"He Has Transgressed the Covenant of the LORD" -- Joshua 7:1-26

The Ninth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

The seven trumpets sounded seven times, the people of Israel gave a great shout, and then suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed.  The army of Israel quickly entered the city and put to death all of Jericho’s inhabitants just as God commanded.  The only people spared were Rahab and her family, because they believed that YHWH was the Lord of all the earth, and because at the risk of her own life, Rahab hid the two spies Joshua had sent to investigate Jericho’s defenses.  But not only did the Lord command that everyone in Jericho be put to death, he also commanded that the entire city was to be completely destroyed.  Because YHWH had devoted the city to himself for destruction, no Israelite was to take any personal property from the ruins of the city.  The only items to be spared were things made of gold, silver and bronze, which were to be added to Israel’s treasury for eventual use in the temple.  As long as Israel obeyed the Lord’s commands, victory over the Canaanites was assured and Israel would soon possess all the land.  But should any one of the Israelites disobey the Lord’s commands, trouble will come upon the entire nation.

We are continuing our series on the Book of Joshua.  We have just completed chapters 5-6, which describe those days immediately after Israel’s entrance into the promised land as well as the account of the fall of Jericho.  Throughout these chapters, the emphasis has fallen upon the contrast between this present generation of Israelites who entered the land of promise and that generation of Israelites who left Egypt and who perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief.  This generation was not like the former one.  This generation obeys the Lord’s commands.  They submit to Joshua.  They renew the covenant.  And they are victorious over Jericho and its formidable defenses, because they followed the Lord’s commands to the letter.  And so the entire nation of Israel was privileged to watch Jericho’s walls collapse at the end of what amounted to a seven-day worship service, in which a holy processional led by Israel’s priests and the ark of the covenant marched around the city of Jericho as a sign that YHWH is Israel’s shield and defender, as well as Lord of all the earth.

In the opening chapters of Joshua we see the “works principle” very clearly set forth.  As in the original covenant of works God made with Adam in Eden, which was then republished at Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, God promises blessings for obedience and threatens curses for disobedience.  This is the operative principle when Israel renewed the covenant at Moab (our present Book of Deuteronomy), and shortly thereafter when Israel advances on Jericho under the leadership of Joshua and crosses through the Jordan River on dry ground.  This principle is also evident when YHWH gave to Israel a great victory over Jericho.  But before YHWH gives Jericho in the hands of his people, Joshua reveals to all Israel an additional command of the Lord in Joshua 6:18-19, a command which is the basis for what unfolds in chapters 7-8.  “But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.  But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”  The law of God does exactly what he intends it to do.  It both exposes sin and reveals to us his will. 

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"The Sound of the Trumpet" -- Judges 6:8-26

The Eighth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

On a number of occasions, the people of Israel witnessed YHWH’s miraculous power first hand.  Now they will witness the massive walls of the city of Jericho collapse before their very eyes.  The city of Jericho, which is the main obstacle preventing Israel from taking of all Canaan, will be no more.  Israel’s stunning victory over Jericho will be yet another sign to God’s people that he keeps his promises, while at the same time the fall of Jericho is also a sign to all of the inhabitants of Canaan that YHWH is about to give Israel that land he had promised to give them centuries before.  When the seven trumpets sound seven times and the people of Israel offer up a great shout, YHWH will not only bring down the walls of Jericho, he is putting the nations of the earth on notice.  YHWH is Lord of all the nations of the earth, whether they acknowledge him or not.

The fall of Jericho is certainly one of the best known events in all the Old Testament.  While many only remember this story from their Sunday school days, few people see the fall of Jericho as an important biblical event designed to point God’s people ahead to the day of final judgment.  But when placed within the context of the overall story of redemption, the fall of Jericho is both the sign that Israel will possess the whole of the land of promise, and at the same time serves as a warning that a day of final judgment is yet to come upon all those nations who reject YHWH.  What happens to Jericho when the trumpets sound and the people shout is a graphic picture of what will happen on the last day in human history when the angel sounds the seventh trumpet and there is a loud shout in heaven.

