshua 5:10-12
1. Introduction
The children of Israel crossed the Jordan in full view of the enemy stronghold of Jericho, which lies in the great open plain (3:16). From this city, especially from the vantage point of its walls, the whole Jordan valley from Adam to the Dead Sea was visible. After the Children of Israel had crossed the river Jordan in that great miracle, and were camped at Gilgal, they did six things before taking possession of the Promised Land:
1. Their faith put fear in the hearts of the Enemy (2:2-11; 5:1)
2. They stopped but they didn’t stay (4:20-24)
3. They renewed their commitment to the covenant with God (5:2-9)
4. They remembered their roots (5:10)
5. They destroyed the manna mentality (5:12)
6. They worshipped the Lord
They did all these six things, before they fought one battle, before they attacked one city stronghold. All these things were done in full view of the enemy (3:16). These are principles that we need to follow prophetically.
The fourth thing the Israelites did, after crossing the Jordan, was to remember their roots.
Strong, well-developed roots provide a solid anchor and nourishment for a tree that symbolises strength - the oak tree. Such roots are as long below the ground, as the tree is high above the ground, so the tree continues to feed during times of drought, and when the storms blow other trees fall, but the oak stands firm. Now these roots are physical, but there is always a spiritual example to learn from this example of God’s creation.
2. They Remembered Their Roots
On the evening of the 14th day of the month of Nisan the whole of the Nation of Israel celebrated Passover. This may not sound sensational, but the last celebration had been 38 years before. The first time was in Egypt, as the hand of God passed over His people and then destroyed Egypt. The second time was 2 years later, at Mount Sinai. Here they are 38 years later, celebrating the crossing of the Jordan (4 days previously), and entering the land God had promised them. From now on, they would celebrate Passover every year.
What was important about Passover? Celebrating Passover helped them focus on their priorities. Their sacrificial lamb, whose blood was shed, was the symbol of protection and redemption.
a. Our response
With all the miracles they had seen, with all the manifestations we are seeing today in our world, with all the seeds of revival breaking out, God wants us to do two things:
* Focus on the Lamb and not the Land, or we’ll concentrate on only physical signs and wonders;
* Take our eyes off the Promised Land, and get them onto Jesus.
Before we take this Land, we have to focus on the person of the Lamb - Jesus!
b. Dangers
God got His people to remember their roots. This avoids the dangers that can come, as God moves in mighty acts of power, in revivals. One of these dangers is to concentrate on the manifestations - the outward power of God - rather than focusing on the Giver of the manifestations. To fail here means that we focus on the Land -the physical signs - and we remove our eyes from the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The Welsh revival of 1904 lasted only 8 years. Why? They focused on the miracles of healing, the deliverances, the prophecies etc, but they forgot their roots.
c. Roots
What are these roots? Well in any outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in any revival, in any refreshing, there are keys we must clearly remember:
* Never forget to lift up the name of Jesus
* Always remember to proclaim the Lamb
* Preach the Word
* Proclaim the Cross of Jesus Christ
d. Acts of God’s power
You must focus on the Lamb before you can ever see the Land. Jesus put outward signs (the Land) in their correct place. Let’s look at the account of the return of the 72 disciples in:
Luke 10:9,17-20 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ’The kingdom of God is near you.’ 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
These men had seen all manner of power, with demons being cast out of people when they prayed in the name of Jesus (v 17); the sick were healed when they laid their hands on them (v 9). They were truly amazing miracles.
Jesus saw that these ordinary men had caught the revelation that they had authority in the name of the Lamb, and He rejoiced, see v 21:
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit ..."
Note: This is a little aside, but to help us lose our reserve, we need to see how Jesus really behaved. The word for ’rejoiced’ used here, only occurs 11 times in the Bible. The word is ’agalliao’, and means to physically ’jump up and down with joy’, ’to have so great a joy that you have to let it out’.
So, Jesus jumped with joy; He rejoiced with His disciples. The interesting thing here, though, is that the word used for the disciples’ joy, in v 17, is ’chara’. This word speaks of being ’cheerful’, and having a ’calm delight’. Jesus wasn’t just cheerful, He was utterly delighted. Why? Maybe because the Lord knew they had finally caught His vision.
e. Catching the vision
What about us today? Have we caught that vision. Are we so full of ’the joy of the Lord’ (Neh 8:10) that we show it, not just in church, but in the World.
Yet, amidst all the joy and rejoicing over mighty acts of power, the Lord reminded them of their roots. How? In all the excitement, with all the manifestations He said to the disciples (v 20) "...do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Rev 21:27 "... those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."
Let us rejoice that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, and let us make certain that we focus on the Lamb and not the Land, so that we’ll always be safe.
When revival comes to Luxembourg, we will see:
* blind eyes opened;
* the deaf hearing;
* the sick healed;
* demons fleeing from the oppressed;
* souls saved in their thousands.
God promises that this is ahead of us. Remember the words of:
Mark 16:20 "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."
f. The Word of God
But, stop awhile, and celebrate Passover. Focus on the Lamb. Churches that attempt to take the Land without focusing on the Lamb will miss it.
Part of this act of focusing on the Lamb, is to realise and understand the power and purpose of the Word of God. You see, God’s Spirit does not go where His Word does not. This is a check to see if it’s God’s Spirit at work. The Enemy can use lying signs to deceive us, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect" (Matt 24:24).
