WAR: THE WALLS WILL TALK - Part 4.

3 SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT!

Joshua 5:13 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[c] 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.

MSG: “THE WALLS WILL TALK”.

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PRAY

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Joshua 5-6 is kind of continuous in my mind.

There is a few things happening between the crossing over… and the taking of Jericho.

QUICK STUDY ON CHAPTERS 5-6:

God asks Joshua to do something…..

Observation 1: HE STAYED FAITHFUL THEM - GOD REMAINED FAITHFUL: COVENANT KEEPING GOD

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”

Joshua was told to crcumcise the people of Israel;

To continue the sign, to inherit the promise as Gods people.

But also as a parallel of What God does in our lives:

This generation was BORN in the Wilderness of disobedience, and Circumcised into the covenant with God.

Why is this a GREAT observation?

We serve a covenant keeping God. Keeping Covenant…….He is FAITHFUL

THIS IS A PICTURE OF EXACTLY WHAT GOD HAS DONE WITH US ALL.

WE WERE ALL BORN INTO THE WILDERNESS OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE.

…. BUT GOD.

Romans 5:8 ESV “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were still in the wilderness of SIN.

…..

Romans 2:28-29 ESV.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

GOD TAKES US FROM THE WILDERNESS OF SIN… CIRCUMCISES OUR HEARTS INTO A BRAND NEW LIFE IN Jesus Christ.

Remember Luke 15 and the parable of the Prodigal Son:

Luke 15:31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

I WAS ONCE LOST - BUT NOW IM FOUND…..

So God was doing that EVEN WAY BACK In the OT. He was rescuing, He was bringing OUT.

Just amazing

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Observaton 2: HE NEVER STOPPED PROVIDING: BUT…. IT WAS A NEW SEASON NEW PROVISION.

Joshua led the people to first passover

Vs 10

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.

And provision in the new land: no more manna.

When God calls you to cross, he will provide for you.

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Observation 3: HE NEVER STOPPED MAKING A WAY…. He sent in the big guns.

Vs 13

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?”

Many scholars believe… and I am with them that this is a “christophany or a theophany” which means a pre-cross appearance of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.

(The Joshua of the OT… Met the Joshua of the NT… YEshua. One scholar said).

But Here is the point: God is above it.

Thats why he answered NO.

GOD IS ABOVE IT ALL. He says no. because He isn’t on a side here. He is above HERE. Gods sovereign hand is ruling and reigning over the universe right now and always.

GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN

Chapter 6… Now Jericho.

The Fall of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat,[a] and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

This was a city that was “SHUT-UP”. …..Not words to gloss over.

This was as the message calls it “Tight as a drum”. Because of the people of ISRAEL.

THIS IS WHATS AMAZING.

When it says “It was shut up.:

Means it was fortified. Means it was completely impenetrable.

(Ways they used to defend cities was they would build cities onto of cities to get height. And from height they would build large walls that leant inward which created a surface to roll things down, throw things down and even dump hot grease.).

It was virtually impossible to take it.

Thats what it means: it was shut up: it was impossible.

1.GOD IS FIRST.

Jericho was the FIRST CITY.

This city matters to God.

16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction.[b] Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.”

“It was devoted o destruction”.

“As an offering to the LORD”.

It was DEVOTED TO BE GODS ONLY.

All the very best (silver Gold every vessel of Bronze and Iron - are holy to the Lord.).

Why is that?

Its because God is always FIRST.

He is the HIGHEST PRIORITY.

GOD IS FIRST EVEN WHEN WE DON’T PUT HIM FIRST.

EVEN WHEN GOD ISNT FIRST IN MY LIFE, HE’s STILL FIRST.

…. BUT I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR OWN LIFE.

THE PARALLEL IS WHAT HAPPENS WTH OUR HEARTS. ITS THE FIRST CITY OF OUR LIVES> AND IT IS DEVOTED TO HIM.

*story: when I first got saved. I thought things would get better. That I would begin a relationship with the Lord and I would just ride on a cloud and all my relationships, my finances and my life would be instantly perfect. Things would be GREAT, NOW. How wrong I was.

GOD TOOK A WRECKING BALL TO MY LIFE>

In many WAYS MY OLD LIKE FELT LIKE IT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED

LEVELED>

DEVOTED TO DESTRUCTION.

This is what God does with our lives.

He assumes FIRST PLACE

He gets the best

Your heart is PRECIOUS TO THE LORD.

HE CONSIDERS IT TO BE

GOD IS ALWAYS FIRST AND ALWAYS GETS THE BEST.

2.FAITH IS A COMBO DEAL.

How good are COMBO’s.

Salt & pepper!

Bread and Butter!

Peaches & Cream!

Shrimp & Grits!

Brisket & Green beans!!

The point is this - Some things n Combination… ie working together bring great things into our lives.

Love & mercy

Grace & Truth

…..

We see this pattern here.

Two things played out here:

God delivered a plan.

Joshua obeyed. It

This is a PATTERN FOR VICTORY.

FORUMLA FOR PROMSE: FAITH + OBEDIENCE = Victory

No one wants to LOSE>

God wants you to win every battle.

YoU NEVER COME SECOND WHEN YOU PUT GOD FIRST.

Faith IS A COMBO DEAL.

FAITH IS AGREEMENT WITH GOD & OBEDIENCE TO HIS WINNING PLAN.

Abraham Trusted and waited for a son.

Noah worked and waited for Rain

Joshua submitted to The Lord and recieved in FAITH, the PLAN to take and conquer the city.

What VICTORY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THATS MISSING FAITH OR OBEDIENCE.

Are you running ahead of Gods plan because he hasn’t spoken yet.

Or are you not obeying the plan,…. And therefore not seeing the victory?

3.WORSHIP ALWAYS COMES BEFORE VICTORY.

20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.

In His perfect timing.

They walked

They obeyed

They worshiped.

…. but They shouted first.

Then the WALLS fell down.

Thats pattern and a principle in our lives as christians:

WE WORSHIP GOD NO MATTER WHAT, AND VICTORY COMES.

WHY DID I CALL THIS: THE WALLS WILL TALK

Because they tell a story of the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

**Archieoly in Jericho. Confirms the walls that fell.