Joshua 5 Verses 13 to 15 Holy Ground August 13, 2023
How Great Is Our God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsTo understand it is only by the power of God and faith that our obstacles will fall.
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Joshua 5 Verses 13 to 15 Holy Ground August 13, 2023
Class Presentation Notes AAAAA
Background Scriptures:
Joshua 4:1-2, 8, 20-24 2 Kings 6:15-17
Main Idea: Unbelief says “look how big this obstacle is”. Faith says, “look how big God is.”
Study Aim: To understand it is only by the power of God and faith that our obstacles will fall.
Create Interest:
· Many today do not remember the name of the fame of Sergeant Alvin C. York who was the most famous soldier of World War I. Many people do not know that Alvin York single-handedly captured 132 German soldiers one day in France. He was the recipient of many great honors from several nations for his bravery in combat.
· However, Alvin C. York was a most unlikely man to become a legendary hero. York felt that his Christian faith barred him from killing anyone, even in war. After being drafted, York made it known that he was a conscientious objector; that he would not be able to kill other men. He was sent home on a ten-day leave to think about his situation and to consider the scriptures a Christian captain had shared with him. York was promised that he would be dismissed from the Army if he still felt the same way when he returned.
· Finally in a crisis of faith, God showed York that he could obey God and defend the helpless in Europe at the same time. He wrote, “As I prayed there alone … I knew that He was there. He understood I didn’t want to be a fighter or a killing man … He took pity on me and gave me the assurance I needed … It was His will and that was enough for me.” Sgt. York had to win the war in his mind before he could win the battles that lay ahead of him in the trenches of France.
· Alvin York had to yield to the Lordship of God in his life before he would ever become a great war hero. The same truth is seen in this passage[1]
Lesson in Historical Context:
· In our last lesson we learned of the success of the two spies sent into Jericho and of the scarlet cord covenant made with them and Rahab.
o Joshua 2:21-24 (NASB)
21 She said, "According to your words, so be it." So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 They departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not found them.
23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them.
24 They said to Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us."
· Fast forward: The Israelites had crossed the Jordan and set up a monument with twelves stones:
o Joshua 4:20-24 (NASB)
20 Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
21 He said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'
22 then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.'
23 "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed;
24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORDis mighty, so that you may fear the LORDyour God forever."
· Joshua then directed all the men who were born during the forty years in the desert wanderings to be circumcised. (ouch!)
o Joshua 5:6-7 (NASB)
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 LORDhad 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.
· Once all were healed the Passover was celebrated.
o Joshua 5:11-12 (NASB)
11 On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
12 The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.
· Now, the Israelites were spiritually prepared for battle by submitting to the true commander of God’s people, to the Lord Himself. This was especially true of Joshua, who was the commander of the Israelites.
o He needed a very special spiritual experience with the Lordbefore the enemies of the promised land were confronted. He needed to know that the Lord Himself was Commander-in-Chief over God’s people, and that the Lord had truly chosen him to be the military commander and leader of God’s people.
o As the commander, he was under the leadership of God Himself. What happened next to Joshua was bound to be a tremendous encouragement to him and to the people.[2] Let’s see what God has for us to focus on at this time in their history😊.
Bible Study:
Joshua 5:13-15 (NASB)
13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?"
14 He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?"
15 The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
· All of the chapter’s episodes reflect the same outlook noted in connection with 1:7–8, that spiritual concerns—not military preparations—were to be of first importance to the Israelites in their tasks ahead. This principle, of course, is one that still stands today:
o God wants our undivided loyalties and our holiness. Indeed, Lev 19:2 (“Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy”) is quoted by the apostle Peter (1 Pet 1:16) as still valid for Christians.
· This brief episode forms the introduction to the conquest narratives that follow, since it tells of the commander of the Lord’s army meeting with the commander of Israel’s army.
o There is no clear resolution to this episode, but the obvious implication here is that the Lord will fight for Joshua and Israel as long as they maintain the proper priorities, and this is played out in the following chapters.[3]
· Vs. 13: It seemed obvious that the next step would be the capture of Jericho. But since no divine message of instruction had yet come to Joshua (as before the crossing of the Jordan), he had sent spies out to reconnoiter the seemingly impregnable city.
o Was Joshua perplexed as he viewed the secure walls of Jericho? The spies reported at Kadesh Barnea that the cities of Canaan were “large, with walls up to the sky” (Deut. 1:28).
o Despite Joshua’s long military experience, he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. There was also the question of armaments.
o Israel’s army had no siege engines, no battering rams, no catapults, and no moving towers. Their only weapons were slings, arrows, and spears—which were like straws against the walls of Jericho.
o Joshua knew the battle of Jericho must be won because, now that they had crossed the Jordan, Israel’s troops had no place to which they could retreat.
