Exodus Teaching - 22 - Conquest of Canaan

Exodus Teaching Sermon #22
TITLE: Conquest of Canaan
TEXT: JOSHUA 2-7

INTRODUCTION

I have called this series the Exodus Experience, and I began with the call of Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldees and go to a distant country the Lord would give to his descendants, but only after they had lived in a foreign country for 400 years. The hand of the Lord was in this whole experience from the very beginning. In the first place, Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren - it was absolutely impossible for them to have any children, yet, there must be a son for this promise to be fulfilled. There was a son of promise, a miracle child, whose promised birth was prophetic of another miracle birth, still two thousand years in the distance. That miracle baby was named Isaac, and Isaac and his wife Rebecca had two sons, Esau and Jacob, whose name was chanted to Israel, the name given to the descendants of Abraham to whom the Promised Land was promised.

Now, I would like for us to listen to some of the words of an old and well known hymn. This hymn has a special place in my heart because of Miss Bea. Miss Bea was a widow back in my home church. As a matter of fact, she was a resident of the Green River community eight miles west of Sledge, Mississippi long before there was a church in Green River. M. C. Waldrup came out from Clarksdale, Mississippi and planted a mission church in the Green River community. Bro. Waldrup was an outstanding preacher and a dedicated missionary who planted churches in communities all over the three county area that made up the Riverside Baptist Association (now, Northwest Baptist Association). We didn’t sing a lot of different hymns, but what we sing we sang often - as in “over and over.” One of our favorite hymns aw On Jordan’s Stormy Banks. If you have been in church a long time these words will be familiar to you:

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand, And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land, where my possessions lie.

All o’re those wide extended plains Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns, and scatters night a way.

No chilling winds nor poisonous breath Can reach that healthy shore;
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death are felt and feared no more.

When shall I reach that happy place and be forever blessed?
When shall I see my Father’s face, And in His bosom rest?

Back at Green River we sang the chorus like this:

I am bond for the promised land, hallelujah, I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me? I am bound for the promised land.

The man who wrote that hymn (Samuel Stennett. 172-1795) was obviously singing about heaven, and when we sang On Jordan’s Stormy Banks, we, too, were thinking abut heaven. When Joshua and the Children of Israel stood looking across the Jordan River they were not thinking about “the Sweet Bye and Bye,” they were thinking about the same land God had promised Abraham He would give his descendants.

There is nothing wrong with our singing about heaven some day, but we should also pray and sing about those blessings the Lord has for us in this life. Canaan was a real place, for real people, at a real time. The Israelites were to learn - and should have known by now - that they could not enter Canaan and conquer the people who lived there. That came about by the mighty hand of God. Now, let us see how that all happened.

I. BY HIS MIGHTY HAND GOD BROUGHT THEM INTO CANAAN (Joshua 3ff).

A. By the Mighty Hand of God The Israelites Crossed the Jordan (3:9-17).

1. First, they received instructions (3:9-12). This had been a long journey, but led, instructed, taught, and commanded by Yahweh, they could now stand and look across the Jordan River at the Promised Land, the land the Lord had promised Abraham He would give his descendants after they had lived in a foreign land for 400 years. Now, more than five hundred years later, they are standing “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks,” looking at their possession. In spite of everything Satan could throw in their path, and in spite of every hindrance their own fallen nature could do to stall, hinder, or block the way, they are standing now just across the Jordan River from the land flowing with milk and honey.

(9) Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” (10) He said: “You will know that the living God is among you and that He will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites (11) when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan. (12) Now choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. (13) When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up ⌊in⌋ a mass.”

The Lord instructed Joshua to have the priest to carry the ark of the covenant and when their feet rested in the waters of the Jordan, the waters were cut off and backed up into the tributaries of the Jordan. This would be something the people would never forget because of the evidence of the mighty hand of “the Lord of all the earth” in instantly parting the waters of the Jordan River and causing it to back up so that it appeared that the water was “standing up in mass.” This, in other words was not a figment of someone’s imagination. Let us be sure to remember this: It took the mighty hand of “the Lord of all the earth” to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, and it took His mighty hand to bring them out of the wilderness into Canaan.

2. The waters of the Jordan River were parted at flood stage.

(14) When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people. (15) Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge (16) and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up ⌊in⌋ a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. (17) The priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.” (Josh 3:5-17, HCSB)

When the Israelites refused to march to Canaan after hearing the report of the ten spies who said they could not conquer the land, the Lord told them that all those twenty years of age and older would die in the wilderness, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the great men of faith. By now all those rebellious people had died, leaving Joshua as their leader and Caleb as an amazing warrior, ready to do his share of the fighting and more. That means that a significant number of people gathered by the Jordan River that day had a clear memory of crossing the Red Sea on dry land. When they walked across the Jordan on dry land it had to bring back memories. The waters were backed up, and just as it had been at the Red Sea, so it was here as the people walked across the Jordan on dry ground, looking to either side at huge wall of water. They were totally in His hand.