But this same event is also used by enemies of Christianity to show, supposedly, the cruelty and bloodthirsty character of the God of the Old Testament.  When seen through the eyes of faith, the fall of Jericho is one of those events in which we clearly see the holiness of God as he severely punishes those who reject him and who are without excuse.  But the fall of Jericho is also an event to which those who reject God will point as a sign of how unfair God is and how he has no right to be so cruel to innocent men, women and children.  This is why this why the enemies of Christ so glibly dismiss this account as mythological.  This is also why we must see the fall of Jericho in its redemptive historical context–it is not just a Sunday School story–and why we must remind those who mock God and his Christ that the fall of Jericho is a graphic warning to them of what will happen at the end of the age.  Mock God all you wish, but remember what happened at Jericho will happen to all the nations of the earth on the last day.

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The Commander of the Lord's Army -- Joshua 5:13-6:7

The Seventh in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

Everything seems to be in place for a dramatic victory.  All Israel has crossed through the Jordan River on dry ground and is now camped at Gilgal, just a few miles from the gates of Jericho.  The Israelites have renewed their covenant with YHWH, as all the men of Israel have undergone circumcision and the people have celebrated their first Passover in the promised land.  Israel has a standing army of at least 40,000 men and the people of Canaan are terrified at the news of Israel’s rapid and miraculous advance into their territory.  It will not be long before the Lord grants his people a stunning victory at Jericho.  But first, Joshua will encounter a mysterious man who identifies himself as the commander of the Lord’s army, a man who is none other than the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ.  Joshua is then given specific instructions by the LORD for the Jericho campaign.  All Israel and all the inhabitants of Jericho will know that YHWH is the Lord.

As we continue our series on the Book of Joshua, we come to Joshua’s account of the fall of Jericho, a heavily fortified city which blocked Israel’s way into Canaan.  The city of Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world, the archaeological evidence showing that it has been continuously inhabited since the 8th millennium B.C.  This same evidence shows that city had been destroyed during some point about 1400 B.C, a date which would correspond with the entrance of Israel into the promised land about that same time.  While Jericho was not a large city, the walled portion of the city taking up but seven acres, although, no doubt, many people lived outside the walls.  And it blocked Israel’s way into Canaan.

In the first part of chapter 5, Joshua contrasts the faith and piety of this current generation of Israelites who have just entered Canaan with that of the previous generation which left Egypt forty years before.  That generation which left Egypt was sentenced to wander throughout the Sinai because they doubted that God could make good on his promise.  That generation grumbled at God’s gracious provision of manna in the wilderness.  But this generation would eat the bounty of Canaan.  That generation grumbled under Moses’ leadership, while this generation obeyed Joshua’s every command.  That generation neglected circumcision, which is the sign and seal of the covenant.  But the men of this generation willingly underwent circumcision while camped at Gilgal.  During the lifetimes of this generation, Israel had become a great nation and the people were trusting in YHWH instead of in their own strength to ensure the conquest of Canaan.  No, this generation was not like that one which left Egypt.  Although raised in the wilderness, this generation believed God’s promise and obeyed God’s covenant.

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Because They Did Not Obey the Lord -- Joshua 5:1-12

The Sixth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

After forty years of wandering through the wilderness, the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the land of Canaan.  At Joshua’s command, the priests carried the ark of the covenant to the edge of the river.  The moment their feet touched the water, the Jordan River miraculously stopped flowing.  And then the entire nation of Israel–many hundreds of thousands people and all their possessions and animals–crossed the river on dry ground.  The covenant promise God made to Abraham some four hundred years earlier–in which God promised to give his people this good land flowing with milk and honey–was now a reality.  At long last, Israel was a great nation, across the river in the promised land, and ready to take the fortified city of Jericho which blocked their entrance into the rest of Canaan.  It will not be long before Israel will take possession of all the land that God had promised them as the Canaanites just melt away before them.  God had promised this would be the case and God always keeps his promises.

