Faith in Action

What is the Faith in Action book of the Old Testament? What book would you say it is? If you had to pick one, which one would it be? Faith in Action book. This book, to a large degree, parallels Ephesians and 1 and 2 Corinthians. This book and 1 Corinthians have a feast of unleavened bread theme. These books provide us with deeper insight into the sacrifice of Christ, and what the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread should prepare us to do.

What Old Testament book am I referring to? What would you say?

The book is the book of Joshua. Joshua is one of the great faith books of the Old Testament, one of the great faith books of the Bible. Joshua was one of the first of the prophets to magnify the law and to really put faith into action. The book of Joshua records the consummation of the redemption of Israel out of Egypt. Redemption has two parts, out of and into. Let's note now Deuteronomy 6 and verse 23. Deuteronomy 6 and verse 23. Redemption out of and into.

Deuteronomy 6 and verse 23. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, bringing out, bringing in, that he might bring us in to give us the land which he swore unto our fathers. He brought us out that he might bring us in. He brought Israel out of sin, slavery in Egypt, and into the Promised Land. Let's go now to the book of Joshua, forward a page or two or three or four, in Joshua chapter 1. Joshua had been ordained at the request of Moses to replace Moses after God said, Moses, you and Aaron are not entering into the Promised Land because of what happened at the rock where you smote the rock twice instead of once and said, you rebels must I fetch water out of this rock? In Joshua chapter 1 and verse 1, now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Eternal, it came to pass that the Eternal spoke unto Joshua, the son of non-Moses minister or servant, saying, Moses, my servant is dead, now therefore rise go over this Jordan, you and all the people under the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. As you recall, the route led them into the wilderness across the Red Sea. They went down south to Horeb to Sinai, and they were on the other side of the Dead Sea in the Jordan River, and they came up to what is basically now somewhere around north and west of Ammon, Jordan, and they were on the other side of Jordan near Jericho. God and his love, mercy, and grace have brought us out of spiritual Egypt, freed us from sin and death, given us the eternal spirit. In short, we have passed from death unto life. Moses was a type of Christ in that he led Israel out of Egypt and gave them the law of course. God was the one that thundered the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, but Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant. Joshua was a type of Christ that he obeyed the law in faith. The law was ordained for life, but it could not give life, and the law brought us to Christ. It would now hold your place if you want to, and Joshua will be going there many times. The main focus will be Joshua. So let's go now to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 24. Galatians 3 verse 24, wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, it was our disciplinarian to bring us unto Christ, because the law in and of itself, even perfect obedience, will not forgive sin. The wages of sin is death. The only way that sin could be paid for is through death. Jesus Christ, the righteous, the Son of God, was accounted worthy to die for the sins of the world. The law was our schoolmaster. It highlighted sin. It defined sin. It also defines righteousness. So you have both sides of it with the law. The law defines sin. Paul said, I would not have known sin unless the law said, you shall not, and whatever the you shall not is. And also the law defines righteousness, as in Psalm 119 verse 172, all your commandments are righteous. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. So we could title the sermon today Faith in Action, exemplified by Joshua. There are different titles you could give it, but we just say, faith in action.

But after that faith is come, we're no longer under a schoolmaster, for you are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus.

The law in and of itself, of which Moses is a representative, could never give a sinful people victory in and of itself. Look at Hebrews chapter 10.

Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 1. There are similar statements with regard to the law, not being able to bring perfection. In Hebrews chapter 7, Hebrews 10.1, for the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices. Of course, this is talking about the sacrificial system. This is not talking about the immutable spiritual law of God. It could never with those sacrifices, which were the blood of bulls and goats, which they offered year by year, continuing to make the comers there unto perfect. For then would they have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers, once purged, should have had no more conscience of sin. However, on the other hand, the law is necessary, that is the spiritual law. And of course, what the religious world is bogged down in today has to do with when they read the law, the term the law in the New Testament.