Let us remind ourselves here that it takes a mighty act of God to deliver a lost soul from slavery and death and place him or her in a place of promise. It also takes the mighty hand of the Lord to deliver a redeemed person who is wasting his or her life in the flesh to a life in the spirit. Thus we have Egypt (a land of slavery and death), the wilderness ( a place where those delivered from slavery and death wasted away because they disobeyed the Lord), and Canaan, the Promised Land (where their possessions awaited them). In Jesus Christ, we are delivered from death so that we may live a spirit filled life. However, almost all believers spend at least a little time wandering in the flesh, or the world. A believer who is living in the flesh can no more deliver himself from the flesh to the spirit filled life than those ancient Israelites could deliver themselves from the wilderness to the Promised Land.

B. Yahweh Gave Instructions for a Memorial (Josh 4:1-7).

Just as evidence remained at Sinai of the Lord’s presence with His chosen people, so it would be at the crossing of the Jordan River. In fact, there would be a memorial to the conquest of Israel, both in the Jordan and one on the other side. Maybe your first impression of the twelve rocks in the middle of the Jordan Rive was the same as mine: how could anyone see them if they were beneath the surface of the Jordan River? I read where one writer speculated that the rocks may have been placed on a platform or some foundation that would elevate them so they could be seen by anyone passing by this spot. Obviously, the twelve stones which were carried by twelve men would not have been large enough to protrude from the water so that passers by could see them. Let us see what the Scripture tells us:

“After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua: (2) “Choose 12 men from the people, one man for each tribe, (3) and command them: Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”

“(4) So Joshua summoned the 12 men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, (5) and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, (6) so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ (7) you should tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.” (Josh 4:1-7)

“On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses. (15) The Lord told Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

“(17) So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” (18) When the priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet stepped out on solid ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course, flowing over all the banks as before. Josh 4:14-18 (HCSB)

C. They Camped Across the Jordan in Canaan (Josh. 5:10-12)

1. God ordered the men to be circumcised. The men who left Egypt had been circumcised, but those born in the wilderness had not been circumcised. The kings of Canaan had been shocked to learn that the Lord of the Israelites had parted the waters of the Jordan, just as He had parted the waters of the Red Sea. Now, right before the kings of the region, the Lord commanded Joshua to make flint knives and circumcise all the men. One might wonder why the Canaanite kings did not attack while they Israelite men were incapacitated. The answer is simple: the Lord was in charge and the kings of the region were in shock. Then, “the Lord then said to Joshua, ‘“Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.”’ Therefore, that place is called Gilgal to this day.” (Josh 5:9) The word Gilgal means “to roll away.” Very appropriate.

2. They kept the Passover. This is amazing. Right in front of godless kings of Canaan the Lord ordered them to keep the Passover, which they did “on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.” But that is not the end of the story: “The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. (12) And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.” (Josh. 5:11-12)

No more manna! Wow! And just think: They could have been eating the food of Canaan for the past 38 or 39 years, if they had only trusted the Lord. Now, before you condemn those ancient Israelites, let me ask you to stop and consider how many times you and I have missed out on a lot of blessings because we compromised, disobeyed, or simply didn trust the Lord to bring us into the arena of His promises - the Spirit filled life.

D. Joshua Bowed Before the Commander of the Lord’s Army (Josh. 5:13-15).

Joshua, the commander of the Lord’s invading army, with the circumcision and Passover behind them, was apparently marching on toward Jericho when something happened that was really amazing:

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked Him, “What does my Lord want to say to His servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.”
(Josh 5:10-15)

The Lord had commanded Moses at Sinai to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Leadership had been transferred from Moses to Joshua and he needed to acknowledge the Lord as sovereign, which he did. One writer suggests that, “It is evident from the strain of the context that this was not a mere vision, but an actual appearance; the suddenness of which surprised, but did not daunt, the intrepid leader” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Com.)

Joshua thought he was the commander of the Lord’s army. I wonder how many times a pastor has needed to remind himself that he is the Lord’s servant, but the Lord is calling the plays. Here, the Lord sent His servant, the real “commander of the Lord’s army” to remind Joshua who is in charge. When Joshua asked what the Lord wanted to say to Him, the commander said, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” He was on holy ground and he needed to acknowledge that.

II. THE MIRACLE OF JERICHO.

A. Both Strategy and Tactics Were Employed at Jericho.

For a number of years, I could call the late Lt. General Dutch Shoffner to help me out of tight places when it came to military matters. For example, I asked about the difference between tactics and strategies and he sent me an ancient book on the subject. A very deep book! He then told me that tactically, we could win every battle in Viet Nam, but strategically, McNamara prevented a victory in the war. After both General and Mrs. Shoffner passed away, his sons, Brigadier General Al Shoffner, and COLONEL Andy Shoffner remain on active duty. I have communicated with Gen. Al Shoffner, but I am often in touch with COL Andy Shoffner, so I asked him about my view on strategy and tactics with reference to the conquest of Canaan. For example, I asked if the strategy was to divide and conquer the land, and by driving a wedge right through the middle of the country, then going to the south, and after victory there, turning to the north. Tactics, it seems to me, had to do with employing the Lord’s tactics at Jericho. So, I contacted COL Shoffner: “Andy, your father explained the difference between strategy and tactics. As I begin working on number 22 of my Exodus teaching sermons I have been thinking about Joshua's strategy and his tactics. To me, both the strategy and the tactics were beyond Joshua, so I think of them as the Lord's strategy and His tactics. The strategy seems to have been divide and conquer: Drive a wedge through the middle of the country, defeat Jericho and the central part of the country, then attack the southern regions and then move against the northern nations (city states). If you have even given that any thought I would appreciate any pointers. COL Shoffner replied:

