Crossing the Jordan

Transcript

GRS 2-41
9/17/2006
Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 3-5
Gil Rugh

We are in the Book of Joshua, turn there if you would and we are with the people of God as they embark on a new adventure, a new face of their walk with the Lord. A face of war and battle and conflict as they move in to take the land that God has promised them. Certainly something they have been looking forward to for forty years since leaving Egypt as they have wandered in the wilderness and saw a whole generation die off because of their unbelief. But now they are prepared to enter the land, that’s presented onset of challenges. Now they have to be prepared to face an unknown enemy, or should we say enemies and forces which will oppose them. And so Joshua will lead them. We saw in Joshua in Chapter 1, as God encouraged Joshua and told him to be strong and courageous.

In Chapter 2, the spies would enter the land and Rahab the Canaanite woman welcomes them, protects them, and demonstrates great faith in the God of Israel simply from what she has heard about Israel’s God. Chapters 3 to 5 form a unit dealing with events associated with the crossing of the Jordan River. It’s interesting as our Bible lays it out, we have Chapters 3, 4, and 5 dealing with events about crossing the Jordan and just one Chapter, Chapter 6 with the conquering of Jericho, seems like you would have more describing Jericho and that great event and less on all that’s involved in crossing the Jordan River. But we see something of God’s will for His people. The demonstration of His sovereign power to reinforce the faith of His people as the God who can be trusted, as the God who can do mighty and powerful works, and also to strike fear in the people of the land of Canaan.

In Chapters 3 and 4, there is going to be a focus on the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Seventeen times in these two Chapters; the Ark of the Covenant is mentioned. You just want to know where they are, it’s in Chapter 3. The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, down in verse 6 of Chapter 3, the Ark of the Covenant, down in verse 8 the Ark of the Covenant, down in verse 11 the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth, verse 13 the Ark of the Covenant, verse 14 the Ark of the Covenant, verse 15 the Ark, verse 17 the Ark of the Covenant, ten times in Chapter 3 and then seven more times in Chapter 4 verse 5 the Ark of the Lord your God, verse 7 the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, verse 9 the Ark of the Covenant, verse 10 the Ark, verse 11 the Ark of the Lord, verse 16 the Ark of the testimony, verse 18 the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord repeatedly drawing attention to the Ark of the Covenant. Very crucial item because it is the representation of you will and the place of God’s presence in the nation and this crucial transition point moving from wilderness wandering into the land of promise, everything is focused on the presence of God in Israel.

Come back to Exodus Chapter 25, you know even in modern days there is talk about the Ark of the Covenant and we have, you know, fictional movies that have been based around the Ark of the Covenant. We heard discussions in Israel in the last month or so one of the history program and they are interviewing a Jewish man from Israel and he was expressing his conviction that the Ark of the Covenant is hidden in one of the passage ways or caves, stored rooms under the Temple Mount and at the appropriate time it will be discovered and come out and be part of a new temple, this was they believing Jew. This was simply a man who has certain convictions as a Jew in God’s plan for Israel.

The Ark of the Covenant is described in verse 25, its not that big of an item, beginning in verse 10 and following of Exodus 25, it described it is made of acacia wood, it is two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. Three feet 9 inches and I am not good since I don’t measure things, but you know little over three feet, almost four feet in length and then about 2 feet 3 inches high and 2 feet 3 inches wide, that’s all. So it is not big item and it will be, it has rings on the corners, it’s carried with poles that go through the rings on the shoulders of the men assigned that responsibilities, the poles are never to be removed from the rings and so instructions given there. It is overlaid with gold, verse 11 you will overlay it with pure gold inside and out; gold molding around it, four golden rings for it fastened them on its forefeet, two rings on one side of it, two on the other poles of acacia wood overlay with gold something of its importance with the gold covering of it.

Verse 17, you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, and this obviously to fit on the top of the # it’s the same size, so it is not overlapping lead if you will, but it fits the same size dimensions as the Ark itself. You have the two cherubim on each side facing each other with their wings spread and they cover the mercy seat described in verse 18 and how they are to be placed on there. You put verse 21, the mercy seat on top of the ark.

