ARE YOU READY TO CONQUER YOUR CANAAN?
Joshua 5:1-13
Dr. Ronald D. Harbin, Sr., Pastor
Intro: Verse 1 tells us that the heathen nations in Canaan saw the powerful manner in which the Lord brought His children through the Jordan and that they were totally demoralized by these events. It would seem that they were absolutely resigned to their fate. It would appear that this would be the perfect time for Joshua to lead the people forward into the attack. However, instead of commanding His people to go forward into the battle, God commands them to remain at Gilgal and to do several things that, on the surface, appear very strange. It even appears that the things they are required to do puts them at risk before their enemies.
You see, we all have battle to fight, and if we expect to overcome and achieve the victory, then we must learn to make the right kind of spiritual preparations.
Israel appeared ready for the battle. They possessed a large army and they faced an enemy that was terrified at their presence. However, God knew that they would never be ready to fight and win the battle until the proper spiritual preparations had been made. That is what this passage is all about. The lessons taught here can help us this morning.
I. RENEWING THEIR COVENANT WITH THE LORD: V. 2-7
A. The first command the Lord gives to Israel is that all the man are to be circumcised. It would seems that all the men who came out of Egypt were circumcised according to the demands of the Abrahamic covenant. However, those men who were born during the 40 years of wilderness wandering had not been circumcised. The fact of the matter is this, during the 40 years of their wilderness wandering, the rebellious generation that was dying off were no longer a covenant people. Now, before these men can claim their Canaan, they must be circumcised. They must renew the covenant with the Lord if they wanted His blessings on them and if they wanted to be guaranteed the victory.
B. The lesson for us is simply this, just as Israel was required to remove from their bodies a piece of flesh as a sign that they were a part of the covenant, so too, we must remove from our lives anything that stands between us and total surrender to the Lord. The Bible is clear that there are times when you and I must engage in spiritual surgery in our lives.
C. To the Jew, circumcision was a reminder that they were a "marked people." They were to never forget that they were the servants of the living God and that they were under obligation to obey Him in all things. Circumcision was to be the outward reminder of an inward work of faith,
Deut. 10:16. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
I. Renewing Their Covenant With The Lord
II. REAFFIRMING THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD: V. 8
A. At this point, Israel is camped in the heart of enemy territory. After they have been circumcised, every male in the nation of Israel is temporarily disabled and is rendered unable to fight. It took great faith for them to submit to the rite of circumcision! They had to be willing to trust the Lord to protect them until they healed. They were literally sitting ducks for the enemy. However, their faith was the secret to their success. These men had learned the valuable lesson that their battles would not be won by military might and by superior battlefield tactics. They knew that if they ever saw victory, it would be because God gave it to them. Their's would be a victory based wholly in faith.
I. Renewing Their Covenant With The Lord
II. Reaffirming Their Confidence In The Lord
III. REMOVING THEIR CONDEMNATION BY THE LORD: V. 9
A. The term "reproach of Egypt" has reference to 2 events during Israel's wilderness wanderings. The first is found in Ex. 32:1-12 when the Children of Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it as God. The other happened at Kadesh-Barnea when the children of Israel displayed unbelief and refused to enter into the promised land, Num 14:11-14. On both occasions, the Lord threatened to destroy the nation of Israel and start fresh with Moses. And, both times Moses interceded with the Lord and reminded Him that He would give the Egyptians a reason to mock God. They would say that He brought them out of Egypt, but could not bring them to Canaan. However, now they are in the land and God has proven that He is well able to bring His people into their possession. Therefore, He tells them that He had rolled that reproach away! In other words, their past was no longer an issue. It was a new day!
B. In a sense, many of God's children are still living under the "reproach of Egypt". You may be living with the shame of things you did before you came to faith in Christ. You may be ashamed of times when you have failed the Lord since you were saved. Either way, you live under the constant stab of self-condemnation.
(Ill. God is telling Israel that yesterday is forever gone and they are to walk looking to the victory of today rather than to the defeat of yesterday. If you have made your sin right with God, you might as well put it behind you, because the Lord has certainly put it behind Him! You will never be able to walk in victory until you come to realize that the Lord has forgiven your past.)
I. Renewing Their Covenant With The Lord
II. Reaffirming Their Confidence In The Lord
III. Removing Their Condemnation By The Lord
IV. REMEMBERING THE COMMITMENT OF THE LORD: V. 10-12
A. In these verses, we find Israel once again keeping the feast of the Passover. They first observed it when they were still in Egypt, Ex. 9-14. They also celebrated it at Mount Sinai before they left for Kadesh-Barnea, Num. 9:1-14. However, there is no evidence that they had celebrated the Passover in 40 years. The fact is they couldn't! The new generation had not been circumcised and this was a requirement for participating in the Passover.
B. V. 11-12 Just as Israel needed to remember the Lord's commitment to them, they also needed to remember their commitment to Him! You see, for 40 years they had eaten manna every day. However, when they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan, the manna ceased.
V. RECOGNIZING THE CONTROL OF THE LORD: V. 13-15
A. The final step in getting ready to conquer your Canaan in learning Who is in control. One day, as Joshua was looking over the city of Jericho, he saw a man standing with a drawn sword. (EX).
