WEBVTT 00:00:13.150 --> 00:00:15.550 So last week, you guys, we were in chapter five. 00:00:15.710 --> 00:00:22.509 Uh we covered uh the lion's share of that, and we talked a little bit about uh that that awkward conversation. 00:00:22.670 --> 00:00:28.910 You guys remember my story with Violet in the coffee shop, and I said, Do you want me to read to you uh some scripture? 00:00:28.990 --> 00:00:33.870 And I just wanted to go to the next spot uh where I was at, and it was on circumcision. 00:00:34.109 --> 00:00:47.869 And and I said it it had the idea and the word circumcision it like 70 times, and so I was kind of forced to either punt or tell her about it, and of course I punted. 00:00:48.109 --> 00:01:01.070 And uh but we had a uh we got to look at circumcision and how that was really God renewing his covenant with his people. 00:01:01.950 --> 00:01:07.789 And from that we see this whole generation come back into this place of obedience. 00:01:07.950 --> 00:01:08.109 Right? 00:01:08.189 --> 00:01:23.550 It's a really beautiful picture, and we also see that that although circumcision is one of those things that can be rather confusing and such a strange picture, uh it really lets us know that we're we're not supposed to put confidence in the flesh. 00:01:24.189 --> 00:01:26.270 That's not where our hope is. 00:01:26.430 --> 00:01:31.949 And then also uh we are to pass this on from generation to generation, our faith. 00:01:32.110 --> 00:01:39.550 It is not supposed to start and stop with us, but be passed on to our kids, to our neighbors, and to the ends of the earth. 00:01:39.629 --> 00:01:42.349 That is that is really what we are to do and what we took from that. 00:01:42.509 --> 00:01:46.669 Um we saw the first Passover in the uh promised land as well. 00:01:46.909 --> 00:01:54.830 And then uh as we started to wrap up chapter five, I sort of ran out of a little bit of time, and I didn't even go into the very last portion. 00:01:54.990 --> 00:01:58.750 How many of you guys realize that I did not cover the last portion of chapter five? 00:01:58.830 --> 00:02:00.189 Just raise your hand if you realize that. 00:02:00.430 --> 00:02:00.909 Great. 00:02:01.069 --> 00:02:04.349 One of you guys actually texted me and said, Hey, what's going on here? 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:05.389 You know? 00:02:05.789 --> 00:02:09.069 And um so here we are. 00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:17.389 So we're gonna get it and we're gonna we're gonna go over and we're gonna wrap up chapter five and get into chapter six and look at some really unique events. 00:02:17.469 --> 00:02:22.590 Uh the a really unique event uh that happens in chapter six. 00:02:22.750 --> 00:02:26.269 And uh, but before you do that, let's let's pray. 00:02:27.229 --> 00:02:33.150 Lord, thank you for God just giving us the opportunity to gather as a church, Lord, as your people. 00:02:33.310 --> 00:02:36.669 Lord, surrender to you and ready to hear what you have to say to us. 00:02:36.829 --> 00:02:48.909 Lord, in this morning, God, uh in a in a really um obvious way to me, Lord, there is some challenging parts to Scripture. 00:02:49.310 --> 00:02:58.269 There is some weightiness to uh faith, belief, unbelief, Lord, that we're not confronted with all the time. 00:02:58.430 --> 00:02:59.949 At least we don't feel like we are, Lord. 00:03:00.030 --> 00:03:04.030 So I pray, Holy Spirit, you'd help us uh understand what you have. 00:03:04.509 --> 00:03:08.269 I don't think that this is gonna be solved by amazing preaching. 00:03:08.430 --> 00:03:12.189 I don't think this is gonna be solved with uh the right analogy, Lord. 00:03:12.269 --> 00:03:15.949 I think that your people need to bring this before you and settle it with you, Lord. 00:03:16.030 --> 00:03:20.349 So I pray that you would really just speak this this morning, God, to all of us, Lord. 00:03:20.430 --> 00:03:28.509 Don't let us leave here and do what I did with Violet and just punt this down the road, Lord, but but actually be willing to look at your word. 00:03:29.069 --> 00:03:32.669 God, we get in love with the culture of church. 00:03:32.829 --> 00:03:36.829 And we we come, but we don't really listen sometimes. 00:03:37.709 --> 00:03:44.109 Lord, we come and we smile and we look at the things that don't matter, but we don't really hear you sometimes. 00:03:44.750 --> 00:03:50.829 And so this morning, God, I pray that we would just pause and we would hear you this morning. 00:03:51.229 --> 00:03:52.590 In Jesus' name. 00:03:52.909 --> 00:03:53.549 Amen. 00:03:54.669 --> 00:03:57.789 So let's get into that tail end of Joshua chapter 5. 00:03:57.870 --> 00:04:00.189 It's verses 13 through 15. 00:04:00.430 --> 00:04:02.269 I believe it's on the screen. 00:04:02.590 --> 00:04:13.069 And uh it says, When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in hand. 00:04:13.469 --> 00:04:19.389 And Joshua went to him and said to him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? 