JOSHUA 4-5

SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE LORD - than you do consuming other streams of content - especially if you feel like you’re surrounded…or waiting on something to happen!

in Prayer and in His Word

LESSON: God often opens His hand one finger at a time (Alexander McClaren)…have a posture of trust that He is doing right and well! (It is enough to see the next step and to trust God for what we cannot see yet. Indeed, it is the essence of true faith to trust where we cannot see, “for we walk by faith, not by sight”

Joshua 4:4–7 ESV

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

1. They DECLARE THEY KNOW GOD’S POWER as they tell His story (4:1–24)

God’s people don’t keep His works quiet. They remember, they celebrate, and they boldly declare what He has done.

They planned in advance to PRAISE THE LORD.

Joshua arranged for the reps from the tribes to participate BEFORE THEY HAD EVEN CROSSED!

They took stones / memorials and placed them so that they would be seen AND INVITE QUESTIONS!

THEY ARE SETTING UP AN INCREDIBLE OBJECT LESSON FOR ALL GENERATIONS!

At the Keith Family YMCA - in the heart of the University region in Charlotte, they have a huge STONE in front of the entrance with John 17:21 displayed on it…reading, “that they all may be one”. That’s just a part of that verse.

But can you imagine the inquisitive kids asking their parents as they arrive for swim lessons or a basketball game… “Dad, what does that mean?”

I hope some moms and dads know that verse and its context…

John 17:20–21 “20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

I’m so GRATEFUL FOR THIS TRUTH!

I’m thankful for a YMCA that keeps Scripture so prominent.

I don’t know if that stone was unearthed from the ground where the Y was built - that would be kind of cool.

Joshua wanted something TANGIBLE…VISIBLE…THOUGHT PROVOKING to serve the people as a reminder of WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE’S DONE.

Later we’d see them place these stones in Gilgal. They didn’t really belong there - they were out of place.

How did these river stones get over here…these aren’t the kind of stones that belong here.

I’ve heard this text applied in many ways for today’s generation.

I know of one church that got 12 bigger rocks off of property they in the process of buying and bring them to their temporary meeting place. (Although it’s kind of backwards, it was a striking visual and compelling call to faith.)

But what about us…what about today?

WHAT WERE THESE STONES FOR AGAIN?

Look at verse 20 for a moment:

Joshua 4:20–24 ESV

20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

They were TANGIBLE reminders for God’s People and EVANGELISTIC PROMPTS for those who didn’t yet know the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.

Brothers - THAT’S YOU AND ME TODAY!

OUR LIVES ARE THE LIVING STONES…

1 Peter 2:4–5 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul writes about Christians who are LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONS for everyone to read.

GOD SAVED US OUT OF SIN AND DESPAIR AND HAS LEFT US AS MEMORIALS SO THAT THE WORLD MIGHT SEE HIM AT WORK IN US.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

God has set apart to TESTIFY TO ALL GENERATIONS of His WONDERS

that Jesus Saves

We’ve heard the joyful sound JESUS SAVES JESUS SAVES Spread the tidings all around, JESUS SAVES JESUS SAVES

Psalm 102:18 ESV

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:

Let your life be living stone - a rock crying out - PRAISE THE LORD! HALLELUJAH!

Luke 19:37–40 “37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.””

THEY DECLARED GOD’S POWER…

2. They DEMONSTRATE THEY ARE GOD’S PEOPLE as they participate in the signs of the covenant (5:1–12)

Before they could represent God to the nations, they had to be set apart as His treasured people.

CIRCUMCISION

Joshua 5:2–7 ESV

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

Circumcision as the covenant sign goes back to God’s instructions to Abraham in Genesis 17:10–14.

Even though other groups practiced this, God COMMANDED Israel to do this.

Every male child was to be circumcised when he was eight days old. This was a requirement to show that he belonged in God’s family.

But this command had apparently been ignored or kept on hold for an entire generation.

This act of obedience is essential if the people of Israel are to serve God’s purposes and to know God’s presence with them.

WE GET THAT…BUT THERE IS ANOTHER DIMENSION TO THIS:

Circumcision immobilizes a male.

Here they are getting ready to face the enemy in the fortress city of Jericho.

This will be Israel’s first battle in the promised land, and the first order of business is NOT confrontation but circumcision?

Israel would need strength, not weakness.

But God’s ways are not our ways.

Again, Paul’s perspective on this very concept in his own life is helpful when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Listen, Israel was busy.

They had a lot going on.

But it was wrong for them to forsake basic obedience to God’s commands for His people.

We get busy.

We get a lot going on.

BUT WE CANNOT FORSAKE THE BASICS OF OUR FAITH.

They needed to obey this command from the LORD. It caused them to REMEMBER WHO THEY WERE!

Then they get to celebrate WHOSE THEY WERE in the new land!

PASSOVER

Joshua 5:10–12 ESV

10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

In Exodus 12 the children of Israel were finally released from their four-hundred-year incarceration in Egypt.

The Passover points to Jesus, the ultimate Passover Lamb.

Unleavened bread, bread baked without yeast, points the hasty exit Israel made from Egypt in Exodus 12. It is also a call to be holy and not of this world.

