To Do List for War (Part B)

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

This is what makes it so incredible, we Christians behave so ridiculously loveless time removing and much but I don't think any born-again Christian put the stamp of approval on the moon's we don't like to see them in our children. Sometimes God says you just looking for picking on them. You can't basketball this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Joshua.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with his continuing study.

Joshua chapter 5 called to do list for war for attacking the enemy God called for his people to turn the knives upon themselves. What kind of lesson is there for me. What do I as a Christian get out of reading that God's army before engaging the enemy before being his instruments in his hands.

They want to turn sharp knives upon themselves. We look at that and we say sharp knife of self judgment. That's what I turn on myself before I can be used by God.

Jesus said it this way or how can you save your brother brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye, hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye that a man examine himself. Consider who you are in the presence of Christ that you deal with the things that God tells you to do it say is struggling with some send you struggling with your fighting, but that's what you're doing. You're fighting it in Christ, as opposed to dismissing it and encouraging fundamental secret of Israel's success was Israel's God and this right could no longer be neglected. It was neglected in the wilderness, but in the promised land. It had to be address today. Of course, we Christians are not obligated to follow this right at all. It characterized Julia's was a big thing for the Jew Paul Puffer safe starting. They were out. They gave him for preaching against the rights of Judaism and replacing it with the fulfillment of Messiah and in his Galatian letter, he pointed out said that system is dad. He did it in Romans he could. If you believe you wrote the Hebrew letter and he doesn't.

As I mentioned Galatians and Ephesians. He dressed addresses this very thing. This is God a set that on the side. Our relationship with him is not your is not established by this rite of circumcision established by faith by believing everything Jesus said about himself and about us and about his father and if you engage in circumcision to gain favor with God. You fall from grace, Galatians 5, you have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace." What does that mean who wants to find out please your hand. Who wants to find out what it means to fall from grace because grace saves me plunging into low-level attempts to gain salvation by human effort. That's the law and the Christian is warned against that. So we we move on to the bottom of verse two he says again the second time. Now this does not mean that it was repeated on on those who had already gone through and that this means the generation that had come out of Egypt were not circumcised males. Of course, and those who were born in Egypt they were in this is that second generation that is now having to face this verse three so Joshua made flint knives for himself and circumcised the sons of Israel at the Hill of the foreskins now. This again is teaching us that worship comes before warfare. If you're out of fellowship with Christ, if you've not been worshiping Christ, why would you be expected to be used by him in a positive way. You can use in a negative way. We know that Caiaphas quoted him a few weeks back. Caiaphas prophesies expedient that one should die for the nation. He did not know what he was talking about but John says you know what you just spoke of prophecy and you don't get to know you did it. God overruled your folly.

Who wants to be Caiaphas I'd rather be a prophet of God, rather than what I do mean a child of God that speaks God's word. We all prophesy when we speak God's word that one element of prophecy there several of his predictive prophecy of courses you sing songs considered in Scripture prophetic in that it is in God is very much involved in a part of it and you can't do it without him.

You cannot genuinely worship God in song without God you can fake it can be an imposter.

But you cannot be received in your worship without the Holy Spirit, a man must be born again and kind that is what this lesson here, so he made flint knives and of course he's not carrying out the circumcisions anymore than Solomon. Solomon built the temple you will.

Solomon was another with a hard hat and gloves putting the screws in place.

Of course it doesn't mean that but this was physically painful. It will be more painful to sidestep what God is telling him his troops before they could be used as warriors had to turn these knives upon themselves. They had to submit to this none of them were going to go kicking and screaming and still be part of this army, and while they healed while they recovered, they would be mindful of the will of God that this was that they were in pain. In God's will. They could've escaped the pain by staying outside of his will.

Are there not lessons. And that for all of us.

Verse four. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them. I pause there, this it's it's worded in an unabashed way it's here is why still walking this back. This is God's word says and this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them all the people came out of Egypt were males, all the men of war had died in the wilderness on the way. After they had come out of Egypt.

Moses was the leader in the wilderness is a type of the law who could not bring the people into the promised land. Yeshua had to do that.

Joshua he was of course a rep representing Jesus as our Savior taking us out of the law and into the land. The inheritance of God's people.

People that for inheritance will Moses. This leader of the wilderness.

It was negligent on this right were not for his wife. God would've killed him. How many of you may not like the head so reluctant to lessen your wife got a savior from God. That's the story of Moses shameful moment in his life. He wrote that he put it into the record because he doesn't. It does no no trying to cover himself.

He writes down in his own way. I was a full and I had a good life and God preserve the record for us to see Israel is now becoming a nation of soldiers is not the church supposed to be a royal priesthood, Paul said to Timothy, no soldier gets entangled in these things be careful may none of us be entangled in the affairs of the world carry out the work of judgment on the corrupt and depraved people.

