By Faith the Walls of Jericho Fell

Hebrews 11:30

(Refer to Joshua 1:1-6:27 for background)

We can learn the Lord's wisdom on how to conquer the world with the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

1. Skim through Joshua 3:1-17. In this passage the expression "the ark of the covenant" [of the Lord] is repeated (3,6,8,11,14,17). What does the ark symbolize? 

** The ark is symbolic of the gospel of our Lord Jesus, in that the ark refers to the way for us to come to God the Father in and through Jesus. See Hebrews Chapters 9 and 10. 

The ark contains Moses' Ten Commandments which govern our relationship with God and our relationship with our neighbors. The ark comes with the atonement cover which is also called the mercy seat. [Atonement is atonement of our sins through the blood of Jesus. The meaning of the word "cover" is not just physical (in terms of a physical cover like a lid) but spiritual as well, that is, having our sins covered. Sin is breaking the law of God such as Moses' Commandments.] The Apostle John calls Jesus as our atoning sacrifice. 1Jo 2:2; 4:10. Read also Exodus 25:17,22; 29:42.   

This ark is called the ark of the "covenant". It is called a "covenant" because it comes with the promises from God and promises from those who come to the Father. That is, as we come to the Lord through the way God provides (which is Jesus), God forgives us of our sins and bestows his grace upon us, so we would have a second chance to live as His children, worshiping Him in spirit and truth. [Concerning the old vs. the new covenant refer to Hebrews 8:8,13; 9:15; 12:24.] 

2. Joshua 3:10 reads, "This is how you will know that the living God is among you..." Why is it important for the Israelites to "know" this?   

** This knowledge reminds them of the nature of the battle, that it is, the Lord's battle, not their own. 

In addition this knowledge gives them confidence that the victory is guaranteed. 

Practically this knowledge leads them to pay attention to what the Lord has to say. 

This knowledge is the key to themselves operating by faith (or putting trust) in the Lord, not by their own might, calculation, wit or wisdom, but by the Lord's.

Read Matthew 28:20; John 14:16. 

3. Skim through 4:1-24 and think about the meaning of the word "sign" (in verse 6) or "memorial" (in verse 7). What practical wisdom can we learn here in serving the Lord as members of His army?

** The Lord has given us a lot of signs and memorials showing that the living God is among us. Examples: Jesus' virgin birth is the sign that God is with us as in Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23; Baby Jesus in a manger is the sign that God is with us (Luke 2:12); Jesus' death and resurrection is called the sign of Jonah. (Luke 11:29-30)

Some such as John Bunyan the author of the Pilgrim's Progress interpret the ark standing in the middle of the Jordan River as the sign that when we put trust in Jesus, the Lord God blesses our faith and leads us safely to cross the Jordan River which is symbolic of the chasm standing between our physical life here and the kingdom of heaven. (Isaiah 43:2)

The point is that faith in Jesus is the key to overcoming all the enemies of God such as the power of sin and death.

4. Read Joshua 5:2 and think about the Lord's command to circumcise the Israelites before the battle. In what respect was it not easy for them to obey the command? What does "I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you" (in 5:9) mean?  

** It was not a small surgery. It causes a soldier to become inoperative – at least for a while. 

** It means God forgave them of their sins. It is like a creditor saying to a debtor who is unable to pay the debt, "I have cancelled your debts." But God does not forgive us of our sins for nothing: only upon our demonstration of our faith in the Lord, the Passover Lamb, he forgives us of our sins. 

5. Read Joshua 5:10-12. What does this passage indicate about the life of the Israelites from “that very day" on? 

** They would need to live by faith in the Lord, relying on his provision of daily bread, for as they were going into the Promised Land, and as the manna stopped coming, they were in need of planting and harvesting, trusting that the Lord would bless them with blessings like good weather/seasonal rainfalls, etc. It also meant that they would need to fight the Lord's battle, because unless they proceeded and moved onward/advanced (rather than going backward), they would not be able to establish themselves; they would not acquire even one square inch of land.  

6. Read 5:13-6:5. When did the Lord reveal to Joshua the way to conquer Jericho? How did the Israelites obey the Lord? (6:6-21; Hebrews 11:30) What practical applications can we learn here in serving the Lord's command in our generation? 

** Only after Joshua had fallen face down, falling prostrate, admitting that the Lord is the commander in chief (rather than himself), did the Lord reveal His plan. It was after Joshua had taken off his sandals, realizing that he was standing on holy ground, that he engaged in a holy battle. [Note: holy ground means the place where the Lord is present.]

 

** They trusted in the Lord. They did not entertain any human thoughts; they did not doubt that the Lord's strategy would fail. 

** Careful observation of the Lord's strategy gives us a lot of wisdom in serving the Lord's world mission command. Messages to learn include:

- the role to play (what the Lord is doing, that is, Jesus being the commander, what we the soldiers are doing, that is, marching around with priests blowing trumpets; 

- priests blowing trumpets: this may be seen as a sign for us to share the gospel, making a joyful sound, so people would know the point of the message of salvation and the message of judgment;

- soldiers not allowed to make a war cry, which is indicative of us needing to serve the Lord prayerfully, so that the world would hear not men's voice but God's word alone;

- the call to march around, which points to the need to make ourselves physically available for the work of the Lord; or

- number 7 signifying perfect obedience.

The end