Joshua and the Fall of Jericho (2)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
(S1) — Whole Story
Genesis: creation—Abrahamic covenant—Joseph
Exodus: captivity (Moses)—deliverance—law—wilderness
God’s blessing:
Exodus 6:8 “I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’ ””
Mose’ death—Joshua
Joshua 1:2–3 ““…the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—”
A new season for the Israelites; about to enter the P.L. — Ready to take hold of what God has promised!
(S2) — Series
Familiar Sunday School Stories—Felt Boards—Skits/Songs
— Esther, Jonah, David/Goliath, Shadrech…Daniel...
Today; Joshua…reminds us that we will face greatest obstacles in following Jesus; but it is...
(S3) — OBEDIENCE BRINGS VICTORY
SONG
My hope is that in hearing these stories again/first time…we see that we can overcome anything obstacle before us…
— when we; WALK in obedience to God—TRUST in the assurance of his word—LIVE lives devoted to Jesus…so we are ready to take hold of God’s promise!
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory
PRAY—BIBLES
(S4) — Why Jericho?
—Oasis of springs—City of Palms
—Location: 17 miles N.E of Jerusalem/10 miles N.W. of the Dead Sea, it guarded a primary road from the Jordan Valley to the central hill country
— Powerful fortress; its destruction would discourage others
Unsure of the lay of the land, they send spies into the city—Rahab…
They discover the people living there were enemies of God and the Israelites new way of life...
Exodus 23:23–24 “For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices.
Their worship of many gods...not political, but cultural enemies
— sexual promiscuity; fertility cults, child sacrifices, social oppression and violence
Leviticus 18:24–25 ““Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways.
Claiming the new life god promised is going to be hard! Even with its army of 40,000, Israel was preapred for a fight; they were no match for the Fortified Walls of Jericho
This is what Joshua teaches us…there are Jericho’s all around us…
— Cultural wars, worldly kingdoms, political powers…
(S5)
There are going to be obstacles and enemies that are going to try to keep us from what God wants for us.
{Ephesians 6:12}
As christians we look at this spiritually…the greater fight is within
1 Peter 5:8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
It’s important we are aware of this…outside influences working against us…our own desires, weakness…we can be our own worst enemy
Running is a mental battle
The people of Jericho would keep the Israelites from God’s best…
(S6) —
Jericho was the oldest known fortified city in the world (10,000 BCE), surrounded by not one but two sets of walls...
Brick wall 8’ H, on top of Stone wall 15’ H (up to 30’ H/25’ D)
With no battering rams or other means to penetrate the city walls, Its easy to see the complexity of the problem facing the Israelites
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory. He knew this battle belonged to the Lord; the taking of Jericho, was sanctioned by God
{5:13-15}
The same God who parted the waters...was again acting on behalf of the Israelite’s and it brought fear to the city of Jericho
— Rahab’s Story
Joshua 2:9 ““I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.”
(S7) — {Joshua 6:1}
But still…Jericho was tightly shut up...no way in, no way out...
KID FORTS—IMPENETRABLE
Purpose of a wall—In/Out
TOMB
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory.
Three ways...that their OBEDIENCE BRINGS VICTORY
(S8) —
I. God’s ASSURANCE of Victory
I. God’s ASSURANCE of Victory
{Joshua 6:2}
Through God’s vision Joshua is guaranteed a victory—see I have delivered...
{2 Kings 6:15-17}
To have the assurance of victory, Joshua and the people would need only to trust God; take him at his word
“Think of a child who learns to swim. Initially, the child is terrified, convinced that the water is out to get them. But with encouraging words from a parent, they take a leap of faith and plunge in, trusting that their parent will catch them.”
Joshua is given the assurance of victory
How difficult do you find it to TAKE GOD at HIS WORD?
1 John 5:4 “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory
Second way...their obedience brings victory
(S8)
II. God’s METHOD of Victory
II. God’s METHOD of Victory
As a divine military strategist God’s ways were often unconventional
{Joshua 6:3-5}
God devises an UNUSUAL but elaborate strategy—non-conventional warfare but yet it has great significance...