00:04:19.709 --> 00:04:25.230 And he said, No, but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. 00:04:25.470 --> 00:04:26.829 Now I have come. 00:04:27.389 --> 00:04:35.709 And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped him, and said to him, What does my Lord say to his servant? 00:04:35.949 --> 00:04:44.029 And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy. 00:04:44.829 --> 00:04:46.589 And Joshua did so. 00:04:48.189 --> 00:04:48.509 Okay. 00:04:49.949 --> 00:04:53.310 So what we have here is pretty unique. 00:04:53.870 --> 00:04:59.629 We haven't seen this type of event in Scripture very much. 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:02.349 We did see it with Moses in the burning bush, and we'll get to that. 00:05:02.430 --> 00:05:03.949 But Joshua is just out. 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:05.790 It says he's by Jericho. 00:05:05.949 --> 00:05:10.349 He's doing probably, I mean, he's a military guy, right? 00:05:10.430 --> 00:05:20.750 So he's probably doing some sort of pre-battle reconnaissance, uh, maybe some intelligence gathering, like how tall are these walls, uh, um, you know, how big is this city? 00:05:20.990 --> 00:05:25.949 And um, or maybe he was just walking around and praying. 00:05:26.189 --> 00:05:26.829 You know? 00:05:26.990 --> 00:05:28.110 I've done that a few times. 00:05:28.189 --> 00:05:33.870 I get here a little early and I'm like, I study, study, study, and something like, I just need to pray. 00:05:34.110 --> 00:05:36.990 He'll just walk and I'll just walk around and I'll just pray. 00:05:37.149 --> 00:05:38.189 And maybe he was doing that. 00:05:38.430 --> 00:05:39.550 I don't fully know. 00:05:39.709 --> 00:05:41.790 The Bible is silent on what he was actually doing. 00:05:41.870 --> 00:05:49.629 We just know he was by Jericho, the city he was gonna go into battle with, the first city on the other side of the of the Jordan. 00:05:51.230 --> 00:05:53.870 And we're we we see this by himself. 00:05:54.110 --> 00:05:56.909 There's no indication that he was with anyone else. 00:05:57.389 --> 00:06:02.029 And he sees a man with a sword drawn and in hand. 00:06:02.589 --> 00:06:09.230 And I think the the natural reaction for a man of war, a commander would say, Hey, whoa, whoa, who are you? 00:06:09.870 --> 00:06:15.629 Are you are you my adversary or are you with us? 00:06:17.310 --> 00:06:27.629 And I think that that was sort of how he asked the question, because I don't know that Joshua immediately recognized this as a supernatural event. 00:06:28.110 --> 00:06:34.589 I don't know that this figure was 12 and a half feet tall and shining all around him. 00:06:34.750 --> 00:06:37.149 We don't have any indication of that. 00:06:37.389 --> 00:06:40.909 We just know the very first question that was asked. 00:06:41.149 --> 00:06:43.949 And he said, Hey, are you with me? 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:45.149 Are you with them? 00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:46.269 Are you with us? 00:06:46.430 --> 00:06:47.469 Are you with them? 00:06:47.949 --> 00:06:51.149 And uh Joshua wants to know, do I have a fight on my hands? 00:06:51.389 --> 00:06:53.149 He's out here by himself. 00:06:54.430 --> 00:06:58.189 And he approaches the figure as the superior. 00:06:58.670 --> 00:06:59.709 I'm the commander. 00:06:59.949 --> 00:07:02.509 I've been appointed by God to lead God's people. 00:07:03.069 --> 00:07:05.790 So I'll be asking the questions here. 00:07:06.829 --> 00:07:10.829 And the figure stops him and says, No. 00:07:11.870 --> 00:07:12.829 Neither. 00:07:13.709 --> 00:07:16.670 I am a commander of the Lord, of the army of the Lord. 00:07:16.829 --> 00:07:18.110 Now I have come. 00:07:18.349 --> 00:07:29.629 And it's when he says these words, when he opens his mouth and speaks forth, that Joshua immediately falls, prone on the ground, face to the earth, it says. 00:07:30.990 --> 00:07:33.870 I've been like that before with the Lord. 00:07:34.990 --> 00:07:38.349 It doesn't happen as much as I would like, if I'm being honest. 00:07:38.509 --> 00:07:40.430 I'm too busy, too preoccupied. 00:07:40.589 --> 00:07:49.389 If I go on my face, there's a lot of other things, there's a lot of other battles that I have going on, and I don't spend as much time there as I should. 00:07:49.469 --> 00:07:55.870 But Joshua hears the Lord speaker and he's immediately prone. 00:07:55.949 --> 00:08:00.110 And he says, What does my Lord say to his servant? 00:08:00.670 --> 00:08:14.509 You know, I think that that's another indication that we know that the figure at first was not really uh as obvious of a supernatural experience because had he already known that it was the Lord, he would have been prone immediately. 00:08:14.589 --> 00:08:19.870 It wasn't until the Lord spoke, actually, that Joshua realized it. 00:08:20.509 --> 00:08:30.750 And after one question and then one answer, Joshua goes from the commanding superior officer to servant, just like that. 00:08:30.990 --> 00:08:32.430 And that's what the Lord does. 00:08:32.670 --> 00:08:36.430 See, the Lord doesn't join our cause, right? 