Sometimes it is referring to the Mosaic law of sacrifices and offerings, and sometimes it is only referring to God's immutable spiritual law. I don't have this in my notes, but let's go to chapter 7 while this is on my mind. Let's see if we can look at this quickly.

In chapter 7 and verse 15, it is yet far more evident that after the similitude of Melchizedek, there rises another priest. Of course, that's after the order of Melchizedek, Jesus Christ is from that order, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, that is, of the flesh, the Levites. It was through inheritance. You had to be a Levite to be a priest.

But after the power of an endless life, for he testified, you are to priests forever after the order of Melchizedek, for there is very, very a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof, for the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God. So there was a change in the priesthood, and as a change in the priesthood, there was also a change in the offering system, where it was not that of the blood of bulls and goats, but of the precious blood of Jesus Christ himself. Continuing here, where those priests were made without an oath, that is, the Levitical priesthood, but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord swear and will not repent, you are to priests forever after the order of Melchizedek, by so much which Jesus made a surety of a better covenant. And they truly were many priests because they were not permitted to continue by reason of death. But this man, because he continues ever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Jesus Christ the righteous, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, who come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for him. For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. And notice with regard to the offerings, who needs not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then for the people, for this he did once when he offered up himself. For the law makes men high priests which have infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since the law makes the son who is consecrated forevermore. So that a change in the priesthood and a change in the offering system. Now the spiritual law go to Romans chapter 7 and verse 10. That has not changed.

We read in Psalm 19 verse 7 that the law is perfect, converting the soul. The law is perfect. What can you do with it? It's perfect. And also Paul adds this in Romans chapter 7 and verse 10.

Romans 7 and 10. And the commandment which is ordained to life I found to be unto death, for sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me, and by it it slew me. Was the sin, not the law. Verse 12, wherefore the law is holy, the commandment holy, and just and good. I am the eternal, I change not. God in his character, his being, has not changed in eternity and will never change in eternity. And his holy, immutable spiritual law will not change. Now the sacrificial system did change. Was then that which is good made death unto me, that is the spiritual law. God forbid, but sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me, by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. So the commandments highlight sin, and on the other hand they define righteousness. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. So Moses is a representative of the mediator of the Old Covenant, and that in of itself could never give a sinful people victory. But the law, as we see here and as we have seen our schoolmaster, is necessary. That is God's immutable spiritual law. The law brings us to Christ and faith in his sacrifice. God dragged Israel into the promised land. He will not drag us into the kingdom of God. We will enter the kingdom of God through faith. Hebrews 11.30. Let's notice that Hebrews 11.30, because we're going to be talking a lot about Joshua and faith in action. And see here, great men and women of faith are chronicled here by no means not all, but some of the more prominent ones in the Old Testament in Hebrews 11 and verse 30. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, and when they were compassed about seven days. Those seven days, as we shall see, was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Now notice 1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. And one of the elements that I think we have not understood, as we should, I think we're growing in it in the Church. That is the role of grace, the role of faith, believing in God, what he says, doing what he says, and believing that he will hear and answer our prayers, that he will deliver us from everything that might come our way. In 1 John chapter 5 verse 4, For whosoever is begotten of God, Gennao, the word for born, overcomes the world, and this is a victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. This is a victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Simply stated once again to believe God, do what he says, and to realize the theme that I've been on now for a few weeks, that we have this great power of God residing within us. We look across the page there in 1 John 4 verse 4. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, and he that is in the world.

So today we're examining the parallels between Israel's entry into the Promised Land and what we are supposed to be doing. As I've already stated, the book of Joshua, to a large degree, parallels the book of Ephesians, because it is the book of Ephesians which expounds the dispensation of grace and faith through Jesus Christ to include all nations. Go back to Ephesians now, chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul writes clearly that the twain have been made one, the twain being Jew and Gentile, that the middle wall of partition has been torn down.

