Evening Sermon

October 7, 2007

The song is wrong

Text

According to Lt. Col. Faris Kirkland, former professor of military science at the Univ. of Pa, the most exciting lecture he ever heard was on an ancient general's military tactics. The lecturer was a visitor to his class, not even a regular teacher. But he held his students spellbound as he described this man's military strategy: a sudden strike into the heart of the enemy's territory, thus dividing his forces, then campaigns to the south and north. He described techniques of psychological warfare, the elements of speed, surprise, and terror.

Who was this ancient military genius? The students suggested Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Attilla the Hun. It was only at the end of the lecture, after all the possible names had been exhausted, that the teacher revealed the identity of the one whose battles he was describing: Joshua.

At one time the brilliant British Field Marshal Edmund H. Allenby must have studied this book, too, for Joshua's strategy was the one he adopted in his successful liberation of Palestine in WWI. Palestine is a hilly country, and the major passage through it is a connecting road that runs from south to north through the highest portions of the land. Joshua's strategy (and Allenby's) was to drive westward from the Jordan Valley to that high road, thus dividing the country. Then, when the enemy forces were divided, they would first destroy the opposition to the south and then the opposition to the north. This is the outline of the campaign described in Joshua 6-11. Never forget that the book of Joshua is a story of a successful military campaign.

But before the country could be divided, a wedge had to be driven from the Jordan River valley to the mountains. The first obstacle was at the city of Jericho. By our standards, Jericho was a small place. Archaeologists have estimated its size at between 4-1/2 and 7 acres. Seven acres at most.

Jericho was not big, but it was a military fortress, built to defend the eastern approach to the high country. It was much easier to defend than to attack, and it could not be bypassed. It was a dismaying challenge. Jericho's walls were high, its position advantageous. What could Joshua do against such an obstacle?

Perhaps his advisors would tell him to take the fortified city by siege, advising him to starve Jericho's defenders into submission. Surely, they couldn't hold on forever. But Joshua didn't adopt that strategy. He had one advisor, one commander whose plan he followed. He met that commander in the verses we studied last week.

5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" 15 Then the Commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

It was the Lord himself. And the Lord had a plan. And the fall of Jericho demonstrates to us that:

I. GOD'S PEOPLE MUST TRUST IN GOD'S POWER. This story is a story about power. The battle of Jericho was a demonstration of God's power.

Illus: This is a familiar children's story. And there is a familiar song that tells this story. "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho...and the walls came tumbling down."

But the song is wrong. The walls did come tumbling down. That part was right. But Joshua didn't fight the battle of Jericho, unless you call walking around a city for six days, then six times on the seventh day, and the seventh time shouting a loud shout. If that is fighting, then Joshua fought.

But this isn't a story about Joshua's ability to fight. God did the fighting, and this is a story about God's ability to do anything he wants. v.1-2

God fulfilled that promises. And he did it by his own power. This is a story of God's power. And,

A. God's power is demonstrated in our foolishness. Make no mistake about it. In the eyes of the citizens of Jericho, Joshua and his armies made fools of themselves for six days. Joshua must have thought that when he first heard the battle plan. v.3-7

Just to make it seem all the more ridiculous, the people were to remain silent. Then, at the moment of climax, they were to let out a huge shout. v.10

Imagine that you were one of those soldiers of Israel. Imagine hearing your commanding officer give those orders. Imagine listening to the mocking insults of the army of Jericho. That mocking must have increased over those six days. And you were to walk around silently, day after day, like an idiot.

There is an abiding principle in all of that. A grain of truth that is meaningful today as it was then. God's power is demonstrated in our foolishness.

Do you know the greatest example of that? God's power demonstrated in our foolishness. The cross of Jesus. The gospel itself is the greatest example of God's power being demonstrated through foolishness. So is this ritual we call preaching.

1Cor. 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence."

Why does God demonstrate his power in our foolishness? So that we won't have any ground to boast. 1Cor. 1:31 "...that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

But it is not enough just to say that God demonstrates his power in ways that seem like foolishness to us. We need to trust in that power, in other words, to obey what God wants. Joshua and the people heard God's plan for attacking Jericho. For them, believing in God's power meant doing what he said. So that,

B. God's power is demonstrated in our trusting obedience. And if we are not willing to obey God, trusting that his way is the best way, however foolish that may seem, then we will never experience God's power.

Two of the most dangerous words that could ever hear are "yes, but..." Do you ever say, "Yes, but..." "Yes, I agree with you, but..." "Yes, I know that is what God says, or I know that is what the Bible says, but..." "Yes, I know that would be helpful, I know that would be good, but..."