00:08:36.670 --> 00:08:38.190 Whose side are you on, Lord? 00:08:38.430 --> 00:08:39.230 We join his. 00:08:40.269 --> 00:08:41.950 And that's what's happening here. 00:08:42.830 --> 00:08:51.710 And it says in verse 15, what does the Lord say to, sorry, this is verse 14, what does the Lord say to his servant? 00:08:52.910 --> 00:08:57.710 It's not go here or do this or pay this money or whatever. 00:08:57.790 --> 00:09:04.910 It's it's take off your shoes because the place you're standing is holy ground. 00:09:05.470 --> 00:09:06.990 And Joshua did so. 00:09:07.150 --> 00:09:10.110 So what we have here, you guys, is a theophany. 00:09:10.750 --> 00:09:11.070 Okay? 00:09:11.230 --> 00:09:17.310 A theophany, uh, a visible manifestation of God in the Old Testament. 00:09:17.550 --> 00:09:28.750 And more specifically, I believe this is a Christophany, a visible manifestation of Christ, actually, the second person of the Trinity in the Old Testament. 00:09:28.990 --> 00:09:32.990 A pre-incarnate Christ happening right here. 00:09:33.070 --> 00:09:33.710 And I'll tell you this. 00:09:33.790 --> 00:09:35.070 This is the reason why I think this. 00:09:35.230 --> 00:09:37.310 This is why I don't think this is an angel. 00:09:37.470 --> 00:09:39.550 Uh, this is why I believe this is Christ. 00:09:39.790 --> 00:09:46.750 One, Christ, uh, excuse me, angels do not accept worship. 00:09:47.310 --> 00:09:49.790 We don't worship angels. 00:09:50.670 --> 00:09:50.990 Okay? 00:09:51.230 --> 00:09:52.270 We worship God. 00:09:52.430 --> 00:09:53.550 That's number one. 00:09:54.510 --> 00:09:59.070 Number two, he's not delivering someone else's message. 00:09:59.230 --> 00:10:00.670 He's not merely a messenger. 00:10:00.830 --> 00:10:04.190 He's speaking forth as God himself would. 00:10:04.590 --> 00:10:10.590 And so he doesn't speak uh as a message, messenger delivering someone else's words, but with divine authority. 00:10:10.670 --> 00:10:12.190 So that's reason number two. 00:10:12.910 --> 00:10:17.150 Number three, uh, I mentioned that these things don't happen very often. 00:10:17.310 --> 00:10:30.430 We saw with Moses in the burning bush that this um appearance of God uses almost the exact same language as we had then with the burning bush. 00:10:30.590 --> 00:10:33.950 In Exodus 3, uh it says, Do not come near. 00:10:34.190 --> 00:10:39.550 Take off your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 00:10:39.710 --> 00:10:43.070 And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 00:10:43.310 --> 00:10:47.470 Moses encountered God and was told to remove his sandals because the ground is holy. 00:10:47.629 --> 00:10:52.990 Now Joshua encounters the commander of the Lord's army and is told the exact same thing. 00:10:53.230 --> 00:10:54.350 So there's three reasons. 00:10:54.430 --> 00:11:05.629 And the fourth reason is in the New Testament we see uh Christ as uh divine warrior and commander of the heaven's armies. 00:11:05.790 --> 00:11:07.950 And that's in Revelation chapter 19. 00:11:08.350 --> 00:11:10.510 And I can uh read that really quickly. 00:11:10.670 --> 00:11:14.590 It says, Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. 00:11:14.830 --> 00:11:21.230 The one sitting on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 00:11:21.550 --> 00:11:30.030 And then verse 14 and 14 through 16 says, And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on a on white horses. 00:11:30.190 --> 00:11:34.830 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations. 00:11:34.910 --> 00:11:40.830 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 00:11:41.629 --> 00:11:42.590 Same God. 00:11:44.270 --> 00:11:47.230 Different incarnation, early incarnation. 00:11:47.629 --> 00:11:58.270 So when Joshua looks up and sees uh the man standing before him with a drawn sword, if identifies himself as the commander of the army lord, accepts worship, declares the ground holy, that's why I believe he's standing before a pre-incarnate Christ. 00:11:58.430 --> 00:12:00.830 So uh that's really important, actually. 00:12:01.070 --> 00:12:09.629 It's important as a prelude to chapter six, because in chapter six, we're gonna deal with something really challenging. 00:12:10.190 --> 00:12:10.510 Okay? 00:12:11.390 --> 00:12:17.629 And it's important when you hear something challenging to know who is delivering the message. 00:12:17.950 --> 00:12:22.750 Because the more challenging it is, the more you need to trust the source. 00:12:23.550 --> 00:12:23.870 Okay? 00:12:24.750 --> 00:12:34.510 Um you're little, you're conditioned to eat your vegetables, even though you don't really want to. 00:12:34.990 --> 00:12:37.230 Because you love your mom or dad. 00:12:37.470 --> 00:12:37.790 Right? 00:12:37.950 --> 00:12:39.310 And they can tell you hard things. 00:12:39.470 --> 00:12:44.430 But if somebody you don't know walks up to you and says, you should eat your vegetables, you don't really listen. 00:12:44.750 --> 00:12:45.230 Right? 