And verse 22, the importance there I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel. You see, this is where God meets with Israel. This is the place where His presence is manifested, from which His word is given. So it becomes the heart if you will f Israel’s worship will be contained within the holy of holies in the tabernacle. The high priest alone is allowed access and that’s only once a year on the day of atonement to come behind the curtain that separated the holy of holies where the Ark of the Covenant is from the holy place in the outer areas of the Temple.

You will note in verse 16, you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. And that’s the two tablets of stone containing the ten words, the ten commandments from God, so we called the ark of the testimony, the Ark of the Covenant because here is the summary of the covenant God establishes with His people and the place where He will meet with them where atonement takes place because on the day of the atonement here is where the blood will be sprinkled.

You can also note Hebrews Chapter 9, verse 4, Hebrews 9:4 tells us in addition to the two tablets of stone which contained the Ten Commandments, you also had a jar, a golden jar containing the manna. Remember the manna would go peach read, it was kept overnight, but here there is a permanent jar of manna retained as a testimony to God’s faithfulness in provision of Israel during those years of wilderness wandering and it’s kept within the Ark of the Covenant. Also within the Ark of the Covenant, remember is Aaron’s rod that budded, that established his place, the place of the ironic priesthood in the Levitical system that God established for the nation Israel. This lead in verse 21 called the mercy seat as I mentioned because here is where the blood will be sprinkled to make atonement for the sins of the nation.

Now turn to the next Book of the Old Testament, Leviticus Chapter 16. Here you have instructions for the Day of Atonement; you see the central place that is the Ark of the Covenant place in the redemptive program in Israel. Verse 2, the Lord said to Moses, tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die. Then you will note Chapter 16 verse 1 began, now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died. That’s recorded back in Chapter 10 of Leviticus. They failed to follow God’s clear instructions and they are consumed by fire by the Lord. So the warning to Aaron comes on the heels of that event, he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, so behind that veil remember that’s the veil that will be read into upon the death of the Christ on the cross, which indicates that access us now into the presence of God has been provided through the death of Christ.

Now note at the end of verse 2, I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. So this is the place that God manifests His presence in Israel, the place where atonement for the sins of the people is made and instructions for how Aaron is to proceed. It says he shall not enter at any time. He is not free to come and go here. There is one day and that’s where the instructions are going to that he is allowed to access there for a specific purpose and there are instructions on the clothing that he is to wear. And verse 5, he takes from the congregation sons of Israel two male goats for a sinner, one for a sinner, two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burn offering. Then Aaron offers the bull for the sin offering which is for himself to make atonement for himself and his household.

Remember the Book of Hebrews says, the Old Testament priests had to first make atonement for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus didn’t have to make atonement for himself. He is the high priest at the order of Melchizedek. He had no sin that had to be atoned for. The Old Testament sin, priests were just men and sinful men and so Aaron has instructions here how to make atonement for his sins. Then he takes the two goats, verse 7 presents them for the Lord, cast the lot, one there is a lot to determine, one of these goats will be sacrificed, the other goat will become a scapegoat, a goat that is sent away, they carry away symbolizing the sin of the people because of the sacrifice that is made.

Then verse 11, Aaron offers the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself in atonement and instructions regarding that. Verse 13, he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Ark of the Testimony, otherwise he will die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; in front of the mercy seat, he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. He shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, so the bull was for his sin and his family, now for the sin of the people he slaughters the goat of the sin offering which is for the people bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurity of the sons of Israel because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. So the instructions go on. You will see that the mercy seat as at the centre and heart, God’s presence in the nations and it is a place where atonement for the sins of the people can be made so that God does not destroy them for their sins.

Down in verse 29 of this Chapter and following gives you the date when this is to be done. And verse 34, it is a permanent statue to make atonement for the sons of Israel once every year. So here is the visible place where God manifests His presence. The Ark of Covenant is the manifestation for the sons of Israel. This is going to carried before the people. We are told we were at a setup when the tabernacle setup, but the people travel the Ark of the Covenant will go before them representing the presence of God leading them and the God who has provided for the atonement of the sins of his people. Come back to Joshua then, you will appreciate why there is such a repeated emphasis in these two Chapters on the Ark of the Covenant and its prominence. It is all about God’s presence. Joshua is the physical leader of the people, but God is going before His people and ultimate victory depends upon the God of sovereign power and authority.

