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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