Joshua 7:1

Joshua 7:1 says, But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.  Once more, one of those called to be God's people disobeyed God's command.  Achan took an accursed thing.  Whatever it was, it was something that the people of Israel had been told not to take.  God was angry, not at just Aachan, but with all the people of Israel.  I believe that this was most likely because they had not corrected Achan.  We today cannot take the sins of others lightly, especially those committed by someone who professes to be a Christian.  Verse two states, And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.  Joshua sent men from Jericho to view, or scout out, Ai.  Verse three adds, And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.  The scouts returned and told Joshua to just send a few men, because Ai was small.  They were beginning to rely on their own strength instead of asking God what they should do.  When we begin to rely on our own strength, even when confronted with what seems to be a small problem, instead of relying on God's guidance and power, we have taken the first step toward failing spiritually.  Verse four says, So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.  The three thousand went to Ai, and they failed.  Verse five adds, And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.  When the people of Ai chased the men of Israel back to camp, the hearts of the people of Israel turned to water.  They were looking at the events of the world and not looking to God.  When we fail to keep God in charge of our plans, we should not be surprised when we suffer defeat.  We may begin to look at the world in fear.  Verse six declares, And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. Joshua and the elders, the religious leaders of Israel, humbled themselves before God.  When we realize that we have been acting without God's leadership, we need to humble ourselves before God and ask His forgiveness and guidance.  Verse seven adds, And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!  Joshua, the man of courage and strength in his faith, questioned God.  He asked why God didn't just leave them across the Jordan in safety.  When we feel that the world is about to overcome us, then we need to simply draw closer to God and not to question Him out of doubt.  Verse eight continues, O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!   Joshua asked God what he was to say when the people had run away from their enemies.  What are we to say to our fellow believers today when we flee from the world because of a lack of faith in God?  Verse nine concludes, For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?  Joshua forgot the great things that God had already done, and said that the people of Israel were going to be destroyed.  How often does our faith in God falter?  We need to always remember that the victory has already been secured through Christ.

Joshua 6:22

Joshua 6:22 says, But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.  Joshua kept the promise to Rahab.  He told the two men who had been the spies to go to her house and bring out all that were with Rahab and Rahab herself.  When we, as followers of Christ make a promise, especially one made in God's name, we should always do our best to keep it.  First though we must make sure that what we are promising is in the will of God.  For example, we cannot promise salvation by any other method than by faith in Christ as one's Savior and Lord, nor can we promise prosperity unless it is for the furthering of God's work and within His will.  Verse twenty-three states, And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.  The two young men who were spies went in and brought Rahab and her family out of the city.  They were the ones who knew her and had made the promise to her.  These two young men were also the ones that she knew.  Sometimes, it is easier to trust those that we have a personal relationship with, so we should be witnessing especially to those that we know who are lost, even though we are to also witness to those that we don't know.  Verse twenty-four declares, And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.  The people of Israel burned up everything and everyone in the city of Jericho, except the gold, silver and vessels of brass and iron.  These they brought into God's storehouse.  Though we might see this as being extreme, I believe that it was God's way of removing all pagan influence and insuring that His people were not just following Him for profit.  They could have had the whole city and its wealth, but what they were doing was not for them to get rich, but for them to prove their faithfulness to God.   We today should never see following God as a way to earthly riches, and I believe that we should never follow those who proclaim that God promises us riches if we follow Him.  Verse twenty-five says, And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.  This verse says that Joshua saved Rahab abd her family, but her faith in God and actions because of that faith saved Rahab.  We must not only have faith in God if we are to be effective in the world today, but we must act on that faith.  Verse twenty-six declares, And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.  Joshua warned the people against trying to rebuild the city of Jericho, just as we today should never attempt to rebuild the things that we tore down when we came to God by our faith in Jesus.  Verse twenty-seven adds, So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.  God had promised Joshua that He would be with him, and He was.  Joshua's fame did not grow because of his own abilities, but because of his faithfulness to God.  If people know our name today, let it be because of our faithfulness to God.

Joshua 6:6

Joshua 6:6 says, And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.   Joshua began to implement God's plan.  It is not enough to know what God wants us to do, but we must actually carry out His plan if we are going to be effective in the world.  Verse seven declares And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.  Joshua was getting the people ready for the victory, not just the battle.  As long as they followed God's plan, the victory was assured, just as our victory over sin and death are assured today, if we only put our faith in God through our relationship with Christ.  Verse eight states, And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.  The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets passed before the Lord.  I believe this must mean that they passed before the ark of the covenant, which represented the Lord to them.  As followers of Christ, wherever we go, we pass before the Lord, since we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit.  Verse nine adds, And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.  With the armed men in front, the priests came after the ark of the covenant.  The priests were armed with trumpets, which doesn't seem to be much of a weapon.  When we are following God's directions, we will be capably armed, no matter how the world may view us.  Verse ten declares, And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.  Joshua told the people to remain silent until he told them to shout.  We today would be better off remaining silent unless we are speaking under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and when we are, we need to boldly shout God's word.  Verse eleven says. So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.  The people and the ark of the covenant went around the city once and returned to camp.  I believe that the people of Jericho had to be wondering what was going on, just as lost people in the world today often wonder what is going on with God's people.  When we follow Christ, we should be living by a different standard than the world does.  Verse twelve states, And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.  Then verse thirteen adds, And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.  The next day, starting early in the morning, the priests circled the city, blowing their trumpets continuously.  When we have something to do for God there is no need to wait if we know for sure that God is leading us to do it now.  Verse fourteen concludes, And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.  For six days, they made a circuit around the city.  Even when we may not understand exactly why God is leading us to do something, all we need to do is to obey His command, and if we do, we will be successful in our task for His glory.

