“The Battle Belongs to the Lord”
Jericho: Joshua 6
Joshua sermon 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwkDQaRzXg0
The battle of Jericho wasn't much of a battle:
According to Joshua chapter 6,
Joshua and the people did what God told them to do and
God did the rest.
The Israelites merely:
stood back and watched
God bring down the walls of this heavily fortified city
that stood at the threshold of the Promised Land.
God is specific in the details he gives to Joshua:
“And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” Joshua 6:2-5
What did God tell the people to do?
- He told them to march around the city silently
- they were to do that 6 days and
- on the 7th day they were to yell
1. The Ark of Covenant would lead the way
- the Ark represented God’s presence
- in front of the Ark were 7 priests carry Rams horns
The video didn’t mention this:
- but the priest were to blast their horns
- one days 1 - 6 as well as day 7
When I was in the band:
- and we were marching
- there was a specific order the band director
- had us march
- flute went in the front, then clarinets
- saxophone, trombone, trumpets, tubas
- were all in a specific marching order.
God had a specific marching order too:
- forward guard marched in front
- followed by 7 trumpet playing priests
- followed by the Ark of the Covenant
- followed by the rear guard walking behind the Ark
- followed by the regular army of Israel
Remember that the Ark represented God’s presence
2. The point was clear: The Lord would be leading this battle.
The Lord would go first
The battle belonged to the Lord
So did the victory
“Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.” Joshua 6:12-14
The Israelites had patience:
- for 6 days they marched around the city
- 6 days of priests blasting trumpets
- 6 days of carrying the Ark of the Covenant
- MEANWHILE NOTHING seems to be is happening
It’s not until the 7th day that anything happens:
- this reminds me of a man named Naman
Naaman was known as a“commander of the army of the king of Aram.”:
He was a “valiant soldier, but he had leprosy” (2 Kings 5:1).
A young girl who served Naaman’s wife said that her "master" could cure Naaman
The prophet Elisha arrived and told Naaman to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River.
Naaman was not happy with this suggestion:
but he listened to the prophet and was healed.
Naaman obeyed and his flesh was restored
Something was happening:
- When the Israelites marched around Jericho day after day
- when Naaman dipped himself in the water time and time again
- what was happening?
2 Things were happening:
1. They were being faithful
2. They were waiting on the Lord...
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
3. Waiting on the Lord is a Bible principle.
- it means that we will do what God says
- until He says differently
- Essentially this is “FAITHFULNESS”
Part of FAITHFULNESS:
- is trusting God’s timing
- It is being patient in regular obedience
- It is believing God will do what He says He will do
- even when, especially when it seems God is late
WE have to remember:
- that God is never late
- He is always on time
- and we can trust that God
- we can trust God is working out something GOOD
- even though, in the moment, we don’t understand how it will work out
4. There WILL be times when God’s timing doesn’t fit with how we would do things
- we do them anyway
- we obey not because it’s how we would chose to do it
- we obey because God’s way and God will are what we want
- we don’t just say “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
- we say “They way be done.” PERIOD.
The people of Israel:
marched around the city as instructed for 6 days.
On the 7th day they did the same thing but this time they shouted.
And as the song goes “And the walls came a tumbling down.”
“So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.”
- Joshua 6:20
The ancient city of Jericho:
was a very well-built, walled city.
It was surrounded by 2 massive stone walls.
The outer wall was 6 feet thick and 20 feet high.
The inner wall was 12 feet thick and 30 feet high.
There was a 15 foot guarded walkway between these two walls.
From a military standpoint,
it was practically impenetrable.
Even though the city was well protected:
- when the walls fell…
- the battle belonged to the Lord
- the soldiers could take no pride in the victory
- can you imagine trying to brag about how you brought down the wall?
- “Hey Frank, did you see how I knocked over the wall? I took a big breath and just yelled…and that big old wall was so scared that it just fell right over.”
God brought down the walls of Jericho:
- in such a way
- that only He could get the glory
5. We have got to remember to give God the Glory:
- when we call out to the LORD
- and He rescues us
- Give God the GLORY,
- Praise His Holy name
- Let everyone know that your God is Good, loving and perfect
“Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.” Psalm 106:47
When the walls of the city collapsed:
the fighting men of Israel rushed in and destroyed the city.