00:12:45.390 --> 00:12:49.070 It's it's the harder it is, the more you have to trust the source. 00:12:49.150 --> 00:12:50.990 And it starts from when we're little. 00:12:51.470 --> 00:12:51.790 Okay? 00:12:52.110 --> 00:12:55.629 If somebody walks up to you and says, hey man, I think you're really, really sick. 00:12:56.270 --> 00:12:59.550 I think you might need you, you know, you might need some treatment. 00:13:00.590 --> 00:13:01.550 Who are you? 00:13:02.350 --> 00:13:03.230 You don't really know. 00:13:03.390 --> 00:13:13.070 But if your doctor tells you, hey, you're really, really sick, if you trust your doctor, well, then you will trust the information. 00:13:13.310 --> 00:13:24.510 And what's going to happen here in Joshua chapter 6, like I said, as we were praying through it this morning, the elders and myself, this is one of the more challenging parts of Scripture. 00:13:24.750 --> 00:13:27.150 And there's no other way to put it. 00:13:27.390 --> 00:13:31.629 But God preserves it here for us to hear this morning. 00:13:31.950 --> 00:13:34.590 So let's go ahead and start in Joshua chapter 6. 00:13:34.670 --> 00:13:40.110 Verse 1 says, Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. 00:13:40.350 --> 00:13:42.670 None went out, and none came in. 00:13:42.830 --> 00:13:50.750 And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:55.790 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. 00:13:56.030 --> 00:13:58.190 Thus shall you do for six days. 00:13:58.430 --> 00:14:02.510 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. 00:14:02.750 --> 00:14:08.990 And on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priest shall blow the trumpets. 00:14:09.150 --> 00:14:24.190 And when they make a long blast with a 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. 00:14:25.230 --> 00:14:28.830 So, Jericho, first city on the other side of the Jordan. 00:14:29.150 --> 00:14:31.790 It's not a really massive city, okay? 00:14:32.110 --> 00:14:33.950 Um ten acres. 00:14:34.350 --> 00:14:37.150 Have you ever been to my place and walked around the property? 00:14:37.230 --> 00:14:37.870 It's five. 00:14:38.030 --> 00:14:39.470 So it's just double that. 00:14:39.710 --> 00:14:43.310 It's not really, it's not huge, right? 00:14:43.629 --> 00:14:45.710 My place would fit in it twice. 00:14:45.870 --> 00:14:52.190 You know, and in I mean, you know, this Midwest people have these sprawling estates of a thousand acres, right? 00:14:52.510 --> 00:14:55.230 You fit, you know, a hundred Jerichos in it. 00:14:55.390 --> 00:14:56.830 So it's not very, very big. 00:14:56.910 --> 00:15:00.590 Uh, but it had several thousand people uh probably in it at this point. 00:15:00.750 --> 00:15:03.710 You know, I have what I had five, uh, six people. 00:15:03.790 --> 00:15:11.550 At times I felt like I had a hundred people living at my house, but um there's five of us living at my house right now, so it's one per acre, okay. 00:15:11.790 --> 00:15:15.790 Back then it would have been more like 200 or so per acre. 00:15:16.270 --> 00:15:30.750 Okay, so and then with the situation that's coming about, i.e., the the Hebrew people coming across the Jordan River, there's a good chance that more people sought refuge in Jericho. 00:15:30.830 --> 00:15:32.830 So there's at least a few thousand people in there. 00:15:32.990 --> 00:15:36.510 Um, there's a large outer wall in Jericho. 00:15:36.590 --> 00:15:47.629 They've uncovered it and they they've they've seen this large outer wall, and it's actually a two-layered wall, and uh what what archaeologists think is that it's about 30 feet tall. 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:50.590 Okay, and it's about six feet thick. 00:15:50.990 --> 00:15:59.310 Now that's the outer wall, and then from that there's a an embankment that goes up, and then there's an inner wall. 00:15:59.629 --> 00:16:05.390 Okay, so there's two uh giant walls around Jericho. 00:16:06.030 --> 00:16:11.790 Now, the inner wall, there's about six acres, and the outer ring makes up of the other four. 00:16:12.030 --> 00:16:16.190 Okay, so really large walls, really thick, really hard to get in. 00:16:16.350 --> 00:16:23.230 The other side of that is there's a spring inside Jericho, which makes fresh water something they can get on a regular basis. 00:16:23.390 --> 00:16:25.390 So they can fortify for a lot longer. 00:16:25.550 --> 00:16:31.390 See, that's the problem with the uh the castle model that we saw in uh like in Europe in medieval times. 00:16:31.550 --> 00:16:32.670 They would get fortified, right? 00:16:32.750 --> 00:16:37.870 They'd fortify their city, and then you'd go around, you'd lay siege, and you'd cut off water and food. 00:16:38.030 --> 00:16:42.190 But the thing is, for Jericho, they had a spring on the inside. 00:16:42.430 --> 00:16:47.550 So they were really used to running to this city for refuge, right, and for for rescue. 00:16:47.870 --> 00:16:52.030 Um I mean, no doubt over the years, I mean, there's been there for hundreds of years. 