Seeing the Real Battle
Joshua 6:1-21New International Version (NIV)
1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” 6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.” 8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there. 12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. 15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
This Chapter of Joshua is a prophetic picture of the conquering Christian.
But in here, to the thinking person, are some troubling things to be explained and some instructive things to be obeyed.
I want to make some observations throughout the written text. But first of all, let me admit to my methodology and the mindset I'm using when I look at much of the Old Testament.
I know that this is a real, physical, historical battle – even the archeology tells us that, but this battle and much of the rest of what's recorded in the Old Testament, is recorded with the primary purpose of teaching us how to fight battles of a much different nature.
In other words, we're supposed to take these physical examples and apply them, where and as possible, to our spiritual lives. And do not be mistaken – the physical world touches and teaches the spiritual world, but the spiritual world is not just the world to come because victory in your spirit will bring victory to your life.
If you want to STOP doing physical things that are destroying you the best route to influence your actions, appetites and abilities is through your spirit man.
Look first, at verse 1 of chapter 6.
1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
1. The Enemy is Serious – Jericho wasn't playin'
Do not underestimate the severity, comprehensiveness and seriousness of the Enemy's plan to thwart you. In this case, Jericho is not playin'. They are on total lock down. No one's getting in or out.
They have a massive defensive wall, surrounding and fortifying the entire city. In many ways it's exactly like the wall your enemy has erected around your besetting sin, your shortfalls, addictions, relationship issues, doubt and ungodly desires. It seems absolutely impenetrable.
I'm worried when I hear Christians taking the Enemy lightly, because I think, in my lifetime, the greatest hindrance to winning battles in the physical world, has been our failure to face our enemies with overwhelming force and determination.
Every battle's not worth fighting, but the one's we choose to fight should be fought without one hand, so to speak, tied behind our backs.
If that's true in the temporal, temporary, physical world that's passing away – it's also true in the spiritual world, which when set in order, is the greatest single influence, the most primary and important factor, in reordering our lives to reflect the glory of God.
Jericho was the oldest, lowest city, 1300 feet below sea level. Arguably it is the single most strategic stronghold that needed to be defeated in order to possess the land. What are the strongholds in your life that prevent you from walking in all that Christ has obtained for you?
Now consider what we see in Joshua 6:2 – “Then the Lord said to Joshua. . .”
Not only do we see that our Enemy is Serious, but also
2. Our God is Not Silent
What is God saying to you? Whose voice do you listen to?
In fact, this is the single most critical component of any successful spiritual battle plan. Obey the Word of God.
How do we hear Him?
A. His Written Word – He's not making any exceptions or He wouldn't be faithful, dependable and unchangeable.
B. His Leaders - “Then the Lord said to Joshua. . .”
We are, indeed, in a different dispensation from this Israeli army, living, as we are, in the church age. We are not limited to only a select few prophets, leaders, priests and kings, but God still uses leadership and as much as He expects them to lead, He expects you to follow.
We know, because the beginnings, the birth pangs of this church age are recorded throughout the book of Acts in the New Testament. And here's a hint, the full title of that book is called “The Acts of The Apostles.” It's the fifth book in the New Testament. It's not entitled the Acts of the disciples, although many of those acts are included. It's not the “Acts of the church at large,” although the church spreading throughout the Roman empire is chronicled.
But it's “The Acts of the Apostles.”
Paul wrote, (Ephesians 4:11) 11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
So I want you to notice that we hear Him both in His written Word and in His leaders.
And God holds us responsible for following rightly placed, God-ordained leadership. We cannot be in rebellious opposition to God-ordained leadership and prosper in the economy of the Kingdom of God.
In this church we have a plurality of leadership comprised of Pastoral staff, Elders, teachers, and others spread throughout various ministries, and tremendous safeguards in place to keep any leader, including this pastor, from exercising ungodly leadership or acting inappropriately.
And we should, because the flesh is calling and enticing all of us, and we can fail and fall and miss God. But if we do, and somehow the safeguards do not work, in some instance, but you are following leadership – God will protect you and correct the leadership.
If this wasn't replete throughout all of Scripture, I wouldn't mention it, because it screams against my natural wiring. I am well aware, uncomfortably so, of how egotistical and self-serving it sounds to talk about following leadership, especially when the titular head leader is doing the talking.