And there were like two walls, one the outer wall and also the curtain there at the Holy Oholes.

In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 11, Wherefore remember that you, being in time past Gentiles in the flesh.

Now when you are in Christ, then there's neither bond or free, there's neither male nor female, there's neither Jew nor Greek in Christ. But Gentiles in the flesh, we are what we are in the flesh.

Some are black, some are white, as they say with regard to race, some are yellow, some are brown, some are red, whatever they may say. Wherefore, remember that you being in times past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision, the Jews in the flesh made by hands. That at the time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. God had only basically dealt with Israel, but with that which Israel went through, it's written for our examples upon whom the ends of the world have come. God is the God of all nations, all peoples, kindreds, races, and tongues. The weight of salvation is exclusive, and the call of salvation is inclusive. It's for everybody. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off, that's the Gentiles, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Now you'll notice Ephesians chapter 3, and I think a lot of people read this. They never really get the significance of it and how all-inclusive and wonderful it really is.

For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you, Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, the dispensation of the Greek word is oeconomia, from which you can get economics, or you can get administration, or a period of time of proof or testing, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which has given me to youward, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery as I wrote it for in a few words, whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, was a new thing, not understood, and is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and for takers of the promise in Christ, by the gospel. Of course, we have scattered throughout the U.S., especially the western U.S., Missouri, Idaho, being two of the principal states of the so-called white identity groups, who claim that you have to be a physical descendant of Abraham in order to inherit the promises, which is contrary to the scriptures. There are some in this area who have fallen for that lie and that fable, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, partakers of the promise, in Christ, by the gospel. Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is the grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the nations, the unsearchable riches of Christ.

As we shall see in the book of Joshua, God used a Gentile prostitute to help Israel enter the Promised Land. God used a Gentile prostitute to help Israel enter into the Promised Land. Now we go back to the book of Joshua, and God commissions here in Joshua chapter 1, God commissions Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land.

In Joshua chapter 1 verse 3, Every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even into the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and through the great sea toward the going down, that is, toward the west, the Mediterranean Sea, there shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will not fail you, nor forsake you. Now Jesus Christ made the same promise after his resurrection. You remember the last verse, verses 2 or 3 of the last 19-20 there of Matthew 28, to go into all the world, and lo, I am with you even unto the end of the age. So that same promise of God never leaving us or forsaking us has been made to us as well. Be strong and of a good courage, verse 6.

This chapter 1 of Joshua is filled with this, be of a good courage, and oftentimes I've spoken about the three C's, conviction, commitment, and courage. You're convicted by the Word and the Spirit of God. It has been committed unto you and placed in sacred trust. To the degree that you are convicted and committed, you will act courageously. Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land which has sworn to the fathers to give them. Only be you strong and very courageous. Verse 8, the book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. So God promises Joshua that he will be with him all the way. Look at verse 9. Have I not commanded you be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be you dismayed, for the eternal your God is with you wherever you go. We have that same promise. We have that same promise. No man can stop the man whom God commissions to perform his will. To attempt to do so is to fight against God. Remember what Gamaliel told the Jewish leaders who sought to kill the apostles in the early days when they were preaching in the environs of Jerusalem and the temple. He told them, you better leave these people alone. If this work be of God, then no man can stop it. And if it is of God, you'll find yourselves fighting against God. Of course, there were kings and leaders who fought against Israel and Joshua on the way to the Promised Land. Israel respected Joshua and obeyed him. Basically, to obey him was to obey God because he got his instructions from God. Look at verse 16. And they answered Joshua, saying, all that you command us will we do? It's sort of like a reiteration of the Old Covenant, as in Exodus 24 when they entered into the Old Covenant. They said, all that you say as Moses read to them we will do. All that you command us we will do, and whoever you send us, we will go. According as we have hearkened unto Moses and all things, so will we hearken unto you. Only the Eternal your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whosoever he be that does rebel against your commandment and will not hearken unto your words, and all that you commanded him, he shall be put to death, only be strong and of a good courage. Don't let anything turn you back. Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed. You will see hard looks. There will be those who stand in the way. There will be those who stand in the path who try to go against you.