Verse 3 then of Joshua 3, they commanded the people, saying, when you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. So that’s the sign to move out and the priests carried remember with the poles later in the days of David, there would be a disaster when they tried to transport it on an ox cart, some was going to die over that and I don’t understand that. We will go back and remind ourselves how God said the Ark of the Covenant has to be transported; this is the only way it is to be transported. We know some of the problem there. However, verse 4 there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure, that’s about 3000 feet, little over a half mile if I remember correctly 5280 feet is a mile right? So 3000 feet is little over half a mile. I always think of it where a mile can link enough, but half way down there, that’s where the ark. That’s about the distance, that’s what works for me. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before. There is a practical reason, you’ve got about 2 million people about to move out. Well the ark is right down front easy for there to be some, you know, confusion here. So the ark is the half mile ahead, it can be kept inside, but there is ample distance to allow it to set the direction and the people can follow it.

Verse 7, now the Lord said to Joshua, this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. We are going to be some things happened and in particularly significant event, the drying up of the Jordan River. That is going to establish before the people that Joshua is God’s leader and he is Moses’ replacement and there can be no discussions about it. And Just as Moses led the people across the Red Sea on dry ground, Joshua is going to take the people across the Jordan River on dry ground. So that will establish Joshua’s leadership which is crucial because we are going into war and series of battles and wars to take possession of the land. We can’t be debating who is in charge here? Joshua’s in charge. He will establish him before the people.

Verse 11 Joshua said by this you shall know that the living God is among you, He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. I mean, quite a list of people. Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing ahead of you into the Jordan. Reminder here different ways he has expressed the ark. Verse 11 the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth. He mentions these various peoples in verse 10, then were reminded the Ark of the Covenant is the visible reminder that the God of Israel is the Lord of all the earth. He is the sovereign. The living God is among you. He rules the earth and he will give these peoples into your hands.

So verses 14 to 17, The Lord’s going to perform the miracle of stopping of the waters of the Jordan. Verse 14 when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying Ark of the Covenant before the people, when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, note this for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest were in flood stage for the Jordan, the high water time, the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

Here several supernatural elements that happened in this one miracle. We talk about the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan, drying the Jordan, but there are several things that happened here. Number 1, it came to pass exactly as predicted. I was watching a program again in one of those history channel programs, they sometimes deal on Bible subject and they were trying to give natural explanations for various Old Testament miracles. One of them was the drying up of the Jordan River and how that just could be explained as a natural event, it’s not a miracle. There are several things that are supernatural that occurred here: Number 1, it happens just as well was predicted,

Verse 13, it will come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters will be cut off, so you know here you are though flood stage the water of the Jordan flowing, overflowing its banks and here the priests come, they step in to the edge of the flood waters that are overflowing the banks and the water stops as just it was predicated. Down in verse 15, the feet of the priests dip in the edge of the water, the water stops. So that’s the first supernatural event.

Second, the timing is exact in verse 15, you know God had only predicated it, but the timing is exact, you know, if you carrying the ark, it doesn’t happen that, you know, 45 minutes after you walk into the middle of Jordan, the water stops. You are gone, I mean who you are going to walk out carrying the ark into the middle of a roaring river that’s overflowing its banks, you are going to stand in the middle. The timing is perfect. Their feet touch the water, the water stops. Now the third part of supernatural event is what I emphasis it’s a flood stage. We can’t say well you know it was a dry season and the river probably was down to a trickle and all you had to have was a little slide up further and that would cut off that, you know this is flood stage.

Number 4, the wall of water was held in place for many hours, perhaps a whole day because verse 16, there is the people crossed; we got 2 million people to get across. I mean, this is not an event that happens in 10 or 15 minutes. People are going to come across in orderly procession. The ark is there as a reminder of God’s presence to remind them it is God’s power doing this and as Israel comes across, they don’t have to come across single line, but they are coming across, you know, in orderly procession and this would take hours, perhaps the whole day. If you get across the Jordan River and the water stays blocked the order.

