Joshua 5:1-12 ESV " Things are still the same "

Joshua 5:1–9 NASB95

1 Now it came about when 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 how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel. 2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way. 8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

“ Things are still the same“

Everyone in here today

Know that

We have started the 6th month

Out of 12 months

That we are in the MIDDLE of the year

And probably

For most people in here today

How things have started

At the beginning of this year

Things have not change after 6 months

Things are STILL THE SAME

MARRIAGE — JOB — MINISTRY — HEALTH — CHILDREN — FINANCES

Question: The question is now; going into the 6th month, when will things change ?????

Because

The truth of the matter is

In your mind

I can’t keep going on like this

I can’t have things

Keep going the way that they are going

Statement: Because SOONER or LATER I’m about to go SNAP — CRACKLE — POP

Israel is on the break

of a new day & a new season

in their life &

IN their walk with God

And before God brings the promise to pass,

the children of Israel

have to Obey God

& make some adjustments

in their life [ Have you made some ADJUSTMENTS ]

Now the children of Israel

was in bondage in Egypt

& they cried out to the Lord

to deliver them

And because God hears

& answer prayers

God brings them out

of Egyptian bondage

But God anoints Moses

to lead them out of Egypt

And God tells Moses

to go to Pharaoh

and tell him to let my people go

Exodus 3:1-16

At that time God tell Moses that

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro

And Moses led the flock

To the backside of the desert

And came to the mountain of God

And the angel of the LORD

Appeared to him in a flame of fire

Out of the midst of a burning bush

And the brush was not being consume by the fire

And Moses thought

He was going to turn aside

And see this great thing

That the brush was not being consume

And when God saw

That Moses was turning aside to see

God called Moses out of the midst of the burning bush

Moses , Moses

And Moses said here I Am

And God told Moses come not near

Take off your shoes

Cause this is Holy ground

And God told Moses

That I am the God of

Abraham Isaac & Jacob

And the LORD said

I have seen the affliction

Of my people which are in Egypt

And I have heard their cry

And I am come down

To deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians

To bring to a land

Flowing with Milk & Honey

And God told Moses

I’m send you to Pharaoh

That thou mayest bring forth

My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

And Moses said who Am I

That I should go to Pharaoh

And the Lord told Moses

Surely I will be with you.

Then Moses tells God

When I go to the children of Israel

And tell them that you sent me

And if they ask me what is your name

God told Moses tell them

That I AM THAT I AM have sent you

Exodus 4:10

Exodus 4:10 (KJV)

10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

4:10 Moses’ statement in this verse

Has generated much misunderstanding

On the part of those

Who have not recognized it as a ritual protest,

And it has often been taken literally,

As if Moses actually

Either had a speech defect

Or was incompetent

As a public speaker

Or had forgotten his Egyptian.

In fact, Moses did a huge amount of speaking

In the remainder of the Pentateuchal narrative and law,

Yet nowhere

Did he reveal

The slightest speech

Hesitancy or inability to make himself understood.

Why, then,

Did he make the claim

To be “slow of speech and tongue”?

The answer lies

Not in the organs,

The tissues or the cells

In the mouth or the tongue

But it lies in the culture—

In the style of ancient

Near Eastern

It’s called “exaggerated humility,”

This was often employed

In situations where one

Is appealing for help or mercy

At being given a great assignment

4:10 in a Nutshell — Moses has been away from Egypt and from the Hebrews for some 40 years. It was 40 years since he has spoken the language the word tongue in the verse is language. His problem was with fluency not necessarily that he stuttered. Remember Egyptian was never his native language so he struggled with it.

So now Pharaoh refuses

To let God’s people go

Now God deals with Pharaoh

& the Egypt’s through the 10 plagues

And after getting Pharaoh’s attention

through the 10 plagues

Pharaoh let the children of Israel go

Moses leads them out & they get to the Red Sea

Explain : The Red Sea moment

Now the children of Israel

began their journey

through the wilderness

And it is their

that God shows Himself strong time & time again ( FAITHFUL GOD )

they was hungry and could not find food

so God feed them

with the manna from on high

food just show up in the morning time

when there was no water,

God made a rock give up water

God kept them from the bite of scorpions and serpents

and Moses

would testify that their shoes never worn out

they never lacked

for anything

because God took care of them

now they get to the boundary

of Canaan the promised land

and God begins

to tell them about

it’s goodness ( flowing with Milk & Honey )

Note: The children of Israel started to doubt the God that had been FAITHFUL to them this whole time [ That’s WHY you can’t move FORWARD ]

And now God says

because you doubted me

after everything I’ve done

Now you got to wander

for 40 years in the wilderness [ Doubt = Disobedience ]

And you’re going to wander

until all the first generation

of Israel dies

& then we’ll see about

your sons & daughters

So for 40 years

they marched around

one mountain

until that first generation died — [ Shouldn’t you be further along ]

And now there getting ready

to go back

to the same place

where they fail God before

And the time you get

to Joshua 5

Moses is dead

And the Lord

has raised up

a new leader by the name of Joshua

And God tells Joshua

something that Joshua needs to hear

God says

the same way

I was with Moses , “ I’m going to be with you “

The same way

God open up the Red Sea for Moses

God now

opens up the Jordan River for Joshua

And the children of Israel

cross over the dry ground

of the Jordan River

& the waters close behind them

Note: It’s important that you see this, that Jordan is behind them & Jericho is in front of them