§ Further, they could not bypass the city because that would leave their women, children, goods, and cattle at Gilgal exposed to certain destruction.[4]
· Joshua was near Jericho when he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him. The description is dramatic, recalling similar moments in the description of the crossing (e.g., 3:14–16). The appearance is unexpected (for similar language, cf. Gen. 22:13).
· The mysterious person is holding a drawn sword in his hand. This suggests combat readiness, but Joshua’s reaction to the appearance (“Are you for us or for our adversaries“) suggests that there is something ambiguous about it. Joshua’s question serves to enhance the air of mystery surrounding the event and helps to prepare the reader for the significant disclosure that is to follow in v. 14.
o The appearance was that of God manifested in the Person of His Word. Hence the command of v. 15. That the appearance was not in a vision merely is clear from the fact that Joshua “went unto Him” and addressed Him.[5]
· The reply of the stranger puzzles interpreters. The niv translates it, Neither, … but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come (5:14). The answer could be literally, “No!” or the Hebrew could be understood as an emphatic “Indeed!” (Soggin, Joshua, p. 77).
· The question calls for a positive answer, but the negative one can also make sense in the context.
o The negative answer has the sense that as commander of the army of the Lord, the visitor does not need to take sides.
o The Lord remains independent and will judge what side to support by how the people obey or do not obey their orders from God.
o In either case, the answer identifies the stranger as the commander of the heavenly hosts and does not commit God to support one side or the other.
§ The surprising answer is comforting in the sense that the heavenly commander is present, but it is disturbing to know that commander reserves the right to change sides in any conflict.
o Either answer undermines the doctrine of holy war, with its view that God fights for a chosen nation.
§ The Lord remains independent from any ritual or magical incantation, and divine support can never be assumed.[6]
· Joshua’s reaction to this solemn announcement is one of deep respect. He fell on his face … and worshipped.
o Although Joshua’s use of the words my lord indicates a recognition of superiority, it falls short of acknowledgement of deity.
· Nevertheless, the total impact of the scene, also in the light of v. 15, is such that a superhuman presence is indicated. The visitor says to Joshua, “I have now come.”
o Do these words require further definition of a goal: I have come to do such and such?
o Has something been lost from the account?
o Was the speaker interrupted?
· The book of Psalms knows of a “coming” that is pregnant with redemptive meaning;
o Psalm 40:8 (NASB)
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart."
o Psalm 50:3 (NASB)
3 May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him.
o Psalm 96:13 (NASB)
13 Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.
§ Such instances are sufficient to treat the words of the visitor to Joshua as in need of no further definition.?[7]
Thoughts to soak on submitted by Dr. Adrian Rogers
· Do you remember we read in Joshua chapter 5, beginning in verse 13, that Joshua is out looking at Jericho? He’s summing up his problems; he is on a reconnaissance trip; and he’s measuring the city. There it is; there the great walls—it just can’t be done!
· Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, if you want victory in your life, stop trying to get God on your side. Get on God’s side. God hasn’t come to take sides; He’s come to take over.
o And you will never know faith, you will never know victory, and your Jericho will never fall, until you do as Joshua did.
o You lay your sword at His feet and bow yourself prostrate at His feet and worship Him.
o And when you do that, ladies and gentlemen, Jericho is no longer your problem. It becomes God’s problem. And that makes the difference when you can turn that Jericho over to the One who has come to take over.
§ You see, Joshua had been problem-conscious; and now, no longer is he problem-conscious—he is God conscious. He lies in the dust before the Lord. And he’s not thinking now of why it can’t be done. He knows that it must be done. It will be done.[8]
· Vs. 15: In language that duplicates God’s command to Moses in Exodus 3:5,
o Exodus 3:5 (NASB)
5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
· Joshua is instructed to remove his sandals because the place is holy.
o As with Moses, the place is holy because it is where God meets with His chosen leader in a special way.
o Three points suggest that this is a manifestation of the divine presence, and therefore more than an angelic visitation.
