Joshua Series #9
The Amazing Race to Rest & Reward
“Falling Fortresses”
Review
The book of Joshua is all about the culmination of a promise made to Abraham hundreds of years previous. The journey up to this point in time is the subject of the first five books of the Old Testament.
I. Purge the Land 1-12
A. God Prepared Joshua for leadership 1 Listen, trust, obey
B. Joshua prepared the people to possess the land 2
1. Joshua commissioned spies and God saved Rahab 2
2. Joshua led the people through the Jordan 3-4
3. Joshua reinforced the people’s connection to Yahweh 5
a. Through circumcision
b. Through Passover
Battle Plans from Moses
Carefully Hear, Trust, Obey
Completely Purge the Wicked
Continually remember
Remember how you got here (Trust) – His power and strength
Remember why you got here (Humility) – because of His grace not my goodness
INTRODUCTION
We must continually fight against the influence of a devil-directed world system spouting false ideas and advocating life apart from dependence upon our Creator. We must deal with the self-centered longings (flesh) imbedded in our life.
We must fight against the devil and his disgusting demons that continually see to gain a place of operation in our life to defeat us.
Satan gains a foothold in our life when we allow him a foothold.
Ephesians warns us to deal with our anger or we will give a “place” to the devil.
There are any numbers of things that allow Satan a foothold.
One thing is clear; Satan cannot take ownership of a Christian.
He can however get a foothold or influence in our life.
Once he achieves a foothold he seeks to establish a fortress.
The difference between the two is the degree of influence he has been allowed to exert.
The argument over just where demons reside and what level of influence they are allowed is beyond our purpose today.
All I know is that they can have devastating influence in the life of a Christian when allowed.
Why the warnings to Christians to be alert if we are not vulnerable.
Timothy was instructed to gently correct Christians who were in opposition so that they God would grant them repentance so that they would come to the knowledge of the truth and escape the snare of the devil having been held captive to do his will.
Satan will seize as much control in our life as we will yield to him.
Whenever we have an area of our life that is out of our control, there is the possibility of a demonic stronghold or fortress.
If we put on God’s armor we avoid such level of influence.
If we don’t, we are subject to such influence.
Satan gains most of his territory through an attack on our thinking.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
What do these weapons destroy? Fortresses consisting of wrong thinking, speculations and unhealthy thoughts implanted by the enemy.
I believe everyone has some kind of fortress that needs to be addressed as real as the fortress set up in the Promises Land.
Last week we learned the basic battle strategy from Deuteronomy.
Guiding Truth #1 -- Remember God’s past victory.
Guiding truth #2 – God will expose the hidden enemies
Guiding truth #3 – The great and awesome God is with you
Guiding truth #4 – God will eventually clear them all out
Guiding truth #5 – Detest and abhor anything to do with the enemy
Today we learn a specific strategy from Joshua’s defeat of Jericho’s fortress.
Do we need this message today? Most certainly.
All of the warfare in Joshua provides insight into our battles with the enemy.
The basic principle is this…
Satan’s fortresses, no matter how formidable, fall
when we hear, trust and obey the captain of the Lord’s army.
4. Joshua personally encountered the Commander and Chief 5:13-15
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15 ESV
The final preparation for confronting the enemy is a personal encounter with Jesus.
Here are some basic observations that can be drawn from Joshua’s encounter.
He was not afraid to confront the aggressive enemy.
Joshua was perhaps out looking for strategy to defeat Jericho.
Even though there was a drawn sword, Joshua stood up and identifies the evil.
Paul urges us to be like Joshua in regard to Satan’s attack in our thinking.
We are to proactively destroy, demolish, put down every demonically deposited reasoning process and take captive every thought and subject it to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor 10)
We, like Joshua, need to challenge every thought by demanding, “Are you for us or our enemy?”
Like we read earlier, we need to take every thought captive.
Actions begin with the thoughts which stir the emotions which motivate the will that chooses to act.
Regular actions lead to habits which lead to character.
Many of us have any number of unbiblical thought processes running around freely in our head.
Fears, worry, false thinking about ourselves and others as well as God.
These are things programed intentionally or passively into our heads from birth.
That is why we continually need to interact with the Word of God.
It alone can keep our thinking straight.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
It is fundamentally a war of words.
It is battle to control our thinking.
If Satan can influence our thinking he can manipulate our feeling and choosing and believing and ultimately living.
The sword bearing Being simply answered Joshua
He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." 5:14
I am the captain, leader, master of Yahweh’s army.