Another supernatural event in this miracle was in verse 17, the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant stood firm on dry ground. Here a river at flood stage, its stops to the grounds dry. It is stops where we are going to wait here for several days now to the river bed dries out and we can cross, not only did the water stop, but the river beds try. There is supernatural part of the miracle and then in precise timing down in verse 18 of Chapter 4, it came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up from the middle of the Jordan, the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before.

So when they get on to true dry ground now, not the supernaturally dry ground, but the normal dry ground, as soon as their feet touch that, the river comes rushing back, overflows its banks and were back exactly. So you know what I have listed there a dozen supernaturally events comprise this one miracle and you see all this together. You see the Sovereign power of God. In verse 16 we were told in Chapter 3 verse 16 the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan. Adam is about fifteen miles north of where is Israel is crossing the river, so we got quite an expanse here for the people to cross and it would be that for these people crossing, but it’s not divine you to think of it like the walls of the Red Sea where there was a wall of water, these people, this water 15 miles upstream the Lord is chosen to stop it. Now Israel crosses on dry ground.

Chapter 4 is about one prime event collecting 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River while the water stopped up, so that they can build a memorial stacking these stones up to be a constant reminder to the coming generation of what God did miraculously to bring Israel across the Jordan and into Canaan. Verses 1 to 5, when the nation had all had finished crossing the Jordan, Joshua said take for yourselves twelve men, one from each tribe, and send them back out into the middle of the river bed where the priests are still standing with the Ark of the Covenant, have each of them get a stone and not just a little stone, like you just pick up in your hands as a souvenir, but these large enough stones that each of these twelve men put a stone on their shoulder. These are sizable stones, rocks, we call may be a builder that man could put on his shoulder and carry, but these are at such size then they will be able and the twelve stones are put together, it will make a visible, clearly identifiable memorial stone, memorial of the crossing of the Jordan.

Verse 3 command them, take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet are standing firm, carry them over with you, lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight. Here you conceive, it’s a good part of the day and the crossing now, so we are just going to carry these stones with us and put it down when you sleep. Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed crossed to the ark of the middle of the Jordan, verse 5 put a stone on your shoulder each of you and we are going to build a memorial.

Verse 6, important, let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying what do these stones mean to you? You shall say to them, 'because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off, these stones will be a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. It is for future generations a reminder of the greatness of the God. The Ark of the Covenant is there in the middle of the Jordan, why, it’s the power of God doing this. It is not forces of nature; it is the power of God, His presence among His people that has brought this miracle to pass. It is important their children and their children’s children will be there to see it necessarily, well remember it. But this is a reminder for you to tell them that the ongoing responsibility of the passing on the mighty works of God and teaching them to coming generations.

Verse 9, Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. Someone taking this as they mean while Joshua set up two memorials. Twelve stones where the feet of priests were and then twelve on land, but it seems in the context as we have read, you go out to where the feet of the priests are and gather up twelve stones that you just have that repeated in verse 9, although it could read if that was all you have like that happened in the middle of the river. But these are the twelve stones and that you have taken from the middle, they were in the middle of the Jordan River where the feet of the priests were according to the instructions given in verse 3 and the memorial will be built on land, otherwise it will be just a memorial under the river that would not be any visible sign to Israel or future generations.

Verses 12 and 13, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over. Now remember their portion of land will be what we called the Transjordan, that will be across Jordan on the east side of the Jordan River, but they are given that portion of the land with the understanding from the days of Moses that they would send their warriors over the help the other tribes conquer their portion in Canaan. So you just couldn’t quit and say this will be our land, we will stay here, you guys go fight it out for your land, now this is a united nation and so they could have that portion of the land with the understanding that they would send soldiers to help conquer it.