§ First, Joshua worships the figure who accepts his worship. In the light of the covenantal requirements that only the LordGod should be worshipped (cf. Exod. 20 and Deut. 5–8), there can be no doubt who this is.
§ Second, the holiness is a manifestation of the divine presence throughout the Bible.
§ Third, the continuation of the narrative in chapter 6 blends the figure of the commander of the army of the Lord with God Himself.
📷 As with the incident in Exodus 3:2–5, and with the accounts in the patriarchal narratives (e.g. Gen. 18 and 22), distinctions between the messenger (angel) of the Lord and the Lordhimself evaporate.
o Therefore, the events of 5:13–15 should not be seen as a separate narrative embedded between two others.
§ Rather, they form a logical introduction to the instructions that follow. Just as God informed Moses of his mission after confronting him with the holiness of the place, so God charges Joshua with his special task after informing him of the sacred place where he is.
§ Compare this with the commissioning scenes of the prophets Isaiah (ch. 6) and Ezekiel (ch. 1).In both cases, the demonstration of God’s holiness precedes the charge given.
· In the New Testament, the same sequence occurs in the announcement to Mary(Luke 1:26–38) and in the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36).
o For the Christian, Christ’s salvation, His saving presence, precedes His call to a life of discipleship (Rom. 5–6; Eph. 2:8–10; 4:1–16).[9]
§ Do you believe this: Discuss!
Thoughts to Soak On
· The Captain of the Lord of Host was there to command God’s army. He was not there for Joshua to claim God’s allegiance for Joshua’s cause, but rather for God to claim Joshua in God’s cause.
· They would fight together, but Joshua would follow the Lord’s commands, not the Lord following Joshua’s commands.
o Christians sometimes tell God to do their will. Instead, we are to follow the leading of the Lord in our life.We are to be on His team.
· The Captain told Joshua, “You are on holy ground.” He told Moses the same thing in Exodus 3. They were in heathen territory, yet, on holy ground. Why? Discuss😊.
o God was with him.
o God was teaching His people that before we rush into battle, we must take time to be holy.
§ Do you have a Gilgal in your life?
o Every Christian needs a place of remembering, resurrection, rejection, recovery, refreshment, restoration, replenishment, and reverence just like Gilgal.
· Spend time with the Captain of our Salvation.
o God help our churches to be a Gilgal to the burdened, beaten down, and broken hearted.[10]
A very special thought to soak on in closing this section of the lesson
As we close this section of our lesson, listen to a message on our verses today from Charles Spurgeon, February 16, 1868 delivered at the Metropolitan Chapel at Newington, England.
· When the King is with his people, then hope is greatly encouraged, for saith she, “Who can stand against the Lord of Hosts?” There must be conversions; it is no longer a question of trust and expectation, but of absolute certainty when Jesus is at the preaching.
o My brethren, if by earnest prayer we shall really bring the King into our midst today, as I am persuaded we shall, and if we keep him here, holding him by our entreaties, and by our tears, which are the golden chains that bind Christ to his people, then we need not think that there shall be good done, nor hope so, but it must be so, it shall be so, for where Christ is, there is the manifestation of the omnipotence of deity, and the hardest of hearts feel the influence thereof.
· The glorious man whom Joshua saw, was on his side. The day shall come when the ungodly shall see this man with his sword drawn; but in answer to their question, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” they shall find him to be the fiercest of their foes.
o In the midst of his church, Christ carries a sword only for the purposes of love to them. Oh, how blessed it will be if you can know that out of his mouth there goes a two-edged sword, like unto a flame of fire; and if you dare to bring your heart near to that sword, that it may cut and kill in you everything obnoxious to the divine will, and then can bring your children and kinsfolk, and those that sit in these pews side by side with you, and say,
§ “O Master, let thy sword of fire go through them according to thy word, ‘I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal,’ O kill, that they may live; O wound, that they may be healed.[11]
This section of the lesson is approached with the hope of offering explanation to a very difficult time in the history of the Israelite people.
Joshua 6:1-5 (NASB)
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in.
2 The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors.
3 "You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days.
4 "Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
5 "It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead."
