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Discover the three essential steps of preparation for victory in Joshua 5: renewing the Lord's covenant, removing reproach, and remembering God's goodness. Learn how these steps apply to believers today.
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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 (Act15 & 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