Will There be Enough
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Text: Joshua 6:1-6
Evolutionary Psychology sees humanity as an apex reached when man has scraped his way to the top of a food chained. Where in a dog-eat-dog world you respond like algae to the impulse to push your progeny into the next generation.
Somewhere in your chemical make up is the animalistic impulse to mate, consume, and provide for the furtherance of our genes. Nevermind, the destructive behavior in a culture laden with sin. Nevermind, that cultures that carry conservative values provide better financially, judicially, and scientifically than a hedonistic society. We are to believe that your greatest achievement is not to live out your true identity. As one in whom God has placed his image. You are a success at life when you follow the examples of the Serengeti Hyena and scape with all the rest finally putting yourself at the top of the heiarchy.
Scripture as you can imagine runs counter not only to Evolution as a concept to explain our origin but it Runs counter to the Philosophy and Edicts of Evolutionary thought. Where the world clamors for the the constant needs that we have already discussed.
Will I have enough?
Am I enough?
Am I of Significance?
Where the first to questions rest on the core desire to know that this life can be of some quality. The last one is a question of my place in the world itself. How long after I am gone will any one remember that I am around?
Do I Matter?
If any group of people would imagine that this was importance it was the people of Jericho. And at its core their was no cure except what was found in a people that were willing to follow God.
Jericho was a city of:
Antiquity
It is believed by many, that Jericho is perhaps the oldest city in the world.
Iniquity
The Canaanites, who inhabited Jericho, were a very sinful people. From the occult, to idolatry, to the sacrifice of their own babies in the fire, the Canaanites were a vile people. Every act of unimaginable depravity and horror existed within the walls of Jericho.
Enormity
Jericho was not a large city in terms of land dimensions. It only covered about 8 acres. But it was a city surrounded by two enormous walls, 15 feet apart. Each wall was lined with soldiers and watchmen stood at every gate.
Because of its heavy fortification, Jericho presented itself to the children of Israel as a city of: Impossibility
There was no way, humanly speaking, that Joshua and his followers were going to break through the walls of Jericho and overcome its inhabitants. This great city was the first formidable foe that stood between the people of God and the promises of God.
Evolutionarily speaking this city Had climbed rightly to the top of the food chain we could say they “evolved” to greatness.
There were only four ways of making your way through walls in the historical time.
1. Climb over
2. Punch through
3. Dig under
4. Sit outside
None of which they are capable of doing
Here is where I am supposed to ask you to think of the walls in your life. But you might have figured out that this is not the point of this text. The point of this text is to identify the spirit of the people that were willing to follow Joshua and get a glimpse of why God was willing to work on their behalf.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
Not just any faith was enough But a faith that is demonstrated in Meekness.
You see what we find in Scripture is a City brought low not by might an force, but by a people that have submitted their power through an act of Meekness.
I Submit to you that FAITH IS THE VICTORY! As someone has said, Faith is the link that connects our nothingness to God's Almightiness."
But recognize the need for a powerful Meekness.
Explanation: A. It is a belief in this world and of those in this world that meekness is synonymous with weakness. That to be meek is that you are in some way weak and cowardly.
IF you went around to someone in the community and asked, “would you like meekness”, most would reject the notion, because they have been taught meekness is weakness.
If you went up to any group of teenagers today you ask them they would largely reject you because their role models have rejected the idea meekness. Meekness doesn’t sell magazines, or sports jerseys or even block busters.
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines meekness as:
1 : enduring injury with patience and without resentment 2 : deficient in spirit and courage
3 : not violent or strong
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
And lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
And he shall direct thy paths.
This is the idea that the world puts out there that meekness is a deficiency in spirit and courage, or not strong. But this is a poor definition but one that the world has accepted as their definition.
Argument: Meekness in reality implies a voluntary gentleness. A balance or control.
Aristotle: a balance between extreme anger and extreme angerlessness.