BTW, remember when they were back there on the shores of Jordan…waiting for God to say cross.

By God’s providence, this land was flowing with abundant harvest.

Their forefathers had complained of NO WATER and NOT ENOUGH FOOD…there is plenty as they arrive in the promised land.

It’s worth mentioning again; God’s command for Passover to be observed was not followed during their wandering.

LESSON FOR US TODAY:

When we choose to wander, we are choosing to disobey God.

Be careful not to choose the wilderness with our grumbling, our thoughts, our actions, or our words.

We must trust God. God is FAITHFUL!

—-

FOR us TODAY:

THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE

Circumcision is NOT a spiritual sign.

Believer’s Baptism IS THE SIGN OF THIS NEW COVENANT.

For those who have repented and believed the Gospel, we announce to the world that we are SET APART AS INDIVIDUALS BY BAPTISM - BEING BAPTIZED INTO AN EARTHLY FAMILY OF GOD.

JESUS ALSO CHANGED THE DIMENSION OF PASSOVER SIGNIFICANTLY.

As members of a local church, WE CELEBRATE CHRIST AS OUR PERFECT PASSOVER LAMB, when we point to the Cross through COMMUNION.

WE ARE SET APART as a family by communion.

These 2 things are a part of our new covenant of grace.

We also DEMONSTRATE that we belong to the LORD by the way we live our lives!

GOD’S PEOPLE DECLARE THEY KNOW HIM AND HIS POWER as they Praise Him - making sure they remember what He’s done.

GOD’S PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE THEY ARE GOD’S as they honor Him with obedience.

Lastly, let’s look at this incredible divine encounter in verses 13-15

Joshua 5:13–15 ESV

13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

3. They DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO GOD as Joshua bows in surrender and worship (5:13–15)

Before fighting the Lord’s battles, they first had to bow before the Lord’s authority. Worship comes before warfare; surrender comes before victory.

Even though the word covenant is NOT used in our text here…we see SO MUCH evidence:

They renewed covenant obedience.

They experience covenant blessing in the new land.

NOW THEY ARE MEETING THE COVENANT LORD!

Joshua leaves the camp at Gilgal and begins to survey the land.

While he is several miles from the Jericho fortress, he is approached by one with a drawn sword.

Joshua boldly asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

The response was, “Neither. I have now come as commander of the LORD’s army.”

He was on his own side.

He was there to take over.

“Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” This is the same order Moses heard well over forty years earlier at the back side of the desert (Exod 3:5).

Joshua begins to worship this divine presence.

Your pastor, along with many scholars, contends that this is NOT just an angelic being.

We seem to be encountering a “THEOPHANY” or a “CHRISTOPHANY”.

SIMPLE: God showing up visibly in some way BEFORE Christ came to the earth as a baby in a womb.

OTHER: This is a preincarnate visitation of God to earth, in a visible form where humans can see Him and live.

[[In Revelation 19:10 John the apostle falls at the feet of an angelic being, and the angelic being says to him, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you.… Worship God.” However, in Revelation 1:17–18, John submits himself to the one who said, “I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever.” This is Jesus, our Lord, who does not prohibit John from assuming a posture of worship.]]

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON LORD? Joshua asks.

Maybe you’ve asked.

The question is NOT whether the Lord is on our side or not, but whether we are submitted to his sovereign rule and authority because he is the Lord of earth and Heaven to whom all power belongs.

The only shot that Israel will be prepared for the battle of Jericho IS IF THEIR EARTHLY LEADER FALLS FLAT ON HIS FACE BEFORE THE LIVING GOD!

I believe it is the same for the church of God today!

I believe it is the same for you and me today!

When we live in glad submission to God’s will, revealed in his Word, that he can lift us up and lead us on.

We need to be much more concerned about HIS PRIORITIES than about ours.

We don’t always know what’s needed for our earthly battles.

BUT HERE IS SOMETHING WE DESPERATELY NEED:

God’s people (WE) NEED to recognize the commander of the Lord’s army, worship him in the splendor of His holiness and glory, and put ourselves unreservedly at his disposal.

JESUS:

Circumcision - Jesus was cut off from the Father on the cross as he bore the sins and shame of all who would trust and believe. One drop of His precious blood is sufficient to save the whole world - YET HE WAS DESPISED AND REJECTED for our sin and shame.

Passover - HE IS OUR PERFECT PASSOVER LAMB! He gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin!

Then we see a coronation - JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS!

SUMMARY:

WE ARE LIKE THOSE ROCKS TAKEN OUT OF THE RIVER OF SIN, BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WE SHOULD LIVE AS A TESTIMONY OF PRAISE FOR HIM AND TO HIM!

Remember WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE!

WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE BELONG TO JESUS! Yes, with Baptism, YES with Communion…but YES with every breath that you take, every move that you make, the way you live day-to-day!

EMBRACE YOUR IDENTITY AS ONE SET APART FOR HIM!

WE NEED TO DEVOTE OURSELVES DAILY TO HIS RULE AND HIS REIGN AND HIS AUTHORITY IN OUR LIVES!

LIVE IN DAILY SURRENDER TO CHRIST’S AUTHORITY!

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.