The Battle Belongs to God

Intro

Dalton Knecht leading to a victory over Auburn. Finished with 39 points. We won because did the work.

Connection: Some of you are tired and weary, because you have been fighting battles that are too much for you.

We serve and worship a God who delivers the victory

Main Idea: God delivers the victory

Bring up to speed: Moses has died. Israel sent spies into Jericho. Rahab protected them. Scarlet thread hung from window. Cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. God will prepare them for the battle to commence.

Joshua 6:1-27

Truth #1: The battle is over before it begins

Exp. What is noteworthy of this passage is the focus on the end of the battle being determined. Verse 2. From man’s perspective, the battle hasn’t been fought. Plans have not been made. From God’s perspective, the battle is over because he’s sovereign.

Ill. It would be like if I challenged Lebron James to a one-on-one basketball match. We all know the outcome. It’s already over. Same with Jericho. When God says it is to be, he wills it.

Exp. God gives the instructions to Joshua who passes them to the priests. Verses 3-5. Imagery:

Seven days represents the feast of the unleavened bread. God defeating his enemies.

Rams’ horn was used to indicate victory on the battlefield. Priests were to blow it on the seventh day.

Exp. Skip to verse 10. Joshua commands them to be silent until he gives the order. Verse 15-16. Again, nothing had fallen yet. They had not overtaken Jericho! They are blowing the rams’ horn for victory and shouting a cry a victory! The result: Verse 20. They didn’t blow the trumpets after the victory but before. The entire story is setup to prove God would give the victory.

Arg. This is our God! He is sovereign and he never loses a battle.

Christ - We may not have walls around a city to conquer, but we are fighting a battle with sin and death. It started in the Garden, and God proclaimed victory in the Garden. The victory that would come through Jesus. Jesus won the battle with sin by his crucifixion and death by his resurrection.

App. Lay down your arms and trust the Lord’s provisions. Fight the battle the Lord’s way: submitting to his plan.

Say yes to God. You may feel a pull, but it seems wearisome or overbearing.

Say no to something else. Your own plans may be in the way of God’s plans. Could you imagine the Israelites hearing God’s plan and then coming up with their own?

Truth #2: God spares those of faith

Exp. Rahab had hid the spies and was promised salvation. Verse 17. Joshua is giving instructions and reminds them of Rahab. He reminds them that her life is to be spared because she did what was right in the eyes of God. God would destroy Jericho, but protect her and her family.

Arg. Sparing those of faith is common theme. Abraham and Isaac. Bronze serpent survivors.

Exp. Verses 22-25. God would not only spare her, but make her family. She would marry Salmon. Their son would be Boaz. Boaz marries Ruth. Rahab becomes the great, great grandmother to king David. What a lineage. She’s named in the genealogy and mentioned in Hebrews 11.

Ill. Like adopting a child. Not part of your bloodline becomes immersed and brings about a part of the line that will have impact on generations for all eternity. Rahab was brought into the family. Ruth would eventually be brought in as a Moabitess.

Christ - By faith in Christ, we are spared from the coming judgment and brought into his family. Abraham was from Chaldea which is Babylon. Rahab from Jericho. Ruth from Moab. God always had the plan to bring outsiders into his family. Romans 10:8-10, “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” There is a display of faith we are to have.

App. Faith

For unbelievers - place your faith in Jesus. He defeated your battle of sin and death through the crucifixion and resurrection. You will find no peace until you find him.

For believers:

Like Rahab, our faith is displayed through following the Lord’s instructions. Hebrews 11:31, “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”

Like the Israelites, they still put their faith on display. Hebrews 11:30, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”

We put our faith on display when we do the Lord’s will. His will that is spelled out in the Bible.

Conclusion

We can face all of life because we serve a resurrected king. One of my favorite hymns is “Because He Lives.” My favorite line which mirrors the story of Jericho:

And then one day, I’ll cross the river,

I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know he lives!