00:16:52.190 --> 00:16:59.710 No doubt that they had probably won many victories because of their large walls and their ability to sustain themselves against bigger and badder people. 00:17:00.670 --> 00:17:10.269 Um but the people of Jericho, they have intel, they have an understanding of who they're they're up against. 00:17:10.990 --> 00:17:11.309 Right? 00:17:11.470 --> 00:17:16.190 The Lord has brought the people into the promised land, and and and these guys are scared, actually. 00:17:16.269 --> 00:17:20.269 It says in chapter 5, earlier in chapter 5, that their hearts were melted. 00:17:20.990 --> 00:17:23.789 They weren't confident, they were scared. 00:17:25.309 --> 00:17:28.829 And you know, I've been talking about the two storylines kind of at play here. 00:17:28.990 --> 00:17:30.750 One's really obvious. 00:17:31.069 --> 00:17:32.109 One's really obvious. 00:17:32.189 --> 00:17:38.029 This is what God is doing in his people, fulfilling his promises through the children of Israel. 00:17:38.349 --> 00:17:48.829 But there's this other storyline of what's happening with the people who live, who are currently occupying uh the land of Canaan or the what's the promised land. 00:17:49.950 --> 00:18:03.789 400 years, we know from Genesis chapter 15, 400 years this people has lived in rebellion against God and his efforts to get their attention and to get them to repent. 00:18:04.029 --> 00:18:16.909 400 years, denying God at every turn, leaning into their own ways, not repenting, but resisting God, leaning into uh leaning away from the Lord's hand. 00:18:17.230 --> 00:18:26.990 You know, in this room, right here, church, we're sitting in a room with people for the most part, have heard the Lord and responded. 00:18:28.109 --> 00:18:28.429 Right? 00:18:28.509 --> 00:18:34.349 We've we've heard him, and and instead of resisting, we repented. 00:18:34.669 --> 00:18:35.309 We repented. 00:18:35.869 --> 00:18:37.869 I don't I don't want to live for myself. 00:18:38.109 --> 00:18:39.389 I don't have it figured out. 00:18:39.470 --> 00:18:42.429 I want to do that U-turn on the course of life. 00:18:42.589 --> 00:18:44.349 And I want to turn towards you. 00:18:44.669 --> 00:18:49.629 Even if that means that everybody else is going this way and you say go that way, I'll go that way. 00:18:49.789 --> 00:18:51.789 Everybody's going that way, I'll go that way. 00:18:51.950 --> 00:18:54.429 Whatever you say, God, that's what I want to do. 00:18:54.589 --> 00:18:59.950 That's the decision that most of us in this room have made. 00:19:00.429 --> 00:19:05.950 And I don't want to say everyone, because I think, like I said earlier, there's a lot of people who just love church, right? 00:19:06.109 --> 00:19:13.230 The community, the people, they're rather friendly, and we can kind of get duped and we sit here, and all of a sudden God goes, oh, and wakes them up. 00:19:13.309 --> 00:19:15.309 So maybe that might be you this morning. 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:26.669 But the world, the other storyline is this the world is actually a lot more like the people of Jericho, the world that we live in. 00:19:27.149 --> 00:19:37.549 See, God is at work, and and a lot of people out in the world who are not here this morning or at any church this morning, they kind of feel. 00:19:37.950 --> 00:19:41.470 They wouldn't ever say, I don't, I don't, no, I don't, I of course I believe in God. 00:19:41.710 --> 00:19:43.309 How could you not believe in God? 00:19:43.470 --> 00:19:43.789 Right? 00:19:43.869 --> 00:19:48.909 And they see, uh, I don't know, they they they see that we're not here by accident. 00:19:49.069 --> 00:19:51.470 That's a little too far-fetched for them. 00:19:51.869 --> 00:20:04.429 Uh they they um they know that science and medicine, although helpful, kind of feel like there's some holes and it's it's not really the end-all be-all. 00:20:06.750 --> 00:20:15.869 The end of life, they they don't feel like can just be like make a billion dollars or have a white picket fence with three and a half kids running around. 00:20:16.750 --> 00:20:17.149 You know? 00:20:17.230 --> 00:20:19.789 Like they they kind of the world even kind of knows that. 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:24.750 They kind of understand that there's something larger, something bigger at work. 00:20:24.829 --> 00:20:36.029 And you know, with the you know, I think the billion dollar thing, we could talk about all the uh billionaires in the world that we've seen make the headlines for being like super unhappy or just doing really dumb things. 00:20:36.269 --> 00:20:38.750 Uh and also I'll leave that alone. 00:20:38.829 --> 00:20:42.990 But the the three and a half kids one, that's like uh that's just the average, right? 00:20:43.069 --> 00:20:48.269 It's I think it's two and a half kids, it's the average, but my family and a few of you guys put it over the edge. 00:20:48.349 --> 00:20:49.950 It's more like three and a half. 00:20:50.429 --> 00:20:53.389 But um that dream is actually really good. 00:20:53.549 --> 00:20:54.509 I like that dream. 