Text: Joshua 5
Theme: When you’ve been wandering in the wilderness of backslidden Christianity you need to come to a point of reconsecration before you enter into the victorious walk of faith again.
Intro:
- In chapter 4, we looked at the crossing of the Jordan River and considered the importance of placing memorials at significant moments in our lives, especially when God does something special in our lives.
- Today, we are looking at Joshua Chapter 5 where we see Israel is in the Promised Land, but they need to have a spiritual revival before they can go forward in the life of faith and victory.
Main:
- The Nations Feared God’s People (Vs 1)
a. When we studied Joshua chapter 2 we noted that the people of Canaan had heard of the God of Israel and were afraid.
Jos 2:9-11 “And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.(Vs 10) For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. (Vs 11) And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
b. All the kings in the land of Canaan were keeping an eye on Israel because they had heard of the mighty things that God had done on behalf of his people and they were concerned to see Israel approaching their territory.
c. All the kings in the land, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, received word that Israel had crossed the Jordan River.
– This was a sign to the kings of the land that God was still with Israel and that He was still doing mighty works on their behalf.
– Remember, it had been 40 years since Israel had left Egypt and God had parted the Red Sea and delivered them. People might have been forgiven for assuming these 40 year old stories were exaggerations, but now they saw the power of God first hand and they knew they were in trouble.
d. Upon receiving word that God had dried up Jordan and Israel had crossed over on dry land; the kings of the Amorites and the Canaanites were afraid. - The Nation Reconsecrated as God’s People (Vs 2-9)
a. While the nation was camped at Gilgal, God commanded Joshua to make sharp knives and to circumcise the children of Israel once again.
b. Warren Wiersbe explains it this way: “After triumphantly crossing the Jordan River, the nation had to pause at Gilgal while the men submitted to painful surgery. Why did God command this ritual at this time? (Answer) To restore their covenant relationship (Josh. 5:2–7). Israel is a covenant nation, a privilege God has given to no other nation on earth (Rom. 9:4–5). God gave His covenant to Abraham when He called him out of Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 12:1–3), and He sealed that covenant with a sacrifice (Gen. 15). God gave circumcision as the sign of the covenant to Abraham and his descendants.”[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Strong, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 57.
c. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they were all circumcised, but during the wilderness wanderings they had not circumcised their children who were born. Further to this, all the men who had been circumcised in Egypt had died in the wilderness and so the entire male population, aside from Caleb and Joshua, needed to be circumcised.
– While the reason for the uncircumcision in the wilderness isn’t stated it is quite likely that the practice was impractical due to the constant travelling. Travelling while recovering from circumcision would have been extremely difficult.
d. The act of circumcision was given to Israel as a symbol of their covenant with God.
– Firstly, they were once again identifying themselves as God’s chosen people.
– Secondly, they were testifying of their faith in God to fulfill His promises.
e. You need to get serious with God once again. You need to hear the truths in the book of Romans which teaches us that out old man, the flesh, is crucified with Christ, we are no longer slaves to the world and to sin but and we are new creatures in Christ. You need to reckon on your death to self, in all it’s faithless forms, and you need God to fill you with His Spirit and make you a victorious Christian for his glory.
f. When Israel reconsecrated themselves to God, God took away the reproach of Egypt.
– Egypt, in the Bible, pictures the world and the unrepentant sinner. When the sinner comes to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are consecrated to him, God takes away the reproach of our sin. He takes away our sin, and with it he takes away our shame and disgrace, and He makes us righteous in the sight of God. - The Lord Is Captain of God’s People (Vs 10-15)
a. The Lord provided for His people (Vs 10-12)
– There were 600,000 men who came out of Egypt with Moses, putting the total population somewhere close to 3 million, maybe even more.
– Despite the fact that they were wandering through the wilderness, the nation survived out there for 40 years and had food and water as they needed.
b. Verse 12 tells us that the day after they ate from the food of the promised land, the manna ceased. The Lord’s miraculous provision was no longer needed because he had brought them to a land of rich blessing.
c. The path might lead through the wilderness, but God always leads to what is best for us, and for His glory.
– “Oh, fearful saints, new courage take: The clouds that you now dread Are big with mercy and will break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace. Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” (God Moves In a Mysterious Way)
d. The Lord is Captain of His people (Vs 13-15)
– No doubt, Joshua would have observed the regular comings and goings of the people. He would have observed the size of the walls and the terrain that surrounded the city. All these things would need to be taken into account if he were going to assault the city. While Joshua was standing by the city, he suddenly realised that he was not alone. There was another man standing over against him.
– Despite the fact that this stranger had his sword drawn, Joshua approached him and issued the challenge, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” Joshua present to us a clear picture of the believer whose faith totally rests in God to give victory. He was not afraid to face the battle.
e. The one to whom Joshua was speaking was the Captain of the host of the LORD.
– What makes something holy? It is God who makes his temple holy, it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes us a holy people, and it was the presence of God in the burning bush that made the ground Moses stood on “holy ground,” likewise it is the presence of God in the person of Jesus Christ that made the ground Joshua stood on “holy ground.”
Conclusion:
- Have you been wandering in the wilderness of sin and backslidden Christianity? It’s time for a revival; it’s time for reconsecration to God and to his work.
- Or maybe, you’re here today but you’ve never come to the cross and felt the burden of your sin lifted from off your shoulders. May I encourage you; you can do that today. You can have your sins forgiven and know that you are on your way to heaven if you’ll come to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ today, repent of your sins and put your faith in Him for your salvation.