The army is to march around the city for six days
Seven priests are to carry trumpets in front of the ark
7th day—7 times—Constantly blowing the trumpets
Long Blast—Shout—Walls Fall—Straight in
Through normal means, the Israelite could be defeated..but through divine strategy Jericho could not stand against God
Some battles are better fought without the weapons of man...
Politicians-Means of Negotiation
God’s method of victory over sin...Jesus...death...
1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
How difficult do you find it to TRUST in GOD’S methods? How he is working in your life?
Isaiah 55:9 “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
(6-16)—Joshua conveys God’s plan...and their OBEDIENCE brings VICTORY
(S9)
When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.
(NLT) They shouted as loud as they could!
“evoke a surge of emotion,”
War cry (noise of battle) depicting Yahweh as their warrior
Rejoicing in gladness for what God was doing…their fight was an act of worship...
Isaiah 44:23 “Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel.”
Some claim their shouting triggered an earthquake...either way the wall fell...on top of itself—allowing them to enter in...
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory—third way their obedience brought victory...
(S10)
III. God’s JUDGEMENT in Victory
III. God’s JUDGEMENT in Victory
They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it...
This presents difficulty for the reader...and an ethical dilemma; viewed as a mass eradication of every living thing...
Herem (2x) — ‘to put to destruction what is not devoted to God’ To correct the moral corruption of society
— They could not be the people of God and the people of the world at the same time. They were to live set-apart as a holy people devoted to God.
— Jerichos destruction while being a victory for the Israelites, was a judgment on the ways of the people inside the walls who were against God.
— Limited destruction...in all of Canaan
God’s judgment in victory and yet they would see God’s grace in Rahab’s story...the mercy of God who saves all who call on the name of the Lord
Acts 2:21 “But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
To fully devote themselves to God...the barrier had to be removed
How difficult do you find it to Live a life DEVOTED to God? To remove the obstacles that keep you from God’s best?
(S11) —
God’s ASSURANCE in victory—God’s METHOD of victory—God’s Judgement in victory
Joshua courage and their OBEDIENCE BRINGS VICTORY and the walls fell...
Knock wall Down
Hundreds of years latter…another Joshua (salvation) is born…
— Yeshua (Hebrew) — Yesus (Greek) — Jesus
Like Joshua, Jesus would be tempted in the wilderness…and would blow the horn of of the gospel
(S12) — {Mark 1:15}
This High priest would be put out for all to see…hung on a cross and at his death with a shout…
My God, My God…
Every barrier of sin that separates us from God crumbles…nothing between us and God but Jesus and the promised land…
Gods desire for us is to know his blessing…Jesus is the way to promised land of life…
Joshua courage brings victory—Israel's obedience brings victory—Rehabs faithfulness brings her and her family salvation—
It may have been Joshua's fight, but it was God’s victory…
Jesus obedience gives every believer victory over all the powers of this world…
Jesus...the way of peace—came to battle a different enemy; not physical, but a spiritual battle both in the world and the person.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Sin is our fight...but Jesus is our victor. To claim it; enter into the promise of God’s blessing...
(S13)
Where do you need to see victory in your life? Are you ready to...
Where do you need to see victory in your life? Are you ready to...
1. WALK in obedience to God’s commands
1. WALK in obedience to God’s commands
— Regular reading— Prayer— Worship—Generosity
2. TRUST in the assurance of God’s Word
2. TRUST in the assurance of God’s Word
God’s methods may be unconventional...trust he knows what best for you
3. LIVE devoted to the whole story of God
3. LIVE devoted to the whole story of God
The way of ‘Scriptural Holiness”
This means living free of judgement...under the grace of Christ who destroys sin with grace...the same grace extended to Rahab...
(S14)
It took a shout to bring the walls down…it took Jesus’ obedience to death to bring down the walls of separation from God!
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Obedience is the way to victory! Sin may be our fight but Jesus is God’s victory
