Removing The Wall-1

REMOVING The WALL—Joshua 6:1-16+:20

Removing Barriers

Attention:

Barriers To Progress:

A young boy is taking his first trip on an airplane without Mom & Dad. He is going to spend the summer with Grandma & Grandpa.

His ears kept popping because of the pressure change.

He doesn’t know what’s going on so he politely asks the stewardess for help...She gives him a stick of gum.

Afterwards the stewardess notices that the boy is fidgeting with ears. She asks how he’s doing—‘Fine ma’am thank you.’

At the end of the flight the boy ‘loudly’ thanks the stewardess for giving him the gum. His ears are still not what they ought to be.

The boy’s Grandmother greets him with a big bear hug in the airport lobby.

She asks how his trip was.

He ‘loudly’ tells her about his trip while fidgeting with his ears.

Describes how gum helped his ears & tells her about how nice the stewardess was.

‘Now I have another problem though Gran-momma’

‘What’s that son?’

I can’t seem to get the gum out of my ears!

If the boy had only asked for the reason for the gum, the barrier to his comfort & well-being would have been removed. Thus...

We suffer when our way/path is hindered/unclear/uncertain.

We do well when our path is unhindered/clear/certain.

God enabled the children of Israel to conquer the walled city of Jericho.

God removes the barriers to ministry/serving Him.

God seeks to ensure the success of ministry.

How can barriers to ministry/serving God be removed?

1—Ministry barriers are removed when...

GOD’s POWER DOMINATES(The ENEMY & The FAMILY)(:1-2)

Explanation:(:1)Focus/Distractions Contained/Domination by confidence

:1—“Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, & none came in.”

The “children of Israel” had miraculously crossed(crossed the Jordan River at flood stage on dry land--3:11-17; 4:7) from Jericho’s neighboring territory into & onto that of Jericho itself!

Jericho was a walled city prepared for its own defense. Its gates were tightly shut.

“Securely or tightly shut” technically translates a doubling & an intensification of the Hebrew verb meaning “to shut”(rgo)—the first use is in the active form & the second in the participial form. Thus literally reads, “did shut up, & was shut up.”

Jericho was “shut” due to the presence of the sons of Israel(YHWH’s people) in their territory(see 2:8-9, 10-11; 5:1). As God’s people are aliens, strangers & sojourners in the world’s territory(Jn. 17:13-16).

Jn. 17:13-16—“But now I[Jesus] come to You[the Father], & these things I speak in the world, that they[Jesus’ disciples] may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; & the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Due to Jericho’s fear of Israel(God’s people) or rather Israel’s God, & by the choice of the king &/or people of Jericho, outside communication of goods or people was entirely cut off. Absolutely nothing went either into or out of the city at this time.

The overall focus of God’s people taking the (promised)land can now begin in earnest.

“Jericho”—wxyry Yer-eey-kho' OR-- wxry Yer-ay-kho' OR variation(1Ki 16:34)--hxyry Yer-ee-kho’—Jericho = "its moon”—Noun Proper Locative—1) A city 5 miles(8 km) west of the Jordan & 7 miles(11.5 km) north of the Dead Sea & the first city conquered by the Israelites upon entering the promised land of Canaan. Strong—perhaps from xry[the moon]--Its month; or else from xwr[blow/breathe/smell/anticipate]--fragrant; Jericho or Jerecho, a place in Palestine.

*“Securely/Straitly/Tightly”—rgo saw-gar’[doubled!]—Qal Participle Active—1) To shut, close—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To shut, 1a2) To close, close up, 1a3) Closed up, closely joined, shut up; 1b) (Niphal)--1b1) To be shut up, 1b2) To be shut or closed; 1c) (Piel)--To shut up, deliver up; 1d) (Pual)--To be shut up; 1e) (Hiphil)--1e1) To deliver up, 1e2) To shut up, imprison. Strong—a primitive root; To shut up; figuratively--To surrender.—+—*“Shut Up/Shut”—rgo saw-gar’[doubled from above]—Pual(passive) Participle—

“Because of”(See :4, 9, 13—“Before”)—Mynp paw-neeym' plural(but always as sing.) of an unused noun hnp paw-neh'—Noun Masc.—1) Face—1a) Face, faces, 1b) Presence, person, 1c) Face(of seraphim or cherubim), 1d) Face(of animals), 1e) Face, surface(of ground), 1f) as adverb of locative/temporal—1f1) Before & behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before, 1g) with prep—1g1) In front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of. Strong—The face(as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications(literally & figuratively); also(with prepositional prefix) as a preposition--Before, etc..

“Sons/Children”—Nb ben—Noun Masc.—1) Son, grandson, child, member of a group—1a) Son, male child, 1b) Grandson, 1c) Children(plural - male & female), 1d) Youth, young men(pl.), 1e) Young(of animals), 1f) Sons(as characterization, i.e. sons of injustice [for un- righteous men or sons of God[for angels]), 1g) People(of a nation) (pl.), 1h) Of lifeless things, i.e. Sparks, stars, arrows (fig.), 1i) A member of a guild, order, class. Strong—A son(as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal & figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., [like ba[father], xa[brother], etc.]).