Sir,

Your logic is sound. The strategy in that case would have been what you described. The tactics would have been the closer in fighting--the execution of battle. Dividing and conquering is a proven technique. Napoleon used it all the time. For an example closer to your home, the loss of Vicksburg to the Union Army during the Civil War effectively split the Confederacy in two. This denied the South from having freedom of movement east and west and denied them the resources coming out of Texas.

What would be interesting to examine is the significance Jericho held for the enemy. If it was a significant source of power, either militarily or politically, its loss would have been a considerable blow to the enemy. Likewise, its defeat would be a major boost for the Israeli morale. If it was a capital city, it might have fit this category.

Another consideration for desert fighting is controlling the sources of water. If there is a village or city, there will be water near by. Losing a water source in the desert could have a considerable impact on the enemy.

Another thing to consider is how many losses did the Israelis sustain before the "walls came tumbling down." Normally, we tell combat leaders they need at a minimum a 3 to 1 advantage over the enemy before launching an attack. 6 to 1 is preferred. If the Israelis were able to breach the Jericho without sustaining significant losses, that would have been considerable.

Hope this helps.
Andy

It helped, and it helps that when I ask COL Shoffner a question about the Bible I know he has a deep and genuine faith in the Lord and His Word.

B. Jericho Falls To The Chosen People.

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to take them into Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. We will see before the end of this series of messages from Exodus (Numbers, Deuteronomy, Numbers, and Joshua) that the Lord delivers us from spiritual death, not for us to wander in the wilderness called the flesh, but for a close relationship with Him, which may be referred to as walking in the Spirit. As He wanted Israel to live in Canaan, He wants us to live in the Spirit. Up to a point, I am following the thoughts of Major Ian Thomas by comparing the lostness of the Israelites in Egypt to the lostness of the person who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ. He cannot deliver himself. Only the Lord can deliver him.

Canaan was a real place when Yahweh promised Abraham it would belong to his descendants, but only after they had spent 400 years in a foreign country. The Israelites had been in Egypt 430 years, having gone into the land seventy in number, free people settled in the fertile land of Goshen and delivered from a brutal form of slavery by the mighty hand of God.

C. The Walls Came Tumbling Down.

What follows is one of the most amazing stories in the history of warfare. From the time of Naoh’s Flood, when had thee been anything like this? At the beginning, let us remember that the people of Jericho knew that:

(1) The Lord had given this land to the descendants of Abraham over 500 years earlier.

(2) Their gods were no match for the God of Israel.

(3) The Lord had delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt.

(4) He had parted the waters of the Red Sea and brought them across on dry land.

(5) They knew about the defeat of the Amalakites.

(6) They knew Israel’s God had given the Israelites this land (Rahab the prostitute knew that!).

(7) Israel’s God had parted the waters of the Jordan River, as He had the Red Sea.

(8) He had brought the Israelites across on dry land.

(9) They could have saved themselves if they had fled to some place outside Canaan.

(10) Instead, They fortified themselves inside the walls of Jericho.

We might read each of these ten points and stop and think, “They knew that!” But they didn’t act on it, did they?

(1) Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. (2) The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its fighting men over to you. (3) March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. (4) Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the trumpets. (5) When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people will advance, each man straight ahead.” (Joshua 7:1-5)

In all the history of the world, who has ever heard of tactics like this? This sounds like some far out children’s story - a story designed to scare the living day lights out of children! And maybe out of adults, too.

Joshua did exactly what Yahweh told him to do and the victory was complete - bloody, deadly, and violent, but complete. This was not a textbook war, it was a holy war. The amazing and miraculous victory at Jericho should have been a testimony to the world of that day, and to people throughout history who know the story from the Bible. The Battle of Jericho was not traditional warfare, it was divine warfare.

(6) “So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the ark of the Lord.” (7) He said to the people, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed troops go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”’

(8) “After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. (9) While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark. (10) But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” (11) So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.”

Each day they marched around the city without a sound from the people. “They did this for six days” (Josh. 7:6-12).

Christians know the story of the battle of Jericho, when the walls came tumbling down. Children sing it in Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. They read it in Bible story books and see it in Veggie Tales cartoons for children. But here we will stop and look at the Scripture again:

(15) “Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. (16) After the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. (17) But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the men we sent. (18) But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on it. (19) For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.” (Josh. 7:15-19)

They obeyed the Lord and marched around the city once a day for six days, and on the seventh day they marched around the city seven times and when they trumpets sounded the walls came tumbling down.

