Conquest of Jericho (Part A)

Then of course the words number seven in the Hebrew itself comes from the root meaning to be full to be satisfied be complete and help give this Cigna sacred significance to the Jewish shows up scripturally see the number 78 they think about what's going on average you go to Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 to 3, and God gives seven blessings that he promises to Abraham.

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, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Joshua chapter 6 as he begins his message. Conquest of Jericho Joshua chapter 6 the fall of Jericho now because of the unspeakably corrupt lives of the people in Canaan, the land was about to vomit them out.

Now if I had chosen those words it would be boy, that's a little harsher little but that's biblical Leviticus chapter 15 verse 25 for the land is defiled. Therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it in the land vomits out its inhabitants. That's a violent rejection. They are about to be ejected from the sword over the centuries.

All of the nations in Canaan had become so morally corrupt and depraved as the theological word that the land had to be cleansed.

They were irretrievable. They would not repent, there were of course it was Rahab and God even showed some mercy to the Gibeonites, but overall they were unfit to continue the things that they were doing the Bible is not interested in saying let me tell you again all the rotten things are doing. It was mentioned in Leviticus, God said to his people. These the things that they're doing. I don't want you doing them and we don't lose sight of that in case there is somebody who thinks they can be more merciful than God, more wiser than he, which in the world. There are many like that the Lord is shown himself as the commander, the one in charge of God's will, God's intention and Joshua submitted to him as the commander of God's forces of God's will, God's instruments.

As I said earlier minimums go and but he still did not have a battle plan and how to take Jericho a double walled city on slopes. No siege engines that systems humanly not possible with what Joshua had at his disposal. Even Army would siege engines would've had a very difficult time.

It would involve faith and work which is what James tries to get up cross to the church that he was preaching due to his letter faith and works.

They go together just can give God lipservice and just can't work want a combination of them, author and date Mary spirit, not just Bible study and no action. Not all action and no Bible study but striking that balance. Hopefully, the study of the world will bring about the action but without the word you will not have the faith and devotion. Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God. We should not lose sight of that verse one now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel.

None went out and none came in or to the Jericho being a type of the world and we haven't these three chapters chapter 678. We have Jericho AI in the in the Gibeonites and they all parallel and in some respect the world the flesh and in the devil and not just take a little time to bring those out here they are on lockdown against job Joshua. Joshua and his armies. Of course, the Lord just as the world locks down on on Christ bills these high walls up so that the Lord can't get in. Determined to resist him to the death. That was Jericho like the world and untenable and indefensible position in spite of seeing God do miracles. In spite of the record, in spite of the you know they knew all the way from 40 years ago what God did in Egypt. Just like the world did not mean enough. The fact that they just crossed the Jordan with 2 million men, women, children and animals and during its high flood season. They just dismissed it. They were going to somehow survive this. They thought now they were surrounded by the Jews.

Now the Jews had to bring them down quickly because if they delay too long than the other Canaanite people may come to the rescue to assist those that would be besieged though the seed was not a good option. They had to conquer them in a reasonably fast time really to talk about the walls a little bit more in this, incidentally, locking the city keeping the men of war in the city so that they don't run away and also causing them the fight harder for their families and is one of the reasons why the lockdown and one spies coming, etc. but these wall another city that one of Israel will face next in chapter 7 AI was considered small, next to Jericho, but were told in Joshua chapter 8 that there were 12,000 people in AI thought that was a small city compared to Jericho, thinking that there must be speaking of the population also in Jericho probably has somewhere 20, 24,000 people.

Archaeologists have of course chimed in on this and they estimate the population to be somewhere between 18 20,000 people. Also as a fortified city. As I mentioned double Ringwald going his eyes 45 feet.

The first level was in all walls. If you got past that one euro going up a hill now sloped upward to another wall 45 at 4 1/2 stories tall. By our calculations today and for the first one was 6 feet thick. The second wall, 12 feet thick so no wonder Joshua was looking at Jericho, wondering how my going to get in there. How we going to conquer this God set him up.

God was going to. Of course get him up into the city also affected. It was built on the Hill meant that the Jews would have to fight an uphill battle which is never good. You suffer very high losses and that kind of an assault so that I direct assault is not advisable and fortifications. The arrows that they would be shooting all the other booby-traps they would throw their way just made this a mess but God intervened just like in the life of an unbeliever who has these high walls up these fortifications is adamant about resisting Christ Jesus has to show himself the one who planned strategy to bring the walls down and there's no other way. This lesson from life of Paul.

From that moment in the life of Thomas were here unless I can stick my fingers in his wounds.

I'm not going to believe he had put high walls up as his feelings were hurt.

He had spent so much time loving Jesus, watching him dedicated ready to die with him.

Thomas was the one that said let us go to Jerusalem, that we might die with him.

He was not afraid, but when he saw Christ died on the cross is just too much know what to do would not be tricked again that that is why make such a statement is he doesn't course, the Lord overcomes that war miraculously go ahead, stick your fingers in the womb.