So verse 13 - 40,000 from Ruben, the tribes of Ruben and the Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, half of the tribe Manasseh will be on one side of the Jordan, half of tribe of Manasseh will be on the other side of the Jordan. We are told here there are 40,000 men. I am mentioning this and we will go back now for time, but in Numbers Chapter 26 if you add up the military men over 20 in the tribe of Ruben, the tribe of Gad and half-tribe of Manasseh, it was 110000 approximately men who were able to go the war over 20. But here only 40,000 are equipped for war from these two and a half tribes. Evidently the rest day on the east side of the Jordan, so just don’t leave women, children, and the elderly, they are defenseless and that there are men who are capable warriors who stay behind with these tribes, but these tribes send a significant contingent to help their fellow tribes conquer the land of Canaan as is God’s plan.

So you come down verse 20, these twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, what are these stones, you shall inform your children saying Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground. We have to pass it on to our children. We have to take truth of the God has taught us, the truth concerning almighty God that has been learned and pass it on to the coming generation. We will say more about that later.

Verse 23, for the lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever. A clear connection made here between the crossing of the Red Sea under Moses’ leadership and now the crossing of the Jordan under Joshua’s leadership and this event clearly establishes Joshua as the successor of Moses. And the same God who worked mightily through Moses will now work mightily through the leadership of Joshua. And so the connection here is important and this is for all the peoples of the earth to know that the hand of the Lord is mighty.

And it is so that God’s people may fear the Lord God forever. Two things happened and both will, Israel here is reminded. Now remember they are reminded here at the beginning of what is an intimidating task of the mighty hand of God and it also is a testimony to the nations that are already quivering in fear because of the mighty God of Israel. Because they haven’t forgotten what He did to the Egyptians and the deliverance that He brought about for Israel 40 years earlier, now you add to this that this God of Israel is the sovereign God.

Chapter 5 concerned with the observance of two important events now that Israel is in the land before they move out to conquer. There are two observances, two ceremonies associated with Israel being God’s covenant people that must take place. Number 1 is circumcision. Number 2 is the observance of Passover. So we can do it in reverse order here of Passover in Egypt, Passover occurred and then subsequently Israel will cross through the Red Sea on dry ground. Here Israel crosses through Jordan on dry ground and then they will observe Passover, but circumcision must occur. We are told in verse 1, you are told when they about when 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 how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in there any longer because of the sons of Israel.

You see verse 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord is mighty. And when you have the peoples of the land particularly those here near the Jordan, they think that the Jordan will be a barrier and we have some time to get ready because the Jordan is at flood stage, there is no way to get the people across and that what happens when you realize the Jordan River is dried up. They all crossed the dry land, how are they going to fight against people who have such a God.

Verse 2 and down verses 2 to 9 talk about the matter of the circumcision of the males in Israel. At that time the Lord said to Joshua, make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time. Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel. This is the reason all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, the men of war died in the wilderness. Verse 5, the people who had came out were circumcised, for the people born, the male children born during the wilderness wandering had not been circumcised interestingly, we are not given a reason, we are not why, just that they had not been circumcised.

Verse 6, the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is the men of war who came out of Egypt perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised, so we are talking about that generation born in the wilderness, those who ad been under 20 that they had not experienced circumcision. They hadn’t been circumcised along the way, so those who come out of Egypt were those born during the wilderness wandering had not. Circumcision is the sign of God’s covenant relationship with this nation. So I am not telling to do circumcision if crossed over in the enemy territory. Now basically in you are going to incapacitate the army of Israel because this procedure will render the soldiers of Israel, the fighting men of Israel unable to do anything until they have healed.

When with the account in Israel of that procedure where certain men were circumcised and the result was then the family of Jacob comes in and destroys them because of their physical condition. And it’s a strange funny thing God might have done this before they crossed the Jordan. And then Jordan will be a barrier, they get across the Jordan in the enemy territory, this is alright before we go any further, all you fighting men have to be circumcised and the fact rendered incapacitated for several days until a healing process takes place. Lord, this is not a good time to do circumcision, why didn’t we get this done before? Now we are enemy territory, they can storm in here tomorrow and would all but defenseless, doesn’t matter, you do what the Lord says, they are perfectly safe because they are under the Lord’s care.

Come back to Genesis 17, you have institution of circumcision here in verse 10 as you have the Abrahamic covenant reiterated here and the covenant of circumcision, verse 10, this is My covenant, which you shall keep between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And then it goes on to detail. So you see this is the physical identifying mark of God’s relationship with Israel that they belonged him in covenant relationship and so Abraham and his family then at end of the chapter are circumcised.