To pass from the wilderness into the Promised Land, we must be humbled and look to God. Israel had been humbled in a way, yet they were far from being where God wanted them to be as exemplified by what happened after Joshua died. In Deuteronomy chapter 8, we see here where God says that he humbled them. In Deuteronomy 8, all the commandments this is verse 1, Deuteronomy 8.1, all the commandments which I command you this day shall you observe to do that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the eternals swore unto your fathers. And you shall remember all the way which the eternal your God led you 40 years in the wilderness to humble you and to prove you to know that what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or no. And he humbled you and permitted you to hunger, fed you with manna. Very similar to Deuteronomy 29.23 that Mr. Lucas read as Moses reiterated many of these things later in the same book. Which you knew not, neither did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only. How many times have you heard that? Matthew 4.4. But by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the eternal does man live. Your raiment wax not old upon you, neither did your foot swell these 40 years. Remember, what would that be like, not have any foot pain? Put Dr. Scholz out of business. And all those people, no swelling, no high blood pressure, apparently, is one of the main causes of the feet swelling, diabetes, and high blood pressure. And you shall also consider in your heart that as man chases his son, so the eternal your God chastens you. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the eternal your God to walk in his ways and to fear him. For the eternal your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills. Now, you go to that land today, and one and I and a couple of guys who were on the project in Jordan were able to take the journey across the Jordan River into Jericho, and then we were by automobile and on into Jerusalem. And as you travel that land today, it looks a lot like Arizona. It is dry. It is desolate, except where the Jews have come in, been able to irrigate and begin to plant trees, and millions of trees have been planted. And there are some green lush valleys, but through the years, and especially during the Ottoman Empire days in which the Turks taxed the people according to the number of the trees on the land, that's the craziest thing you can do. Anyhow, they cut out in the trees, lower the taxes, and eventually change the climate and the terrain and all kind of things as a result thereof.

As I said earlier, to some degree, Joshua 2 parallels chapter 2 of Ephesians. We haven't gotten to Joshua 2. We've read from Ephesians 2 that he has made the toying 1 and Ephesians 3. And both, to some degree, explain the conversion process that the Jew and Gentiles are of one body in Christ. Now we go back to Joshua chapter 2. Joshua chapter 2. We left off at the end of chapter 1.

Joshua, the son of Nun, sent out of Kiddom two men, despised secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. Jericho was the principal city in the land of those Gentile tribes, Canaanites, Hittites, Pericytes, all the Jebusites, and all of that. And they went and came into a harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there. Now, as we shall see, there was a big wall around Jericho, and the wall was quite wide. In fact, Rahab's house was on the wall.

And it was told, the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here tonight, the children of Israel, to search out the country. Now, all of these towns, practically, they call the chief person there the king. It's sort of like throughout the American West, you had all the various Indian tribes who had a chief. So all of these towns, cities of any note, had a king. And the king of Jericho sent under Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to you, which are entered your house, for they come to search out the country. And the woman tipped the two men and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I don't know where they were. And so we get into this here, and I'm not going to pursue it right now. This part about misleading the enemy, you could say, well, she lied to them.

She did not tell them where the men were.

And it came to pass about the time of shedding the gate, when it was dark that the men went out where the men went, I don't know. This is Rahab talking. Pursue after them quickly, for you shall overtake them. Hey, they went that way. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

I want to tell you the story of flax. Some of you probably know the story. Flax is the plant from which Lenin was made.

They would cut the flax, and it's sort of like, if we wanted to use an analogy, and this is somewhat of a stretch. But with us, you remember the word of God, this is Hebrews 4.12, is sharper than any two edges of sword, dividing us under the thoughts, the intents, and the heart of man. And it is through the Spirit and Word of God that we can be cut to the quick and convicted of our sins.