That was their mission. Our mission is to carry out a work on a depraved people not to destroy them with the sword, but to save them with the sword to use the word of God to preach to them the truth of God and on telling you it works best face-to-face. It doesn't work instantly. As a rule, you going to be used to win souls in Christian should be wanting this. It takes time. As I mention it takes a relationship. It takes them seeing you amongst the others in the office and in the school in the neighborhood wherever you find yourself verse five.

For all the people who came out have been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised this coming out of the wilderness. Remember the stones we read about the they put 12 stones in the Jordan River.

They took 12 other stones out of the Jordan River and the pile them up. Ultimately, Gill gal as a monument symbolizing ownership that they own the land and they could do with it as they please. Now, as the owners circumcision by the Flintstones and I don't mean anything humorous and that Betty some of you may not have ever seen. The Flintstones it's a cultural thing circumcision with the flick. Okay, got us a different way, the circumcision with the stones of flint symbolize God's ownership of the people.

That's what the painful the process was all about.

What about the church, with signs of ownership do we have is not circumcision. It is love. Agape love. Sometimes it's heavier than the stones.

Sometimes it's more painful than those knives of flint. That's love love by the Disciples of Christ symbolizes God's ownership that there born again that we are born again. John's gospel chapter 13 by all.

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. This makes it so incredible when Christians behave so ridiculously loveless at times removed and such well you are, but I don't think any born again Christian put the stamp of approval on the moves we don't like to see them in our children.

Sometimes God says you just looking in the mirror go picking on them because you can't basketball Ishmael is a type of the flesh in Scripture's hand was against every man and every man's hand was against him.

That's the flesh that's the carnal nature. God says deal with it. He said to Joshua, you need to cut that said, the New Testament church.

You need to be in the spirit need to be people of the spirit who walk in the spirit and you say I tried my entire Christian life to walk in the spirit that I do not give into the flesh, and I fail I fail I failed. People see me fail. Yes, but God sees you trying don't you count that short. Don't you dare count that short God said to David you wanted to build the temple you can, but I'm writing it down you wanted to do that for me love you man. Love you, David King David was a character. All of his sops and God hold him up in front of us as this Messiah comes from the line of David. He sits on David's throne into the millennial kingdom is mentioning David what a mighty God, full of mercy and forgiveness verse six for the children of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness till all the people who were men of war who came out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of Yahweh, to whom he always swore that he would not show them the land which Yahweh had sworn to their fathers, that he would give us a land flowing with milk and honey. Then Joshua circumcised the sons, whom he had raised up in their place, for they were circumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. So there's the answer to verse two he mentions a second circumcision for the second time those who had not experienced it. They were disobedient. The Bible never lets us be comfortable with disobedience even though he call you become a Christian, you knew soon after you find I have been disobedient like this and then did it again, and yet if the mercy of God comes to life and souls are important and then you begin to be more merciful with other people more kind towards other people visit doctors of your own ability or inability to honor the Lord with in spite of all of that God never makes us comfortable.

He never goes and tells the pastor make them comfortable in their sin.

Quite the opposite. Make them comfortable in my mercy which has blood all over and that hopefully would sober of anyone. So the first circumcision of the people out of Egypt takes paid place in the promised land. The land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it should of been very meaningful to them in a little bit. The going to have the Passover.

Well, they can have the Passover. Without that right being complied with, not in God's promised land.

He says to them but anyway verse eight so it was when they had finished circumcising all the people that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed again drastically reducing their fighting ability. Ability to protect themselves. I mean invasion force when it goes into it occupied area, but your goal invasion.

The first military tactic to set a parameter up. This is not this is a pretty savvy perimeter is there incapacitated Genesis chapter 34. Now it came to pass in the third day when they were in pain or let me set that up first. Remember the 12 sons of Jacob had a sister Dinah and she was violated and they were unforgiving about this. They will take revenge.

Sadly they were going to use the holy right as a screen smokescreen for their revenge symbol of their holy faith, as it is a cover-up so they say to Shechem okay will let you marry our daughter but you going to have to become one of us and undergo this right and he wants Dinah so much he says okay I'll do it. In this it will all the men in your village are going to have to do it and they all do it to demonstrate their sincerity. Well, it was a planned Levi and Simeon leading the plan all the time when Achilles guys are going to incapacitate them.

The going to be in so much pain. He can't fight we're going to go kill them all and take what we want and that's precisely what they did.

Genesis 34. Now it came to pass in the third day what I'm bringing is the painful illness incapacitation that was suffered by the men gave the best third day when they were in pain that the two sons of Jacob Simeon and Levi rhino's brothers each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males so the point is God you serious, you want me to incapacitate my army to satisfy some ritual will of God says yes that's what I want you to do. It's no longer ritual.

