Sermon Tone Analysis

Right now, the people of Israel are at a very vulnerable time.

They have just lost their leader, Moses who for 40 years has been with them.

He was God’s servant and there was no doubt that he was God’s servant.

But now Moses has died.

Everyone dies at some point and now Moses is gone.

So what happens now?

The people need a leader and God knows this and God calls Joshua as the new leader of Israel.

Joshua has been faithful to Moses all throughout the wilderness journey.

Joshua has also been faithful to God as one of two spies who actually believed what God said about being able to take the land.

And we also know that Joshua was chosen to secede Moses from..

So God says that Josh will be the new leader but it seems like he isn’t confident or he needs to be told..

But they need a leader.

This can potentially be a crisis for Israel.

Never been here before.

We have always had Moses.

Moses was God’s mouthpiece for God while we were in the wilderness.

Moses always told us what to do.

God spoke to Moses, God worked through Moses, God worked miracles through Moses.

God used Moses to part the Red Sea...

Hey, even Joshua always had Moses.

Now Moses is gone and they have to trust God in order to move into freedom.

Freedom requires movement.

When God freed them from Egypt they physically had to grab onto that freedom and walk out.

There is a part they have to play to get the freedom, the blessing.

They are getting ready to pass over into the promised land but,,, but that might even be a little bit scary.

They are used to the wandering.

That has been their lives for the last 40 years.

That was where they were supposed to be.

Some of the group, maybe even most of the group have only ever known wandering in the wilderness.

This can be intimidating.

We don’t do new very well with change.

Used to the wandering

The human inclination is to get used to one’s natural and familiar habitat.

Change doesn’t come easy to anyone.

There’s always the resistance factor.

They are used to the wilderness, it feels safe but if they continue to hold to the familiar they will never get to the promised land.

There is an unknown factor here.

Would the people be willing?

Because, there is a promised land on the other side and unless they move they will miss out and continue to wander.

But there is a promised land on the other side and unless we move we will miss out and continue to wander.

That is why it is so important for the people to know that they have someone to lead them.

They understand that they have gotten here because of God and they aren’t going to be taking any chances unless they are convinced of it.

God knows this too.

God knows they need assurance.

God knows they need a leader.

This first boundary is the most important boundary for them to cross.

The gateway to the promised land.

If God doesn’t lead them, it’s not gonna happen.

So God gives them instructions through Joshua.

God does amazing things to bring His people from slavery to freedom

This is the most important and the first boundary for them to cross.

The gateway to the promised land.

And the first thing God instructs the people to do is to consecrate, or clean themselves.

v 5

It is a physical and symbolic cleansing to prepare people for being in the presence of the Lord.

You would think that It would make sense if He said, sharpen your swords and get your shields ready, but this battle belongs to God and the people are to prepare themselves to follow the Lord.

Prepare to meet the Lord.

v5 It was required that the people consecrate themselves.

(Joshua’s first command) Prepare yourself to worship the Lord.

It would make sense if He said, sharpen your swords and get your shields ready, but this battle belongs to God and the people are to prepare themselves to follow the Lord.

Side note:

V4 Stay 2000 cubits away so that you know where you are going.

They haven’t been this way before/(God can lead us on a new journey) Also, possibly the holiness of God’s presence just like we saw at Mt Sianai in Exodus.

They now would not be led by the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire but by God Himself and you cannot get too close.

God is intimate but He is also so Holy that you have to be careful around Him

These two aspects of God’s nature—his close, comforting presence and his awesome, fearsome glory—are kept in a healthy balance in the Bible, but the latter is in danger of being forgotten in some wings of the church today.

v5 It was required that the people consecrate themselves.

(Joshua’s first command) Prepare yourself to worship the Lord.

It would make sense if He said, sharpen your swords and get your shields ready, but this battle belongs to God and the people are to prepare themselves to follow the Lord.

Imagine meeting the person you most admire.

Would you take a shower?

Would you clean up your house?

They are preparing for God’s presence in their situation.

This is God!

I believe that when we come together that God is in our midst and that we need to be prepared, to be prepared for worship.

Think about how we come here on Sunday mornings.

I am guilty, I don’t always prepare the way I should.

We need to prepare to meet God in worship.

Don’t we expect to meet God when we gather?

We should.

Here is an exercise...

Come here expectant.

Maybe sit in your chair even for a couple of minutes and pray that God would fill you up and that He would speak to you during the service.

That God would be glorified through your life.

Preparing for His presence.

His presence is what we need.

He desires to be close but is still too Holy for us to be too close.

Verse 4 says that they need to stay 1000 yards back from the ark.

God is a holy God.

But again, they need to trust that Joshua is God’s chosen spokesman just like Moses was.

7-13

v7-8 The Lord exalts Joshua just as He was with Moses (Seals the new leadership)

v7-8 The Lord exalts Joshua just as He was with Moses (Seals the new leadership)

Also, if God is with Joshua the people will be convinced that God is with them.

8 The Lord exalts Joshua just as He was with Moses (Seals the new leadership) Joshua commands the priests to stop in the water holding the ark and then God performs a miracle just as they went out of Egypt it is a replay of God’s blessing.

Joshua speaks for God.. commands the priests to stop in the water holding the ark and then tells everyone what is going to happen (prophecy)

This is all part of God sealing Joshua’s leadership.

God will part the waters for the people to cross into the promised land.

It is a miracle and the Jordan is actually flooded at this point meaning that the outside circumstances are even more difficult, more unlikely but God will prevail.

God performed a miracle just as they went out of Egypt and He is getting ready to do the same thing.

It is a replay of God’s blessing.