What Do You Have That Belongs To God?

We begin in the Book of Joshua chapter 5:1

Joshua’s Hebrew name means “God is our Salvation” The Hebrew name Joshua is rendered in the Greek as Iesous which we pronounce in English as “Jesus”. So the names Joshua and Jesus are the same and have the meaning “God is our Salvation.”

The Children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River during flood season. The river was at it’s highest level and the pagan kings who occupied the promised land were probably counting on this natural boundary to keep the Israeli army at bay. Not so, for the Lord God caused the river to stop and be supernaturally dammed up when the priests carried the ark of the covenant into the water.

The Israeli army crossed the Jordan River without getting wet.

They were now “in” the promised land, but something was wrong. These Israeli soldiers had not been circumcised because their sinful parents did not observe God’s laws. So, in obedience to the Lord, Joshua had them all circumcised before they went into battle.

Understand that there is nothing magic about the ritual of circumcision. It was done as an act of obedience to the Lord. It was an act of purification and preparation for a life of service to the Lord.

After they were healed from their circumcision, Joshua 5:10 tells us that they observed the Passover meal – which we will do this coming Wednesday night.

Now they were prepared for battle.

Listen, it is vitally important that you be prepared for spiritual battle at all times.

Some of you have gone into battle unprepared and have been devastated by the enemy.

So, learn a lesson here – get prepared and stay prepared for spiritual battle.

Today is Palm Sunday, we remember that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and the people shouted “Hosanna” and “Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!”

Jesus knew that he was facing death on the cross, The biggest spiritual battle ever fought in history. What did he do to prepare for this battle?

Jesus “set his face” toward Jerusalem and then began his journey. I find it interesting that he first went to Jerico on his way to Jerusalem. It was a reminder of a spiritual battle fought long before by another warrior named “Joshua.”

After Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday he threw out the crooks who had set up a lucrative business of selling animal sacrifices inside the temple. He taught daily in the temple and prayed in the garden at night. Now what was the last thing Jesus did before he went to the cross? He celebrated the Passover with his disciples.

Like Joshua and the Israeli Army prepared themselves for battle through obedience and observing the Passover Supper, so Jesus was now fully prepared for the spiritual battle that lay before him.

In Joshua 6 we have the account of the capture of Jerico.

- Joshua meets the commander of the Lord’s army.

- God gives him specific instructions on how to take the city.

- 7 priests with rams horns

- followed by the ark

- followed by the army

- 6 days march around once

- 7th day march around 7 times – long trumpet blast – shout

- Wall collapse – charge in and kill the enemy.

- Josh 6:15-21

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 people, "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 people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.

What did the ark of the covenant represent? (The presence of God)

Listen Christian, when you are spiritually prepared, you carry the presence of God with you. When you walk around your city, your neighborhood, your place of work and pray and sing praise to the Lord – the walls of demonic oppression begin to weaken, it’s all over but the shouting! When the Lord tells you to shout! Shout! Shout out the war cry and watch the walls fall down!