IN (My/Your)PLACE-III—Joshua 5:13-15
Set for Restoration—Leadership—Ready to Rumble—Commanding the Battle
Attention:
Just yesterday(Saturday) I was walking our dog by the Carrabelle River at sunset. I was at the intersection of Marine St. & Ave 'B'. The dog & I were on the east side of Marine street. I was looking west across the street & over the water at the beautiful sunset. The orange & pink light was playing off of the puffy clouds—A beautiful reminder of God’s majesty!
Then out of nowhere a car 'flies' up to the mooring of the Rollin' Stone(out shrimping that evening). A man hurriedly gets out of the car with camera in hand & rushes down to the Rollin' Stone dock. I recognized the man as one of the residents of Carrabelle who was a professional photographer. He & his wife have been to our church a few times. I didn't even speak to him for two reasons, 1)I was walking our ever-skittish-around-people dog & 2) I didn’t want to disturb the photographer because he was intent on obtaining the perfect shot of the sunset.
Just behind the photographer’s car a woman walks up to the same area to watch the gorgeous sunset.
The dog & I continued on down Marine St. when just before we reach the end of the boardwalk, another car pulls up to the sidewalk. Four people & two dogs hurriedly exit the car(obviously tourists) with their smartphone cameras pointed toward the sunset.
All of those people knew their place. They knew that if they were going to partake of the sunset, they would have to be fully prepared, & in the right place, at the right time.
We, as God’s people, must know our place in order to accomplish His work.
Need:
You must recognize your place in God’s kingdom & in His battle.
Joshua came face-to-face with the Commander/captain of the hosts of heaven.
God’s people must become aware of their place in the/God’s battle.
How can we take our proper place in the battle?
3 means of securing your/my place in the LORD’s battle.
We’ve found previously that Those securing their place in the LORD’s battle are...
1. Open to His PRESENCE(:13)
2. Open to His CONTROL(:14)
3—Those securing their place in the LORD’s battle are...
Open to His HOLINESS(:15)
Explanation:(:15)Taintedness
:15—“Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.”
The “Commander”/captain of YHWH’s army told Joshua to remove his sandal(s).
*Joshua readily complied!
“Take your sandal off your foot”—Recognize he is unworthy/tainted with the world/sin.
Joshua was not to pollute this place with the ‘dirt’ of the world & worldliness—represented by the former traffic of his “sandals.” There was no need for Joshua to scout out Jericho, because the LORD would do it in His own way.
The very “place” where Joshua “stood” was “holy.” Removing his sandal(s) signified Joshua’s recognition & acceptance of the “holiness”/separateness/dedication to God of the meeting point with the man.
Mk. 6:11—“And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom & Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
The “place” where Joshua is now “standing” is God’s “place.” Thus the work to be done there is God’s work. Joshua is entering into a continuation of God’s work. It will be a largely military work(Deut. 1:38, 3:28, 31:23; Josh. 1:16-18; Judges 1:1) to which Joshua will be expected to make himself available & with which he will be expected to become engrossed.
“Any place where God reveals himself is hallowed by that revelation”—EBC pg. 276—Donald Madvig—(Cf.-Gen. 28:10-22; Ex. 3:1-6).
Gen. 28:10-22—“Now Jacob went out from Beersheba & went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place & stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place & put it at his head, & he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, & behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, & its top reached to heaven; & there the angels of God were ascending & descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it & said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father & the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you & your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west & the east, to the north & the south; & in you & in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you & will keep you wherever you go, & will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep & said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, & I did not know it.” And he was afraid & said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, & this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, & took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, & poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, & keep me in this way that I am going, & give me bread to eat & clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, & of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
Ex. 3:1-6—“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, & came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, & behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside & see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush & said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, & the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.””
Joshua “loosed his shoe from his foot, in obedience to the Captain of the Lord's host, thereby giving proof of his readiness, willingness, & alacrity[brisk & cheerful readiness] to serve under him.”—John Gill
When we find ourselves on holy ground—in God’s presence—then we must set ourselves apart ‘from’ everything else, in anticipation of & preparation ‘for’ God’s presence & action in dealing with us.
*If you ever reach a point where you feel as if you cannot grow any more in Christ, then that’s your sign...you are desperately in need of further growth!
Likewise, if you believe yourself to be ‘better’ or use your seemingly ‘spiritually advanced status as a club against another, then you need to drown that ‘holier-than-thou’ fire because it’s burning everyone & everything around you & hindering everyone’s work in the Lord.
*Holiness then is the absence of the stain/influence/stench/evidence of sin & of the world!
“Take...Off/Remove...From”—lvn naw-shal’—Qal Imperative—1) To slip off, drop off, clear away, draw off; 1a) (Qal)--1a1) To slip or drop off, 1a2) To draw off, 1a3) To clear away; 1b) (Piel)--To clear out completely, clear entirely. Strong—a primitive root; To pluck off, i.e. Divest, eject or drop. Used 7X.
“Sandal/Shoe”—len nah'-al OR--(fem.)hlen nah-al-aw’—Noun Fem.—1) Sandal, shoe. Strong—properly--A sandal tongue; by extension--A sandal or slipper(sometimes as a symbol of occupancy, a refusal to marry, or of something valueless). Used 22X.