· Unquestioning Obedience to God
o In a secular worldview, obeying God is not a consideration at all. People with a secular worldview try to avoid being confronted with God’s commands: and when they are confronted, they find excuses to ignore God’s will. Even many believers try to pick and choose which commands they will obey.
o According to the biblical worldview, true believers seek to hear God’s commands in order to obey God. His commands are in the Bible, and God expects His people to obey His Word. Believers do not always understand the reasons for the commands, but true believers trust and obey even though they may not know the reasons.
· The following word study will offer clarity to this time.
o In Joshua 6:17, 18, and 21, the words “accursed,” “accursed thing,” “curse,” and “utterly destroyed” translate the important Hebrew verb haram or the nounherem. “The verb can be rendered ‘to devote to the LORD’ or ‘to devote to destruction’ or ‘to completely destroy,’ and the noun can be rendered as ‘devoted things’ or ‘destruction.’ The NIV text note makes clear the connection between the idea of devotion and destruction:
§ ‘The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.’ ” According to David M. Howard, Jr., “The NRSVs rendering in v. 17a captures the nuances: ‘And the city, and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction.’ ”
· The Command to Destroy All People and Things
o How can we explain this extreme command to Joshua and the Israelites? It seems contradictory to the revelation of a loving God in the New Testament. David M. Howard, Jr., writing in the New American Commentary, offered insight into this difficult question.
§ For one thing, he pointed out that the sins of the Canaanites had reached such a low level that they deserved severe punishment.
§ Closely related was the fact that if the Canaanites remained in the land, their sins would provide a constant temptation for the Israelites to compromise their own distinctive way of life.
§ A third factor was that the Lord had given the city of Jericho into the hands of the Israelites, and the Israelites could signify that by devoting all the people and wealth of Jericho to God.
o Several additional factors help to take some of the edge off the command.
§ For one thing, not everyone in Jericho was among those to be put to death. Specific commands were given to spare the life of Rahab and her family because she hid the Hebrew spies and because she professed faith in the God of Israel. Her salvation testifies to God’s intention eventually to open the door of faith to all people. As we have seen earlier, the crucial difference between Rahab and the other Canaanites was her demonstration of faith, both in deeds and words.[12]
§ Further, not every Israelite was spared. Achan and his family were put to death because they disobeyed God.
§ Another qualifying factor is that this command applied to one stage of the history of Israel. The full revelation of God in Jesus Christ calls for loving testimony to all people.
Spiritual Transformations to soak on
· God told Joshua and the Israelites what to do to conquer Jericho. They carefully obeyed Him. God warned against disobedience. The wall fell and the city was taken.
· Because Jericho was a barrier to Israel’s possessing the promised land, the Lord assured Joshua that He had given the city to them. Then He told Joshua what to tell the people about taking the city. The people carefully followed God’s commands about marching around Jericho.
· The Lord commanded the Israelites to dedicate Jericho and all within it to Him by destroying people and possessions, saving only Rahab and her family and the valuable things of the city for the Lord’s treasury.
o The Lord solemnly warned them against disobeying His commands and told them of the punishment for disobedience. When the people obeyed, the wall fell down and the Israelites easily took Jericho.
· God’s commands are to be taken seriously. We may not understand the reasons for some of God’s commands, but we must obey even when we do not know all the reasons for His commands.
· Obedience and faith are two sides of the same coin.
o When we are willing to trust the Lord to do only what He can do, we show it by obeying His Word.
§ Why does God not always explain to us the reasons He commands us to do something?
§ What commands of the Lord are most difficult for you to obey?[13]
[1]Alan Carr, “The Leader Meets the Lord (Joshua 5:13–15),” in The Sermon Notebook: Old Testament(Lenoir, NC: Alan Carr, 2015), 654.
[2]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Book of Joshua, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2003), 59.
[3]David M. Howard Jr., Joshua, vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 155.
[4]Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 338–339.
[5]Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Exodus to Ruth, ed. F. C. Cook and J. M. Fuller (London: John Murray, 1879), 362.
[6]J. Gordon Harris, “Joshua,” in Joshua, Judges, Ruth, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 43.
[7]Marten H. Woudstra, The Book of Joshua, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1981), 104–106.
[8]Adrian Rogers, “The Triumph of Faith,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Jos 5:13–15.
[9]Richard S. Hess, Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 6, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 139–140.
[10]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Joshua, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 90.
[11]C. H. Spurgeon, “Joshua’s Vision,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 14 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1868), 89.
[12]David M. Howard Jr., Joshua, vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 173.
[13]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Fall 2001, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2001), 45.