We Have Never Been this Way Before
Notes
Transcript
Joshua 3
Joshua 3 (CSB) 1 Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing. 2 After three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you are to break camp and follow it. 4 But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because the LORD will do wonders among you tomorrow.” 6 Then he said to the priests, “Carry the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
7 The LORD spoke to Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the water, stand in the Jordan.”
9 Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 He said, “You will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites 11 when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. 13 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s water, its water will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.”
14 When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge 16 and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah — the Dead Sea — was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
We have never been this way before…we are living in unprecedented times for us. Never in our lifetimes have we dealt with all that we are dealing with. This is all new to us.
Just like Israel…this is a new journey.
They had past issues. 400 year in Egypt and 40 years of wandering. Plus the Red Sea crossing. All these mind sets, and progressive transformation to the new place God has for them.
We have to let go of the past…hurts habits, hang ups etc…
We have l to get a new perspective. Can't do things the way we have always done them. New doors, new keys. This is a different crossing. This is going to look different than what you are used to. But we must not try to do it in our own way. The ark must be carried correctly. We don't get ahead of it. People don’t like change.
Our enemies are not behind us. We are not the target, they are. Our pursuit mus t be to go forward, not look backwards. We are not here to hold the fort, but to take the land.
We have to follow the ark…
Pursue and follow the presence of God. Reverence the presence of God. In church and at home.
Honor and follow the Word of God
Recognize and listen to the Voice of God through the Spirit and Spirit led leadership.
Don’t get ahead of God or fall behind. Wait on the Lord, but move when He is moving
Enemies are always a part of the journey. God will “dispossess” the enemies…
We are not trying to get away from them, but go after them. Not survivors, but thrivers.
God will work wonders among us.
The way will be made...step out in fatih.
Get ready. Consecrate yourselves..
Get up. Laziness is not an option
Break camp. Comfortable or obedient
Come near and hear
Follow
Stay together. The whole nation crossed over.
The Ites have got to go…
Spiritual wickedness in high places, the evil spirit behind the enemies working.
Seven enemies or spirits that stand between us and the Promise Land that God has for us. Giants that God wants to dispossess. It really wasn’t the giants, but the spirit that they operated under and the attitude of the Israelites.
Survive or Thrive
Posses or put up with
Fear
Unbelief
Domination
Addictions perversions-Lowlife
Mediocrity
Limited to earthly living. Live it up lifestyle. No eternal perspective
Legalism and bondage. Trying to live up to…
Spirit name
Meaning of name
Abbreviated explanation of effects
Hittites
Sons of terror
Subliminal torments, phobias, terror, depression, deceit
Girgashites
Clay dwellers
Focus on earthliness, unbelief in what cannot be seen
Amorites
Mountain people; renowned
Obsession with earthly fame and glory, domineering
Canaanites
Lowlands people
Addictions, perversions, exaggerated people-pleasing
Perizzites
Belonging to a village
Limited vision, laziness, low self-esteem
Hivites
Vaillagers
Vision limited to enjoying an earthly inheritance, hedonism
Jebusites
Threshers
Suppression of spiritual authority in fellow believers, legalism
Hittites
A great deal can be inferred directly from the meaning of the word "Hittite". As we mentioned in the first article of this series (under the section "The 7 types of evil spirits"), "Hittite" means, "sons of terror"; the Hittites were descendants of Heth, whose name means "terror". The word "terror" refers to an extreme manifestation of fear, and is always related to an element of mystery. For example, you may be afraid of a live wire because you know that enough electricity is running through it so as to hurt you if you touch it; this, however, does not qualify as "terror". Terror is when you are walking down a dark alley at night and you don't know if someone is about to leap out from either side and attack you. Terror is when you have heard that a serial killer has been attacking in your neighborhood and you don't know if your house is his next target. Since terror is related to the unknown, it has to do with things that your mind cannot see. As we have seen in previous articles when studying the three components of the soul, the mind is the part of the soul that acts and reasons based on what it can see or perceive, whereas the heart is the part of the soul that hears, using the emotions as its "hearing antennas". Therefore, we can say that terror is more emotional than mental, and is based more on what your emotions hear than on what your mind can see.
