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Joshua Study 4.

Overcoming the impossible

Read Joshua 6

This was the first of the cities to be faced after crossing the river Jordan. The first major obstacle which on the face of it seems impossible to capture.

V2 God tells Joshua he has already delivered Jericho to him. The battle is already won.

Q What do you think Joshua must have thought ?

That’s what God thinks but it looks pretty formidable to me.

God’s proved himself in the past – I’ll just trust him for this as well.

There is no record of what he actually thought other than he obeyed what God said next.

Q Do we believe that God, through Jesus on the cross, has already won the spiritual battles we face. He’s been victorious over death and sin. Satan is defeated - Jesus has triumphed.

Q How does that make us feel as we face problems ahead ?

V 3 God tells Joshua to do some strange things.

March around the city for six days

On the seventh day march around seven times. Blow the trumpets. Shout

Then the walls will collapse.

Q How do you think Joshua must have felt ?

Where was the battle strategy ? Shouting ! Blowing trumpets ! Where’s the attacking and fighting gone. Not much of a battle plan. What will the soldiers think !

Q Do you think Joshua thought of a better way to take Jericho ?

Q Do we have a master plan that we’ve worked out for a particular problem ? We have tried logically to work out all the issues and angles.

It’s going to be better than anything God suggests.

Q Are we concerned by what others think about us ?

V8 Joshua carries out the plan to the letter.

V16 Joshua claims the victory God has given them. He totally believes God and takes Him at His word.

Q When we know God has spoken to us through whatever means - His word, dreams, other people etc, do we try to modify and adapt what God says to make it more rational and acceptable ?

Q Are we prepared to do the ridiculous if God asks us to ?

Never mind our reputations. Does this bother us ?

 Q What examples can we think of in the Bible where people laid aside reputation in order to trust God ?

Noah building an ark - although it had never rained before !

Abraham told to leave his home land - to be the father of all nations !

Were these people mad ?

Read Hebrews 11 through

God performed a miracle at Jericho. Trumpets and shouting do not knock down walls - usually.

He chose to test Joshua and the people to see whether they trusted Him. He proved Himself to them.

Notice v 18 God told the people to keep away from the devoted things - the things of value in the city. Everything else to be burned and destroyed.

God didn’t want the people to be tainted with the things in the city. The glory was to go to God for the victory not an opportunity to increase their bank balance or prosperity.

God wanted to make sure their motives were right in following His commands.

Q Do we sometimes have the wrong motives when we do God’s work ? Just a bit of pride or self gratification maybe ! Look what I’ve done ! You did well by asking me to lead you - look how good I am ! WRONG MOTIVES

What about when we are looking for employment and career prospects. Highest salary, reward for the study and hard work, show how good I am.

Can we think of a recent example where this attitude has crept in inadvertently maybe.

 Q Are we prepared to follow what God tells us to do in order to see victory over a problem or situation? God often has ideas and plans totally different to ours - are we prepared to trust Him ?

Take time to surrender your plans and ideas to God. Tell Him you are prepared to be made to look stupid as far as the world is concerned but His plans are what you want to follow.

 

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