As we continue our series on the Book of Joshua, we now find the Israelites safely across the Jordan River, camped at Gilgal, just a few miles to the west of Jericho.  It was here at Gilgal that YHWH commanded the people of Israel to build a memorial to this great event, using twelve stones taken from the very spot in the river bed where the priests had set their feet on dry ground.  This monument will be the means by which future generations of Israelites are reminded of that glorious day when YHWH dried up the Jordan and his people entered Canaan to receive their promised inheritance.  The crossing of the Jordan was a graphic sign to Israel that YHWH keeps his covenant promise.  It was also a powerful warning to Israel’s enemies that YHWH is Israel’s shield and protector and that he will ensure that Israel will possess the land of Canaan.

With the people of Israel now safely across the river, in chapter 5 Joshua sets the stage for Israel’s future conquest of Canaan, beginning with the fall of Jericho as recounted in chapter 6.

Verse 1 of Joshua 5 is a summary of sorts, recounting the events of chapters 3-4.  “As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.”  While this verse is a summation about Israel miraculously crossing the river, the verse also offers an explanation for what is soon to come, the conquest of all of Canaan.  The reason why the Israelites will be able to defeat the Canaanites so rapidly will have far more to do with YHWH’s power and Israel’s obedience to the terms of the covenant, than it does with Israel’s 40,000 soldiers.  This is what the people of Israel must recognize as they prepare to take possession of the land.  They will be victorious only so long as they are faithful to YHWH.

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So That All the Peoples of the Earth May Know -- Joshua 4:1-24

The Fifth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

As Israel’s priests carried the ark of the covenant into the waters of the Jordan, the moment their feet touched the water, the river miraculously stopped flowing.  The people of Israel then began crossing through the river on dry ground.  As they did so, they were, at long last, entering that good land flowing with milk and honey which God promised to them.  But not only was God fulfilling his covenant promises to his people, at the same time through this display of his mighty power, he was instilling fear in the hearts of the Canaanites, causing them to melt away before the approaching Israelites.  In fact, once the people of Israel finish crossing the river, they will camp at Gilgal, just a few miles from Jericho, that fortified city which blocked Israel’s way into the land of Canaan.  It was truly a great day in Israel’s history.  It is a day long to be remembered by all.

We are continuing our series on the history of redemption and we are in that section of the Book of Joshua (chapters 3-4), in which Joshua describes Israel’s dramatic entrance into the land of promise.  It is important to remember that this dramatic entrance into Canaan was the fulfillment of that covenant promise which God made to Abraham some four hundred years earlier, a promise which was then subsequently reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob, and then finally to Moses as the people were about to leave Egypt at the end of their captivity.  Since the book of Joshua opens shortly after Moses’ death, we see throughout the opening chapters God reaffirming this promise to Joshua and then to all Israel.  The forty years of wandering throughout the wilderness of the Sinai finally have come to an end.

As we saw last time, Joshua gave the final orders for the people to march the 7 miles or so from Shittim to the banks of the Jordan River.  As they marched, the ark of the covenant–which contained the two tables of the law, Aaron’s staff and a jar of manna–went before the people, leading them to the very spot where they would cross the river.  Since the ark symbolized the presence of God with his people, the presence of the ark at the front of the Israelite column as they marched was a very clear warning to all those watching–especially in Canaan–that Israel was in covenant relationship with the great king, YHWH, and that YHWH was leading them into the land of promise.  And because Israel was in covenant relationship with YHWH, YHWH is Israel’s shield and defender.  He will lead his people to their inheritance in Canaan and the Canaanites will not be able to stay or turn God’s hand.

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All Israel Was Passing Over on Dry Ground -- Joshua 3:1-17

The Fourth in a Series of Sermons on Joshua

In the history of every nation, there are those defining moments which give that nation its character and which determine the course of its future.  Israel’s crossing of the Jordan River is certainly one such event.  From the days of Abraham–some four hundred years earlier–the promise of dwelling in the land of Canaan had been the dream of every Israelite since.  Having been delivered from their bondage in Egypt, the people of God have spent the last forty years in the wilderness, waiting for this glorious day to come.  In terms of the course of redemptive history, Israel’s crossing over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan is on a par with the crossing of the Red Sea.  Crossing the river into Canaan changes everything.  In this event, we see God working mighty wonders, fulfilling his covenant promises, and setting the future course for his people.  Israel will now enter Canaan as a great nation, about to inherit that land God had given them.  And all the inhabitants of Canaan are terrified, because they know that Israel’s God is the LORD and that he will give his people the land he has promised them.  

