Conquest

Introduction and review:

Reading Text: Joshua 24

Main Point: The Lord fulfills His promise by fighting for His people.

The Lord fulfills His promise by fighting for His people.

Transition: The way we see this main point demonstrated through the book of Joshua is in two main parts. In the first half of the book, the nation of Israel conquer the land of Canaan. In the second half of the book they divide the land among the tribes. The book was recorded as a reminder of the nation about their true history. It also proves as a reminder for us today that God does not abandon His promise, and he will be the conqueror for His people.

Three questions to guide our study today. What promise is God fulfilling? How does He fight for His people? How did God’s people respond?

Fulfilling His Promise?

Abrahamic promise of land, seed, and blessing. We see God giving His people the land. He has made them a great nation of many decedents to inhabit the land. And we see God blessing those who bless Israel and cursing those who curse Israel.

Fighting for His People?

Crossing the Jordan & courage for Joshua

Fighting against Jericho

Hail stones 10:14;42

Northern cities 11:20

Summary 21:43-45, 23:14-16

Point: In the same way that Noah, Abraham, and Moses were reminded of their inability to accomplish on their own, what only God can accomplish, so too Joshua and the nation of Israel are reminded that God does the necessary work to bring about His covenant. The book of Joshua is a prelude to the fight that Jesus made on the cross. He did everything we could not do in order that we might by faith have a relationship with God and enjoy an eternal promise land.

Transition: However, there was a response from the people...

How did God’s people respond?

Achan

Overview. (7:1-5)

What was his sin? Unbelief. He trusted his own will over the will of God. He disobeyed God’s word. He did not love God. The same sin that present in Lucifer when he was expelled from Heaven. The same sin present in Adam when he was expelled from the garden. The same sin in Esau when he was expelled from his family. The same sin present in the evil generations of Noah when they were expelled from the earth.

Application: God’s people cannot enjoy the victory of God’s blessing with sin in the camp. Personal sin effects all of God’s people. The sin of unbelief is always rooted in a rebellion to conform to His word. A justification that I know better than God’s word. This sin will always result in death and destruction.

Rahab

her identity (2:1-7)

her confession (2:8-14)

her description (Hebrews 11:30-31, Matt. 1:5, James 2:25)

Application: James helps us through the example of Rahab's faith, to understand the difference between true and false faith. Notice the danger of 2 kinds of false faith. Chamelian christian, and non-working christian. Being moral or immoral doesn't make a person right with God. Rahab offers us great hope… that even a pagan worshiping, prostitute, outside the covenant of God can be made new.

Joshua

He was God’s man for the moment. The successor of Moses. God used Him and affirmed Him in much the same way as he had Moses.

Crossing Jordan like red Sea

Circumcision of the new generation

Celebrating passover

Meeting commander of the Lord’s army (5:13-15)

Re instituting sacrifices and reading of God’s law (8:30-35)

He led from faith, but was not free of failure.

His blaming of God after defeat in Ai (7:6-9)

His deception of Gibeonites (9)

Application: Faith does not mean a person is without faults.

God used Him to provide temporary rest. Application: This temporary rest in the land was a picture of full and final rest in Christ. (Hebrews 4:6-10)

At the beginning and end of Joshua we see him setting up memorial stones to remind the people of God’s faithfulness.Transition into the remembrance of communion.

Conclusion: John 16:33, I John 5:4-5