It's a command faith in action. Faith can hurt another lesson that comes out obeying God hurt sometimes.

Sometimes wonderful. I would like a little more consistency.

This I get to be wonderful all the time and I'm still not adjusting when God calls me to do things I don't like.

I have long conversations about he dislike he closes the window or something, but he never chases me out please. I'm not ever. I've never felt God chase Paul out please Moses. I said enough of this, he told most. I don't hear about the promised land anymore. Paul Biscoe saw him three times got okay that's enough anyway. God coming back to this second Timothy chapter 2. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ understood that versus a Christian, just when it came to Christ okay does hardship but I forgot. Somewhere along the calling that this was to a pastor had to step I don't adjust well.

I find my groove and I want to stay there and in God is masterful in getting us out of our group because God sees a groove as a rut it's a good view told her said ruts along Ralph anyway.

Verse nine then Yahweh said to Joshua this day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.

Therefore, the name the place is called kill gal to this day. So Gil gal gets its name rolled away the shame. As the world watched the Jews come out of Egypt were traveled faster by camel. In those days, what had happened to you is to Pharaoh and his army, and then these people stalled right in the wilderness just stopped and wondered around in circles like is no home. Nowhere was there. Wherever they went.

Was somebody else's land Gil gal the place of self judgment.

Let's not lose sight of that with the circumcision painful act took place.

That's where the shame rolled away with the pain took place. Maybe you have experienced a personal Gil gal maybe you gone to something in this life that has brought shame to you in the eyes of others you become totally innocent. Joshua and Caleb were in this number they were innocent, yet they bore the shame. That's why so meaningful to Joshua.

The shame is gone. So you have this experience in your life. It lasts a long time where you live under shame, but God rolls away the shame when he is ready when it served the spec purpose. Gil gal becomes a place of restoration. When God says I never lost sight of it. I never lost sight of you.

I never stopped caring for you. I have my Gil gals I have some that will be future ones. I said that right but I think you understood what I meant well. Again, from this place where they turn the knives on themselves.

They would go out to conquer and the first battle will be an impregnable fortress. I mean Jericho is not this lesson in all kind of plank boards up and with this, huff and puff and blow this thing down. This was going to be a serious first fight and Joshua doesn't know at what cost. How many of my braves will I lose wasn't something that he took lightly at all well verse 10 we continue.

Now the children of Israel. Capt. Gil gal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho, well, you can bet at twilight, when the campfires were going Jericho. They were they were shaking in their sandals seeing the armies and armies of people camped out and I mean this is again not just an army of this nation over 2 million people.

But the laws required from Exodus that the Passover be the participants, the men be circumcised so we come to another verse from Corinthians because it has something to do with the New Testament we going to come to the section later in Joshua we divides the land to the tribes by lot. This is your lot a lot and sometimes you go out you see signs of said lots for sale and is nothing there if there's lots for sale. How come there's nothing there.

Anyway got it they going to divide the land and Joshua is going to assign boundaries. That's life.

I don't like it either, but there are things that restrict us, but goddesses this is your border you go no further than this, you will operate behind these lines and those who go over the line are trespassers in the world is full of who is got to say I think God is when you say I think God is you committing idolatry.

It is the first commandment you have violated is the worst one. The filing of all is you have told God, you are not who you say you are you will be who I say you are, because I think God is is your opinion not his.

And you're wrong.

Christian hopefully says I believe God is as he has revealed himself in his word and through his son. He who has seen the sun has seen the father digestive policy or from for my own devotion time and John and skid is used to be nice to be able fly through my devotions, you know three or four chapters a morning now I get a paragraph. Maybe I think that's good but I am still not comfortable with it.

Why am I telling you this point some reading in John's Gospel, but I don't know yesterday or today. Maybe I really reread it again today but John's gospel chapter 14, considering the love that that God has has for us to John's gospel 15 and and there in in that beautiful section of Scripture.

He says as the father loves me. I also have loved you. I can't love you with the same love that the father loves the son.

In other words, the love God has for Jesus Christ is the love that Jesus Christ has for us.

You and I can produce that kind of love we cannot say with the same love that the father has for me. I can love you will have that much luck we can try. We we what we ought to go after it. My point is you will never love your children, your spouse, your parents or anything else there. It is same love that the father love me.

I love you did not say with the same love you have for me. I love that would've messed everything that doesn't have very much to do with what I'm talking about, but I wanted to share. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Joshua cross reference is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, please visit our website cross reference radio.com find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified each new edition of cross reference radio. Just search for cross reference radio in iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast. You could also follow the links and cross reference radio.com. Glad we were able to spend time with you today to do next time to continue learning from the book of Joshua right here on cross reference radio