A CLEAN FIGHTING MACHINE
Joshua 5.1-15
S: Preparation
C: Readiness for opposition
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: WE ARE TO BE READY TO FACE THE OPPOSITION.
TS: In our study of Joshua 5, the followers of the one true God once again find the need to be fully prepared for those that challenge them.
Type: Narrative
I. TREPIDATION (1)
II. SANCTIFICATION (2-9)
III. CELEBRATION (10-11)
IV. PROVISION (12)
V. SUBMISSION (13-15)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Know the enemy
• Be spiritually fit
• Celebrate God’s goodness
• Watch God provide
• Be on God’s side!
Version: ESV
RMBC 02 July 06 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Prepare
"What do you have to do to become a doctor?" six-year-old Erin asked.
Her dad, seeing an opportunity, said, "You have to do extremely well in school, take a lot of math and science, get into an excellent college, make the highest grades possible, and then go to med school, and follow that with an internship. Then you can start your own practice. Honey, as smart as you are, you can be anything you want to be."
Erin gave all this a moment’s thought and then asked, "What do you have to do to be queen?"
Well, you have to respect the desire to prepare, don’t you?
How about you?
1. Are you prepared for what is coming?
Are you ready for the battles that will be coming your way – this week, this month, this year?
I believe that God would have us prepare – to have hearts that are attuned to His person – to have minds that are attuned to knowing Him and His will for us.
He does want us to be strong and courageous for the matters that are before us.
As we continue in our study of Joshua, we see that…
2. A prepared Jericho looms on the horizon.
We already know that Jericho has heard about the exploits of the Israelites.
They know that they have come from Egypt.
They know that they have defeated the Amorite kings on the east side of the Jordan.
And they know that the Israelites were looking to come their way.
In response, they were going to stay in those walls.
They had a great defense, and they knew it.
On the other hand, for the Israelites…
3. It is time to be strong and courageous.
It is time to go and take the land.
It has been promised.
This is not a time for doubt.
This is a time to move forward.
You see…
4. Israel has left the old life behind.
Much to the consternation of Jericho, the Israelites have crossed the Jordan.
And to signify that they have left the old life of faithlessness behind, they have set up memorial stones.
One set of stones has been placed in the middle of the riverbed.
They certainly signify the death and burial of their past.
Then they set up another pile of stones on the riverbank.
These stones signify the new life that God was bestowing on them as they entered into the Promised Land.
It is a new life that will find its challenge in the first city that is before them – Jericho.
So…
5. In our study of Joshua 5, the followers of the one true God once again find the need to be fully prepared for those that challenge them.
OUR STUDY:
I. TREPIDATION (1)
As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
6. The cross over put the enemies over the brink.
Consider for a moment what it may have been like to live in Jericho at this time.
You were probably terrified enough to see them on the eastern bank of the Jordan.
But since you knew the Jordan was at flood stage, you probably thought you had time to prepare for the conflict.
Now, though, your enemies are on the western bank.
It is a time of fear and trepidation, for they have somehow moved two million people across the flooded river in a day.
The suddenness of this would be very disconcerting, to say the least.
From the Israelite perspective, I know what I would have been thinking.
It is time to launch our all-out offensive.
It is the perfect time.
It was time to rush in and take advantage of their fear.
But the Israelites learned a very important lesson at this point – God is not in a hurry!
II. SANCTIFICATION (2-9)
At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” (3) So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. (4) And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. (5) Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. (6) For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. (7) So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. (8) When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. (9) And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
ILL Circumcision [FYI & Caution -- this illustration did not go over well at my church -- and I probably would not use it again in this context]
A priest, a Baptist pastor and a Rabbi would get together twice a week for coffee to talk shop.
One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn’t really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear.
One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment. They would all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it. (This makes me think that they had way too much time on their hands!)
Seven days later, they’re all together to discuss the experience.
Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has various bandages on his body and limbs, goes first. "Well," he says, "I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I found him I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation."
Pastor Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he claimed, "WELL brothers, you KNOW that we don’t sprinkle! I went out and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God’s HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we came to a creek. So I quick DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising Jesus."
They both looked down at Rabbi Goldberg, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IVs and monitors running in and out of him. He was in bad shape. The rabbi looks up and says, "Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start."
It may not have been the best way with the bear, but for the Israelites, it was.
For…
7. It was time to be right with God, outwardly and inwardly.
When the previous generation refused to go into the Promised Land, they are described as unfaithful.
Literally, it is the word used for prostitution, that is, they sold their bodies and souls to other gods by refusing to obey God’s good plan for them.
Because of this sin, the covenant needed to be reestablished and redefined.
The men were to be circumcised, a painful procedure to be sure, but God required it.
In this way, they were literally a marked people, belonging to the true and living God.
They were being set apart, sanctified, for God’s exclusive use.
Interestingly, this totally disabled the army for a few days as they rested in their tents.
And if Jericho had found out this was going on, they would be sitting ducks, unable to perform the duties of war.
Nevertheless, the wisdom of God is not like human wisdom.
He wants His people to be right with Him.
In fact, it is always far more important that our hearts be right with God than gain a momentary advantage.
We may desire to do something, but God is even more concerned about what we are as what we do.
The good news for the Israelites at this point is that…
8. Egypt was now totally their past.
The past sins and the past burden is now gone.
The circumcision complete, and they give this place a name: Gilgal – meaning “the reproach is rolled away.”
Now, inside and outside, they are totally for God, ready to meet the greater temptations of this new land.
But, before they go, there was to be a…
III. CELEBRATION (10-11)
While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. (11) And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
All this time that they had been in the wilderness, there was no Passover celebration.