(20) So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. (21) They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.” (Josh 6:20-21)

D. Rahab Was Saved.

(22) Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you promised her.” (23) So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.” (Josh 6:22-23)

The spies promised Rahab they would spare her and her house, and as soon as the battle was over, Joshua sent them in to get her and her family out of the city. You will notice that they settled them outside the camp of Israel. The Lord separated His people from pagans, from immoral people, from those who did not know the Lord God of Israel. That would be a good example for any people to follow, given an opportunity to do so.

The amazing thing here is that the Rahab’s name appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, which tells you that no Pharisee created that genealogy. The genealogy of Jesus Christ includes the names of women (Rahab and Ruth), immoral people (Judah, Rahab, David), and Gentiles (Rahab and Ruth). This is encouraging because the Kingdom of God is made up of the forgiven, not the sinless, of all nations, not just the Israelites.

E. They Followed the Victory at Jericho with a Shameful Defeat at Ai (Joshua 7).

We are given information that would prove to be disturbing in one way, and amazing in another way. Achan found a valuable Babylonian robe and a gold bar in the ruins of Jericho and took it to his tent and buried it in the ground. God has specifically told them to destroy everything in Jericho (except the gold and silver, which went to the Lord’s service), but Achan trespassed against the Lord’s command. This was not an unintentional sins; it was not a sin of ignorance; and it was not a sin of carelessness. It was a treacherous and evil sin. With his eyes wide open, Achan trespassed against the direct command of Yahweh. As Dr. Tom DeLaughter used to teach his Old Testament students at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, to trespass means to step across the line with your eyes wide open. I own a little land in north Louisiana, but I do not have any NO TRESPASSING signs around it. Someone might walk up to the property line and step across without knowing they had stepped across the line. Now, if I had told that person that the land was off limits to him, and he stepped across the line without knowing it, he would have violated my rule without knowing it. If, however, I had signs posted every 50 feet he could not plead ignorance. God called what Achan did treacherous. It was a serious offence and it effected God’s plan for the conquest of Canaan.

Achan’s transgression effected all the people of Israel, as we see when spies checked out AI and insisted that two or three thousand soldiers could conquer AI. They tried with three thousand men and 36 were killed. Joshua fell on his face before the Lord and grieved before Him. Here, we have an opportunity to observe what a godly man, acting very much like his leader for forty years would have acted. Doesn’t this sound a little like Moses? Listen to Joshua’s prayer:

“Oh, Lord God,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites for our destruction? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan! (8) What can I say, Lord, now that Israel has turned its back ⌊and run⌋ from its enemies? (9) When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do about Your great name?” (Josh 7:7-9)

Joshua may have been thinking religiously, but he was not thinking as Yahweh thinks. Let us see what the Lord has to say:

“The Lord then said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why are you on the ground? (11) Israel has sinned. They have violated My covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart. They have stolen, deceived, and put ⌊the things⌋ with their own belongings. (12) This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs ⌊and run⌋ from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from you what is set apart.” (Josh 7:10-12)

Do we see just how serious sin can be before the Lord? Let me ask you a question here. Let us suppose a family moved into your community who claimed to be “religious” but you learn that (1) the man and woman are not married, or (2) They are married, but they drink, curse, and gamble, or (3), They advocate same sex marriage, or (4) they are racists, or (5) they are very poor, whereas your church members are rather affluent, or (6) they call everyone who does not open their doors to them racists, bigots, holier than thou, or snobs. Remember, if you do not invite them into your fellowship the folks at the TV station are going to call you church members racists, homophobes, bigots, or holier than thou. What do you do? Do we compromise the Word of God to please people who are openly violating the Word of God. That may explain why the church is not growing or experiencing revival in America today.

F. The Conquest Of Canaan.

Let me remind you of the note from COL Andy Shoffner, in which he distinguishes between strategy and tactics. The strategy seems to have been to divide and conquer, whereas the tactics were the fine points of the attacks on cities, towns, and the various armies in the promised land. They drove a wedge through the heart of the land when they defeated Jericho, even though Jericho was near the Jordan river and some distance from the Mediterranean Sea. The defeat of Jericho did two specific things. It gave them a foot hold in the land of Canaan, and it demoralized other towns in the area. By bringing the central part of the land under their control they could turn to the south and begin the second stage of their conquest. After their victory in the south, they turned to the north. Everywhere they went they experienced great success because of the grace of the Lord.

COL Shoffner mentioned something else that should interest us: “Another consideration for desert fighting is controlling the sources of water. If there is a village or city, there will be water near by. Losing a water source in the desert could have a considerable impact on the enemy.” I never heard that mentioned in an Old Testament class, nor do I remember reading it in a commentary, but of course, I may have read it last week and then forgotten it. The same thing here applies to a food supply. They had no one back home sending food to the troops, and they had no K-Ration. The Lord had to provide everything, and He is a great Provider. This was a large army and apparently, they had all the water and food they needed. When they conquered a town they would find both food and water. It was a good time for the conquest, as we know because immediately after celebrating the Passover inside the land of Canaan the manna ceased and the entire nation began living off the grain, gardens and fruit of the land.