Our own personal conversion is proof that great walls can come down if God gets involved in and that's what part of the story is to us in verse two he says and Yahweh said yup Joshua.

See, I have given Jericho into your hand is King and the mighty men of valor. This is a book of war. Again, he cannot go with an eviction notice expect him to just pack up and leave the city they would be the deed to actually go into the city and shed blood. Much blood was 24, 20, 24,000 people that animals able to kill the oxen and sheep.

They were not to take the spoil for themselves. Joshua strategy was to split the promised land, and to cut right through Jericho across and then cut south vanquish the larger forces that were threats and then move up north and that he did but this is the first stop first place.

The Joshua which strike is the world is a mention Jericho represents for our consideration. A type of the world the first place.

The Lord strikes at the first place. When enslaving a soul is their worldly relationship and out of that Jesus said the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you John 1518. So we Christians should never be surprised when the world turns on us and hates us and the passion even the second enemy AI represents the flesh, the word AI means rulings.

That's what the flesh does do is it ruins everything spiritual if not dealt with Joshua when it's time to face a lot AI he sends a small force against them. The reports come back was a small city than Jericho was a mention we can take it with a smaller army to be easy to take, but it is the first place in the promised land that they suffered a telling defeat they underestimated AI just like we when we come to Christ were so in love with him were ready for the miracles we underestimate our own flesh.

Our own carnality we underestimate the rest of another Christian also and we suffer telling defeats that way. So here in Joshua we get these lessons will revisit that again many Christians can overcome the world at the week become a Christian. We come into the faith that we can we get out of Jericho. We come into the faith, but we don't march around the flesh without horns ready for war. As we do. We don't watch around the flesh is redo the world. The tactics that worked in Jericho some of that needs to be applied to AI to the flesh will next up would be the Gibeonites.

They represent the devil because they lied to the people of God, and that's what Satan always does, without exception, when he's telling the truth is, because he setting up a lie so his truths are then lies and never to be received. Revelation 12 so the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world is cast to the earth. Verse three of images review that case have lost any of you so here Jericho type of the world with her high walls AI the next objective after they bring down Jericho they going to have discouraged and going to go in and they going eating that first battle the underestimated the flesh, the place of ruin and then they will deal with the Gibeonites, who will deceive them because Joshua doesn't seek the Lord. He goes in his own strength, which is such a typical mistake at the rookie mistake you could say Christians. This was the obvious thing to do with a lien on their own understanding and not the Lord. The next thing you know there's a tremendous problem. Verse three you shall march around the city all your man of war and you shall go all around the city once this you should do six days we here we have the leader, Joshua.

He's going to be part of this number marching around the city at the 40 is marching on the desert. This was cakewalk. You could say but there would be Joshua, the leader that would be the troops and they would be.

The priestess was the formation just made up their formation and without these battering rams and siege engines they were going to have to bring down the walls. According to God's strategy.

He says you shall go all around the city once that's once for six days. These orders are by man standards are insane their waste any any go get him commander would be saying what you doing sending our forces in circles. Maybe you have said that to God, maybe, is that God I'm going in circles here. I'm just marching around the place that's giving me the problem. The place that's got to be conquered.

I'm just going in circles where to get the victory. Another minor one another. March I want to take him out so the lessons that come from the rehab must be looking out the window. She is a walled in our windows on the whole outer wall she got everything they waiting for this Thing Don Snow human puts together together a battle plan like this and then wins great credit to this generation of Jews they adhere to their instructions and not people about not doing. They also offer formation, and they all March. Unlike you, so many of our Christians are those who claim Christ that never in formation kill him go to church in the Bible is very clear on this is not a suggestion, or calls them deserters forsaking the assembling of ourselves and I hope that this heart as it can sometimes be to attend the same church over decades.

I hope you understand that supposed to be worth it.

What are we supposed to do everything we know like something's researchers as musical churches music stops when you no longer happy testing churches, a mentor, Dr. Dr. and go south. That's another matter suits the critical doctrines, not the secondary doctrines, the essentials. For example, what if the church had everything in place except love critical toxins not there, you shouldn't be either. Well, at this again once a day for six days get to keep in mind they have. They cannot hug the wall as their wall marching around the city that gotta keep a distance that a guest at a narrow range. For example, and probably insult range to will need to hear them being mocked.

Hey you.almost in that all you got verse four and seven preshow bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times and the priest shall blow the trumpets. Now the he still getting his orders from God. This is the strategy is not yet given it to the Army. But again, there is a discipline lot overall and they're not going to give Joshua problem the stick to their word.

As we were with Moses we going to be with you not like our fathers were not with Moses would like we were anyway. We need to focus point out the ark here may have been uncovered for all of this, we don't know we know that the instructions were to cover it when it was outside of the tabernacle was hard to picture such a glorious in art but even if it was covered it would still go mysterious in your mysteriously leading us as God does, it would be in character. I'd just tinker with that is a look at this verse. All the artists artist get a lot of stuff wrong I'm all they do, they they can draw pictures like nobody else does, whether artists but when it comes to detail the they often make a mess of things.