Girgashites
A great deal can be inferred directly from the meaning of the word "Girgashite". As we saw in the section above, "Girgashite" means, "clay dweller", which refers to "dwelling on earthliness". This type of spirit promotes a focus on earthly, temporal, things, and produces a disdain for things that are "spiritual" and eternal, thereby denying the truth of the following passage:
"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1)
Notice how the verse above does the opposite of the Girgashite spirit. It recognizes the temporality of our earthly tabernacle and sets its sights on things that are eternal in the heavens. The verse before 2 Corinthians 5:1 reveals an interesting trait of the Girgashite spirit:
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Girgashites (i.e.- people infected with this type of spirit) tend to focus on things that are visible. The Greek word translated as "seen" in the passage above is blepo, which means, "to discern mentally, to understand, to set the mind's thoughts on a thing, to consider". Girgashites are very analytical people who base their life's decisions on the pros and cons that their minds are able to perceive. For example, when they have to decide between two job opportunities, they consider factors such as salary, distance from home, opportunities for promotion, dental plans, and work schedule. When a believer allows Girgashite spirits to take root in his or her heart, he or she rarely considers whether God wants him or her to take the job with the lower salary, longer working hours, and no life insurance. God always has a higher plan in mind. He might want you to take the less appealing job because He wants to use you in a mighty way to influence the lives of the people at that job. God might be looking ahead and warning you that satan is trying to entice you to the other job because he wants to lure you away from your calling in Christ through a job that looks good at the beginning but will slowly envelop you and eat you up alive.
Amorites
"Amorite" means, "mountain people; renowned". Since mountains refer to tall and impressive land masses that dominate over valleys, we can infer that the Amorite spirit is a spirit of self-exaltation. The word for Amorite in Hebrew comes from another Hebrew word, amar, which means, "to utter, to say"; this implies that people with Amorite spirits are people who want their name uttered or mentioned. Amorites are fame-seekers, seekers of human glory and greatness. Practically all dictators in history are Amorites. People like Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Adolph Hitler, and Joseph Stalin, who like to dominate and control others, who love to see pictures of themselves plastered all over entire cities and countries, and who love to see their subjects revere and worship them, are men whose hearts are possessed by Amorite spirits.
Just as mountains tend to dominate over the landscape they are in, Amorites are people who like to dominate and rule over others. They tend to establish an imposing and seemingly immovable presence.
"19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:19-20)
When the Lord talks about us removing mountains, He was not simply talking about "big problems", as most preachers teach. He was talking about the uprooting of spiritual powers in high places. Instead of focusing our faith on getting things from God, our faith is to focus on the tearing down of principalities and powers that get in the way of God's kingdom being established on Earth. We are soldiers in a battle to take back the Earth for God, and, as soldiers, we are not here to please ourselves but to execute the orders of our Commander-In-Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ. This "taking back of the Earth" from the Amorites that dominate it is not to be done through human means, but through the activation of faith that is apparently small in comparison to these spirits, but which has the dynamite potential to overtake them, because our faith is a seed with kingdom potential in it. You and I, my brother and sister, have the potential to establish God's kingdom on Earth. All believers have the capability to tear down Amorite spirits from the heavens.
Canaanites
"Canaanite" means, "lowlands people". Since the word "land" is related to the concept of "earth" or "ground", the "lowlands" refer to low earthly passions. Canaanite spirits are the spirits behind addictions and sexual perversions. This is why Sodom and Gomorrah are portrayed in Scriptures as Canaanite cities:
"19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha." (Genesis 10:19)
"12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly" (Genesis 13:12-13)
The spirits of homosexuality and lesbianism, along with all other sexual perversions, are Canaanite spirits. These spirits operate through people's emotions and make a concerted effort to shut off the person's mind, since the mind is the part of the soul most related to making judgments; the conscience resides in the mind, and the mind is the one designed to store God's laws and apply them with wisdom to make judgments:
"13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:13-16)
"15Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (Romans 2:15-16)
People who fall into alcoholism (which is a Canaanite spirit) generally start drinking through someone or something convincing them that heavy drinking is "normal" and being done by everyone else. Once the person's judgment against heavy drinking has been "shut off", the person starts to drink, and, soon, the alcohol shuts off all sober judgment and inhibition, and the person goes into a strong and public display of emotions. Canaanite spirits are spirits of carnal excess and dissolution:
Perizzite
"Perizzite" means, "belonging to a village". Villages have a connotation of "smallness". People who grow up in villages are exposed to very limited opportunities for growth; educational, cultural, and entertainment opportunities are scarce. If not careful, people who grow up in villages can develop a very limited vision of life. Dreams are easily spawned in an environment that stimulates people with options and opportunities; since these are limited in a village, villagers are very likely not to dream of great things, and the few who do, dream of making it out of the village in order to succeed in the big cities. Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" song, therefore, would be an example of an "anti-Perizzite" song:
Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today
I want to be a part of it, New York, New York
These vagabond shoes are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it, New York, New York
I wanna wake up in the city that doesn't sleep
And find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap
These little town blues are melting away
I'll make a brand new start of it in old New York
If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York
Since villages impart a sense of "smallness", villagers tend to see themselves as small and insignificant people who are a small part of a small and insignificant community. People trapped by the Perizzite spirit, therefore, see themselves as people with little potential whose only task in life is to live a quiet biological existence and to stay out of the way of the people who are "really" important in this world. Perizzites not only believe in their own smallness, but also believe in the smallness of the "villagers" around them, including their children. The Perizzite spirit, therefore, can lead to many generations of spiritual stagnation. Since stagnation always leads to poverty (in the material and in the spiritual realm), Perizzite spirits tend to produce many generations of spiritual (and even literal) poverty.
