JOSHUA
LESSON #6
JOSHUA 5
LESSON #6
BE AN OVERCOMER BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GOD'S REST
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 27:14
READ JOSHUA 5:1-12
RE-INSTITUTION OF CIRCUMCISION
BACKGROUND:
ORIGIN OF THE PRACTICE OF CIRCUMCISION:
FROM GOD’S VIEWPOINT, CIRCUMCISION WAS A SIGN OF GOD’S COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL. FROM MAN’S VIEWPOINT, CIRCUMCISION WAS A PHYSICAL MARK IN THE BODY TO INDICATE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IT WAS A NATIONAL IDENTIFYING MARK FOR THE JEWS. FOR THE CHRISTIAN, SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION IS A SEAL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH. (ROM 4:11)
THE OLD TESTAMENT SIGNIFICANCE:
THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CIRCUMCISION AND OBEDIENCE.
(JER 4:4 JER 9:25 ROM 2:25-29 GAL 5:3). THEY WERE TO POSSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE AS WELL AS THE SIGN.
THE NEW TESTAMENT SIGNIFICANCE:
THE NEW TESTAMENT TALKS ABOUT A SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION CALLED "THE CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART". THEREFORE, THE OLD TESTAMENT PRACTICE PROPHETICALLY LOOKED FORWARD TO THE NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT IN THE NEW COVENANT UNDER WHICH WE LIVE TODAY AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST. (DEU 30:6 JER 4:4 COL 2:11-13 PHI 3:3)
WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENT "CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART"?
IT IS A SIGN OF THE NEW COVENANT UNDER WHICH WE NOW LIVE.
HEB 8:10. IT IS A SIGN THAT WE HAVE PUT AWAY SIN UNDER THE BLOOD OF JESUS AND WILL LIVE IN OBEDIENCE BY THE POWER OF GOD.
IT IS A SPIRITUAL MARK INDICATING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD--A SEAL OF FAITH. ROM 4:11
IT IS A MARK OF OUR SPIRITUAL IDENTITY
IN JOSHUA, WHY WERE THE PEOPLE TO BE CIRCUMCISED NOW? (VS 5)
THOSE BORN IN THE WILDERNESS HAD NOT BEEN CIRCUMCISED. IN THE NATURAL, THIS WAS AN UNWISE THING TO DO AT THIS TIME BECAUSE IT WEAKENED THE MEN. BUT BEFORE THE BATTLES OF LIFE WE SHOULD HAVE THE MARK OF GOD'S CALL UPON US.
A TIME OF WAITING AND REST (VS 8).
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THROUGH A TIME WHERE YOU WERE SITTING ON THE SHELF WONDERING WHEN GOD WAS GOING TO MOVE? GILGAL WAS A PLACE OF WAITING AND REST (VS 9). IT WAS A PLACE OF REMEMBRANCE (4:20). GILGAL MEANS = A ROLLING AWAY. IT IS A ROLLING AWAY OF THE REPROACH OF EGYPT THAT WAS UPON THEM.
A TIME OF WAITING AND REST SHOULD INCLUDE:
REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE OF WHERE GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU.
RE-DEDICATION AND HUMILITY = CIRCUMCISION, AND RE-DEDICATION AND WORSHIP = PASSOVER. THEY RE-INSTITUTED THE PASSOVER (VS 10). THEY HAD KEPT ONLY ONE PASSOVER IN THE WILDERNESS SINCE EGYPT.
NUM 9:1-14
THEY PERFORMED AN OFFERING OF THANKSGIVING (VS 11). THIS WAS A STEP OF FAITH BEFORE POSSESSING THE LAND.
WHAT SHOULD THAT TELL US?
WE SHOULD THANK GOD FOR ANSWERED PRAYER BEFORE WE SEE THE ANSWER IN REALITY. THIS IS YOUR STEP OF FAITH. (VS 12) THEY BEGAN ACTING LIKE THE LAND WAS THEIRS BEFORE THEY POSSESSED IT.
THE STOPPING OF THE MANNA WAS GOD'S WAY OF SHOWING THEM THAT POSSESSION OF THE LAND IS A COOPERATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN AND TAKES MATURITY. ENTERING INTO THE BLESSINGS OF THE PROMISE LAND MEAN RESPONSIBILITY TO SPIRITUALLY FEED OURSELVES, GETTING BEYOND THE MILK TO THE MEAT.
WAITING ON THE LORD AND GOD'S REST:
READ PSA 27:14 PSA 37:34 HEB 4:1-2, 9-11
WHAT DO THESE VERSES MEAN?
PARTAKING OF ALL GOD'S BLESSINGS DEPENDS ON FAITH IN GOD. BEING AN OVERCOMER IS DEPENDANT ON FAITH--ENTERING GOD'S REST.