00:20:54.669 --> 00:21:03.309 I had that dream for a little while, and um now one kid moves out, and you start going like, oh, I see where this is going. 00:21:04.029 --> 00:21:13.470 My dream of just having a white picket fence and kids running around and laughing and playing all the time is a really small window. 00:21:13.710 --> 00:21:14.589 It doesn't really work. 00:21:14.750 --> 00:21:16.990 So the money doesn't work, the family doesn't work. 00:21:17.230 --> 00:21:23.149 Most people in the world, I think, are starting to realize that there's gotta be something else. 00:21:26.189 --> 00:21:30.509 You know, there's a similarity between Jericho and the world. 00:21:30.750 --> 00:21:33.789 See, Jericho's heart was melting. 00:21:34.029 --> 00:21:39.309 They saw God moving, but they didn't repent. 00:21:39.629 --> 00:21:54.750 It's like the world who knows that it's not everything it's meant to be, but instead of repenting, they just keep going and they keep looking for joy and happiness and help and hope in other things. 00:21:57.549 --> 00:22:01.230 So, yeah, there's some similarities between those things. 00:22:01.470 --> 00:22:07.710 There's some similarity between Jericho and the world, and there's some similarity, you guys, between Israel and the church today. 00:22:08.109 --> 00:22:12.429 Some people would say it's almost a one to one, some people would talk about replacement theology. 00:22:13.230 --> 00:22:19.950 But we see some similarities, regardless of where you land on that topic, of what God is doing in his people there and what he's doing in us now. 00:22:20.189 --> 00:22:27.950 He's calling us to obedience, he's calling us to walk by faith, and he's calling us to respond to him. 00:22:28.909 --> 00:22:44.429 You know, the uh the reality is that between the two storylines that are happening, whether you're looking at the people of Jericho and the world or the church, is God is at work in both. 00:22:45.710 --> 00:22:49.309 He's actually working in both at the same time. 00:22:50.509 --> 00:22:54.269 As we look at chapter six, we're going to see a little bit more of how he's working in both. 00:22:54.349 --> 00:22:57.230 So let's look at chapter six, uh, sorry, verse six together. 00:22:57.470 --> 00:23:10.509 So Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests and said to them, Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and the seven priests, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of horns, ram's horns before the ark of the Lord. 00:23:10.669 --> 00:23:17.230 And he said to the people, Go forward, march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord. 00:23:18.429 --> 00:23:28.909 And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests, bearing the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the Lord, went forward, blowing the trumpets with the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord following them. 00:23:29.149 --> 00:23:38.669 The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 00:23:38.990 --> 00:23:51.629 But Joshua commanded the people, You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. 00:23:52.189 --> 00:23:53.789 Then you shall shout. 00:23:54.269 --> 00:23:58.909 So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. 00:23:59.149 --> 00:24:03.389 And they came into camp and spent the night in the camp. 00:24:04.189 --> 00:24:13.309 So picture what's happening here, and let me just pick up two more verses here, or three more verses in twelve through fourteen, and give us a real good picture of what this looks like. 00:24:13.470 --> 00:24:33.549 It says, Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord, and the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ram's 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. 00:24:33.789 --> 00:24:38.990 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. 00:24:39.789 --> 00:24:41.549 So they did for six days. 00:24:41.789 --> 00:24:46.269 So we have carbon copies each day of what's happening for six days. 00:24:46.509 --> 00:24:46.829 Okay? 00:24:47.149 --> 00:24:50.029 You take note of how many times the number seven is mentioned. 00:24:50.829 --> 00:24:51.549 So many times. 00:24:51.629 --> 00:24:57.309 And we could dig into that a little bit, but just know that the number seven has always been the sign of completion for the Lord. 00:24:58.349 --> 00:24:59.629 This the sign of completion. 00:24:59.789 --> 00:25:04.829 Seven priests are walking around, these blowing seven trumpets, uh, ram's horns are also called shofars. 00:25:05.389 --> 00:25:10.829 And um other than that, silent. 00:25:11.389 --> 00:25:21.230 You have all these men of war quiet as they march around this 10-acre city with this wall, probably on their right or their left, right? 00:25:21.309 --> 00:25:25.950 Either on their right or their left, and no words coming out. 00:25:27.069 --> 00:25:36.509 So there's a procession, that means a group of people walking first, and then there's a rear guard, a group of people walking after. 