Hivites
"Hivite" means, "villagers". If you already read the previous article in this series on the Perizzites, you will remember that "Perizzite" means "belonging to a village", which is very similar to the meaning of "Hivite". This implies that many of the things we said about the Perizzites also apply to Hivites. As we said with the Perizzites, villages have a connotation of "limited vision", implying that Hivites also have a limited vision of life. What makes them different from the Perizzites, however, is the way in which people under the influence of Hivite spirits limit their life.
The word "Hivite" is derived in Hebrew from the word chavvah, which means "life" or "living". In fact, chavvah is the original version of the name "Eve". This is why the Lord declares the following in Genesis:
"And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Genesis 3:20)
Since the word "Hivite" is related to the concept of "life" in Hebrew, we can infer that the Hivites' vision of life is not one of limitation, poverty, and self-deprecation, as is the case with the Perizzites. On the contrary, Hivites love to "live it up". Another interesting aspect can be derived from the only other appearance of the name "Eve" in the Old Testament:
"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD." (Genesis 4:1)
The name "Cain" means, "possession"; this is why Eve said, "I have gotten a man from the Lord". The name "Cain", therefore, refers to possessing an inheritance handed down by someone else. From this, we can infer in the Spirit that Hivites are people who have acquired some type of inheritance that allows them the "freedom" to live "la vida loca". This is why the Hivite spirit is so prevalent in the sons and daughters of wealthy millionaires. Obviously, this does not mean that all descendants of millionaires are Hivites, but, it does mean that, if they are not careful, they can easily fall under the influence of Hivite spirits.
We must now ask ourselves the following: what does all of the above have to do with being a "villager"? The answer is simple if you observe Hivites carefully. Because of all the abundance and grace that surrounds them, they limit the vision of their lives to merely enjoying the wealth and fame built up by their parents (or even themselves). Hivites turn into people with few ambitions in life; all they want to do is to travel around the world and have a "good time". Some of you might be noticing that the Hivite spirit is, therefore, very common in people who have retired. Such people are prone to believe that they have nothing else to do in life but relax and enjoy the wealth they have accumulated during their lives:
Jebusites
A great deal can be inferred directly from the meaning of the word "Jebusite". "Jebusite" means "thresher", which refers to the agricultural activity of beating grain out of the husk. This was usually done through animals such as oxen who were used to tread on the grain that was laid out over a "threshing-floor". From this we can infer that Jebusite spirits, being "threshers", are spirits that tread or "stomp" on other people. People whose hearts are "infected" by Jebusite spirits tend to be people who do not hesitate to put down and humiliate others. By stomping on people, Jebusites make a concerted effort to prevent them from growing taller. They like to make people feel small, and deliberately put them down any time they see these "small" people trying to establish their authority. Jebusites believe that certain people are inherently inferior, without a right to manifest any kind of authority. According to Jebusites, "small" people should just shut up and concede, because they are nobodies who will never amount to much. As some of you might already be thinking, the spirit of racism is a Jebusite spirit. Jebusites are enforcers of social castes.
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Always remember….
Joshua 4:1–5:1 (CSB)
THE MEMORIAL STONES
4 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua: 2 “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe, 3 and command them: Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”
4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, 6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”
8 The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there. 9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.
10 The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across, 11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the Lord crossed in the sight of the people. 12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites, as Moses had instructed them. 13 About forty thousand equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the Lord’s presence.
14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses. 15 The Lord told Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 When the priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet stepped out on solid ground, the water of the Jordan resumed its course, flowing over all the banks as before.
19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho. 20 Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan, 21 and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 22 you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. 24 This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is strong, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”
CIRCUMCISION OF THE ISRAELITES
5 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.
1Peter 2:4-9
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame. So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected— this one has become the cornerstone, and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
2 Peter 1:12–16 (CSB)
12 Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder, 14 since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me. 15 And I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure.
THE TRUSTWORTHY PROPHETIC WORD
16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Memorial Stones
Going where we've never been, but we can’t forget how we got here
Living Stones
Prayer
Word
Faith
Thankfulness
Love for God
Love for God’s people
Love for God’s house and presence
Testimony of God’s grace in our lives
Lifestyle, conversation,
Generosity giving unselfish
God got us here
Forgetting
These stones speak
To us
To the next generation
To the church
To the World
To the enemy
Easy to forget
Make a list
Make an effort
Easy to forget when we see walls, giants, rivers etc
East to remember it wrong
We must put effort into remembering stones not rocks
Needs to be there forever
Listen
Tell
Ask
What do you say?