Don't ever say "yes, but..." to God. Just say yes. For God's power is demonstrated in our trusting obedience.

For Joshua, God's power was demonstrated when the people obeyed, however foolish it may have seemed to them at the time. v.8-9 v.11

That first night must have been a strange experience. Do you ever wonder what they talked about? Or what they thought, or how they felt?

But they got up, day after day, faithfully trusting by obeying. v.12-16

And what happened? They saw and they experienced God's power. v.20

How often it is that we do not experience much of God's power in our life is because we are unwilling to obey him, really obey him? Do you ever see that in your own life? Sometimes we act as if we walk by sight and not by faith? Sometimes you need to know that something will benefit you before you do it? You need to know how it will benefit you, how it will profit you, before you are willing to obey. Sometimes, we just don't want to do anything foolish, and beloved, obeying God is often judged to be foolish in the eyes of the world.

There is an old familiar song entitled "I'll do it my way." If you are old enough, you can just hear Frank Sinatra singing it. That song title so well describes the hearts of sinful men. "I'll do it my way." But if you want to know God's power in our own life, then we need to change our tune. You need to be singing in your hearts, "I'll do it God's way."

That was Joshua's battle plan. "I'll do it God's way." So the battle of Jericho was not won by the strength of Joshua and his men. The battle of Jericho was won by the power of God, which was demonstrated by the faith of the people.

Hebr. 11:30 "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days."

By faith the walls fell. What does that mean? The army of Israel believed God. They trusted God. They obeyed God-they did it his way. By faith, the walls fell.

We face a lot of battles like Jericho. We come across many fortified cities and many well established stongholds. We face lots of obstacles, as individuals and as a church. And if you wish to experience God's power, then you must be willing to live by faith, therefore in trusting obedience. Not fearful obedience. Not legalistic or self-righteous or superficial obedience. Not perfunctory duty. But trusting obedience.

Be careful never to say to God, "Yes, but..." Just say "yes." Then you will be able to experience God's power. Very much related to that,

II. GOD'S PEOPLE MUST GIVE TO GOD WHAT HE REQUESTS. That is certainly an important part of obedience. And God does make requests of us, just like he did of Joshua.

v.17

Doomed to destruction, a phrase best translated "under the ban." Certain things were to be put under the ban, which meant that they were to be totally devoted to the Lord or accursed, as the original KJV translates. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

To put something under the ban meant to give it over, irrevocably, to the Lord. It couldn't be redeemed. It couldn't ever be reclaimed.

Lev. 27:28 "Nevertheless no devoted offering that a man may devote to the LORD of all that he has, both man and beast, or the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted offering is most holy to the LORD."

And there really are two separate ideas involved in that, depending on whether the object put under the ban was a good thing or a bad thing. In principle, both of those ideas are as true today as they were then.

A. Things harmful to the kingdom of God must be completely destroyed. Make no mistake about it. When the city of Jericho was put under the ban, it was accursed, it was destroyed, even annihilated.

v.17-18 Devoted or accursed things were things put under the ban. Stay away from them.

More descriptive explanation. v.21 v.24

Why? Why did they do that? Why did God tell them to do that? Things harmful to the kingdom of God must be completely destroyed.

You misunderstand the OT if you think these passages justify such killing today. And you misunderstand it if you think that this is a barbarian description of something that a loving God would never do. You misunderstand if you simply see an OT God of wrath and terrible anger, who somehow mellows by the time the NT comes about.

Actually, this destruction is a preview of the final judgment.

Rev. 18:20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!" 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore."

In the OT, there was another reason why things, and nations, were put under the ban and totally destroyed.

Deut. 20:17 "...but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 "lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.'

Did you catch the reason? If God's people don't destroy things harmful to the kingdom of God, they will inevitably succumb to those very temptations.

Does that mean we should kill non-Christians today? No, I think Jesus has a much different application of this principle.

Matt. 5:29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."

In other words, destroy the source of your temptation. If something in your life is harmful to the kingdom of God, then it must be destroyed. It must be put under the ban. Let me encourage you to identify those things in your life!

So Paul expresses his personal testimony in these words,

1 Cor. 9:24 "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

I beat my body, he says. That's putting what is harmful under the ban, devoted to destruction.