00:25:36.750 --> 00:25:39.470 And right in the center is what? 00:25:40.750 --> 00:25:46.750 The Ark of the Lord, right, which is said to have the presence of God on the inside, right? 00:25:46.909 --> 00:25:51.309 It's it's this acacia wood box overlaid in gold with two cherubims facing each other. 00:25:51.470 --> 00:26:10.429 Inside is um uh Aaron's a staff is uh uh some manna, and then most notably, most people know, the Ten Commandments, and there's uh some posts with some gold rings and and priests carrying it, you know, um, behind them or next to them and in front of them, whatever. 00:26:10.669 --> 00:26:17.149 And the idea here is that we keep the Lord at the center. 00:26:19.309 --> 00:26:22.349 Of all of our battles, we keep the Lord at the center. 00:26:23.230 --> 00:26:30.990 And we saw it at the Jordan that the Israelites followed the presence of the Lord into the Jordan. 00:26:31.389 --> 00:26:35.710 And it was when the presence of the Lord stopped the waters, then everybody follow behind. 00:26:35.950 --> 00:26:41.069 And here we see we keep the Lord the center of what he's called us to do. 00:26:41.389 --> 00:26:42.990 And I think that that's a good word for us. 00:26:43.149 --> 00:26:44.990 The presence of God has to be our guide. 00:26:45.149 --> 00:26:53.710 It has to be what leads us, but then it has to also be the center, that which everything orbits around in our life and gives it meaning and significance. 00:26:54.509 --> 00:27:02.909 And then it goes on to say, on the seventh day, they rose early at the dawn of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. 00:27:03.470 --> 00:27:11.230 Okay, so on the seventh day, at the dawn of the day, they marched around the city in the same manner, but seven times this time. 00:27:11.950 --> 00:27:25.389 And the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout for the Lord, has given you the city, and the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. 00:27:25.629 --> 00:27:33.950 Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 00:27:34.109 --> 00:27:45.629 But you keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them, you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. 00:27:45.869 --> 00:27:51.869 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord. 00:27:52.029 --> 00:27:54.509 They shall go into the treasury of the Lord. 00:27:54.829 --> 00:27:56.589 So the people they did it. 00:27:56.669 --> 00:28:04.990 They shouted, and the trumpets were blown, and as soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat. 00:28:05.230 --> 00:28:12.669 Archaeologists say that the walls fell outward, away from the city, which is interesting to think about. 00:28:12.909 --> 00:28:16.349 So the people went up into the city, creating a ramp. 00:28:16.429 --> 00:28:22.349 Those things fell downwards, and they went up in a ramp, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 00:28:22.509 --> 00:28:33.789 Then they devoted all the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. 00:28:34.750 --> 00:28:37.230 The hardest verse that I read this morning. 00:28:37.629 --> 00:28:38.750 Verse 22. 00:28:38.909 --> 00:28:51.629 We will move back to twenty-one in a second, but verse twenty-two, but the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, Go into the prostitute's house, and bring out from there the woman and all who belonged to her, as you swore to her. 00:28:51.789 --> 00:29:06.349 So the young men who had been spies went in, brought out Rahab and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and all who belonged to her, and they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel, and they burned the city with fire and everything in it. 00:29:06.589 --> 00:29:11.869 Only silver, gold, and the vessels of bronze, of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 00:29:11.950 --> 00:29:19.389 But Rahab, the prostitute, and her father's household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. 00:29:19.950 --> 00:29:27.789 And she has also, uh she lived in Israel to this day because she hid the messengers of Joshua, sent to spy out Jericho. 00:29:27.950 --> 00:29:30.509 Really tough passage to see here. 00:29:30.589 --> 00:29:33.789 So Pastor Dan's gonna come up and talk about it real quick. 00:29:39.549 --> 00:29:46.990 You guys, I asked the elders this morning to come and pray for us this morning. 00:29:47.470 --> 00:30:01.309 And they showed up, and we prayed that this verse wouldn't be something that we heard and therefore, for some reason, then rejected a part of God's character and his nature. 00:30:01.950 --> 00:30:06.429 God sometimes tells us really hard things about who he is. 00:30:06.589 --> 00:30:10.750 And maybe you hear this portion of scripture and you're like, what's so challenging about this? 00:30:12.669 --> 00:30:22.429 It says that because of their sinful behavior, that Jericho met the edge of the sword, and everyone was killed. 00:30:22.669 --> 00:30:30.189 Not just the fighting men of war, but young and old, men and women and children. 