This flax had been cut, and it was laying out here on the roof of Rahab's house, and this is where the men were hidden, the two spies that had come. And it was there to dry out.

Of course, as we begin to understand the truth and God begins to work with us, we begin to really search our souls, and perhaps we begin to, by analogy, dry out some of the old ways. But anyhow, after a period of time, the flax was then put in water and submerged.

And it was in there for quite a period of time, and the woody parts of this would rot away, leaving these long strands of fiber. Of course, we could use the analogy of baptism, that we are submerged in the baptismal waters, and the old man, the fleshly man, should be put away and left under the baptismal waters.

Then the fibers that were left were put out to dry. They were repeatedly turned and dried and beaten. And so, after baptism, we have our many trials and difficulties and ups and downs. Then, eventually, the best fibers were separated by combing. The inferior fibers were burned, or they were made into wicks for lamps. And, of course, for those who don't make it into the kingdom of God, you know where they go. And then the good was made into the good fibers made into linen. And linen is symbolic of righteousness in the Bible. I'm quoting now Revelation 19, verse 8, So that story of flax is interesting. It is, to some degree, I would say, a contrived analogy. But nonetheless, it seems relevant and pictures the process to some degree that we go through.

Verse 7, And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto they went toward Jordan under the fords. They were going back toward the east. And as soon as they, which pursued after them, were gone out, they shut the gate. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof. And she said unto the men, once again, Rahab talking, I know that the eternal are giving you the land, and that your terror is falling upon us, then it all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

The word had spread throughout that land, the promised land, the land of Canaan, what God had done in crossing the Red Sea and other feats. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon, and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as you had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you.

For the eternal your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth below. Now therefore I pray you, swear unto me by the eternal, since I have shown you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a token, and that ye will save alive my father and my mother and my brother and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And the men answered heard our life for yours, if you utter not this our business, and if you shall be when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.

Then she let them down by accord. Verse 16, she said unto them, Get you into the mountain, lest pursuers meet you, and you need to hide yourself three days. And then, verse 17, and the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this oath which you have made us swear. Behold, when we come unto the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread, red thread, and of course it's through the blood of Jesus Christ that we are delivered, red thread in the window which did let us down by, and you shall bring your father and your mother and your brethren and all the father's household home unto you.

And it shall be that whoever shall go out of the doors of your house unto the street. See, this is similar to the instructions that were given to Israel when they kept the Passover. They were not to go out. His blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless, and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. And if you utter this, they went on and on about her keeping her oath and her promise. In verse 23, the two men returned, descended from the mountain, passed over, came to Joshua the son of none, and told him all the things that befell them.

And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord had delivered into our hands all the land. See the difference between the report of these spies and that of the 12 spies that went out earlier before the 40 years, for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. And Joshua rose up early the morning, and they removed from Kittom, and came to Jordan, he and the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

So they are getting ready for a Passover and a Passover through to the land of promise. Now, hold your place here. Look quickly back in Hebrews 11. And some people, there are different examples of faith in the Bible, and some people say, well, how could this be and how could that be? And God is the one who is orchestrating things in the broad sense. And Rahab is listed as one of the faithful in Hebrews 11, verse 31. In Hebrews 11, verse 31, By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them, that believed not when she had received the spies with peace.

Now back to Joshua.

So Rahab, through faith, believed God and helped Israel gain the victory. And Israel now is going to prepare for crossing over and the Passover, verse 5. And this is Joshua 3.5, Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, the eternal will do wonders among you. And Joshua spoke unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. Now in verse 14. In verse 14, And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan. And the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as they bare the ark, were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped into the brim of the water, where Jordan overflowed all his banks at the time of harvest. Now the time that we came to Jordan, it was sometime in May, toward the latter part of May, and it was well within its banks. And Jordan looks about like Big Sandy Creek when you cross it down here on Highway 80. That's about how it looks.