“Foot”—lgr reh’-gel—Noun Fem.—1) Foot—1a) Foot, leg, 1b) Of God(anthropomorphic), 1c) Of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table, 1d) According to the pace of(with preposition), 1e) Three times(feet, paces). Strong—A foot(as used in walking); by implication--A step; by euphemism--The pudenda.
“Place”—Mwqm ma-qowm' OR--Mqm ma-qom' also--(fem.)hmwqm mek-o-mah’, hmqm mek-o-mah’—Noun Masc.—1) Standing place, place—1a) Standing place, station, post, office, 1b) Place, place of human abode, 1c) City, land, region, 1d) Place, locality, spot, 1e) Space, room, distance, 1f) Region, quarter, direction, 1g) Give place to, instead of. Strong—properly--A standing, i.e. A spot; but used widely of a locality(general or specific); also figuratively--Of a condition(of body or mind).?From—Mwq koowm; a primitive root; To rise(in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive & causative). “Stand/Standing”(See :15)—dme aw-mad’—Qal Participle Active—1) To stand, remain, endure, take one's stand—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of, 1a2) To stand still, stop(moving or doing), cease, 1a3) To tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast, 1a4) To make a stand, hold one's ground, 1a5) To stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright, 1a6) To arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against, 1a7) To stand with, take one's stand, be appointed, grow flat, grow insipid. Strong—a primitive root; To stand, in various relations(literal & figurative, intransitive & transitive).
“Holy”—vdq ko’-desh—Noun Masc.—1) Apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness—1a) Apartness, sacredness, holiness—1a1) Of God, 1a2) Of places, 1a3) Of things, 1b) Set-apartness, separateness. Strong—A sacred place or thing; rarely abstract--Sanctity.
“Did”—hse aw-saw’—Qal Imperfect—1) To do, fashion, accomplish, make—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To do, work, make, produce—1a1a) To do, 1a1b) To work, 1a1c) To deal(with), 1a1d) To act, act with effect, effect, 1a2) To make—1a2a) To make, 1a2b) To produce, 1a2c) To prepare, 1a2d) To make(an offering), 1a2e) To attend to, put in order, 1a2f) To observe, celebrate, 1a2g) To acquire(property), 1a2h) To appoint, ordain, institute, 1a2i) To bring about, 1a2j) To use, 1a2k) To spend, pass. Strong—a primitive root; To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.
“So”—Nk kane—Adverb—1) So, therefore, thus—, 1e) Then, 1f) Forasmuch as(in phrase), 1g) (with prep)—1g1) Therefore, this being so(specific), 1g2) Hitherto, 1g3) Therefore, on this ground(general), 1g4) Afterwards, 1g5) In such case. Adj.—2) Right, just, honest, true, veritable—2a) Right, just, honest, 2b) Correct, 2c) True, veritable, 2d) True!, right!, correct!(in assent). Strong—properly--Set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective)--Just; but usually(as adverb or conjunction)--Rightly or so(in various applications to manner, time & relation; often with other particles).
Argumentation:
Lev. 10:1-3—“Then Nadab & Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer & put fire in it, put incense on it, & offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD & devoured them, & they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” So Aaron held his peace.”
Num. 20:6-12—“So Moses & Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, & they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you & your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, & it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, & give drink to the congregation & their animals.” So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses & Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; & he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand & struck the rock twice with his rod; & water came out abundantly, & the congregation & their animals drank. Then the LORD spoke to Moses & Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.””
1Pet. 1:13-16—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
2Pet. 3:10-14—“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, & the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth & the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness, looking for & hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, & the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless;”
1Thess. 4:7—“For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.”
Heb. 12:14—“Pursue peace with all people, & holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:”
*Oswald Chambers[author of ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]—“Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness.”
Illustration:
Our faucet has a water filter attached to it/We recognized that our water was impure/Before we purchased the filter, we read up on which ones would remove which contaminants/Open to His HOLINESS
What ‘contaminants’ will Jesus remove from your life?
A woman was opening up the Carrabelle Visitor’s Center one morning as I was walking the dog/She had just set out a sign which was mounted on a weighted stand/We were exchanging ‘pleasantries’ when she blurted out “Please don’t let your dog pee on my sign!”/She wanted to maintain it’s purity/P.S.—I don’t let my dog pee or poop in places he shouldn’t/Open to His HOLINESS
Application:
?You Open to God’s HOLINESS?
*Unless I’m Open to His HOLINESS, in every situation, I’m NOT in my intended & proper Place!
?Are YOU Secure in God’s battle?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The photographers knew their place. They knew that if they were going to get beautiful pictures of the sunset, they would have to be fully prepared, & in the right place, at the right time.
?Are you In Your Place...Where you should & can be...In the Place of being a real friend of Almighty God thru Jesus?
Action:
Those securing their place in the LORD’s battle are...
3—Open to His HOLINESS(:15)
1—Open to His PRESENCE(:13)
2—Open to His CONTROL(:14)
Pt.# 3 only! -END SERIES-Presented 04/22/2018am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-3 Presented 03/19/2000pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Rd.
Whigham, GA 31797