As we continue our series on the Book of Joshua, we now come to Joshua chapters 3-4, which describe a monumental event in Israel’s history, that day when God’s people cross the Jordan River and enter the land of promise.  Because of the importance of this day in Israel’s history, Joshua covers this material in substantial detail.  In chapter 3, Joshua describes the events associated with the preparation for the crossing (the topic for this sermon).  And then in chapter 4, Joshua recounts the building of a memorial to commemorate the crossing and the entrance into the promised land (the subject of our sermon next time).

As we have seen, the people of Israel are camped at Shittim on the plains of Moab eagerly expecting the news which they have waited so long to hear.  In chapter 1, Joshua issued the command for the people to spend three days in preparation for crossing the river.  The officers then went through the camp and spread the word among the people.  There can be no doubt that everyone was excited and filled with anticipation.  Joshua also used this three days to gather intelligence upon the land around Jericho as well as the morale of its inhabitants.  As we saw in chapter two, Joshua sent two spies into Jericho to gather this important information.  Aided by Rahab–a Canaanite prostitute who lived in the city and who hid the two spies from her own king, who had discovered that the two spies were in the city–the spies had reported back to Joshua that the people of Jericho were terrified of YHWH and that they were well aware of YHWH’s promise to give Israel the land of Canaan.  Everything was falling into place just as God had promised.  Israel was ready to move, and the Canaanites will melt away before the Israelite advance.

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When the LORD Gives Us the Land -- Joshua 2:1-14

The Third in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

Redemptive history is a term we use often at Christ Reformed. It simply refers to the fact that the Bible is the historical account of Jesus Christ saving his people from their sins. Throughout this history of redemption, we encounter some very interesting people. In our text this time–Joshua, chapter 2–we have the account of a woman who is a notorious sinner, yet who appears in the genealogy of Jesus, someone who is commended in the New Testament as a model of both great faith and godly deeds. Her story begins in Joshua 2 with the account of two spies sent by Joshua, who enter a tavern in Jericho to gather information on their enemies. The tavern’s owner (who happens to be a prostitute) helps the spies at the risk of her own life, even lying to the authorities to protect the spies whom she is hiding in her house. The woman then helps the spies leave and enter the city, even leaving a secret signal–the famous scarlet cord–in her window. Remarkably, this Canaanite prostitute happens to be the first convert in Canaan to Israel’s God. Her name is Rahab and she is both a prostitute and an ancestor of Jesus.

As we continue our series on the Book of Joshua, we now come to the fascinating story of Rahab, a Canaanite woman who has heard about YHWH and believes that Israel’s God will give to Israel that land he has promised to his people. In this chapter, the focus shifts away from Joshua and the Israelites–who were still on the plains of Moab and who were preparing to cross over the River Jordan to possess the land–to the Canaanites and what was going on in the city of Jericho, before the Israelites take the city. This chapter serves as an important bridge to chapter 6, where we find the account of Jericho’s capture.

There are other interesting comparisons in this chapter. We have the favorable comparison between Joshua as the strong and courageous leader of Israel and Rahab, who is likewise very courageous and who will be the first of her people to come to faith in YHWH. Then there is the contrast between Rahab’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness as seen in Achan’s sin, the theme of chapter 7. All and all, this is an interesting and important section of Joshua and many of themes found here will reappear throughout the literature of western civilization–a lady with a past who becomes a heroine. This is an important episode in Israel’s history, and a dramatic and compelling story in its own right.

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The LORD Gives Rest -- Joshua 1:10-18

The Second In A Series of Sermons on Joshua

It is easy to imagine the excitement that raced through the camp, when the order was given to pack up in preparation to cross the Jordan River and enter the land of promise.  The people of Israel waited forty long years for this day to come.  In just three short days, they would be ready to cross the river and they would at last possess that bountiful land which God promised to give to his people as their covenant inheritance.  The armies were to prepare for battle, the people would participate in a ceremony in which they acknowledged God’s choice of Joshua as their covenant leader, and then soon, they would be on the move.  It was truly a great day in the history of Israel.