Well her we stop in Chapter 34 and the account of Jacob’s family here remember daughter of Jacob is in effect raped by Shechem, the son of the king of the land and so Jacob’s son to get revenge, say we can’t bear you, you are circumcised, be circumcised and will intermarry with you. Down of verse 24, all went out the gate of his city, listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem and every male was circumcised, verse 25 now came about on the third day, when they were in pain to Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brother, each took his sword and came upon the city, killed every male. Three days later they were unable. This is just a reminder of the way God does things. If I were planning this event, I would have been instructed to the circumcision to take place on east side of the Jordan, it’s just good sense, then after the circumcision and after the healing of the soldiers, then we would have crossed the Jordan and we would have safe in enemy territory. But they are just safe in enemy territory as they could be anywhere because they are under God’ care, all that to say this is the way God did it.

Come back to Joshua 5 verse 8, when they finished circumcising, they remained in their places in camp until they were healed. Then the Lord said to Joshua, today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day, rolling and the reproaches rolled way, it is evidently referred to the fact that there were claims that that this people would never arrive where God had said and their approach of Egypt and the claims of the people. Remember Numbers 14, when they approached the land the first time and the spies were sent out into the land and then the people were going to all die in the wilderness and so on, well all that reproach now has removed away because you see here you are in the land and this probably ties to why the covenant is clearly marked out in the land. Now you are in the land where I promised and the sign of the covenant is reestablished and so that reproach is rolled away.

Verse 10, while the sons of Israel came to Gilgal, they observed the Passover, though now circumcision was a necessary precondition for the observing of the Passover. Exodus Chapter 12, verse 48, only circumcised males were to partake of the Passover. Passover carries you back to God’s work of deliverance in Egypt. God had killed the firstborn among the Egyptians. He told the Israelites that you sacrifice the land, you sprinkle the blood on doorpost and I will Passover. And then that is established as an ongoing feast. This is only the third Passover recorded in Israel’s history up to this point. You have the first Passover on the night before their deliverance when God killed the firstborn of the Egyptians, which was the final plague on Egypt, which resulted in Israel being told to get out of Egypt quickly. That was in Exodus Chapter 12. Then they observed Passover at Mount Sinai.

Numbers Chapter 9 verses 1 to 5 record that and now Passovers recorded in Joshua Chapter 5, here verse 10, if Israel observed the Passover during the wilderness wandering, this never recorded and I would assume it does not occur because circumcision is not occurring and uncircumcised males were not eligible to observe Passover. So it would indicate that this observance was not observed during that time, but now you see here God if you will, bringing judgment on that unbelieving generation, now reaffirms his covenant with Israel and Passover and reminder of his provision for them and deliverance of them is now reinstituted.

The Chapter is going to close with Joshua’s encounter with the supernatural being. We are going to do that in connection with Chapter 6 because it ties there because the individual described in verses 13 to 15 gives instructions to Joshua at the beginning of Chapter 6 for the conquering of Jericho. Let me just say something as we wrap this up, these three chapters. In spite of God’s faithfulness, 40 years wilderness wandering, God was faithful to Israel. He brought judgment on that unbelieving generation, but he was faithful to the nation. They didn’t die in the wilderness. They mourned in Numbers 12, we will perish in the wilderness, our children, our little ones who perish in the wilderness and those little ones now have grown to adults and they crossed the Jordan and they are in the land. God’s covenant promises are good. The covenant established with Abraham is still in force. The sign of the covenant is instituted. The faithful God, who provides for the redemption of his people in the deliverance from judgment Passover here. They reminded of God’s deliverance and protection of them in Egypt.

You know, what two generations from now, the grand children of these people will not know the Lord. See we are now going to Judges. We are in Joshua, turn over to Judges. We have to go to the end of the story. You know, I would like to read the end of the story early. They will get here if the word doesn’t come to the Book of Judges. But look what the Book of Judges tells us in Chapter 2, the beginning of the Book of Judges, verse 6 of Judges, now we have come through the whole Book of Judges of course, the land has been basically secured, verse 6 of Judges 2, when Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel, when each to inheritance to possess the land. The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord, which he had done for Israel, The Joshua, the son of Nun that served the Lord, died at the age of 110. They buried him in his inheritance. He is in the land. Now Verse 10, all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. Their world and other generations after them.