Like I've said, I don't like this subject. I ran from this position as long as possible in my life. But now that I'm here I'm convinced God is speaking to me not only for me, but for you.
I'm more willing for you to be momentarily upset with me, while you get your ducks in a row and do your research, than I am for our fellowship to miss the benefit and blessing of God that comes from following God-ordained leadership.
Because remember, as much as He expects leaders to lead He expects the church to follow.
C. His Voice – We also hear Him for ourselves, through prayer, impressions, counsel, circumstances and prophecy.
I don't have time, this morning, to get into the specific New Testament differences between one who is a Prophet (capitol P) and one who practices the gift of prophecy, but they are not always one and the same and God may use either or both of them at some point in your life to confirm the Word He's given you through prayer, impressions, counsel and circumstances.
History records, in John 10:27 that He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Okay so
1. The Enemy is Serious
2. God is Not Silent
Now look what happens next:
3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
There are so many things to learn from this passage. Every passage of God's Holy Word is so full we will never plumb the depths or mine the richness. Maybe your mind's eye catches something I'm not emphasizing this morning. Do yourself a favor and revisit this passage believing you're hearing from God, eager to hear what He's eager to teach you. But here's what I am calling to your attention this morning:
3. His Presence is Essential—4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark.
Look at this symbolism. The Ark of the Covenant, which not only symbolizes the presence of God, but mystically, authentically and actually contains that presence, LEADS THE WAY in this most unconventional battle.
But wait, you say, there are seven priests in front of the Ark. Yeah, see point number 2B. The priests are symbolic of the order of God's kingdom, for although He could have chosen a different way to disseminate His message throughout the people, He chose to do it by calling priests as leaders who speak His Word to His people.
They, in a sense, do go before Him, not in order or magnitude of greatness, but in the way they proclaim the potential possibility of His presence to all who will receive.
They are saying, “LOOK, His presence is critical. His presence is the defining characteristic of victory in the ultimate and final sense.”
In fact, when the Lord Jesus was addressing His followers He said, "take no anxious thought," for He would have their hearts at rest, trusting, in the living God to supply their every need; and He also said "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:22, 32).
His presence is critical to the battle you are fighting, so do things, and act in ways, and fellowship in ways that invite and invoke His presence.
Did you know that God doesn't naturally want to hang out in some of the places you may be taking Him?
Because, watch this, there's something you might miss if you just skim this passage or look deep into the specifics of it. Look at verse 7.
7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
See, these seven priests were not the only ones in front of this Ark. The presence of God in you, symbolized by the Ark of The Lord, is worth protecting at all costs.
If you lose the fiery, passionate heart of God, due to sin, or compromise, or through neglect or some other lack of protection, you leave yourself exposed and vulnerable to the work of the enemy.
1. The Enemy is Serious
2. God is Not Silent
3. His Presence is Essential
4. Winner Takes All – v. 21
21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
Now, that sounds like a very harsh way to treat one's earthly enemies, but remember two things:
1. This is God's instruction, not Joshua's. God is the giver and taker of all life. When he says it's over, it's over whether your enemies marched around you blowing trumpets, shouting or not.
But also remember;
2. This is a picture of how God wants us to deal with the enemies to His Spirit that live in us to make war with His will and His way in our lives.
He does not say, and should not say, keep a few of them around for when you get nostalgic for your old, sinful, wasted lifestyle.
Instead, what He's saying through this, and many other stories is this; “I want control of all of your life. Fight the battles with me to yield that control and you will have total victory.”
It may take a lifetime of battles, but He wants complete control of your tongue. He wants control of your sex life. He wants to control your anger and make sure it's channeled righteously. He wants JESUS to be the only controlling addiction you have.
So let's not forget;
1. The Enemy is Serious – When you know how serious he is you'll stop playing games, because he's playing for keeps.
2. God is Not Silent – If you stop drowning out His voice he's got some help, healing and deliverance for you.
3. His Presence is Critical – Why don't you decide, today, you're not making another life decision according to what seems fun, profitable or common sense? You're going to enthrone Christ by your word, speech and actions at the center of your life and heart.
4. Winner Takes All – God did not recruit you to be a casual, part-time or even secret disciple.
Those are some of the critical things we can learn from when God took Jericho.