David and Joshua were no doubt among the greatest military leaders in Israel’s history, but in both cases, the Lord gave them their victories. In Psalm 23, David refers to the Lord as his Shepherd, and a shepherd offers his sheep three essentials (1) a relationship, (2) protection, and (3) provisions. Jesus declared that the shepherd’s sheep know his voice and follow him (relationship). David praised the Lord for his rod and his staff (protection), and for water and grass (provisions). Everything good and positive that happened during the conquest was made possible by the grace of God. Those individuals and churches that obey the Lord, trust Him, and glorify Him can expect to see great victories along the way.

No nation in the history of the world, other than the time of the Conquest under Joshua and the great victories under David, has experienced those three things as much as America. The Lord has blessed America in ways He has never blessed any other country (for any long period of time), from the “accidental discovery” by Christopher Colombus to two great World Wars, Korea, Viet Nam, and recent wars in the Middle East. I once read about a veteran who was visiting a famous battle field when a native of that country approached him and made a statement about America’s history of warfare and aggression. The old soldier reminded him that after a victory, America has never claimed any land other than enough to bury those soldiers who died fighting for that country.

There was never a time when Americans were forced to join one church or another, or when all Americans had to declare their allegiance to the our heavenly Father. Yet, as Francis Schaeffer noted, there was a Christian consensus. In the early days of our history, the Ten Commandments were posted everywhere and there were no protests, no trials, no marches and demonstration - not until certain groups began to whittle away at our freedom. In the land where the majority is supposed to rule, a tiny minority began a campaign against that kind of nation, and against the God Who has so richly blessed us. Can we deny today that there is a war going on in our country and in that war a tiny minority is still using the courts to suppress the majority? Just think about abortion and same sex marriage today. Can you believe that the nation that gave its citizens the Bill of Rights, an amazing constitution has so protected, defended, and advanced the cause of a small minority that the great majority has suffered loss after loss. For example, do you remember when the Blue Laws were repealed? Millions of people who were in church on Sunday were forced to work on Sunday or lose their jobs. My son John was a student at Mississippi College, working at a store in a nearby mall when that happened. He went to the owners and told them that he was always in church every Sunday. They gave him no consideration: “Everyone is going to have to take his turn!” He said, “In that case, I am resigning right now.” That happened all over the country. Now, many those who go to church on Sunday morning, leave church and head for a restaurant, and then for a movie, or to the Mall. The great majority of them no longer come back on Sunday evening at all. The courts often come down on the side of the world against the church, as in the infamous Stokes Trial, which was used to force God out of the classroom and let evolutionists take over. While that is an over simplification, the results have been especially bad for the church and for Christians. The courts today seem geared to protect Muslims, atheists, and agnostics even at the cost of freedom to Christians.

When I was in school we began the day with Bible reading and prayer, and I don’t mean someone read a few verses over the intercom while students were talking or preparing for a test. We had a live student who stood at the front of the classroom and read from the Bible and either offered a simple prayer, or led the class in The Lord’s Prayer (Modcel Prayer). No one protested. I was sitting in a Theology class in seminary when the Supreme Court came down on the side of the minority and ruled against the majority by taking prayer out of the public schools. My liberal Theology professor could hardly contain himself in praise of the ruling. The next ruling took Bible reading out of the classroom. Now, you cannot post the name Jesus, or a copy of the Ten Commandments in any public place. We have our freedom by the grace of God, but we cannot mention His name? At the same time, our courts and colleges are quick to come to the aid of atheists and Muslms who complain that some law hinders their freedom.

Churches and families need to go back and read about the discovery of America and the history of this country in honoring the Lord. Our history has been rewritten to some extent, though not like it has in Communist countries such as the old Soviet Union, China, and certain other countries. Now, before you insist that you have studied American History and it does not say what I am saying, Please read all you can about David Barton’s collection of books and essays by early Americans. For example, why did they delete George Washington’s prayer for America in his Farewell Address?

What it amounts to is simply this: in my lifetime, America has moved from being perhaps the leading Christian nation in the world a nation that is at war with the one true God. And that’s a fact! The Great Awakening was a part of the textbook record in the early part of our history, including the 1950s. I know because I was there.

III. THERE IS A MESSAGE HERE FOR US.

A. The Lord Is Still in Control.

The Lord our God is still in control, and don’t you forget it! And - He knows what He is doing. Now, let us ask some of the questions lost people must still be asking after 3400 years: Why would God destroy all life in Jericho? Did the Israelites just get carried away and slay all the people and all the animals in Jericho? Could they not have used the animals, houses, furniture, tools, and weapons the people of Jericho had build and made over the centuries? That was the traditional way nations conducted warfare. Why kill all the people? Why not sell them as slaves? That is what the pagan nations did.

Now, let us ask a question that countless people have asked over the centuries: How could a holy and righteous God demand that all life be destroyed? Well, let me ask you a question - a question that will make no sense to the unsaved, or to the carnal believer: When you were saved, just what part of your sinful life did the Lord intend for you to keep?

