Go, Possess The Land - Israel And The New Breed - 08/01/2021

Go, Possess The Land - Israel And The New Breed - 08/01/2021

GIVE THANKS

OPENING PRAYER

BIBLE CONFESSION

I. INTRODUCTION:

Saints of God, today I will continue to examine the steps Joshua took, under the direction of God, in leading the Israelites, the remnants of the children of Israel across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.

Allow me to take a moment to briefly recap the first four chapters of Joshua in our continuation of the series Go, Possess The Land.

We learned that God called Joshua forth, after the death of Moses, to become the new leader of Israel. He commanded Joshua to only be strong and of a good courage.

We learned that God spoke to Joshua and assured him that just as He was with Moses, he would also be with him.

We learned that Rahab the harlot played a very critical role by risking her life to hide Joshua’s spies from the king of Jericho.

She made a covenant with the spies to save her and her family from the apparent death the Israelites were bringing to Jericho. The spies agreed and remarked this as “A life for a life”.

(Jesus gave his life for our life in that he reconciled us back to God Almighty - Let’s honor him by living a life that’s pleasing unto him by following our Heavenly Father’s will for our life.)

Romans 12:1–2 KJV 1900

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We learned that the report she gave to the spies determined the strategic steps Joshua and the Israelites would make next in their advancement toward the Jordan River.

We learned that the Joshua commanded the priests to bare the Ark of the Covenant in the midst of the Jordan.

We learned that the LORD provided safe passage across the Jordan on dry land by the command of Joshua as He did the same with Moses in the parting of the Red Sea.

We learned the importance of making your mark and leaving a legacy for the next generation; as the LORD commanded Joshua to command twelve men of every tribe to take up stones to a make memorial at their encampment on the other side of Jordan and for Joshua himself to make memorial of stones in the midst of Jordan.

The memorials were a reminder of what the LORD did at Jordan when their children would ask their fathers what the memorials represented.

Now, we will explore Joshua chapter 5. The title of today’s message is called Israel And The New Breed.

In Chapter 5, Joshua follows God's next set of instructions in preparation to penetrate Jericho.

The Israelites readied themselves to walk into the Promised Land but does not forsake their spiritual roots.

GOLDEN TEXT:

JOSHUA 1:1-2, 5-9

Jos 1:1 NOW after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

II. BODY:

CIRCUMCISION OF THE NEW GENERATION:

JOSHUA 5:1-9

King James Version Chapter 5

5:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

2 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called mGilgal unto this day.

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Use additional references for CIRCUMCISION for the origin, importance, and significance it has in the church and the life of believers.

Make NT and OT comparison.

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2. THE FIRST PASSOVER IN CANAAN:

JOSHUA 5:10-12

King James Version Chapter 5

10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.

12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

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Use additional references for the PASSOVER for the origin, importance, and significance it has in the church and the life of believers.

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3. THE COMMANDER OF THE LORD’S ARMY:

JOSHUA 5:13-15

King James Version Chapter 5

13 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?

14 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?

15 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.

III. CONCLUSION:

Joshua had a very compelling encounter with this captain with the drawn sword.

It did not take long at all for Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, to recognize that he was standing before a divine presence.

Obviously, this couldn’t have been someone from Joshua’s army, because Joshua is the leader of the Israelites and he would not yield to the command of a subordinate; especially, falling on his face to worship. That would be out of order!

Could he possibly be in THE divine presence of Jesus Christ himself?

Could this possibly be a foreshadowing of things to come?

Recall in verse 13, the man Joshua encountered said he is the captain of the LORD’s army and he had his sword drawn.

Revelation 19:15 says

Revelation 19:15 KJV 1900

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Other references if needed:

1 Chronicles 21:16 KJV 1900

16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

After the fall of man

Genesis 3:24 KJV 1900

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The donkey sees the angel but the man does not

Numbers 22:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. 24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

IV. SERVICE WRAP-UP:

LIFT YOUR HANDS AND GIVE GOD PRAISE

CLOSING PRAYER

ALTAR CALL

PRAY FOR MEMBERS AND VISITORS

PRAY FOR PASTOR HOLMES

SPECIAL OFFERING FOR RYLE OWENS

NO MEETINGS TODAY

DECLARATION OF FAITH

BENEDICTION