Everything living was killed
Man, woman, young and old
Only one family was spared.
As the Israelites entered the city:
they saw a red cord hanging from a window.
Who’s window was it?
That’s right; Rahab had hung the red cord from her window
as a sign that she and her family would be saved.
The spies had kept their promise to RAHAB since she helped hide them from the king.
God told Joshua:
that they were to destroy everything in the city
except for the gold, silver, bronze, and iron.
Those things would be put into the Lord’s treasury.
God warned the people not to take anything else out of the city.
6. What happened to the spoils of this battle?
They belonged to the Lord
Anything living in Jericho was put to death
Anything valuable went to the Lord
“But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord……...Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.”
Joshua 6:19; 21
We will look next week at Achan:
- who kept some of the valuables for himself
- Achan knew better but stole from God
- and we’ll see how the Lord brought JUDGEMENT on Achan
- God does not overlook when people steal from Him
In Malachi 3:7-9:
- God accused the people of stealing from Him
- the people said “How are we robbing you?”
- this is what God said
“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - your whole nation - because you are robbing me.” Malachi 3:8b-9
Back to this week...
13 times in the King James Version:
- the phrase “UTTERLY DESTROYED”
- is used to describe what Joshua did to the Caananites in promised land
Why did God want all the people of Jericho dead?
- to protect the people from wicked and idolotrous practices of the Canaanites
- to PUNISH the wicked people of Canaan
- to clear the land for God’s holy people to live distinctly, holy and separate
You see:
- the Promised Land was full of heathens
- God’s intention was to kill and drive them all out of the land
- so that Israel could be a pure and distinct people
There are many victories in the book of Joshua:
- but the main failure in Joshua
- is that after destroying all the enemy
- the people did not completely drive out those remaining in the land
- and it was the remaining Cananites that caused them so much grief in the book of Judges
We cannot overlook the fact that:
- without the Lord the victory was impossible
- or another way to say it is VICTORY IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH THE LORD (X2)
- It is God’s power that brought them victory over their enemies.
Can you imagine:
Being an Israelite marching around the city for 6 day
Marching and then just going home
What would go through your mind as you marched?
I would start to wonder what God was up doing:
- this seems silly
- we marched around the city yesterday and nothing happened
- why are we doing this again?
7. God wanted to show the people that only He was powerful enough to bring them victory:
When Jericho was destroyed the people would know
It was God and only God would get the glory
The people could not take credit for the victory:
- all they did was walk around
- all they did was shout
- the battle belonged to the Lord
- it was God’s power that brought the victory!
Maybe once Joshua and the people:
- understood their smallness
- understood their weakness
- they would better understand God’s POWER!
Maybe there is a lesson in that for us:
- is there a sin or obstacle that you’ve fought and battled?
- has it beaten you time and again?
- So now that you understand that it’s bigger than you,
- Now is the time to TURN IT OVER TO THE LORD!
We also have an enemy that we are powerless to defeat:
Just like the Israelites faced the strong wall of Jericho,
sin is like a strong wall in our hearts.
We aren’t strong enough to bring that wall down.
Only Jesus’ death on the cross can do that, and God gets all the glory!
We all struggle with temptation to sin,
even after Jesus has saved us.
None of has avoided sin
None have beaten sin,
But Jesus has beaten death and sin
But when you feel tempted to sin:
you can remember that God’s power gives you victory!
You can pray and ask God to help you overcome that temptation
just like He helped the Israelites defeat Jericho,
He can help you!
A lot of time in the Bible:
- the Bible is correcting someone
- or there is an example of what not to do
- this time we see an example of what to do
God’s people are found in Joshua 6:
- to be quick to obey
- they don’t grumble or complain
- they don’t try to negotiate with God
That is a fine example for us today:
- to listen to God
- to follow Godly leadership without grumbling or complaining
- and to not try to negotiate with God, just to obey quickly
After 40 years of wilderness wandering:
- the people had grown to trust God
- they displayed a sense of loyal dependance
- an extreme form of reliance on God
God’s plan seems quite odd:
- like the crossing of the Jordan river
- God didn’t explain Himself or the details of how the His plan would be successful
- God had a plan and told the people to execute the plan
God’s people did not ask how:
- how is marching around the city going to work?