Don't be disappointed.

And it is sort of a wilderness area right there. It's the Allenby Bridge. It was named after General Allenby when he, the British, went in there after World War I and took control of that area called the British Mandate. But that's also a long story too. Verse 16, Then the waters which came down, and see this was the flood stage, it was out of its banks during this time, then the waters which came down from above stood and rose up on upon the heat very far from the city Adom and is beside Zaratan, and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, so it's between Galilee and the salt sea or the Dead Sea, failed and were cut off and the people passed over right against Jericho. So not long after you crossed the Jordan River, there is Jericho. And the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground until the people were passed clean over Jordan. Now in chapter 4, in verse 8, And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the eternals spoke unto Joshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them into the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests, which bear the ark of the covenant, stood, and they are there unto this day. So they set up a monument in the middle of Jordan and a monument on the west side. You hear a lot about the west bank today on the west side of Jordan. Verse 10, For the priests which bear the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until the very thing was finished, that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people hastened and passed over. Verse 13, About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the eternal unto battle to the plains of Jericho. On that day the eternal magnified Joshua and the side of all of Israel. They feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life. And the eternal spoke unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony that they come up out of Jordan. Joshua commanded them come up out of Jordan. Verse 18, It came to pass when the priests that bear the ark came up out of Jordan. The sides of the priests' feet were lifted up on the dry ground that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place and flowed over the banks as they did before. And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. See, the tenth day of the first month was when the Passover Lamb was set aside for the sacrifice. I think if you really do the math correctly, you'll find out that Jesus Christ, what the Protestants call the Palm Sunday, that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem was hail King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Hallelujah, and all of that.

He was set aside as the Lamb to be sacrificed on the tenth day of the month. Israel is set aside here, sanctified, set apart the first month, encamped in Gilgal in the east border of Jericho.

So they are between Jericho and the River Jordan. And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, the Joshua Pitch and Gilgal. And he spoke unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, what's the meaning of these stones, then you shall let your children know, saying that the Lord, saying, Israel came over this Joshua, over this Jordan on the dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until you were passed over, as he did at the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we were gone over. So these two memorials, one in the middle of the stream, the waters came back over. This is faithless Israel, buried to be left behind, not going into the Promised Land. And of course, those who had rebelled at the report of the spies sent out 40 years earlier had died in the wilderness.

Also, Jesus Christ being overwhelmed and crucified for us. And then the memorial on the bank, Israel was to live by faith in the resurrection. They came up out of Jordan. This memorial in the middle of Jordan, the waters came over it.

And then the other memorial up out of the baptismal waters, as it were, we come up out of that to live the resurrected life. So once again, we have the picture of the old man being buried and raised in newness of life. And just as the Passover land was set aside on the tenth day of the month, so was Israel set aside by God to enter the Promised Land and keep the Passover in the Promised Land. In Joshua 5, this is one of the great steps in preparation for keeping the Passover. As I have emphasized in the past several weeks, also, that when you come to the Passover, you don't take the Passover in your sins. You come to the Passover with a circumcised heart. Hold your place there. We'll look, first of all, at Romans 2.18. Romans 2.18, the spiritual circumcision.

And Paul tells us that now circumcision is not of the flesh but of the heart. But that which was symbolic of the physical circumcision was very important in that time. In Romans 2.18, and know his will and approve the things that are more excellent. This is Paul talking about the Jews where he takes them to task in chapter 2. He takes the Gentiles to task in chapter 3. And knowing his will, that is the Jews, and approves the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the law, the Jews were, and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of foolish, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which have the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law, you therefore, which teach another, teach you not yourself, you that preach a man should not steal, do you steal. Then Paul comes down to the main point he's making here. Verse 24, For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations through you, as it is written, Those who claim to know God and do not according to what he says, of course, are viewed as hypocrites, and one of the surest ways for our youth to be turned away. And one of the things that had happened through the ages in the Church of God has been double standards, and their youth saw right through it. God is not a respecter of persons. The importance of example cannot be overstated or overemphasized. Verse 25. See this outside part, this physical part that they so gloried in.