Yet sometimes, good things are put under that ban. And in that case, putting such things under the ban means that,

B. Things set apart by God must be completely surrendered to God. We have an example of that in this chapter, also. v.19

Things were holy to the Lord. Set apart for God. Consecrated. v.24

Sometimes, good things are put under the ban. Sometimes, God calls us to sacrifice good things to him, to surrender to him good things as an act of worship. Often material things were given to God as firstfruits, then used to support the Levites and the priests. Same principle is true for us today is giving tithes and offerings. Giving something to the Lord as a sacrifice. It pleases him. It becomes a burnt offering that brings him pleasure.

Therefore, there are two ideas associated with putting something under the ban, destruction by God and surrendered to God. Both identified in,

Deut 13:15 "...you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword--utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword. 16 "And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again."

And what is the result of such obedience in devoting things to God?

Deut. 13:17 "So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, 18 "because you have listened to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God."

But what about us today? Understanding what it means to put something under the ban is very important for us today, because it describes true Christian discipleship. As Christians, God calls us to give him the first 10% of our income, as a burnt offering. He calls us to give him the first day in 7. He calls us to give him our gifts and abilities, our time and our talents, our energy and even our emotions.

As Christians, our whole lives are to put under the ban, our lives are to be totally surrendered to God.

Jesus said this far better than I could explain it: Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

That is the call of discipleship. That is what it means to put your whole life under the ban. In a similar way, the apostle Paul tells us how to live as Christians. Rom. 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

God's people must give to God what he requests. And do you know what he requests? Everything. Your whole life. He doesn't want some of it. He wants all of it. Put your whole life under the ban. Surrender your whole life to God. Not a part of it. Not most of it. All of it!

Illus: "All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my being's ransomed powers, all my thought and words and doings, all my days and all my hours. Let my hands perform his bidding, let my feet run in his ways; let my eyes see Jesus only, let my lips speak forth his praise."

Don't let these words pass over you quickly. Let them sink into your heart deeply, and live them.

One final lesson from these verses is that,

III. GOD'S PEOPLE MUST RECOGNIZE GOD'S UNCHANGEABLE PURPOSE. The story of Jericho, the whole story of the conquest of the land, is a story about how God brings about his purposes. And he brings about his purposes sovereignly and faithfully. God doesn't change his mind. God doesn't alter his plans.

Eph. 1:11 "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will."

And God's purposes include both judgment and salvation, and we see them both here clearly.

A. God's judgment is unchangeable. v.26-27

The ban would continue into the future, so great was God's power and so complete was his unchangeableness. When God pronounces judgment, he brings judgment. That was true for Jericho, and that will be true at the future judgment. That judgment will come.

Hebr. 9:27 "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."

And so one of the most questions of all life is this, "How can I escape that judgment?" That is the deepest question anyone could ask. That is the greatest knowledge that anyone could possess. How can I escape the sure and certain judgment of Almighty God?

Well, Joshua had an answer. I have an answer. Not only is God's judgment unchangeable, so is his salvation.

B. God's salvation is unchangeable. Let's end by taking another look at Rahab. You remember her story. She was a prostitute. God came to her, and the two spies came to her. She protected them, she believed that the God of Israel would give the land of Canaan to Israel. And she asked for protection. And she got it.

v.22-23, 25

Rahab was a woman of faith, and her protection from the destruction that came to Jericho illustrates the very central point of the gospel. God saves his people with an unchangeable salvation.

Learn from this illustration. God's judgment is coming. It is certain and unchangeable. It will be universal, and it will be eternal. But there is a way to escape that judgement.

I read earlier that man is destined to die once and then to face judgment. Let me read the whole verse and its context.

Hebr. 9:26 "He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Are you waiting, in faith, for Jesus Christ to return? Are you waiting, knowing that the curse of the law which you deserve, has been removed by the blood of Jesus Christ? Do you believe that he was sacrificed once to take away your sins?

You can have that assurance and that confidence. You can be sure that God's unchangeable judgment will not condemn you, and that his unchangeable salvation will be yours for eternity.

How can you be sure? Trust in his power, not your own power to save yourself. Trust in his power, the message of the gospel, the message of Jesus Christ who was crucified for our sins, and was raised from the dead on the third day. By faith, receive the free and undeserved gift of eternal life, and surrender your life to him.

In the eyes of the world, that message is foolishness. For those who believe, it is the power of God unto salvation.

Believe that message, and as God's children, put your own life under the ban. Set yourself apart as holy to the Lord. Give him your whole life, and by doing so, learn what it means to really live.

Ps. 1:1 "Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Fully Searchable
Bible