00:30:30.429 --> 00:30:32.589 Not only that, they're animals. 00:30:33.069 --> 00:30:34.990 Just all slaughtered. 00:30:36.509 --> 00:30:40.589 And on top of that, so several thousand people killed in one day. 00:30:42.829 --> 00:30:49.389 And I'm building a case now that's I'm gonna have to try to undo and show you guys how God's at work in it. 00:30:50.750 --> 00:30:52.589 But on top of that, that's not it. 00:30:53.069 --> 00:30:54.909 It wasn't just like that happened. 00:30:55.149 --> 00:31:00.429 It's like God used his people, Israel, to do it. 00:31:01.789 --> 00:31:09.309 God's chosen people were called to carry out the judgment on direct order from the commander of the Lord's army. 00:31:11.869 --> 00:31:29.869 You guys, after 400 years, over 400 years of rebellion, described elsewhere, of what is going on over here in Jericho in the land of Canaan, we had sexual immorality, homosexuality, bestiality, child sacrifice. 00:31:30.750 --> 00:31:34.269 All happening for centuries. 00:31:36.669 --> 00:31:37.869 This is all happening. 00:31:38.029 --> 00:31:48.509 On top of that, Jericho had a front row seat to what God was doing in parting and stopping up the Jordan River. 00:31:51.069 --> 00:32:00.750 And then they also are watching for seven days the presence of God circle their city. 00:32:02.109 --> 00:32:13.149 And then on the seventh day, seven more times, and the whole time the people of Israel stay silent, giving anyone in the city a chance to cry out to God. 00:32:14.109 --> 00:32:15.869 And they don't cry out. 00:32:17.069 --> 00:32:18.589 God says, enough. 00:32:19.869 --> 00:32:21.230 It's enough. 00:32:22.669 --> 00:32:23.629 No more. 00:32:25.149 --> 00:32:28.829 And he wipes out an unrepentant and sinful people. 00:32:30.269 --> 00:32:31.789 That is heavy. 00:32:32.750 --> 00:32:37.230 But Rahab was saved. 00:32:39.309 --> 00:32:40.669 Rahab was saved. 00:32:40.829 --> 00:32:41.470 Why? 00:32:42.829 --> 00:32:48.909 We can look at chapter two, but we can also look at little verses where we see God's character, his hand, and so many other areas. 00:32:49.149 --> 00:32:58.429 2 Chronicles 16, 9, something you guys have probably heard many times, that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth. 00:32:59.869 --> 00:33:00.990 The whole earth. 00:33:01.230 --> 00:33:16.429 Even among pagan, heathen, wandering, stiff-necked people, God looks back and forth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless towards him. 00:33:17.069 --> 00:33:21.149 Rahab did not meet the edge of the sword, and nor did her house. 00:33:21.230 --> 00:33:21.470 Why? 00:33:21.629 --> 00:33:23.389 Because God is good. 00:33:24.269 --> 00:33:29.149 And he saw her heart that is blameless towards him. 00:33:30.189 --> 00:33:32.349 Now, what? 00:33:33.629 --> 00:33:39.549 She is a Gentile heathen prostitute. 00:33:40.429 --> 00:33:41.549 And that's who. 00:33:42.909 --> 00:33:50.269 And women and children and young and old and animals, they were all slaughtered and God saved a prostitute. 00:33:53.950 --> 00:33:54.589 Yep. 00:33:55.470 --> 00:33:56.109 Why? 00:33:56.990 --> 00:33:58.429 Because of faith. 00:33:59.549 --> 00:34:01.869 Rahab heard what was coming. 00:34:02.589 --> 00:34:04.589 Just like the entire city. 00:34:04.990 --> 00:34:12.909 And instead of rejecting it and hunkering down into her own devices, she cried out to God. 00:34:14.030 --> 00:34:17.150 And God met her and found her. 00:34:17.950 --> 00:34:19.389 In an amazing story. 00:34:19.550 --> 00:34:20.750 Again, that's chapter two. 00:34:21.070 --> 00:34:27.710 But we know that Rahab ends up putting a scarlet cord in her window, hanging out the side of her home, which is built into the city wall. 00:34:27.789 --> 00:34:29.789 I don't know if it was the inner or the outer. 00:34:31.789 --> 00:34:35.870 As a signal of what she actually believes and what she trusts. 00:34:36.190 --> 00:34:40.269 She's not going to trust the people that she grew up around. 00:34:40.590 --> 00:34:45.070 She's not going to trust the king or the ruler of her city. 00:34:46.030 --> 00:34:49.630 She's going to trust her heart in what it sees and what it recognizes. 00:34:52.830 --> 00:35:02.510 You know, instead of the fear that led and paralyzed the people of Jericho, she had fear that led her to cry out in faith. 00:35:02.750 --> 00:35:03.950 There's two types of fear. 00:35:04.030 --> 00:35:05.950 There's two types of recognition of God. 00:35:06.510 --> 00:35:08.030 And she had the right one. 00:35:09.230 --> 00:35:11.950 He honors his word and he's true to his promises. 00:35:12.110 --> 00:35:16.590 It's not that the Lord's hand is too short that he can't save some people. 00:35:16.830 --> 00:35:18.590 That's what Isaiah says. 00:35:19.390 --> 00:35:22.510 His ears dull, he can't hear them cry out. 00:35:23.950 --> 00:35:24.830 Opposite. 00:35:25.150 --> 00:35:30.750 He goes back and forth throughout the whole world, looking for people whose hearts are inclined towards him. 00:35:33.470 --> 00:35:37.630