Book of Joshua - Ch. 5, Vs. 1-15 (01/04/2004)

Israel has now crossed over Jordan. We're in the fifth chapter of Joshua.

Israel has crossed over Jordan. They're in the land and they must apply themselves to bring it under conquest.

Joy, I want you to think of the reason that God closed the river behind them.

In other words, he returned it to normal flow. Why? All right, all right.

That's good. Greg, all right.

I can't see who that is by you, David. Katie, I've met you before.

Why do you think the river is now flowing? All right.

David, I think that's the big reason other than just returning everything to normal.

Joy, why couldn't they go across the bridge? All right, all right, all right.

So we have them in the land. The river has returned to normal. They cannot go back.

This is another reason that the river was in the flood stage. Remember how impossible it was to get across in flood stage.

No one crossed. Now we come to the first verse.

And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the king 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 their spirit in them anymore because of the children of Israel.

Greg, what does it mean that their heart melted? All right,

David, were you ever in that position? No, you would remember it.

So it was never this severe. I wonder,

Katie, why is it that the lost people don't care about the world situation?

Yes. Well, Greg, Joy, the unbelievers, why are they, they're busy trying to do something, but, well,

I hesitate to say it's against God's word or they wouldn't have gone.

Plus, 300 years ago, more than that, 2 ,000 years ago, the people thought the world was flat, and it isn't.

David, why do you think that the people of the world are not too concerned about the world situation?

That's it. However much those who continue in sin, they may see their own ruin, but they just don't take the proper thing to escape it.

Well, they can't. Now, in the book of Ezra, turn to chapter 21, verse 7.

He has something to mention about this. David, would you read, I guess it's just verse 7, 21, 7,

Ezra. 21, huh,

Ezekiel, E -Z -E.

When you see it coming, it's coming, verse 2.

And at that time, the Lord said unto Joshua, make these sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

Now, it goes without explaining that it isn't the second time on the first person, but they had neglected this rite while they were wandering in the desert.

Three, and Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of Forskins.

Now, I can't imagine a sharp knife when they had not used metal made from stone, of it being sharp.

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.

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.

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 show them the land which the

Lord sware unto the fathers that he would give us a land that flowed with milk and honey.

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.

And it came to pass when they had done circumcising all the people that they abode in their place in the camp till they were whole or healed.

Now, they're going to fight a war. They have to conquer this country.

It's been given to them. They have the title to it, but they must bring it under conquest.

Do you think that here they are just over the river, between the river and Jericho, and they're encamped, some three million of them.

Greg, would it take much faith on their part to submit to circumcision, which is a sore thing, for three or four days in that position?

Very much. If the enemy had only known. David, can you exert faith without knowing it?

Joy is anything that you do.

Well, tell me what is faith? I think it would take a lot of faith for them to expose themselves to such a danger in this place.

They're new in the land, and they have all of the people as their enemies.

The only difference is God. Nine, and the

Lord said unto Joshua, this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off of you.

Wherefore, the name of the place is called Gilgal, and to this day. Now, Greg, what is the reproach of Egypt?

All right, all right.

The reproach of Egypt. I think it was the circumcised versus the uncircumcised.

They were made different. This was a gross impurity to be uncircumcised, and the reproach of Egypt was rolled away by the

Lord. Ten, and the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the

Passover on the 14th day of the month, at even in the plains of Jericho.

Now, remember it's the spring of the year, in the time of the latter rain, that Israel performed this rite of circumcision, and then celebrated the

Passover. See, they had to cross over, circumcise, then the

Passover. The reproach of Egypt was rolled away. God had promised to give the descendants of Abraham the land, and that's what he's going to do.

It's a promise joy that's about to be executed. Now, all of this has a spiritual meaning to it.

The old nature is no good. The old nature cannot inherit spiritual blessings.

The old nature cannot even enjoy spiritual blessings. The old nature will not like Canaan, or anything in the heavenlies.

In Galatians 5 17, Paul says, for the flesh lusteth, which is literally war against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that we cannot do the things which ye would.

David, what does it mean that the flesh wars against the spirit? It literally wars against the spirit.

Those of you just come in, we're in Joshua 5. Now, Greg, is there any time during this war that it stops?

Joy, should we relax our hold on the spirit at any? Not of salvation, but of what?

David, what did Paul say about there being good in the old nature?

Do you remember? Thus the natural existence was condemned.

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 cell same day.

So, now they have the old corn, and unleavened cakes.

I thought that, Greg, they were fed the manna. What's happened?

David, what is the old corn that they're talking about?

No, we have here a perfect example of the world supplying us with what we need.

The old corn is the fruit of the land, whether it's wheat, or barley, or oats, or peas, or whatever is what corn means.

So, the inhabitants of those parts had left in their barns, because they fled, or the strong cities, because they fled.

So, you're able to take care of yourself.

When they were in the wilderness, they were on the move most of the time.

They could not plant, and cultivate, and reap. So, we see the world is supplying them with what they need, even though they didn't know they were going to do that.

The corn was provided by the enemy. Beautiful example of how

God takes care of us. Tomorrow, that is on the 16th day, for the

Passover was killed between the two evenings of the 14th day, 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 anymore.

But, they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Greg, turn to Exodus 1635 for me, please, and read that.

So, as the Bible says, and as was prophesied, they ate of the manna when they needed it.

And it came to pass. Now, there's been time in between here, when it says, and it came to pass.