BACKGROUND ON ENTERING GOD'S REST:
GOD’S REST WAS FIRST A SABBATH DAY (GEN 2:2-3), THEN IT WS A SABBATH WEEK-THE FEAST OF PENTECOST-LEV 23:15-16, THEN IT WAS A SABBATH MONTH WITH 3 SABBATH FEASTS-THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS, THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, AND THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES-NUM 29:1 LEV 16 LEV 23:34. THEN IT WAS A SABBATH YEAR (EXO 23:10-11 LEV 25 DEU 15. THEN IT WAS A LAND, THE PROMISE LAND-(JOS 11:23 HEB 3:7-19)
ALL THE ABOVE ARE OLD TESTAMENT TYPES OR PICTURES OF GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT REST NOW. NOW IT IS A RELATIONSHIP (HEB 4:9,16).
WHAT DOES GOD’S REST INCLUDE NOW? SALVATION AND ALL GOD’S PROMISED BLESSINGS. (MAT 11:28-29 HEB 4:1)
WHAT KEPT THE ISRAELITES FROM ENTERING THAT ALSO KEEPS US FROM ENTERING? HARDENED HEARTS (HEB 3:8), NOT KNOWING GOD’S WAYS
(HEB 3:10), LACK OF BELIEF (HEB 3:18), LACK OF FAITH (HEB 4:2).
HOW DO WE ENTER GOD’S REST?
1. REMEMBER AND ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT GOD HAS DONE. (JOS 4:20)
2. DEDICATION OR RE-DEDICATION TO GOD WITH HUMILITY.
(JOS 5:3-6)
3. DEDICATED WORSHIP AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD. (JOS 5:10 HEB 11:6)
4. BELIEF THAT GOD’S PROMISES ARE TRUE. (HEB 11:6) REMEMBER THAT BELIEF MEANS HAD KNOWLEDGE WITH NO ACTION INVOLVED. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH, ONLY THE BEGINNING.
5. FAITH IN GOD’S PROMISES. (HEB 11:6) REMEMBER THAT FAITH MEANS HEART KNOWLEDGE WITH CORRESPONDING ACTION.
6. FEED ON THE WORD OF GOD EXPOSING UNBELIEF. (JOS 5:12 HEB 4:12)
VS.13-15 A THEOPHANY: WHAT IS IT?
THIS IS AN ACTUAL APPEARANCE OF CHRIST EITHER IN ANGELIC FORM OR IN HUMAN FORM. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS CHRIST AND NOT JUST AN ANGEL?
1. HE ACCEPTED JOSHUA'S WORSHIP (VS 14). ANGELS NEVER DID THAT.
2. THE SAME TITLE IS GIVEN TO CHRIST IN HEB 2:10.
NOTICE THE SAME INSTRUCTION IS GIVEN TO JOSHUA AS WAS GIVEN TO MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH.
LESSONS FOR JOSHUA:
JOSHUA IS NOT THE CAPTAIN BUT THE SERVANT OF GOD. CHRIST IS MAKING AVAILABLE TO JOSHUA ALL THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN. OBEDIENCE - THOSE PEOPLE WHO KNOW BEST HOW TO OBEY, KNOW BEST HOW TO COMMAND.
NOTICE THAT CHRIST APPEARED WHEN JOSHUA WAS OBEDIENT AND DOING WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
APPLICATION:
IS THERE SOME PROMISE OF GOD YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FULFILLMENT OF OR HAVEN'T POSSESSED?
RECALL WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU. RENEW YOUR COVENANT WITH GOD.
WORSHIP HIM WITH FAITH AND THANKSGIVING. DRAW NEAR TO HIM IN OBEDIENCE. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO FEED YOURSELF SPIRITUAL FOOD
AND ALL THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN ARE THERE TO BRING IT ABOUT.
HOMEWORK FOR JOSHUA 6
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF JOSHUA 5
IS THERE SOME PROMISE OF GOD YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FULFILLMENT OF OR HAVEN'T POSSESSED? WHAT IS IT?
FROM OUR STUDY OF JOSHUA, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO
COOPERATE WITH GOD TO SEE HIM FULFILL IT?
PREPARATION OF JOSHUA 6
READ JOSHUA 6:1-27
WHAT WAS THE MARCHING PLAN?
WHAT WAS GOD TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THIS PLAN?
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BLAST OF THE RAMS HORN (JOS 6:5)?
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NUMBERS 6 AND 7 THROUGHOUT JOSHUA CHAPTER 6?
WHY DID THEY BURN THE CITY?
WHAT BATTLE STRATEGY LESSONS DO WE LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER THAT HELP US WITH OUR OWN BATTLES?
MEMORY VERSE: HEBREWS 11:30