Joshua 6:15

Joshua 6:15 says, And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.  The seventh day was different.  The people of Israel once again arose early, but instead of circling Jericho once, they circled it seven times.  Again this was according to God's guidance.  When we are following God's guidance, some days more will be required of us physically than others, but the same thing is required spiritually, and that is that we obey God.  Verse sixteen states, And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.   There was another difference on this day as well.  Joshua told the people that when the priests blew the trumpets that they were to shout.  Joshua said they were to do ths because God had given them the city.  At this point, the walls were still up and it looked like nothing had changed, so the people had to act in faith.  Sometimes, when we are doing God's work, it may seem as though nothing changes, but if we are following God's guidance, we need to just shout in victory anyway, because God has given us the victory.  Verse seventeen adds, And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.  Joshua said that everyone in the city was to be accursed, except for Rahab and those of her family that were with her.  God was going to honor the promise made to Rahab because of what she did for the spies out of faith.  Even if the whole world around us falls apart, we as followers of Christ are assured of our deliverance because of our faith in Him.  Verse eighteen declares, And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.  Basically, the people of Israel were told to not attempt to profit materially from the fall of Jericho.  We today are not called to follow God so that we can profit materially, but so that we can profit spiritually.  Joshua said if they took the things that God had called accursed that they would make the people of Israel accursed.  When we begin to bring the values of the world into our life, we will end up causing our actions to be accursed by God.  We cannot serve both God and worldly things.  Verse nineteen adds, But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.  All the gold, silver and vessels of brass were to be brought into God's storehouse.  God gave them the victory, and He didn't do it so they could be more successful materially.  We are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ, not so we can be more successful materially, but so that we can be more successful spiritually.  We owe it all to God, but how much are we willing to give back to Him materially?  Verse twenty declares, So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.  When the trumpet sounded and the people shouted the wall fell flat.  I have heard people try to explain why the wall fell, saying that harmonics of sound vibrated the walls causing them to fall.  They miss the whole point.  The trumpet and the shouting didn't cause the wall to fall, but God did.  The trumpet playing and the shouting were only ways for the peole of Israel to show their obedience to God.  God could have caused the wall to fall at anytime without the people of Israel doing anything.  When we are doing things for the Lord today and meet with success, we must always remember that He is the One Who brings victory.  God simply allows us to show our obedience by doing what He calls us to do.  Verse twenty-one declares, And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.  The people of Israel killed ever living thing in the city.  We might find this extreme, but God was establishing His people in the land that He had promised them.  I personally believe that no one who died had their spiritual destiny altered, but we are told by their actions concerning God and His people that the people of Jericho were never going to accept God.  They had several days to open the gates and surrender to God.  People today may die in what seems to be an unfair manner, but none will die without having an opportunity to come to God.  If they did, then God would be an unjust God, and He is not.

Joshua 6:1

Joshua 6:1 says, Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.  Jericho was sealed behind the gates because of their fear of the people of Israel.  I believe more accurately they were sealed behind the gates because of their fear of the God of Israel.  God was not their God, so they feared Him and His people.  People today often seal their hearts against accepting Christ, because they don't want to acknowledge God as their God.  Whether they fear Him or just don't want to acknowledge Him is unimportant, since the result is the same.  Verse two states, And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. God promised Joshua that He had already given the victory over Jericho and its king and men of valor to Joshua.  God didn't tell Joshua to prepare battering rams or any other device or ladders to bridge the wall.  God simply told Joshua that He was giving Joshua the victory.  Verse three declares, And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.  God's battle plan started with having the people of Israel simply march around Jericho for six days.  This does not seem like much of a battle plan.  Still, it required the people of Israel to obey God's command, and I am sure it probably made the people of Jericho feel a little more at ease.  After all, marching around the city didn't really affect them.  God's plan of salvation is very simple, and that is coming to Him through faith in Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord.  We are not to go out and force anyone to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and many lost people today who have built up walls around their heart do not feel that the gospel of Christ affects them at all.  No matter how many times the gospel is presented, they simply choose to ignore it.  Verse four adds, And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. The seventh day was to be different.  Seven priests were to bear the ark of the covenant, that represented God's presence with the people of Israel and seven trumpets while marching around the city seven times.  This had to have gotten the attention of those inside the walls of Jericho.  At some point in time, even the person who is the most adamant in denying God is going to be made aware of the reality of God.  God uses many different methods to accomplish this, but as followers of Christ we must be ready to do whatever He calls us to do, even if it seems somewhat foolish to us.  The priests and the people might have been wondering by the seventh day what was really going to happen.  We today might wonder at times if God's salvation plan is enough, but we must acknowledge that it is the only way to defeat sin in the world.  Verse five concludes, And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city shall fall flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.  The plan to get past the walls of Jericho was sounding trumpets and giving a loud shout.  When this was done, then the walls would be laid flat and the people of Israel could enter Jericho.  God could have just as easily leveled the walls by His own power, but He called on the people of Israel to obey His command and to be part of the victory.  Today, God could and does reveal Himself to everyone, and He can do so without our help, but He chooses to allow us to be a part of His victory.  We simply have to follow God's leadership in obedience.