Feb 13, 2022
Skin in the game…
Joshua 5
5 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt. 6 For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord. So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 He raised up their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. 8 After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered. 9 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal today.
FOOD FROM THE LAND
10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. 11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. 12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
COMMANDER OF THE LORD’S ARMY
13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”
Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homage and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did that.
THE CONQUEST OF JERICHO
Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jos 5:1–6:1.
The enemies lose strength
God says to circumcise with sharp knives…The new generation…
Covenant committed all the ones that left Egypt were dead, now the new generation needed to be circumcised. Committed to God, and to the cause. Circumcision of the heart. We are it…cutting around the flesh. Skin in the game. What is our level of commitment and investment? A sign of membership…on board. Romans 12:1
They were healed...recovered and ready to fight. Remain in your place until you are healed.
The reproach of Egypt has been rolled away. Do we settle for what we have gotten used to?
Your past is forgiven, you are a new creation
No longer a slave to sin or the reproach of your past.
The Passover meal… We celebrate and remember what God did in bringing us out of bondage. Daily communion. This was reintroduced at this time and another covenant reminder.
No more manna. New corn, stored corn, barley ready to be harvested. The manna ceased and they ate the fruit of the land. Manna was temporary. Manna was for surviving and temporary provision. Don’t get used to it. I have a land that flows with milk and honey prepared for you. I will take you to a place for you to thrive.
God is on our side. Joshua, the Angel of the Lord, and new shoes…Walking in that place of opportunity that seems to be bigger than we can imagine ever going through. Walls and obstacles need to drive us to a place of encounter with the presence of God. We don’t just feel something, but it changes us. He bowed down and ask, “What do you want me to do?” New shoes are significant, after 40 years of going in circles. Radical change brings radical results.
God changes us to change our destiny. Our steps are orchestrated and directed by God if we let him lead us.
Boils down to…
Choices, changes, circumstances…
Decision, direction, destiny…
Let the knife do its work.
Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you. March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns. When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.”
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”
After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark. But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.
Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, and the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers we sent. But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it. For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”
So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horns, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.
Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.” So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.
They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel today.
At that time Joshua imposed this curse:
The man who undertakes
the rebuilding of this city, Jericho,
is cursed before the Lord.
He will lay its foundation
at the cost of his firstborn;
he will finish its gates
at the cost of his youngest.
And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
Walls will Fall
Get Ready
Shut Your Mouth
Shout for the Walls are coming
The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.
After returning to Joshua they reported to him, “Don’t send all the people, but send about two thousand or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.” So about three thousand men went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the city gate to the quarries, striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people lost heart.
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, as did the elders of Israel; they all put dust on their heads. “Oh, Lord God,” Joshua said, “why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites for our destruction? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan! What can I say, Lord, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies? When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will you do about your great name?”
The Lord then said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen facedown? Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart. They have stolen, deceived, and put those things with their own belongings. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you what is set apart.
“Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are things that are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart. In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan the Lord selects is to come forward family by family. The family the Lord selects is to come forward man by man. The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated the Lord’s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel.”
Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the Zerahite clan was selected. He had the Zerahite clan come forward by heads of families, and Zabdi was selected. He then had Zabdi’s family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make a confession to him. I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”
Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I coveted them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.” So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, “Why have you brought us trouble? Today the Lord will bring you trouble!” So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor still today.
Get rid of the spoils of the enemy
Make sure to leave behind what God says
Joshua 6
The walls came down.
Change
Circumvent the city 13 times in 7 days
Keep your mouth shut
Don’t keep the stuff and bring goods back for the Lord’s treasury
Shout!
Joshua 7-10
Achan brought down Israel and got them beat up
Keeping what God says to let God of becomes dangerous, and put us in a place of destruction. Even small enemies get the best of us. We must obey God’s direction and not hold on to what God says not to keep.
Don’t hold a grudge, forgive…
Don’t hold on to a habit or sin…
Don’t hold on to the past
Don't hold on to the tithe
Don’t hold on to unbelief
There was a violent, radical change to the situation. Achan was killed and everything was burned. Can’t take it lightly
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.
Regret or Repent
Turning Points
I am sorry I got caught or sorry I sinned
Pluck out your eye, cut off your hand…
The Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force…
Hold onto these and it will get you whipped by the littlest of your enemies.
Watch out for who you partner with, deception, and evil intent. Gibeon and the attempted to infiltrate by deception, but they wound up servants instead.
Five King’s alliance and five king’s defeat… the enemy is defeated. Put your foot on HIs ne
Put your foot on the enemy's neck…