They are caught between Jordan & Jericho

They are about to begin the conquest of Canaan

A new chapter is about to be written ( Transition )

They are about to walk

into the fulfillment

that God made for them

Note: And God said everything I did in the wilderness was getting you ready for what is about to happen in Jericho ( Preparation or Development )

Note: In other words God is telling the Israelites that I got Canaan for YOU but it’s not for YOU it’s for the NEW YOU

And here they are

standing in a position of readiness,

getting ready to walk

into a new day

Believing that better

was right in front of them

And that the worst

was behind them

Note: And they looked back & said God didn’t bring us through all of that, to leave us right here [ Investment ]

And here they are

getting ready to move

& take over Jericho

& walk into their Promise

And in chapter 5 of Joshua

the Lord presses pause

Before they move into

this new day

The Lord says to Joshua

there’s something I need from you

Note: Now remember they are between the Jordan & Jericho & this what need to happen before I move them

Things are still the same

1st Because you haven’t cut off some painful things

I need everyone to be circumcised ( Verse 2-3 )

Joshua 5:2–3 NASB95

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

Circumcision

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of the penis of a male who’s Jewish

And the Lord Says to Joshua before I move you forward, everybody got to be circumcised

The instructions are in verse 2 of how to circumcise ( 40 years old & under )

Note: Anytime you have to do any kind of cutting, it’s going to be painful

Note: You can’t go to the place of promise until you learn to get rid of somethings

Note: For the Jews circumcision is of the foreskin

Note: For the Christian circumcision is of the heart

Note: Circumcision of the heart is a daily practice ( Anything that hinders your walk with God )

Example

Revelation 3:14–20 NASB95

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

God says

if you’re going to move into something new

there is the pain

of cutting away

the stuff that stands in the way

of your walk with me

WHY — does God demands circumcision

Because circumcision is the sign of Abrahamic Covenant

Circumcision is what identifies them as people of God

And the Lord says

if you are not into the practice

of cutting some stuff off

Then you’re going

to walk into a season

& look like everybody else ( Blend In )

Note: The Lord says the only way you can show you’re different, is to cut some stuff away

Example: When people are in Financial binds it hurts to cut the CABLE — INTERNET — BILLS YOU CAN DO WITHOUT

CUT-OFF — FEAR — DOUBT — WORRY — BITTERNESS — ANGER — UNFORGIVENESS

STATEMENT: You need to have a BLOCK PARTY [ BLOCK SOME PEOPLE ]

CUT some people that’s not beneficiary to you SPIRITUALLY & MENTALLY

( Just Facebook & texting friends )

Before I cross you over

Things are still the same

1st Because you haven’t cut off some painful things

2nd Because you have Suppress the Truth of God

Joshua 5:6 NASB95

6 For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

They heard the voice

Of the Lord

But they refuse to obey Him

In other words they SUPPRESS the truth of God

Note: As a believer God is going to speak to you and especially speak to the error of your ways

Note: And believers suppress the truth of God to have their OWN WAY

Note: That’s a dangerous game to suppress God words

Note: And that’s why things are still the same

Things are still the same

1st Because you haven’t cut off some painful things

2nd Because you have Suppress the Truth of God

3rd Because you haven’t healed from what hurt you ( V. 8 )

Joshua 5:8 NASB95

8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.

Note: you can not go forward until you dealt with some of the stuff that hurt you yesterday

NOTE: IN OTHER WORDS YOU CAN’T FIX WHAT YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO FACE

Note: some people in church try to act like they have never been hurt ( you cover it up )

Note: No matter how much you act like you’ve never been hurt you want move forward until you acknowledge it.

Acknowledge your HURT :

your heart was broken

somethings you wanted didn’t happen

A friend or church member betrayed you

you had a family feud

you gave your ALL to something or someone that didn’t give back to you

you’ve dealt with people that didn’t appreciate you

Parent Issues

Children Issues

Divorce

They gave the job to somebody else

And you will not move forward

until you acknowledge your hurt

And the Lord says

you need to sit

where you are

until you heal from your hurt

And because of your hurt you encounter — BITTERNESS — ANGER —UNFORGIVENESS

— ENVY — JEALOUS — A LONG RANGER

As long as you DENY

your hurt

you can never be healed

And as long as you don’t DEAL

with your hurt

your hurt will deal with you

Statement: If you don’t take time to deal with what hurt you, you’re going to bleed on people that didn’t cut you

CLOSE HERE

Note: Sit still until you heal

Note: Sit still ( Joshua 5:8 ) Stand still ( Exodus 14:13 )

Note: The sitting still is for 3 reason

1st. for you to heal 2nd. So God can work on you 3rd. So you want miss what

God is doing

It’s very interesting that God tell the children of Israel to sit still

Remember where they are

They are on the other side of the Jordan on their way to Jericho

Which means they are in enemy territory

And their enemies are watching them

And this generation have never fought a battle

They don’t know Pharaoh

They don’t know the Red Sea

They have never held a sword

And here they are between the Jordan & Jericho healing from circumcision

If the enemy wanted to attack this would be the best time ( Cause they are healing )

Example: Genesis 34

The brother of Dinah waited until the men that raped her had been circumcised

And when they was healing from circumcision

They attack because they knew that men are weak when they are healing from their

hurt

And God says sit still & heal from your hurt

WHY would God tell them to sit still when they are healing & vulnerable to an attack from the enemy

Note: God was trying to teach them a lesson that “ I will fight for you “ when you’re healing