We don't know how much time, other than there is time. 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 art thou for our adversaries? Now, the time when

Joshua had this vision, if that's what it was, it was immediately after he had performed the duty of circumcision, and the

Passover. Who do you suppose this is, Jenny?

Katie? Jenny's back there, isn't she? All right.

Who is that, sitting there? Joey, turn around.

Andrea. I didn't. See, I can't see. Well, Brian must be close.

All right. This is the vision.

It's real to Joshua. I think it's

Jesus Christ pre -incarnate, and he makes himself known unto

Joshua. I have a note here, we may then expect the discoveries of the hand of God, when we are found in the way of our duty, and are diligently, and diligent, and sincere in our attendance on our holy duty.

Let me stop here. You may, up to this point, have gone through life, always wondering, what am

I supposed to do? Am I supposed to study to do this, or take this job, or what am

I supposed to do? Well, I used to explain it, that you may not know what to do, but you know what not to do.

And if it dishonors God, then don't do it. And since you do something all the time,

Greg, little by little, by stopping what you know I'm not supposed to do that, you will, by process of elimination, grow more and more in the way of God, the way of the

Lord. Because you do something all the time, even when you're asleep. The place where he had the vision, it was by Jericho, and it's by faith and hope.

It was in Jericho. He had not yet begun to lay siege.

God will help those that help themselves. Remember, with all favors, those who watch, not those who sleep.

This had to be Christ himself, I think. It was the angel. In the

Old Testament, anytime you see a reference to the angel, that's

Jesus Christ pre -incarnate. And he has his sword drawn to justify the war

Joshua was engaged in, and to show him that it was of God, who gave him commission to kill and slay.

If the sovereign draws the sword, this proclaims war and authorizes the subject to do so.

The sword is then well drawn when Christ draws it, and gives the banner to those that fear him to be displayed because of the truth.

David turned to Exodus 23 -23, and read me.

So, Joshua has the authority to slay these people.

Great God seemed horrible to me, and we read the

Old Testament where he authorized to kill everybody, the animals, everything, the babies, everything.

That just doesn't seem right, but it is of God, and who has greater right than God?

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 sayest my Lord unto his servant? Now, how do we know this was

Christ, Brian? Well, it doesn't tell us except by not telling us.

David, do you see it? Give that man a gold star.

That's exactly right. The worship was accepted by this being.

That means the being was Christ. 15.

And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place wherein thou standest is holy.

And Joshua did so from off thy foot.

Joy, why did he say that? This same order was given one other time.

Do you remember where? That's when he was sending

Moses to bring these people out of Egypt. So as God was

Moses, so he is with Joshua. The effect produced on the minds of the

Canaanites by this late miracle. Now, don't forget this miracle that we've just been through.

The Canaanites sure didn't. They just couldn't believe it.

At flood time in the spring when the river was, I don't know how wide, a half a mile, it all stopped.

Joshua looked at the camp. I think he swelled a little bit with pride.

He was the one in charge and GHQ was in his tent now.

Then he happened to look down at the edge of the camp and he saw someone with a drawn sword.

Joshua may have thought, well, there's someone down there who doesn't seem to know that I'm a general here.

I better go down and put him right. So he walked down there and according to our translation said, art thou for us or art thou for our adversaries?

Now in the good old American slang said, he said, what's the big idea?

Who gave you an order to draw your sword? Then that one whom

I believe was the pre -incarnate Christ turned to him and when he turned he said, nay, but as captain of the hosts of the

Lord, am I come? Am I now come? Notice the reaction of Joshua.

What did he do, Greg? Fell on his face.

David, do you suppose that we have become so familiar with the

Lord that we'll just walk up and shake his hand?

I hope. I think it will when we see the

Lord. Well, see

Joshua learned that GHQ wasn't in his tent after all.

It was a throne of God. God was leading them through Christ.

Actually, he was not the captain of the hosts of the Lord. He was under someone else and he would be taking orders from him.

Now the thing that I just read,

I don't think Joshua believed that. That's just my idea. We shall be seen in the next chapter as he marches the army around Jericho for seven straight days.

He probably would have said that's exactly what I think, that you are the captain.

I take my orders from someone above me. I'm only a buck private in the rear ranks.

I'm doing this I have been commanded to do it. Thanks, Joshua.

Now to summarize the entire chapter, Joshua is commanded to circumcise the

Israelites with a stone knife. Greg, how can you sharpen a stone?

Well, I believe you can though.

The Indians used to make their arrowheads, some from flint, and they found that if you take a piece of flint and heat it real hot and drop water on it, it takes out a chip.

So by the art of dropping the water, they formed that arrowhead and it's sharp on the edge.

Well, Joshua obeys. He does what the Lord asked for him to do. Now why isn't he told what's going to happen six months from now,

David? That's so important.

If we knew for sure something is going to happen, we'd overlook everything else.

And that's not the Christian way. Well, Joshua obeys who they were that were circumcised, it tells us, and why.

They abide in the camp till they are healed. Took an awful lot of faith on their part, but now notice it's a faith that they cannot escape.

The place is called Gilgal. They keep the Passover in the same place.

They eat unleavened cakes and parched corn on the morrow after the

Passover. The manna ceases. The captain of the

Lord's host appears to Joshua. Now, what have you learned from this chapter,

Joy? All right.

David, what did you learn? Greg, what did you glean out of it?

That's right. Brian, how is it that you can follow the

Lord? All right.

Katie, how do you know what is the Lord's will for your life?

All right. Remember this. I've told you many, many times.

Do the best you can with whatever you have, where you are right now.

The will for me is not tomorrow, it's right now. Remember that.