GOD USES THE WILLING!!
Joshua 1 & 2
God sometimes uses people that you wouldn’t think
That He would use – LIKE ME!!!
OR someone that you think is not a Saint!!!!
I guess if you are already good in the eyes of the Lord
Then you couldn’t be the witness He sometimes looks for!
After Moses Died - God already had someone ready to take his place – Who already had the knowledge
that Moses had, of the Conquest of Canaan by the
Israelites
JOSHUA was the son of NUN
Born with the Name Hoshea but Re – names by Moses
Joshua was Moses’ field commander and
Personal aide and was also a Spirit filled Disciple
Of Moses
He followed Moses up the mountain to receive the
Torah in the 24th chapter of Exodus!!!!
And acted as A believing, Courageous Spy Along
With Caleb in the 14th Chapter of Numbers.
As Israels New Leader after Moses He functioned
As a military commander in taking the Land of
Cannan and Administrator in allotting the land.
The Israelites were still camping on the East
Side of the Jordan River when the Lord appeared to Joshua
With A message.
He was commanded to lead the Children of Israel across the Jordan Immediately – and conquer the land
Which had been promised to their Fathers
The Lord outlined the extent of the land which had been set aside for Israel from North to South Starting at the great Euphrates River – to the Borders of the land of Edom and Moab toward Egypt.
From East to West starting at the Syrian desert to the
Mediterranean Sea – This territory consisted of many
Different types of soil and vegetation
It was beautiful Mountains – Fertile Plains and Valleys
It had Rivers and Lakes – Wide Forests
And just un-limited Natural Resources
And all this was to be conquered and would be
The permanent Home of a great Nation.
Leviticus 20:24 Says
But I have said unto you, ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it. A Land that
Floweth with Milk and Honey.
The entire area except for a part East of the Jordan River
Had already been taken from the Amorites, Ammonites and the Midianites – which was then held by some various
Heathen Tribes
It was not held by one united people nor ruled by
One King
There were several small nations occupying
Different sections of the country and each one
Was ruled by its Own King
These Little Tribal Nations were almost always engaged
In Wars amongst themselves
So this made Joshua
S Job much easier
Since there was no probability of Opposition cause these tribes hated one another
The Lord not only commanded Joshua to conquer the Entire Land but Assured him of His mighty presense
JOSHUA 24:28 SAYS:
So Joshua let the people depart
Every Man unto His Inheritance
The Lord urged Joshua to be Strong and have good courage
And have confidence of a Large Victory and success
The Laws given by Moses were to be read constantly – and to be carefully Obeyed by Joshua and the Israelites
The duties of Religion must never be neglected
THEN NOR NOW!!!
The Lord warned Joshua and all the people that they
Must remain loyal, Faithful, and Obedient to God
And his teachings
And true religion must always hold a place in
the hearts of their country
DEUT 28:7 SAYS
The Lord shall cause thine Enemies that
Rise up against thee to be smitten before thy
Face: they shall come out against thee one way
And flee before thee Seven Ways
The war that Joshua was starting against these little
Heathen tribes was gonna be like the Orkin man on a Bug!
These people had defied our God!
They had worshipped false gods and idols
They were of the lowest forms of wickedness
And there was no hope of civil or Moral Re-Form
They were to be completely Destroyed
This was Gods Will!!!
And was ordered to Joshua and all of Israel!!!
EXODUS 23:27 SAYS:
I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
Any failure to carry out these orders would result
In punishment from God!!!
HEBREW 13:5 SAYS
BE content with such things as ye have for
He hath said:
I will never leave thee, Nor Forsake thee!!
So we may boldly say
The Lord is my helper – and I will not fear what Man
Shall do unto me!!
After full directions from God Joshua sent his
Officers through the camps of Israel to prepare
The People for their New Venture
Joshua said we will begin our march against Cannanites
Within three days—prepare to cross the Jordan River
And take possession of the land which God has given us!!!
JOSHUA 21:44 SAYS:
The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand!!
Joshua reminded the members of the Tribes of Reuben
And Gad that the agreement which they had with
Moses must be faithfully kept
And they all agreed and joined the march
PROVERBS 4:27 SAYS
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left :
Remove thy foot from Evil!!!
It was gonna take some great courage to cross the
Jordan River swollen from floods from snow capped
Mountains and not to mention the rain from both sides!!!
2CHRONICLES 15:7 SAYS:
be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak:
for your work shall be rewarded!!
They had no boats to cross this dangerous River but
They had Faith in God that He would see them through
JOSHUA 4:23 SAYS:
For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan
From before you, until ye were passed over, as the
Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which
he dried up from before us Until we were gone over!!
Now Joshua decided to send two Spies to study
The city carefully – and to find points of weakness
And safe ways to approach the city!!
DEUTERONOMY 1:8 SAYS:
Behold I have set the land before you
Go in and posses the land which the Lord sware
Unto your Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
To give unto them and to their seed after them!!
Now here is the point I was starting to make at the
Beginning when I first started tonight.
How God will use who he needs and not always
Who you would think that He would use!!!!!
1ST CORINTHIANS 15:58 SAYS:
Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast,
Unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
The Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor
Is not in vain in the Lord.
The two spies entered the city and were discovered
And pursued by officers.
They found a hiding place in the home of Re-Hab
She hid them on her flat roof covering them
With stalks of Flax
When the officers searched they didn’t find them
Then they reported back to the King that they
Had escaped from the city!!!
Ra – Hab obviously knew about the miraculous
Dealings of God with the enemies of Israel and
How He delivered them from bondage in Egypt.
It has been said that She hid the spys because
Of her Faith in the True God
After the officers had given up their search of their home
She spoke to the Spies that she had hidden!!!
The people of this city know that your God is
Powerful – and He had given you this land!!!
DEUTERONOMY 2:25 SAYS:
This day will I begin to put the dread of thee
And the fear of thee upon the nations
That are under the whole heaven,
Who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble
And be in anguish because of thee
They know of his mighty works for you
And they are scared to death knowing
That your people are coming
DEUTERONOMY 11:25 SAYS:
There shall no man be able to stand before you:
For the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you
And the dread of you upon all the land that ye
Shall tread upon, as He hath said unto you
She said
I believe in your God and would like to serve Him
So she begged for them to spare her
Life and the life of her Family!!
JAMES 2:25 SAYS:
Likewise also was not Ra-Hab the harlot justified
By works
When she had received the messengers
And had sent them out another way!!!!
The Spies knew Ra-Hab had saved their lives
And they recognized her faith in God
So they promised her no harm would come
To her or any of her family
When they captured the city
Then they took a cord of scarlet color and
Lowered themselves down and back to the River
The said to Re-Hab hang across the window a
Scarlet cord and we will cause you no harm
Later when the Israelites captured the city of Jericho
And destroyed all the people
Ra-Hab and her Family were spared
JOSHUA 6:21 SAYS:
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city
Both man and woman, young and old, and Ox,
And sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword
VERSE 23 SAYS:
And the young men that were spies went in, and
Brought out Re-Hab and her Father and her Mother
And her Brethren and all that she had
And they brought out all her kindred and left them
Without the camp of Israel
Then Ra-Hab turned to the Hebrew religion
And ended up marrying one of the princes
Of the Tribe of Judah
Therefore becoming an ancestor of our Savior
And she is now mentioned with honor
In the New Testament
Do you have Faith in God??
Are you willing to be used like Ra-Hab??
As you can see you don’t have to be a saint
To be used or to be forgiven of your sins!!!!
You are welcome to serve God!!!!!