Because it required circumcised males to lead it, it had been set aside.
But now that they were in the Promised Land…
9. It was time to rediscover the joy of salvation.
It was time to remember God’s covenant and promise.
It was time to remember the past acts of deliverance.
It was time to reinforce their identity as God’s chosen – a matter of grace – they did not earn it.
It was time to commit to the new life that was now theirs.
And it was time to celebrate the provision of God.
IV. PROVISION (12)
And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
A change is coming.
For…
10. One provision ends, another begins.
For years, as they have wandered in wilderness areas, God had provided their food supernaturally – manna from heaven.
If God had not provided it, they would have starved to death, for there was not enough food in the wilderness to feed them all.
But that was no longer true.
They now could live of the fruit of the land, which ultimately was better than the manna.
At least, there would be variety!
Now it is coming to be the time to take on Jericho.
We can be sure that Joshua probably wondered how he would take on Jericho.
It was a tremendous stronghold.
They could not by pass it, and have Jericho at their rear flank.
On the other hand, a long siege would be discouraging.
Joshua needed to know what to do.
He would learn it in…
V. SUBMISSION (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?” (14) 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?” (15) 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.
I think the lesson that we all learn in these verses is…
11. Always be on God’s side.
Joshua meets a stranger holding a drawn sword.
Is he a friend or foe?
The answer…
Neither!
It was a wonderful jarring into reality.
For it was not for Joshua to claim the allegiance of God for his cause.
No, it was the opposite.
It was God claiming Joshua.
And Joshua learns a needed and humbling lesson.
He is not the person in charge.
He is not the captain and commander-in-chief.
No, it was time to remove his sandals, and submit to the real commander, as God shows Himself in incarnate form, and gives Joshua the good news…
God has chosen Joshua and these people and is now fighting for them.
Israel is now ready.
They have become a clean fighting machine, ready to face the opposition.
APPLICATION (COMMUNION):
As we come to the table this morning, I want us to be reminded that…
12. WE ARE TO BE READY TO FACE THE OPPOSITION.
One of the ways we do this, now that we are under the new covenant, as opposed to the old covenant, is we celebrate Communion.
We ready ourselves for the opposition by getting our core belief out on the table, so to speak.
We are about Jesus.
He is the One we love, follow and serve.
Knowing this to be true, we also are to…
13. Know the enemy.
We are to know our enemies from without, and we are to know our enemies that come from within.
For the Israelites, their outside enemy was the Canaanite culture.
And we must have the same realization.
Though we live in the world, we are not to be of it.
We are not to be overtaken by the siren songs of sexuality, materialism, power, and secularism.
They constantly draw us toward them, trying to reclaim us.
This is why we are told to set our minds and hearts on things above, being retrained by the Holy Spirit to live like Jesus did.
It is then we will be on the road to…
14. Be spiritually fit.
For the Israelites, it was being marked physically, so that they would never forget that God had chosen them, and not vice versa.
Now they were to live that way.
They were to live holy, clean, just, and righteous lives – marked by compassion and humility.
This is to be our response as well.
Jesus has marked us by baptism, bringing us into the body, the community called the church.
We too, know the blessing of His touch on our lives that directs us toward and instructs us to be His good workmanship – created for good works.
So, now, as the Israelites, we…
15. Celebrate God’s goodness.
As the Israelites rejoiced once again in the deliverance they had received, so do we.
God had worked miraculously on their behalf.
And now we come to recognize the very same thing in our time of communion.
Those of us that know Jesus are invited to share in the elements of the table.
You do not have to be a member of this church to partake, but we do ask that you have a relationship with Jesus.
If you do not know Jesus, that is, you have not received Him as your Savior and Lord, you do not trust Him with your life, that is, you have not been changed by the message, just let the elements pass by.
Please wait until the time comes when you do have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
Being led in prayer by ____, let us take a moment and thank Him for being our sacrifice.
(Prayer)
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
As we come to the cup, let us be reminded, as the Israelites in Joshua that we are to…
16. Trust in God’s provision.
That which we need the most, the provision of salvation because our sin condemns us, is what we celebrate here at this moment.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
It is here we rejoice in the forgiveness we have received.
____ will now come and lead us in prayer.
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
As we ready ourselves for the battles we will face this week, let us know that the ultimate battle has already been won.
For those that align themselves with God, find that the victory is already set in place, because of what Christ has done for us.
Let us celebrate this victory as we sing…
In Christ Alone
As we come to the end of our time together today, let me encourage you with one final word…
17. Follow God’s will, not your own.
We have a tendency to attempt to mold God to our own will, as individuals, and as a church.
As leaders in the church, we too often attempt to marshal God to bless our programs, rather than simply follow where He leads.
It is not the way to success though.
It may look good in the eyes of the world, but true kingdom work is missed when we ask for God’s blessing instead of doing the very things He is blessing.
We need to slow down and listen – and then obey – and let Him fully prepare us for the battle ahead.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
For Further Study: Numbers 14.28-35; II Kings 6.8-17; Romans 6.11-13; Colossians 2.11-14; Hebrews 4.12
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral
Goins, Doug Conditioned for Conquest
Grant, Steven Simala Renewing Your Vows
Hullah, Mike Marked for Life
Morris, William Are You Ready to Conquer Your Canaan?
Books:
Boice, James Montgomery. Joshua: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989.
Campbell, Donald K. No Time for Neutrality. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1981.
Creach, Jerome F. D. Joshua Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, ed. James L. Mays. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2003.
Goslinga, C. J. Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Translated by Ray Togtman. Bible Student’s Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1986.