Who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which he had done for Israel. How can you fail to pass it on to your children and your grandchildren the great truth of the mightily God and all he has done. Means you don’t care about the destiny of your grandchildren, your children, I mean that’s where we go, you know, the children, the grandchildren here, we are at that generation on those who crossed into the land. They don’t know the Lord. You know what happens, somehow the generation that had seen so much of God what had done become careless and different, callous to it. Settle down, remember God has warned them when you get into the land and begin to enjoy the good things. Don’t forget the Lord is your God, but they did. Now you know the generation doesn’t know the Lord. It’s just the grandkids of those who crossed in. Do you think about your grandchildren going to know the Lord?

You know with the same patterns if we are not careful begin to be repeated and you know somehow, it just becomes, I don’t want to say ordinary, but not so important and now you have got a generation passes over the next generation. Somehow, it has not gotten passed on to the kids and through the kids to the grandkids. So all that generation who were gathered also were gathered to their fathers. They rose another generation after them, who did not know the Lord, nor yet the word which he had done for Israel. And sometimes I don’t found as I look around and say, see what people are doing with their kids. Sometimes, the churches therein. Sometimes the indifference that they have toward their own kids when they are in a good church. What they don’t want to come, they don’t want to be involved.

They don’t know how eternally important it is. Do you, do I. I mean I am going to let the kid make the decision what I know I eternity is the issue here, how could they be so stupid. And I have a completed revelation nor the fullness of the plan. I can be just as careless, just as indifferent, just as relaxed and that’s how you end up and generation things rollover. People heard that their kids know something about it, their grandkids know little about it and has not been that important in our family for sometime and so you have a generation, who do not know the Lord.

We want to learn from the mighty works of God on behalf of Israel, but remember these things are written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages have come. Why we have children’s ministries going on Sunday evening. Why are people happy to go to churches if they don’t have Sunday evening programs for children, so their kids come watch TV on Sunday night. And I don’t say you have to have church on Sunday evening to be better, which something wrong when you know little and less is better when it comes to the things of the Lord for people these day, what are we passing on to the next generation is, I know it happens to them. We have to be sure that they show at least the passion on us. So we did everything we could to build into them the truth like Timothy’s parents did from a child you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you why the salvation. Timothy didn’t get saved until he sat under Paul’s ministry, but his mother and his grandmother had been pounding it into him since he was a kid.

So we need to learn the lessons and take heat so that the next generation has heard the mighty things of God and had it build into their life and the generation after them have heard it. I don’t think well, my kids and I want my grandkids to know and I don’t want the generation to come as they don’t know the Lord. They don’t know the things of the Lord. Well I mean they were good at school. They were involved in lot of activities and they were good at sports and they were involved in lot of activity and they did this and they did that someway along the line. The Lord pushed of our back that they really don’t know anything about him. So as we move into the land, they got a generation that has experienced the mighty power of God, but they are going to fail to pass it on to their own grand kids.

Let’s pray, thank you Lord that you are the God who has revealed yourself in mighty and powerful ways. We have the record of that revelation of yourself contained in your words in the scriptures. Thank you for your mighty works on behalf of the nation Israel, a nation that you sovereignly chose for yourself. A nation before whom you manifested yourself as the mighty God in the crossing of the Jordan, or it should have need as a great impression on these people that they would never forget that they could never stop telling others, teaching their children, instructing their grandchildren. They will see your mighty hand bringing great deliverance to give them the land and yet they will fail to pass it on. Lord we don’t know how it could happen and yet we realize even ourselves how easily we become lax, indifferent, casual. We have experienced your mighty work in our lives. We who have been privileged to know your truth to touch your work. We understand the importance of passing that on to the next generation and the generation after that. Thank you that your faithfulness to Israel continues that we are even unfaithful, you are faithful. You are the unchanging that is our hope and our confidence for time and eternity. We praise you in Christ’s name, amen.