A Clean Fighting Machine

A CLEAN FIGHTING MACHINE

Joshua 5.1-15

S: Preparation

C: Readiness for opposition

Th: A People with Purpose

Pr: WE ARE TO BE READY TO FACE THE OPPOSITION.

TS: In our study of Joshua 5, the followers of the one true God once again find the need to be fully prepared for those that challenge them.

Type: Narrative

I. TREPIDATION (1)

II. SANCTIFICATION (2-9)

III. CELEBRATION (10-11)

IV. PROVISION (12)

V. SUBMISSION (13-15)

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Know the enemy

• Be spiritually fit

• Celebrate God’s goodness

• Watch God provide

• Be on God’s side!

Version: ESV

RMBC 02 July 06 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Prepare

"What do you have to do to become a doctor?" six-year-old Erin asked.

Her dad, seeing an opportunity, said, "You have to do extremely well in school, take a lot of math and science, get into an excellent college, make the highest grades possible, and then go to med school, and follow that with an internship. Then you can start your own practice. Honey, as smart as you are, you can be anything you want to be."

Erin gave all this a moment’s thought and then asked, "What do you have to do to be queen?"

Well, you have to respect the desire to prepare, don’t you?

How about you?

1. Are you prepared for what is coming?

Are you ready for the battles that will be coming your way – this week, this month, this year?

I believe that God would have us prepare – to have hearts that are attuned to His person – to have minds that are attuned to knowing Him and His will for us.

He does want us to be strong and courageous for the matters that are before us.

As we continue in our study of Joshua, we see that…

2. A prepared Jericho looms on the horizon.

We already know that Jericho has heard about the exploits of the Israelites.

They know that they have come from Egypt.

They know that they have defeated the Amorite kings on the east side of the Jordan.

And they know that the Israelites were looking to come their way.

In response, they were going to stay in those walls.

They had a great defense, and they knew it.

On the other hand, for the Israelites…

3. It is time to be strong and courageous.

It is time to go and take the land.

It has been promised.

This is not a time for doubt.

This is a time to move forward.

You see…

4. Israel has left the old life behind.

Much to the consternation of Jericho, the Israelites have crossed the Jordan.

And to signify that they have left the old life of faithlessness behind, they have set up memorial stones.

One set of stones has been placed in the middle of the riverbed.

They certainly signify the death and burial of their past.

Then they set up another pile of stones on the riverbank.

These stones signify the new life that God was bestowing on them as they entered into the Promised Land.

It is a new life that will find its challenge in the first city that is before them – Jericho.

So…

5. In our study of Joshua 5, the followers of the one true God once again find the need to be fully prepared for those that challenge them.

OUR STUDY:

I. TREPIDATION (1)

As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

6. The cross over put the enemies over the brink.

Consider for a moment what it may have been like to live in Jericho at this time.

You were probably terrified enough to see them on the eastern bank of the Jordan.

But since you knew the Jordan was at flood stage, you probably thought you had time to prepare for the conflict.

Now, though, your enemies are on the western bank.

It is a time of fear and trepidation, for they have somehow moved two million people across the flooded river in a day.

The suddenness of this would be very disconcerting, to say the least.

From the Israelite perspective, I know what I would have been thinking.

It is time to launch our all-out offensive.

It is the perfect time.

It was time to rush in and take advantage of their fear.

But the Israelites learned a very important lesson at this point – God is not in a hurry!