For circumcision verily profits if you keep the law, but if you be a breaker of the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision. And shall not the circumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge you by the letter, and circumcision does transgress the law. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. So that circumcision inwardly of the heart is what God is looking for. Now we can look at Joshua 5. At that time, to be ceremonially clean, be ready for the Passover, to be a part of the congregation of Israel, the males had to be circumcised.

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea over at the Mediterranean, heard that the eternally dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until they were passed over, that their hearts melted. Neither was there any spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel. At that time, the Lord said unto Moses, Make you sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. Now, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be circumcised as an adult male without anesthesia.

And Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the four skins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise all the people that came out of Egypt that were males. Even all the men of war died in the wilderness, by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now, all the people that came out were circumcised, but all the people that were born in the wilderness, by the way, as they came forth out of Egypt, they had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness, and all the men that were men of war which came out of Egypt were consumed because they obeyed not the voice of the Eternal unto whom they swore. And so the males were circumcised.

In verse 10, and the Lord said unto Joshua, this day, that is through circumcising these men, have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from all of you, wherefore the name of this place is called Gilgal. And to this day Gilgal means rolled away. So they were viewed then, and of course this is in the physical sense, ceremonial sense, in the parallels. We've read the Romans 2 and all of that, of the spiritual sense for us. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho, and they did eat the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover. This you heard in the sermon at an offatory.

Unleavened cakes and parched corn in the same day.

And the manna ceased. See, we enter now the days of unleavened bread. And the manna ceased on the morrow, that's the first day of unleavened bread, after they had eaten out of the old corn of the land. Neither had the children of Israel manna any more, but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan. And then suddenly they've kept the Passover in the Promised Land, but lying before them is this great city, Jericho. So how are they going to take Jericho? Verse 13, it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, are you for us or for our adversaries? And he said no, but as the captain of the host of the Eternal, am I now come. The captain of the host, probably an archangel, might have been Michael who fights for his people as in Daniel 12. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship and said unto him. So it's probably not Michael if he worshiped him because angels do not accept worship. So must be none less than the one who became Christ. What sayeth my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose your shoe from off your foot, for the place whereupon you stand is holy, and see only God's presence makes things holy. And Joshua did so. Similar to Moses, the burning bush, when God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, said, pull off your shoes, Moses, the ground upon which you stand is holy. Now Joshua, I'm sorry, now Jericho was straightly shut up, chapter 6 verse 1.

Jericho was straightly shut up because the children of Israel none went out and none came in. I remember clearly the day that we came into Jericho. Jericho was shut up. It was like a ghost town because the intifada was going on. And during the intifada, intifada means the uprising, the rebellion kind of thing, that on certain days the Palestinians would go out and protest and riot and throw rocks and so on. But on certain days the Jews declared a moratorium, and if you went out on that days, you were subject to being arrested and whatever by the Jews. So it was one of those days that we came into Jericho and it was shut up. It was like a ghost town. You didn't see a single soul, as they say, and it's not much of a town these days. And we passed through rather quickly. But it was quite different in those days.

The eternal senate of Joshua will see I have given unto your hand Jericho and the king thereof and the mighty men of Valor. And you shall compass the city all you men of war and go around about the city once you shall do six days. So for six days they marched around the city. There was a procession and an order to it. There were men of war that went before men who blew trumpets, the priests with the ark, indicating God's presence was with them, and they had a contingent behind them as well. And on the seventh day, we pick it up again in verse 20.