A young man rang my door bell one Sunday night, an hour or two after we got in from our evening worship service. He had his girl friend with him and she stayed in the living room with my family while the young man and I talked in the den. After a brief visit, I took him across to my study so we could talk without any distractions. He was experiencing something very strange to me. He was having muscle spasms in his stomach and for some reason he thought I might have an answer for that. I didn’t. He pulled up his tee shirt and I could see the muscle spasms running up and down his stomach, and I knew I could not help him with that, but I knew he needed to know the Lord. As I witnessed to him he pulled up his tee shirt and asked, “But what about that?” His stomach muscles were trembling and convulsing. I knew I could not help with that, but I didn’t think it was such an emergency that I should take him to the hospital. After a period of time he settled down and listened, not just to me, but to the Holy Spirit Who was convicting him.

This story is not new to our area because that young man has shared it with churches, schools, youth groups, family, and friends. But, here is one part of the story some may have missed. Later, he told me that while we were talking, after he was saved, he was thinking, “I may give up the drugs, but I am not going to give up the beer.” He adds, “By the time I got to my mother’s house I had given up the beer and the Lord was calling me to preach the Gospel.” That man is still a special friend to me, and to my family. The Lord did not save one part of him, He saved all of him. He cleansed him of some serious sins, and he did not want him to continue in a few of them.

In the same way, the Lord wanted to give His Chosen People a land that was free of idolatry and the drunkenness and immorality that has so often been associated with it. I do not believe the Lord wants people who profess to know him to use drugs, drink alcoholic beverages, gamble, or misuse His holy Day. I don’t believe he wants young girls and young women dressing, talking, singing like the temple prostitutes of Corinth. Nor, do I believe He wants men, young or old, to lust after those who may dress like that. He calls us to be a holy people and a holy people does not continually flaunt sins, challenge temptation, or saturate themselves with the filth of the world.

B. This Has an Application for America Today.

Just before Easter, 2014, Sean Hannity had a number of Christian leaders on his television program. The one I really wanted to see was Franklin Graham, who was speaking, either from his home or from the home of his father, Evangelist Billy Graham, who at age 95 has just written a new book in which he expresses his opinion on a number of subjects. Franklin Graham, who never wavers in presenting the Gospel to people, did not waver when he said three or four times, “America has turned its back on God.” I agree with him. America is filled with people who are at war with God and all that is holy. They never come to church, ands some of them want God’s name removed from all public buildings. They don’t want to see the Ten Commandments posted anywhere, and they do not want children contaminated by prayer or Bible reading. They don’t s seem to be concerned about their language, teenagers drinking - and they should never smoke, unless they are smoking pot!

We sing, God Bless America, and think He is going to hear us when up to seventy-five percent of black babies are born our of wedlock, fifty percent of Hispanics babies are born out of wedlock, and thirty percent of white babies are born out of wedlock. Not too many years ago only two percent of white babies were born out of wedlock. Look at the movies and sitcoms the our young people watch today. Strangely, I read that the great majority of Americans want to see G rated films, but Hollywood the television industry continues to serve up R rated movies. Why?! I think Franklin Graham is right. America really has turned its back on God. Let me state it even stronger: many Americans have gone beyond turning their backs on God, they have declared war against God. They are at war against the Word of God, the people of God, the laws of God, and the principles of God.
That attitude invites the wrath of God on a nation or an individual.

Thankfully, our Lord is a longsuffering God, Who never approves evil, but loves even the most ungodly and offers salvation to the masses. At the same time, He is not as naive as they. He knows today what they will do tomorrow. He who has demonstrated that He can write history hundreds of years before events happen, knows exactly what is going to happen with America.

Our Lord planned for centuries to plant in the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, a nation of godly people who would be a light to the world. He wanted a holy people living holy lives before the world. In the Abrahamic Covenant, He showed His concern for the nations of the world. Today, Christian missionaries, like the Mike Ray family in the Ukraine, have been called and sent to countries around the world, not to make Americans of them, but to redeem them and make them holy. He calls people like Mike Ray to serve Him and proclaim His message of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Only Yahweh can write history before it happens and He has been doing that since the days of Adam and Eve. There is a progressive revelation of His redemptive plan we will see as we move through the Old Testament, just as there is a progressive plan for those who look to the return of our Lord. The wilderness believer is living in the flesh, not in the spirit. He, however, may not see the difference. The Holy Spirit will convict the Christian who slips out of Canaan (the spirit filled life) into the wilderness (the flesh). Until the Holy Spirit convicts the believer who is living in the flesh he does not understand that while one may slip from Canaan back into the wilderness, no one slips from the wilderness into Canaan - from the flesh into the spirit filled life. It took the mighty hand of God to bring the Israelites from the wilderness into Canaan and it takes the mighty hand of God to bring the carnal believer, the person who is living in the wilderness of sin and rebellion, into the spirit filled life. Some who are living in the flesh convince themselves they are living in the Spirit because they are religious. However, the Holy Spirit will convict those who find themselves in the wilderness that they should repent and ask the Lord to deliver them from the flesh and restore them to the spirit-filled life. He can do that, and He will do it if the person is sincere. The worldly person who professes to be a Christian may think a New Year’s resolution may restore him or her to “Canaan’s fair and happy land” where their possessions lie. It doesn’t work like that.