Sometimes as little things like the one we have of Moses out there with the wise one with the rod holding his rod up to skinny Rod would be thicker than that you can't take a snake out with something like that and I know we have church snake bikers, and I'm not speaking against them. But but that's one of the main reasons they had those things to protect themselves from Beeston creepy things anyway. Brewer website 77. We have a Sesame Street moment we need to talk about the emphasis of the number 77 Pres seven trumpets count them in the count second is the Q1 737 trumpets, seven days of marching seven circuits around the city and then the seventh day, a lot of sevens is clearly written into the life of Israel. The number 70. Clearly this a significance to this number seven. We have to be careful that we don't know start trying to read this and as an omen into something it is there. There are lessons in the number for Israel and the way God moves and we can grab some of those lessons but we don't want to become superstitious. You know Matt, it was a Christian baseball team and everybody wanted the number seven, it just wouldn't work out. You have numbers up to like 7777 and just keep going to satisfy some superstition.

The number seven the Sabbath created on the seventh of the week 7×7 is 49. The 49th, 49 days to Pentecost the 50th. They would be the celebration. The seventh year was the sabbatical year again 7×749 years comes than the 50th year, the year of Jubilee. Three of Israel's major fees were in the seventh month that would be the feast of trumpets, atonement and and booths and then of course the words number seven in the Hebrew itself, Shiva comes from the root meaning to be full to be satisfied to to be complete and help give this sickness sacred significance to the Jew and shows up in Scripture.

They see the number 70 plate they think about what's going on imprinted you go to Genesis chapter 12 verses one through three and God gives seven blessings that he promises to Abraham and you know anybody that I will bless and blesses you I will curse accursed you notice two of the seven that are in that that section of promises seven promises to Abraham. Seven branches on the tabernacle, lampstands and sevens are everywhere. No other number shelves up like seven anything involving the number seven spiritual meaning to them and in their Scripture that came from the Lord as others, but that's enough for now, suffice it to say the seven spoke of God's ability to finish whatever he started. That's the point. The seventh day he rested because he finished what he started, and cursed, came and upset the whole thing. And Jesus comes along and says my father works until now. Yeah I work on the Sabbath. I don't have a day off because sin we understand that with our emergency services. We do, we don't want them to be on film: what one you sorry they're all off today call back tomorrow and so we can understand that there's this drummer introduced to the human experience. This the Sabbath is not what used to be. Things change. We adjusted we follow them, we hold to what we can, but we move intelligently through time hopefully us Christians just as as they were to move or come to that again in a minute.

He says in the preshow blow the trumpets. Joshua six. The word shofar trumpet and another word for trumpet also shows up a distance this interchangeable is on a different type of horn. I didn't have you know French horns and tubers, which is I may do the if mankind did not have the tube with anybody notice like man.

Where is the thing that goes around the guy like him tire now maybe you play the tuber because he didn't like your parents and and if this is interesting thought and you and I haven't had hate mail in a while and give somebody because I got the snake lovers in the two blood was coming after me. Anyway, the word shofar shows up 14 times in this one chapter in eight versus and so there's an emphasis there is. This is the horn of war. That's what this is being used and that's its dominant usage and the Scripture so you know, we understand a lot about God and ourselves from the Bible we don't understand. Of course everything about God cannot be fully understood that otherwise it would be worthy of worship. One thing that belongs to worship his law that this is beyond me. This is something so high and so lifted up I just kind of appreciate what I can let lay hold of and also appreciate that there's an infinite amount more that I can't hold it or get hold of and I just love knowing that that is there. The ultimate mysteries of God as Moses taught in Deuteronomy 29 the secret things belong to God, but there are other things that belong to us.

There other mysteries that we can discover and explore and and used to the glory of the kingdom.

Verse five it shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the rams horns and when you hear the sound of the trumpet that all the people shall shout with great a great shout in the wall of the city shall fall down flat and the people shall go up every man straight before him. None of that will be on the seventh day when the walls go flat in the people go and enter the city of the wall to not have to come down every single place. Incidentally, they only need to come down with a need to be breached that this an interesting thought. Also a because Rahab had everything collapsed her house being on the wall. She would have been in the rubble and God doesn't do it that way.

There's a lot of details in this section that really are dead-end rabbit trails just not really worth you know you sure it wasn't on the trumpet eyes to agonize over these things and you end up in dead ends and you get back to wait a minute.

The study of the words to find out what God is saying it's not just this you know adventure hunt can be a little bit just can't let it get carried away so it would be one loud, long, clear blast that would do the city in and so we have it ordered by God commanded through Joshua Joshua and executed by the troops. The priest and the troops to preserve the horns, troops, swords, verse six, and so their men with horns and men with sword, not horns going out of their head. They have horns. Nonetheless, I thought that was kinda cute read to myself earlier, but you guys know of heart move. 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 of 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 due to next time to continue learning from the book of Joshua right here on cross reference radio