A Message from "The Expository Book Study of Joshua"

The Expository Book Study of Joshua
This message I preached Wednesday Night 08-11-2010


VI) Jericho – God’s Victory for Us!!
Joshua 6: Verses 1 through 19
Week # 7 11 August 2010
Week # 30 of the Prayer Meeting Teaching Ministry


Good evening, please open your Bibles with me to Joshua 6, and read with me verses 1 through 19.


1Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 6And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD. 7And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD. 8And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the reward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 10And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.  13And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the reward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 14And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. 17And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.


I) This walled city of Jericho was the first obstacle that met the people of Israel as they looked forward from the camp at Gilgal. The Promise Land – a gift from Jehovah, was already titled / deeded to the Israelites. But!!! God required that they be the tools in which He drove out or destroyed the current inhabitants.


1. Why did God use Israel to drive out or destroy these people?


2. Someone please read Leviticus 18 verse 25 for me. ( 25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.)

II) Both Leviticus and Genesis tell us God was long suffering with the Amorites. But now – here in Joshua we see that God’s Mercy and Patience has been played out. That all the nations of Canaan have fallen into the depths of depravity and had become utterly defiled and Israel was about to clean it up.


III) God passed judgment on Canaan, He was now using Israel as part of His plan, to execute His judgment – in a way that would bring honor and glory to Him.


IV) Harry Ironside had this to say about this passage in Joshua 6. “Canaan speaks, as we have seen, not primarily of Heaven itself – the eternal inheritance of the believer in Christ, for there will be no foes to contend with, no foes to contest our possession there. But it speaks of our present inheritance: that rest of the heart and mind which is the abiding portion of all who take God at His Word and go forward in confidence to overcome their Spiritual foes.”


My interpretation of Harry’s illustration is this:
a. God cleaned house! He made room for the new inhabitants.


b. Before His chosen people could take up residence in this promised land, it had to be cleaned up and read out. The sins of the past inhabitance were to be washed away – once again with bloodshed.


c. Much like Christians today must yield to the Holy Spirit to allow Him to take up residence in our hearts and lives. Things are not made instantly right in the Battle Ground for your life, mind, heart and will… No, No, No… The battle just begins.


V) Ironsides goes on to say, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, our conflict is not with men (necessarily), but with wicked spirits in the heavenlies, the world-rulers of this darkness – that is SATAN and his hosts, who control the minds of those who know NOT God and who would seek to hinder Christians from entering into and enjoying their privileges in Christ”.


VI) Now I want you to pay particular attention to this next statement by Ironsides… “There is a life of BLESSING and VICTORY which is the “Birthright” portion of each child of God, but which many of us fail to appropriate by faith and enjoy practically – because of indolence (apathy) and selfishness".


VII) Jericho stood as the barrier to Israel’s advance!!! They could not move on until that enemy of God was destroyed and taken out of the picture. God could not / would not move Israel any further into the promise land until they dealt with Jericho – in God’s time and God’s way.


1. Are you spiritually stifled?


2. Do you feel there is more for you at a spiritual level, you just can’t see it or get past the stage you’re in?


3. Search your heart, is there something stopping you from getting there?


4. Pride, bitterness, un-forgiveness, a lack of mercy, impatience, lack of grace, whatever the sin, it will prevent God from moving you forward – just like Jericho stood in the way of the Israelites. Name it, confess it and move on. You will be surprised as to the relief giving God the secrets of the tiny crevices of your heart will bring.


VIII) So – here we are at the wall of Jericho. How was Israel to defeat the walled city? They had no battering rams, no bull dozers, no tanks or any other engine or vehicle of war… Hmmm. Someone read Hebrews 11 verse 30 for me please. ( 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.)


IX) God is giving us a window here to see into ourselves! We fail to progress and move forward spiritually because we do not fully practice FAITH! Our culture is counter-productive to growing a strong spiritual and physical reliance on God. We have had it pounded into our heads that we are the best, we can do anything we put our minds to. Better, bigger, faster, cleaner, smarter, and on and on and on the lie builds. Today’s Church is a weak Church. Our Faith is weak because we do not rely on Almighty God for our lives every day. We can’t see HIS hand in our lives because we choose to manage our lives by ourselves. We keep HIM at a distance like an insurance policy in the safe deposit box at the bank – JUST IN CASE!!!! Balderdash, Rubbish, HE IS A JELOUS GOD!!! Until we as a people, and we as a Church see the things in our lives as our Jericho, that get in the way of Spiritual Growth and Maturity, we will continue to be stifled. Prosperity, materialism, the creature comforts of living, all things we have become accustom to, get in the way of sound, strong, biblical and spiritual decisions. In other words – Our Jericho looks awfully good from where we sit. AND – because of that simple little phrase, a glimpse of reality – GOD is this warm, fuzzy, wonderful thing we refer to on Sunday’s and occasionally Wednesday’s. But the rest of the time, we are enjoying the good life in America, and don’t need God for anything – we have it all covered!

X) There was never ever in the past or anytime in the future such a strange siege as that at Jericho – GOD WANTED TO PROVE A POINT!!!! That by FAITH – Through GOD, Man can achieve anything. ANYTHING! The God of Joshua, is the same God of the Bible Baptist Church in Warriors Mark… That same God that Joshua feared and revered is our God. He has not changed one iota, but we have, oh my brother and sister we have. Look around folks; look at tonight’s attendees – how many folks are here under the age of 30? Under the age of 40? Under the age of 50? Under the age of 60?


XI) THIS IS GOD’s CHURCH – Christ’s Church – He is our Sheppard – or so we claim Him to be. But – as Pastor Burns once said from that pulpit behind me – we are but a generation away from extinction. AND I believe – here tonight – it is because we have become too comfortable sitting on the outskirts of Jericho. Our numbers have not grown significantly in several years. Some of our children are moving away, or lost interest. I am not talking about bringing warm bodies in to fill the pews, I am talking about reaching lost souls for Christ. Putting GOD back in His proper place in our personal lives, putting petty differences aside, pulling together to disciple those that God has trusted to us. To Build Up the FAITH so that we too as a group of God’s people can march to the walls of Jericho and through Faith watch GOD work in our lives and our Church.


XII) As God’s people, we have responsibility; and we will have accountability at the Bema Seat Judgment. We won’t answer for the Sin’s of Jericho, but we will defend what we did with it, when He handed it over to us! What did we do with the gifts and talents He sent our way. Did we use them to build up and Glorify GOD, or did we squander them away, selfishly keeping things to ourselves. What is your Jericho?!?!


XIII) Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you tonight in AWE of your Power and Goodness. We ask your forgiveness Father for allowing the things of this world to keep us from exercising the FAITH that shook the wall’s of the city of Jericho in the sight of Joshua. Oh Father – to once again as your People – see great things by Your hands through our Faith in You. Please, Father, through Your Son’s work on the Cross, let us once again rejoice and see You breath new life into this Church. Help us once again, look to the heavens and claim the great I AM as the Lord of all in our lives and in this Church. Help us, teach us and show us how to keep vitality in this assembly, and take it to the community around us. Teach us FAITH Father, remind us once again to TRUST in you. It is through your precious Son that we come to you tonight Father, and in His Strong Name, in Jesus, we pray, Amen.