Every believer has spent some time in the wilderness. He or she may have been in Sunday School every Sunday, seldom missed a worship service, read his daily Bible reading, and contributed to special mission offerings and certain “love offerings” to help the needy. He or she may applaud good new about souls that are being saved, churches that are being planted, and mission work at home and abroad. Yet, there is something missing in their daily walk with the Lord. If you find yourself in that situation I want to assure you that you cannot deliver yourself from that wilderness any more than you could deliver yourself from Egypt. That takes the mighty hand of God. The good news is that He is ready, willing, and able to restore you them moment you confess your sin and asked forgiveness. He will place you in the Land of Canaan where you may possess your possessions. He will do it now if you really want to walk with Him in the Spirit. Confess your failures or your sins, ask Him to restore you and trust Him to do it. Who know what blessing awaits you? You don’t want to miss it!

A number of years ago, a pastor had been at a church long enough to realize there were undercurrents and one day he mentioned, from the pulpit, that the sins of his congregation were not drugs and alcohol, but the attitude some members held toward other members. Both sides urged him to stop preaching on that subject. The church was filled with jealousy, envy, and strife, but members who stayed with their group, or “friends” would leave saying it was good to have been in the house of the Lord.

Then the night came when the pastor was moderating a regular business meeting and when he asked if there was any other business, a man raised his hand and when he was recognized he said, “A year or so ago someone said the deacons were looking into the election of some new deacons. I was wondering where we stand on that.” The pastor looked around and discovered that a number of people were looking at this man with such animosity that it showed on a number of faces. In fact, he said he had to look a second time at a lady he had known for ten or more years to be sure who this lady was. Her jaw was so set as she looked at this young man that she had taken on a new and disturbing appearance. He had to look back at this lady two of three times to try to identify her. Then, he remembered those with whom she entered the building and only then was he sure who she was. He realized that a few people there were either in Canaan (the flesh) or they had never been delivered from Egypt (spiritual death). That was a shocking experience.

This pastor realized there were some serious spiritual problems in his church, but he didn’t realize how serious it was until visitors began to ask what was wrong with the church. One visitor, a committed Christian who seemed to have a spirit of discernment, asked the pastor several weeks after visiting the church, “What is wrong with your church? We felt a strange spirit in the services.” He was not the first to mention that strange spirit in the church. There were godly, dedicated members there, but there was also that other spirit. One man said of some of the members of his church, “They will run it, or they will ruin it.” Those to whom he referred were obviously members who were in the wilderness of sin and rebellion, regardless of their testimonies. Many pastors have witnessed a member here and there who acts like that. I was preaching in revival services out of state many years ago when a man came into the office and said, “I hear our Youth Pastor is moving to a church in Arkansas.” He added, in what seemed like an arrogant spirit, “I wonder what it cost God to move him?”

What pastor or youth minister has not observed how one lost teenager can have a negative influence on a bus load of active young people? You invite lost teenagers with a prayer that they will be influenced by Christian young people and by the speakers at the camp or retreat to repent and trust Jesus Christ for their salvation. Instead, the lost boy or girl gets a group of your church kids off in a corner and begins telling them off-color stories and you have to deal with that. One pastor heard a guest using profanity before they finished loading the van and asked who had used the profanity. The guest raised his hand and apologized. He was no more trouble in that trip. When they arrived at the camp he observed that one church had a number of rowdy young people with them. By Thursday night they had heard the Gospel, come under the influence of Christian young people and adults, and at the close of the sermon on Thursday night a large number of those young people made professions of faith. It is a good thing to invite lost young people, but counselors and pastor must monitor the behavior, and to an extent, the conversations along the way. As some have said, good morals are corrupted by bad company.

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to take them into Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. We will see before the end of this series of messages from Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua that the Lord delivers us from spiritual death, not for us to wander in the wilderness called the flesh, but for a close relationship with Him, which may be referred to as walking in the Spirit. As He wanted Israel to live in Canaan, He wants us to live in the Spirit. Up to a point, I am following the thoughts of Major Ian Thomas by comparing the lostness of the Israelites in Egypt to the lostness of the person who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ. He cannot deliver himself. Only the Lord can deliver him.

When the lost sinner is delivered from death it is not for him to wander for forty years in the wilderness called the flesh, but to go directly to Canaan where he may possess his possessions. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt in order to take them into Canaan - out of Egypt, into Canaan! He had an appointment set for Israel at Sinai and this was crucial. From there they were supposed to march on to Canaan, conquer the land and really possess their possessions, meaning the land which was divided among the Twelve Tribes. Failure to obey the Lord caused the Israelites to flounder for 40 years in the wilderness, a land without water, a land without food, a land without beauty, a land without joy. They had to depend upon the Lord for everything for 40 years, and then only those who had been under 20 years of age at that time were permitted to enter the Promised Land.

