Witness 1
Joshua and the Israelites in the Battle at Jericho
Start by first reading Joshua chapter 6
Joshua 6:3-9 gives us the battle strategy.
- the men of war (armed men) went out first,
- followed by seven priests who continuously blew trumpets made from ram’s horns,
- followed by the Ark of the Covenant which is carried only by priests,
- followed by the rear guard.
Take note that the men of war were completely dressed for battle. They were armed and equipped. Who equipped them was God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 English Standard Version
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
What and Who equips us today?
We know that Israel was divinely equipped because of what happened before they went up against Jericho.
Considering Yesterday with a Practical Application for Today
1. Joshua 5:1 tells us that the Lord caused the Jordan River to dry up so that the Israelites could cross over on dry land. [Note: In our day, today, the Euphrates River is drying up also.]
Isaiah 11:15-16 Living Bible
15 The Lord will dry a path through the Red Sea and wave his hand over the Euphrates,* sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams that can easily be crossed. 16 He will make a highway from Assyria for the remnant there, just as he did for all of Israel long ago when they returned from Egypt.
There was a purpose than for the drying up of the Jordan River, and there is a purpose today for the drying up of the Euphrates River.
Isaiah 46:8-13 Living Bible
8 “Don’t forget this, O guilty ones.
9 And don’t forget the many times I clearly told you what was going to happen in the future. For I am God—I only—and there is no other like me 10 who can tell you what is going to happen. All I say will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
11 I will call that swift bird of prey from the east—that man Cyrus from far away. And he will come and do my bidding. I have said I would do it and I will.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn, evil men! 13 For I am offering you my deliverance; not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save you, and I will restore Jerusalem and Israel, who is my glory.
2. Joshua 5:2-7 also informs us that the Israelites were circumcised again.
[Note: While we understand circumcision of the flesh, the cutting off of the foreskin in the private areas of men and boys, and while we understand that this was a sign of the covenant made between God Almighty and Abraham, what we need to understand is that the need to be circumcised today is not about a fleshly sign or practice. Also, women are included in the circumcision process because what is being circumcised is our hearts.]
God is not looking for us to cut our bodies. He is looking for us to change our hearts and minds and return to Him.
(Read Romans 2:25-29 )
He will help us if this is our desire.
In Deuteronomy 30:6, What does God say he will do?
Who will be affected by this promise of God?
It isn’t the cutting of our bodies that makes us children of God; it is our worshiping him in spirit and in truth . We must worship God how He wants to be worshipped.
The story of Cain and Abel is an example of what happens when a person worships God how they want to worship Him instead of how HE wants to be worshipped.
Read Genesis 4:2-5
Whose offering was rejected and whose offering was received?
Read John 4:24
How are we supposed to worship God?
Therefore, pleasing God and keeping God’s commandments is what are of the utmost importance. (1 Corinthians 7:19)
3. Joshua 5:10-12 tells us that after they circumcised themselves, which is painful, and a demonstration of their faith and trust in the Lord, they next celebrated the Passover according to the instructions that they were given about the celebration of this festival.
Passover is a celebration that God Himself instituted to be celebrated from time indefinite. If you are not familiar with Passover, please read Exodus 12.
What date is Passover held on?
Knowing this date, and knowing that this celebration is not held on any other date, lets us know what the date was at the time that Israel was preparing to take Jericho.
You see, the Bible tells us that it is at this time that the manna (bread from heaven/divine provisions from the Lord) stopped. The Israelites would now eat from the produce of the land that they were planning to take possession of.
[Note: This reminds me of a wealth transfer. I am reminded of Exodus Chapters 11 and 12 where the celebration of the Passover was first instituted by God. In Chapter 11 of Exodus, Moses was told to tell the people, men, and women, to ask their neighbor for articles of silver and gold. The Lord made the Egyptians “favorably disposed of” towards his people to give to them. (Exodus 11:2, 3) In Exodus Chapter 12, they were given the instructions for the celebration of the Passover that was to occur annually as a day of remembrance of all that was occurring. It was shortly after this that God began to feed his people with manna because they complained of having no food. (See Exodus Chapter 16.) So, now, in Joshua Chapter 5, we see the annual celebration of Passover being held and the manna being stopped. The people were eating from the wealth of the land that they are ready to possess. In this I see the beginning of the wealth transfer.]
For the Israelites coming out of Egypt, the provision of Manna from Heaven was something new.
For the Israelites preparing to go into the Promised Land, all they knew of was Manna from Heaven, so to experience eating from the fruit of the land was something new.
What we today can learn from this is that we might have been experiencing our provisions in one way, we need to open our eyes and see because God is about to do something new, something different. Our needs shall be met. God is faithful. God is true
4. In Joshua 5:13-15, divine instructions are given for battle.
This divine instruction comes from the Lord. The Lord will give to us our marching strategies and order. We are to position ourselves to hear, listen, receive, and prepare ourselves to obey.
With that, we are ready to discuss Joshua Chapter 6 where we see the battle cry in action.
The Divine Plan
In Joshua 6:9, we see the Divine Plan that was given to Joshua by the Commander of the Army of the Lord, put into action.
Joshua 6:10 New International Version
10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
The armed guard, the rear guard, and the priest who carried the Ark of the Covenant were to be quiet until they received the command to give the battle cry.
Imagine that. Imagine having to be completely silent during this time and not being able to speak. Imagine doing this for six days straight, marching in silence around the city. Imagine the buildup of anticipation as you are waiting to go into action, as well as the anticipation of those inside the city who are waiting to see what is going to happen.
Both the army of Israel as well as the inhabitants of Jericho experienced great anticipation. That is the same thing that is happening today. Both those who believe and submit to King Jesus, as well as those who have not chosen to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, are in expectation of something happening as we all see the various signs that are occurring in our time.
This divine strategy had a two-fold purpose then, and it has a two-fold purpose today. For those who are believers, it requires us to stand in our faith. This is why we are going into such detail about the complete suit of armor because it is what will enable us to stand when the day of evil comes. (Ephesians 6:13) For those who have not chosen to come under the covering of the Lord God Almighty, just like with the people of Jericho, in the days of Joshua, their fear is being accentuated. A great fear is falling and many are taking their own lives because of it. This is also why we need to speak God’s Word more than ever to people of all nations teaching them and helping them to come under the covering of the Most High following Matthew 28:19-20. God’s desire is that no one loses their lives in our day. Jesus’ sacrifice was for us all.
In my study of the battle cry, as it relates to this event, I discovered that there was significance in the sound of the trumpet. As I proceeded to dig deeper in search of understanding, I found myself looking at something that totally took my breath away. Not only was I granted clarity for what happened in Joshua’s day, but also for today.
What did I see?
View Attached File: WASHED, SANCTIFIED, and JUSTIFIED: The Sanctification of the People (A snippet from the book, Giant Slayer – The Training Manual)
A downloadable copy is available in the Digital Downloads Shop area.
Please Proceed to Module 8 – Witness 2, Gideon and his 300 men.
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