It does not mean powerless, but power under control.
Power voluntarily submitted to one who is greater.
Power not used selfishly, or for selfish gain.
I. Meekness starts with Surrender.
When we last saw Joshua he was face down on the ground, bowing in humble submission before the Lord. Look at it again.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Understand Joshua here is taking the place of Jesus when in the Garden he prays Not my will but thine be done. In both instances the way God wanted to work was as important as WHAT God wanted to accomplish.
Notice the response of the angel to Joshua: (" side are you on?”) His response told Joshua that He had not come to takes sides, but to TAKE OVER!
We must be willing to surrender all control of our life, including our plans for the future, to the Lord. We must be willing to say, "Not my will, but Thine be done!"
In essence that's what Joshua was doing. He knew that success was sure to be the result if the "captain of the host of the Lord" was leading the way.
Who better to pilot the ship of our life through the treacherous and unchartered waters of your life than the "captain of our salvation?"
II. Meekness finds it hope Outside its circumstance.
Before seeing the Lord, Joshua's eyes were focused on the obstacle.
Verse 13 says that Joshua was "by Jericho", meaning that he was on a reconnaissance mission more or less. As his eyes focused on the dual-walled city of Jericho, his mind was at work formulating a plan, developing a strategy, devising a method whereby he could lead his people to victory.
But suddenly his focus changed as he saw standing before him the pre-incarnate Christ.
Suddenly he became for God-conscious than he was problem-conscious.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Many believers are more aware of their problem than God’s promises.
We must learn to glance at our problems and gaze on the Lord.
Focusing on the Lord will not make our problems go away, but the more we worship Him and the greater He becomes in our lives, the less intimidating our problems become.
What did the songwriter say? - "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."
How sweet our time in the word when we are surrendered to his control and not our own.
Joshua was no doubt a different man once he surrendered both his future and his focus to Omnipotent Commander-in-Chief.
III. Meekness finds its Joy in Waiting on God.
Wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." f Have you ever wondered to yourself, "Why doesn't the Lord do something? Why doesn't He act? Why is He waiting?" He waits, my friend, for:
(1) Our Good - "And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you..." The Lord waits sometimes because He wants us to have the best.
(2) His Glory - "...and therefore will he be exalted..."
Joshua 6:16
And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.
Notice Joshua said, "the LORD hath given you the city", not "shall give you the city."
How could Joshua say it was done when it hadn't been done? Because he had an unwavering faith in
the Word of God.
(4) Joshua 6:2
(5) There it is again ... "HATH" not "shall."
(6) What was Joshua doing in verse 16? He was making good on God's promise! He was speaking a "word of faith" if you will.
Meekness in Illustration
Numbers 12:1-13
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
In this passage we find the actual statement that Moses was meek and the illustration of that meekness.
I. Miriam and Aaron talking behind moses back and murmuring about him.
2. Moses would have every right to have left her to die in her leprosy, in fact God had every inclination to hurry her death along and watch her die.
Moses had the power to be vindicated for the way they had talked of him. He had every right to be vindication and there he would finally prove they were wrong and he was right and he had the power.
But chose not to be vindicated. But instead to submit his power to God’s mercy.
There are at least two other times that Moses pleaded on behalf of the people of Israel. When God would have destroyed the people and started over with Moses. Moses could have been the main guy, they would have found him right. But everytime he reminded God of his goodness and God wanted to show mercy and Moses submitted to that.
And became the picture of the intercessory work of Christ as the High Priest.
Because it was Jesus himself that was meek.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Jesus was not weak. But he was truly meek.
He was meek in His Temptation
He was meek in His Abduction
12 legions of angels
I am He
He was meek on the Cross
Father forgive them
Christ Says to us that if we wish to be his disciples we will get out of this evolutionary mindset of the world. We will miss the real depth and meaning of life. You could live making a name for yourself in this life and miss all the real life that comes from simple dependence on God and his plan.