Joshua 5:10

Joshua 5:10 says,  And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.  The people of Israel kept the Passover while they were encamped in Gilgal.  They started their rime in the promised land by observing the things that God had commanded them to do all those years ago.  We today are still to observe God's law, though we are set free from its penalty if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  Doing what God commands us to do should always come before anything else.  The people of Israel were not busy preparing for war, but were worshipping God.  Verse eleven states, And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.  They ate of the old corn of the land on the day after the Passover.  This was corn that they found in the land where they were.  God had promised them that the land that He was giving them would be a land of plenty, and this was proof of that.  I don't know everything about what heaven will be like, but I do know that it will be a place where all our needs are met, just as the promised land was a place where all of the needs of the people of Israel were met.  Verse twelve adds, And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.  The manna from heaven stopped that day.  This would have been basically the only food source that these people had known, now it was stopping, because they were where God had intended them to be all those years ago.  We don't find anything saying that they thought that they would starve without the manna.  God may provide for us in a particular way in a particular situation and then whatever the provision He has been providing may stop, but that doesn't mean that He will leave us in need.  The people of Israel had the riches of the promised land to replace the manna.  We will one day have the riches of heaven to replace whatever God has blessed us with in this world, and we can be certain that the things will be so much better.  Verse thirteen declares, And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  Joshua saw a man with a sword when he lifted up his eyes and looked toward Jericho.  Joshua did not panic or run away in fear, but he simply asked the man if he was for the people of Israel or if he was for their adversaries.  When we encounter people in the world today, we should first determine if they are for God or against God.  We will never be alone when we are doing God's work.  Verse fourteen states, And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?  The man said that he was the captain of the host of the Lord.  The people of Israel were not going into battle by their own strength and might, but by the strength and might of God.  Joshua fell to his face and worshipped.  I believe that he worshipped God and not the man who stood there.  God may send angels to help us in our struggles today, but if He does, we are always to worship God and never the angel.  Joshua then asked the man what was he to do.  We need  to always ask what God would have us do in any situation and be open to His answer, no matter how it may come.  Verse fifteen proclaims, And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.  Joshua was told to remove his shoes because he was on holy ground.  I believe that as followers of Christ that wherever we go, since the Holy Spirit lives in us, should be considered holy ground.  We should never view any place that we go as a place where God is not with us so we don't have to be concerned with following His direction and law.

Joshua 5:1

Joshua 5:1 says, And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.  What God was doing was not done in secret.  The kings of the Amorites and the kings of the Canaanites heard what God had done, and they lost all their spirit to fight.  When God is truly at work in the world, I don't believe there will be any doubt that He is the One doing whatever is being done.  The world may not lose their desire to fight against God, but we as His people must realize that the victory is already His and never lose our spirit to stand with Him.  Verse two declares, At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.  The people of Israel were to be circumcised for a second time.  This ritual had not been kept up during the wilderness wanderings, so many of the men had not been circumcised.  Verse three adds, And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.  Joshua did as God commanded, and so did the men of Israel.  Though the command went to Joshua, it affected all the men of Israel.  Like them, we must be ready to obey when we know that God has given us a command, even if the message comes from another Christian.  Verse four continued, And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.  All those who had come out of Egypt had died in the wilderness because of their lack of faith in God.  It is a shame when a person comes so close to the promised land, or especially salvation, and then lacks the faith to go all the way with God.  Verse five states, Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.  As stated already, those born in the wilderness had not been circumcised, which was the way that they were identified as followers of God.  Today, people of  every generation must come to God through faith in Christ.  Just because our parents are Christians does not make us automatically a Christian also.  Verse six adds, For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.  Just as God had said, those who refused to enter the promised land the first time they were there died in the wilderness.  We need to follow Christ closely by faith so that we don't wander needlessly in the wilderness.  Verse seven declares, And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.  The children of those who came out of the wilderness were circumcised by Joshua, which then identified them as God's chosen people.  Verse eight says, And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the clamp, till they were whole.  The people stayed in camp until they were healed.  We today need to make sure that we are spiritually well before undertaking any task that God calls us to.  Verse nine declares, And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.  The reproach of Egypt was the lack of faith on the part of those who came out of Egypt but lacked the faith to enter the promised land.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, all the reproach of our past sins is removed.