Last time we began a new series on the Book of Joshua.  When we last took a break from our study of the unfolding drama of redemption “I will be your God and you will be my people,” we had completed the Book of Deuteronomy.  We left off with the people of Israel camped on the plains of Moab, just to the east of Canaan.  All that stood between Israel and the promised land was the Jordan River and the fortified city of Jericho.  While Israel was camped in Moab, God renewed his covenant with Israel–our Book of Deuteronomy.  But then Moses died and was succeeded by Joshua, a man chosen by God to lead the Israelites into the promised land and take possession of it–despite the presence of the Canaanites in the land, a group of tribes known for their great ferocity.  The Book of Joshua is the account of this transitional period in Israel’s history, when the people of God entered the land, conquered the peoples living there, and then became a great nation, just as God had promised to Abraham. 
           
As we began this series, we considered the geo-political situation on the eve of the conquest.  Living in a land between the three great empires of the day (Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Hittites), the Canaanites were flourishing at this time and there was great prosperity throughout the land.  Then we briefly reviewed the life of Joshua (Moses’ assistant), before we turned to the first nine verses of Joshua chapter one in which God renewed his promise to give Israel the land of Canaan.  This was that promise God made first to Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob, a promise which was renewed to Moses (and Israel) when God made a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai.  Joshua is now the covenant mediator, but God’s covenant promise remains unchanged.  The critical question is, will the people of Israel remain faithful to the terms of the covenant so as to receive this inheritance and become a light to the nations?

Before we turn to our passage, I’d like to do a bit more introduction to the Book as a whole.  There are a number of important themes which appear multiple times in this book, and it might be useful to identity them at the beginning of this series. 

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The LORD Your God Is With You -- Joshua 1:1-9

The First in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Joshua

When we last took a break from our on-going series “I will be your God and you will be my people,” we had concluded the Book of Deuteronomy.  The people of God had spent forty years wandering throughout the inhospitable desert of the Sinai.  After a generation passed, the Lord led them out of the wilderness, taking them far to the north, where they entered the plains of Moab, just to the east of the Dead Sea in what is now Jordan.  As Israel camped at Moab, God prepared his people to enter that good land flowing with milk and honey, which they would receive as their inheritance.  God renewed the covenant which he made with Israel at Mount Sinai–the Book of Deuteronomy.  All that remained was for Israel to cross the Jordan River, defeat the people of Jericho and then take the land.  But then circumstances intervened.  Knowing that his time had come, Moses pronounced his final blessing upon the twelve tribes of Israel, named Joshua as his successor, and then climbed Mount Nebo where the Lord showed him the promised land–from Gilead (to the south) to Dan (in the north).  Then Moses died and was buried by the Lord.

With the death of Moses, Israel faced a major dilemma.  Moses was the only leader they had ever known.  What would happen to them now?  Who would intercede for the people before YHWH?  Who would lead Israel into the land across the river, where the dreaded Canaanites lived in great numbers?   What would become of the covenant promises that the Lord had made to his people some forty-years before?  How would the Israelites conquer the fortified city of Jericho, which blocked their entrance into the promised land?  Many–indeed most–of those who had left Egypt had already died in the desert, and a new generation had become prominent among Israel’s twelve tribes.  Despite the hope they felt as they marched north out of the wilderness in order to possess the land, and despite the renewal of the covenant on the plains of Moab, at the very moment the people find themselves on the brink of the realization of all that God promised, Moses was dead.  After forty years of wandering in the desert, there were more questions than answers.  They were so near, yet still so far.

During this period in redemptive history, the people of Israel begin to forget all that God has done for them.  New generations of Israelites find themselves attracted to, and then influenced by the paganism and false religion all around them.  In this sense, the struggle faced by the Israelites upon entering the promised land is much like the struggle Christians face today.  How do we keep focused upon the promises of God?  How do we resist the pull to be like the pagans around us?  As we will see, there is much in the books of Joshua and Judges which relates to our own situation today.

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