Preparing for Victory Joshua 5

Preparing for Victory Joshua 5

• Now on the other side of Jordan River the countries were afraid • People of Israel were united while the people of Canaan were paralyzed by fear • Two weeks of preparation before their first victory • God’s people must be prepared before they can be trusted with victory • Three Steps of Preparation – Renewing the Lord’s covenant (5: 1 -9) • Pause at Gilgal • To renew their covenant relationship (2 -7)

– Israel, a covenant nation – Israek, a marked people belonging to God » Their bodies belong to God » They were special people, separate people, & holy nation – Not practiced circumcision during the years of wandering » Older generation died off » New generation now in inheritance » Circumcision: symbol of spiritual operation on the heart » “Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer” (Deut 10: 16) » God of covenant, not of external mark • To test their faith (5: 8) – Camping in an enemy territory

– Testing » Abraham (Gen 12) » Elijah (I Kings 18 -19) » Jesus (Matt 3: 13 - 4: 11) » Circumcision unlike Meribah – God allows us to be tested in order to remind ud to depend on Him • To remove their reproach (9) – Gilgal: Hebrew word means “to roll” – Reproach of Egypt: ridicule of the enemy when Israel (Num 14: 11 -14)failed to trust God » Kadesh Barnea & Mt Sinai when golden calf was created (Ex 31: 1 -12) • To qualify them to eat the Passover (Ex 12: 43 -44, 48) – No male could participate unless circumcised

• To picture some important spiritual truths – Old Testament events lead to illustrations in New Testament (Rom 15: 4, I Cor 10: 11) – Identification with Christ in His circumcision (Col 2: 11 -12) » Physical surgery vs spiritual surgery » Jews: only part of the body while “whole body of the sins of the flesh for Christians (Col 2: 11) » False teaching on circumcision to be saved (Act 15 & Gal) » Names: “dogs”, concision, » True circumcision: believers (Phil 3: 1 -3) – Men at Gilgal submitted to God’s will while the believers yield to the Spirit – Remembering the Lord’s Goodness (5: 10 -12) • Passover – No circumcision, no participation

• The death of Jesus Christ is typified in slaying of the Passover lamb (I Cor 5: 7) • Wave offering: resurrection – On a day after Sabbath (Lev 23: 10 -14, I Cor 15: 23) • On the day of Passover manna stopped (40 years) • God took people out of Egypt, but it was difficult to take Egypt out of people – Same with Christians » Col 3: 1 -2 – Harvest: death and ressurection – Jesus: the manna (John 6: 26 -29) & harvest (John 12: 20 -28) – Reaffirming the Lord’s Presence (5: 13 -15) • Pre-incarnation appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ in Old Testament

– – Abraham (Gen 18: 1 -8) Jacob (Gen 32: 24 -32) Three Hebrew men (Daniel 3: 5) Joshua – the Captain of the Lord’s armies • Loneliness in leadership – “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is His name” (Ex 15: 3) • Joshua worshipped and waited for His orders – “Not until we take the place of a servant can He take the place as Lord” Watchman Nee – Second in command » “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5) • Lord’s first order: stand on the holy ground – We behave accordingly – “Do all things to the glory of God” (I Cor 10: 31)

• Sequence: humble worship, holy walk, then heavenly warfare – Joshua bowed (Eph 3: 14); then he submitted to the holy walk (Eph 4: 1, 17; 5: 2, 8, 15); then he battled the enemy in the power of God (Eph 6: 1 ff) • When Joshua met the Lord, he realized the battle was the Lord’s & He already overcome the enemy • Listen & obey; God will do the rest – Step by faith & claim the victory by obeying the Lord • Hudson Taylor: Three ways to do God’s work – Make the best plan we can & carry them out to the best of our ability – We may aske God to help and prosper us as we lay down the plan & carry through

– Begin with God; to ask His plans & offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purpose • The main lesson: we must be spiritually prepared if we are going to do the Lord’s work successfully & glorify His name • Take time to be holy