- how will we get past the gates
- how will we climb the high walls
- they just trusted the LORD….
What a lesson for us today:
- when the future seems so unclear
- at a time when each of us face obstacles
- that are bigger than we can handle on our own
8. We can trust God:
- to be faithful even in the valley of the shadow of death
- He will be with us, He will not leave us or forsake us
- God is GOOD, ALL THE TIME!
Whether it is:
Debt you don’t know how you can pay
Health problems that won’t go away
Threat of job loss
Sin that lead us astray
Or broken relationships...
We all have something:
- that blocks us
- hurts us
- mocks us
And the primary thing:
We need to do is, turn it over to the Lord.
There needs to be a conversation with the Lord that goes something like this.
“Lord, I’m in over my head. I can’t handle this on my own. I know that you are never overwhelmed, so I’m asking for your guidance and direction. I promise to follow you as you lead me.”
The understatement of the year:
- “things go a lot better when we trust God”
- especially when we face obstacles we can’t defeat
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
The people God brought into the wilderness are not the same people he brought into the promised land:
- obviously they are different people
- over 40 years most of them had died
- but the attitude of the group had changed
When Moses started to lead the people at the start of the Exodus:
- the people were easily angered
- they grumbled and complained
- the said they wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt
The people got so difficult:
- that God wanted to destroy them
- and start over with new people
- If God had not interceded for the people
- it looked like God would have destroyed them
The people that God brought out of Egypt:
- were stiff necked and difficult
- they were self centered
- and they didn’t like listening to God or Moses
9. We can decide what attitude to have:
- that is if we aren’t a Christian we can decide
- once we give our live to the Lord
- our attitude has been decided.
Christians ALL have the same FRUIT of the SPIRIT….
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:22-26
The attitude of the people was DIFFERENT:
BUT THERE DESTINATION WAS DIFFERENT AS WELL.
Those who were disagreeable in the Wilderness died in the wilderness.
Those who were willing to follow obediently got to enter the PROMISED LAND.
We can follow the EXAMPLE of the people in Joshua 6:
- The leader listened to the Lord
- The people listened to their leader
- God fought for them
What we need to REMEMBER from JERICHO:
- is that we don’t have to fight every fight that is in front of us
- we are not responsible to be almighty and all knowing
- God is almighty and all knowing
We need to do more:
- listening to the Lord
- and less pretending we are the LORD.
- more obeying and less time worrying
- more trusting and less scrambling to do what only God can do.
In the days of Joshua:
- the promised land was blocked by Jericho
- the people were not able to defeat Jericho on their own
- so God intervened and brought down the wall..
In the same way:
- Sin is an obstacle that threatens to come become us and God
- we’ve all sinned, and none of us is able to overcome sin on our
- we all need Jesus to come and save us.
10. You have an invitation from Jesus…
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
The invitation to all:
- Everyone in this room is included.
- Whatever your baggage or your burdens,
No matter how bad your sins are:
think about that sin you’ve been carrying around
That mistake that brings you shame and a tear to your eye
That part of your life you hate, that was so painful
Jesus offers you an invitation, “Come to me.”
Come and lay down your past, leave it,
I want to give you forgiveness,
I want give you rest,
The Greek word translated "rest" i means,
literally, an intermission, or a vacation.
Jesus is saying,
"I will give a break from the day-to-day struggles of life. I’ll give you a second wind."
Is there anyone here weak and burdened?
Are you exhausted, are you worn out?
DO you need a fresh start?
This is an invitation for you...
- Your name is on the invitation
- Not from me, not from the church;
- It’s from the Lord
Jesus offers second chances and new beginnings
The blood of Jesus can take away your sins
And give you new life..
He says, “Come to me.”
Jesus is calling your name…. Will you come?
credit:
https://ministry-to-children.com/jericho-falls-sunday-school-lesson-joshua-3-6/