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets that came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet and the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down. This is on the seventh day, the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the day that we celebrate today. So that the people went up into the city and every man straight before him and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city. Both men and women, young and old, ox and sheep, were the edge of the sword. And Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house and bring out there the woman and all that she has as you swore unto her. And the young women that were spies went in, brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that they had in kindred and left them without the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire and all that were there in only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron they put in the treasury of the house of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive and her father's household and all that she had and she dwelt in Israel even unto this day because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy on Jericho. Now this verse 26 is a critical verse and it ties in with 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 27 through to the end of the chapter with regard to discerning the body of Christ. We talk about discerning the body of Christ, the literal physical body that was given for our sins and also the body of Christ, the church of God.

I want you to look at this time, hold your place there, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 24. Colossians 1 verse 24. 4 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake which is the church.

For his body's sake which is the church. So the unleavened bread we have been eating symbolizes the literal physical flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Take eat, this is my body. Drink this cup, this is my blood. Drink you all of it. The word of God, the bread of life, I am the bread of life, Jesus Christ declares. The church of God, the body of Christ, which his body's sake which is the church.

And so we are to discern, be reconciled to God and Christ and each member of the body of Christ.

When they came to Jericho and the walls came tumbling down and they go into the city to take at the spoils, Rahab and her family, they're delivered. But everything that's in there, they are to put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. Verse 26 of chapter 6, Joshua adhered them at that time saying, Cursed be the man before the eternal that rises up and builds the city of Jericho. He shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn and his youngest son shall he set up at the gates of it. So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was raised throughout all the country. But the children of Israel committed a trespass and the accursed thing for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdai, the son of Zera, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And so the next city they were to take was Ai. So they go up against Ai and they have to turn and run because God was not with him. Joshua went to God and said, What's wrong? God says you have sin in the camp and you'll have to ask all the tribes to pass before you and we will identify who the sinner is. And so they made preparation and they did just that.

And it came to pass, verse 19 of chapter 7, and Joshua said unto Achan, Achan is the one who did it, My son, give I pray you glory to the eternal God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what you've done, hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua and said, Behold, I have sinned against the eternal God of Israel and you and thus and thus have I done. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, so he described what he had taken. Verse 24, and Joshua and all of Israel with him took Achan, the son of Zera, and all the things that he had taken, including Achan's sons, daughters, all his animals, and brought him into the valley of Aachor. Verse 25, and Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The eternal shall trouble you this day, and all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day, so the Lord turned from the fiercest of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called the Valley of Aachor unto this day.

And from that point on, God was really with Israel and they conquered the various tribes. I would encourage you to read the rest of the book of Joshua. It's very interesting what happened there. The intrigue when it came into dividing the land and how the tribes began to jockey for this and this family for that. It sort of sounds like the McCoys and the other side, the Hatfields, as they went through this. But God was with Joshua all the days of his life and gave them the victory. But you see the thing that what happens when the Passover is taken and you get into the Days of Unleavened Bread and you see that you have not discerned. See, if Achan had really thought, as he should have thought, of the whole of Israel, knowing that God is a just God, be sure that your sins will find you out.

And that because of his sin, when they went to battle against AI, they had to turn and flee. And so the word went out that Israelites were running away from the little people up at AI. But of course, the next time they went to AI, it was a totally different story. And so with the many other battles that Joshua led and fought, so once again discerning the body of Christ, the Church, as well as the physical body, that we have the same love, care, and concern for one another. Brethren, of all the things I've been impressed with, how you have been administered to the brethren in this area, for which God gets the credit, first of all, in you nextly. And I know he's well pleased with that. And may we continue to do that in the days that lie ahead, because surely we're going to need it. Now, let's close here with Hebrews chapter 10, the last few verses there, our final admonition in this message today. You have seen that what faith can do, even faith on the part of one who was not an Israelite, who her profession was up at that time, a harlot, but how faith can turn things around, and that God is not the God of just the Israelites, but he is the God of all people. He's not a respecter of persons, and he will deliver us all. Hebrews 10 verse 35, cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. Or confidence, of course, same thing in essence as faith. For you have need of patience after that you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.