Realizing that the One he was talking to was not human but none other than God Himself, Joshua quickly fell on His face.
It is better to fall on our face in submission before God than fall on our face if defeat before men.
The New Testament is clear that humility and submission are absolute prerequisites for confronting the enemy.
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 1 Peter 5:5-9
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:6-8
To Joshua’s credit, he responds appropriately.
No argument, no questioning, no resistance – full submission.
"What has my lord (Adonai / Master) to say to his servant?" Joshua 5:14
Joshua was probably expecting some last minute instructions for the upcoming conquest.
Instead, Jesus instructed him to respond appropriately to His holiness.
The greatest preparation for confronting the sinfulness of the enemy is respond to the holiness of the Lord of all.
We must come to appreciate God’s holiness and our helplessness.
I love Joshua’s immediate response “And Joshua did so.”
Until we have personally connected with Jesus, we will not have confidence to confront Satan.
Until we have engaged in genuine worship, we will fail at grueling warfare.
Until we have vividly encountered His holiness we will not effectively oppose Satan’s wickedness.
The best place to encounter worship inspiring connection with Jesus and come across unsurpassed examples of God holiness is through the prayer and the word.
That what is all comes down to.
That was the core of Joshua’s charge.
Hear, trust and obey my Word and I will be with you and not desert you.
Both leader and people are prepared to follow the captain of the LORD’S army into battle.
They were in a state of mind to hear, trust and obey.
Satan’s fortresses, no matter how formidable, fall
when we hear, trust and obey the captain of the Lord’s army.
Let’s see how God did it.
C. Israel Purged the Canaanites 2-11
Joshua runs three basic military campaigns against the Canaanites.
He cuts a swath through the middle.
He will wage a campaign to the North and then to the South.
1. Central Campaign
a. Joshua defeated Jericho 6
It is interesting that a story that has garnered so much attention over the years only occupies 27 verses in the inspired historical account.
What can we learn?
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.
We know that God struck fear into their hearts so that they wouldn’t attack Israel while they were recuperating from the circumcision of all the fighting men.
God also corralled them all in one place so they wouldn’t have to hunt for them.
Thought
I can’t help but wonder if God demoralized the demons who have tried to set up a fortress in our life.
We think they are strong but God is stronger and through Him we have the victory.
James clearly wrote that the demons understand God and tremble.
And the LORD said to Joshua,
Maybe this was after Joshua got up off his face following the encounter with God.
Here was the long awaited instruction for doing battle.
“See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.
The matchup was as lopsided as you can get.
Walled city filled with mighty men of valor fully weaponized against sheepherders with swords and sticks and stones.
You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ARK. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”
Not a logical strategy.
It would put them in a place of extreme vulnerability.
How easy to pick them off one by one as they walked around the wall.
No ramps, to battering rams, no RPG’s just trumpets and the ARK.
Oh yes the Ark which represented the presence of God.
So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ARK of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ARK of the LORD.” And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ARK of the LORD.”
Notice the unquestioned obedience.
Satan’s fortresses, no matter how formidable, fall
when we hear, trust and obey the captain of the Lord’s army.
And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ARK of the covenant of the LORD following them. The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ARK, while the trumpets blew continually.
But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”
So he caused the ARK of the LORD to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ARK of the LORD. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ARK of the LORD walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually.
And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”
Here is the principle of “firstfruits”. When God does great things on our behalf, we demonstrate our gratitude by offering back to Him the firstfruit of our blessing. It helps us to remember that only because of Him do we have what we have.
So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
It happened just as the Lord promised.
Obviously this was a miraculous event as the walls weren’t pushed over, they just feel flat. Except? Rahab’s house on the wall was the only thing left standing.
But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.
And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.”
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. Joshua 6:1-27
When we are up against fortress in our lives or trying to help others being held captive we must remember this…
It is not the cleverness of the strategy but the command of God.
It is not the planning of man but the power of God.
It is not the size of the army but the sovereignty of God.
God does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. Psalm 147:10-11
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! Isaiah 31:1
Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. Psalm 20:7
The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:16-19
Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8
Satan’s fortresses, no matter how formidable, fall
when we hear, trust and obey the captain of the Lord’s army.
Process to Ponder
1. Humbly submit to the Captain of the Lord’s army.
2. Wait for instructions form from the Captain.
3. Hear the Captain’s instructions.
4. Trust the Captain’s instructions.
5. Obey the Captain’s instructions.
6. Enlist help from others.
7. Engage the enemy.
8. Dedicate any spoils to God.