Sadly, countless Christians are delivered from death and slavery, but by their own choice they flounder in the wilderness of the flesh for years. They are powerless and fruitless, but they have convinced themselves that they are doing the best they can do. Those in the wilderness had never seen a land flowing with milk and honey, but they had filtered memories of Egypt that left out the slavery, death, humiliation, and deprivation. They only thought of fish, melons, garlic, and onions.
They wanted to return to the land of death, slavery, and misery. That is what life in the flesh will do for people today. It is hard to tell them from those who are lost.

Canaan was a real place when Yahweh promised Abraham it would belong to his descendants, but only after they had spent 400 years in a foreign country. The Israelites had been in Egypt 430 years, having gone into the land seventy in number, free people settled in the fertile land of Goshen and delivered 430 years later from a brutal form of slavery by the mighty hand of God.

Many who profess to be born again Christians act more like lost people than believers. The Christian who wastes his life in the wilderness of the flesh is likely to spend more time thinking about the life lived in sin (Egypt) than that which is available to him as a Spirit filled Christian (Canaan). Tragically, many professing Christians know a lot more about Egypt than they do Canaan. They may sing of the Sweet Bye and Bye, but they have a more intimate knowledge of the life of sin than they do a life of holiness. In fact, the person in the wilderness (the flesh) may actually be embarrassed when people talk of Canaan, where one walks with the Lord in faith. Sadly, some people who have been delivered from Egypt have resigned themselves to a life in the wilderness and never catch sight of Canaan where their possessions await them. The late Dr. W. O. Vaught called this the “old sin nature” and Major Ian Thomas referred to it as the flesh.

CONCLUSION

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to take them into Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. We will see before the end of this series of messages from Exodus (and Numbers) that the Lord delivers us from spiritual death, not for us to wander in the wilderness called the flesh, but for a close relationship with Him, which may be referred to as walking in the Spirit. As He wanted Israel to live in Canaan, He wants us to live in the Spirit. Up to a point, I am following the thoughts of Major Ian Thomas by comparing the lostness of the Israelites in Egypt to the lostness of the person who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ. He cannot deliver himself. Only the Lord can deliver him.

The wilderness believer is living in the flesh, not in the spirit. He, however, may not see the difference. The Holy Spirit will convict the Christian who slips out of Canaan (the spirit filled life) into the wilderness (the flesh). Until the Holy Spirit convicts the believer who is living in the flesh he does not understand that while one may slip from Canaan back into the wilderness, no one slips from the wilderness into Canaan - from the flesh into the spirit filled life. It took the mighty hand of God to bring the Israelites from the wilderness into Canaan and it takes the mighty hand of God to bring the carnal believer, the person who is living in the wilderness of sin and rebellion, into the spirit filled life. Some who are living in the flesh convince themselves they are living in the Spirit because they are religious. However, the Holy Spirit will convict those who find themselves in the wilderness that they should repent and ask the Lord to deliver them from the flesh and restore them to the spirit-filled life. He can do that, and He will do it if the person is sincere. The worldly person who professes to be a Christian may think a New Year’s resolution may restore him or her to “Canaan’s fair and happy land” where his possessions lie. It doesn’t work like that. It takes the mighty hand of God to restore one who is walking in the flesh.

Every believer has spent some time in the wilderness. He or she may have been in Sunday School every Sunday, seldom missed a worship service, read his daily Bible reading, and every mission offering his church promotes, as well special “love offerings” to help someone whose house had burned, or someone who must go to M. D. for treatment for cancer. People who walk in the flesh often applaud good new about souls that are being saved around the world. They may take pride in the number of people their baptizes each year and celebrate when they reach their Lottie Moon Mission Offering for International Missions. They celebrate when the read about new churches being planted across America. Yet, there is something missing in their daily walk with the Lord. If you find yourself in that situation I want to assure you that you cannot deliver yourself from the wilderness any more than you could deliver yourself from Egypt. If you are walking in the flesh, meaning that you are walking under your own power, let me tell you something: it takes the mighty hand of God to forgive you and restore you to a right relationship with Jess Christ.

The good news is that He is ready, willing, and able to restore you them moment you confess your sin and asked forgiveness. He will place you in the Land of Canaan where you may possess your possessions - where you will be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Now let me share some verses from the eighth chapter of Romans that will give you some understanding of the spirit-filled life:

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. (30) And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30, HCSB)

People may spend a life time debating each aspect of this passage, but we are not going to do that now. I would like for you to focus on one aspect of the Lord’s promise here: all who are saved are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” That, my friend means that it is the Lord’s plan for everyone who is saved to be sanctified through the Holy Spirit. What better definition of Sanctification can you find, and what greater proof is there that one is filled with the Holy Spirit than evidence that he or she is being “conformed to the image of His Son.” You cannot conform yourself into the image of Jesus, but God, through the Holy Spirit can and will do it. That should be the desire of every true believer.

He will do it now if you really want to walk with Him in the Spirit. Confess your failures or your sins, ask Him to restore you and trust Him to do it. Who know what blessing awaits you? You don’t want to miss it!