In every case, the test of whether it’s God at work is very simple; ask "does it follow God’s Word"; if your church is built upon that foundation, you will be secure.
(i). The power of the Word
Realise that nothing happened on this planet, without God’s Word. In Genesis, we read:
Gen 1:2,3 "2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
But, there was still no creation. What released the Holy Spirit to create? Only the Word of God:
3 "... God said, ’Let there be light,’ and there was light."
Always remember this, God’s Spirit does not go where His Word does not.
Now, Jesus is the Word incarnate (the ’logos’). Wherever the Word went in His ministry in Israel, signs and wonders followed. Jesus has commanded us to preach the Gospel and expect the miracles (Mark 16:15-18). If your heart is focused on the Lamb, you’ll do this and remain rooted in Him.
(ii). Communion and Passover
We have to understand that Passover is the origin of our communion, so in effect when we share communion, we celebrate Passover.
Every time we break bread, as a Church or in our homes, we:
* remember our roots;
* focus on the Lamb of God who was slain;
* remember the price paid for our freedom, and that we are free because the Lamb died, His blood was shed, and He rose from the dead;
* remember our purpose, which is to "proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." (1 Cor 11:26).
g. The smell of death
Celebrating Passover helped them focus on their priorities, and celebrating Passover sent the smell of death into the enemy camp.
I want you to imagine Jericho, tightly shut up (Jos 6:1). Imagine the guards and the people looking down from those great walls. They could see the whole Camp of Israel - 2 million people only a mile (2 km) away - and they had seen everything that God had been doing.
(i). What had the city of Jericho seen?
The city of Jericho had seen:
* the miracle of the Jordan crossing;
* Israel set up a memorial;
* all the men of the Camp circumcised.
Jericho was confused; why didn’t Israel fight? The Enemy over Luxembourg is also confused. But the wonderful thing is that the devil cannot receive revelation; only the church of Jesus Christ can receive revelation.
Now, imagine the evening of the 14th of Nisan - the start of Passover - as the people in Jericho looked at around 300,000 camp fires of the Israelites. A smell would have filled the air, wafting over the city of Jericho. That smell was the smell of roasting lamb. I suspect the guards would have wondered why 2 million people - on the same evening, at the same time - were eating roast lamb. Very confusing!
At least one person in that great city would have known the story of Israel’s Passover. The land of Canaan had been under Egyptian influence for many years, so the account of the first Passover would have flashed around the region, 40 years before (see Joshua 2:10). Imagine, therefore, such a person telling the people of Jericho that the first time this Nation ate lamb in this way:
* the nation of Egypt fell by their hand;
* then the Red Sea was opened;
* followed by the destruction of the elite of the Egyptian army.
(ii). The smell of the Lamb of God
The smell of the lamb brought the smell of death to the enemy; it paralysed the enemy with fear. But, it’s not the smell of:
* sensationalism that paralyses the devil;
* denominationalism that paralyses the devil;
* nice buildings that paralyses the devil.
Rev 12:11 "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;"
It is the smell of the Lamb that brings the smell of death into the Enemy’s camp. As they celebrated Passover, that smell of death went over the enemy. Every time we:
* break bread we send the smell of death into the Enemy camp;
* preach the Cross of Jesus Christ, we send the smell of death into the Enemy camp;
* lift up the name of Jesus in our praise, we send the smell of death into the Enemy camp.
Jericho knew their time was nearly over; Satan also knows his time is short ... in Luxembourg.
3. Strongholds and issues
* Sickness, finances, personal life, family, emotions, intellect/mind, unsaved family & friends.
* Understand leadership, seek your place in the Body (you have one); know your Holy Spirit gifting; commit to work for your local church; believe & pray for revival.
APPENDIX
a. Let’s focus on this list:
1. Remember our roots
2. Focus on the Lamb of God who was slain
3. Remember the price paid for our freedom, and that we are free because the Lamb died, His blood was shed, and He rose from the dead
4. Remember our purpose, which is to "proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." (1 Cor 11:26);
5. Send the smell of death to the Enemy of this Nation.
b. Work through it:
1. Communion is one way to do this, but it’s only once a fortnight.
2. Do you realise what Jesus has done for you? Meditate on this - focus on the person of Jesus.
3. Compared to the price He paid, what is our response, commitment & service to Jesus?
In our waking hours:
Work 36%
Family/rest/play 32%
Eat 12%
TV 12%
Wash/shower 3%
Personal prayer/Bible 1%
Sunday worship 2%
Home group 2%
The average person spends only 2-4% of his/her week with the family of God in worship, study and fellowship. Others do spend far more time than this. But, taking the average time, it doesn’t look too good, compared to great cost that Jesus was willing to pay for our souls.
Do we understand from what we are freed?
Acts 8:23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."
2 Tim 2:26 ... and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Rom 7:14,15;18,19 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.
Luke 16:22-24 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ’Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
Mat 7:23 [future!] "Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"
Mat 25:46 [future!] "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
4. Remember our purpose is to:
"proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." (1 Cor 11:26); it’s also to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt 28:19).
5. Send the smell of death to the Enemy of this Nation
How? By celebrating your salvation in Christ Jesus!
c. Respond to it
Let’s break into groups of 4 or 5, and let’s share something from which you were saved - as a testimony to Jesus - and an item for which you would like prayer.
In this way, by remembering the roots of our faith, let’s celebrate our salvation!
