Sermon Tone Analysis

Consecration Before Conquest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua 5:1-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 1999

 

 

Consecration Before Conquest

 

Illustration From The Sea Wolves

 

I watched a movie last year called the Sea Wolves.

It was about some terrorists who captured an oil rig in the North Atlantic Sea.

They demanded a large Ransome from the British government or they would blow it up.

The rig was worth some 200 billion dollars.

A squad of crack navy frogman were ordered to capture the terrorists.

These frogmen were very fit.

They had been trained in many forms of combat.

But still they prepared themselves further by training on a mock up of the rig.

They had specialised equipment that would help them in their task.

They found out as much information as they could about the terrorists.

Then they made their plans for the counter attack*/.

They prepared for War!/*

 

Introduction

 

Israel had crossed over the Jordan River and set up their first camp at Gilgal.

At God's command the people erected a monument to draw the peoples attention to His miracle in cutting off the Jordan River.

The Canaanites saw all this and spread the word of God's great works.

As a  result the people of the land were terrified.

*Joshua 5:1 says this:* /And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

/

 

Conquer Quickly

 

The Canaanites were completely demoralised.

I am sure that Joshua's advisers would have encouraged him to attack immediately.

They should not delay, but make the most of the enemies low state of morale.

It was time to */" Prepare For War." /*Let's attack quickly and decisively!

Let's employ an all out assault.

If I was in Joshua's position I would summon my military advisers and plan an immediate attack.

I would check out our weapons and have the men practice their skills of combat.

Israel's Preparation For Conquest - Circumcision & Celebration

 

But that isn't God's way.

His preparations for the Conquest of Canaan didn't involve military strategy or special weapons.

His preparation was/ spiritual,/ and not /physical./

For God, */Consecration/* came before */Conquest/*.

And this required the implementation of two things:

 

I.

Circumcision - The People's Commitment To The Covenant  

II.

Celebration - The Passover & Unleavened Bread

 

*/Firstly /*     I.

Circumcision - The People's Commitment To The Covenant 

 

*Joshua 5:2-3* says: /At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins./

a.

The Ritual Of Circumcision

/ /

/Why did God command Joshua to do this?

And why now at this time?

/Before we can appreciate the significance of this passage, we need to look at the rite of circumcision.

We need to know why Israel observed this practice.

It was God Himself who introduced it some 500 years or more beforehand.

God called Abram out from Urr in the Chaldee's to the land of Canaan.

He promised to make a great nation of his seed if he obeyed.

Abraham believed God and did as He commanded Him to.

In response to Abraham's faith, the Lord promised to bless Him and multiply His seed greatly.

He also promised to give them the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance.

God commanded Abraham to circumcise his household to show that they were His covenant people.

*Genesis 17:7-11, 14 says this:*

/ /

/And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

/

/ /

The Purpose Of Circumcision

 

Abraham observed the covenant by circumcising his household on the same day.

Isaac, Jacob and all their descendants kept this covenant sign by circumcising their sons on the eighth day.

This sign showed their commitment to God.

They were His people, set apart for holiness.

/Did circumcision save them?

/No!

It simply testified of their faith in a covenant keeping God.

Abraham believed God; and in *Genesis 15:6* we are told that God declared him to be righteous, because of his faith.

He wasn't given the sign of circumcision until Genesis 17:7.

b.

The Restoration Of Circumcision

/ /

Now we can pick up the story in Joshua 5. */Why did Israel need to restore the covenant sign?/*/ /We find the answer to this in/ /*Joshua 5:4-8 says:*/ And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.

And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

/

 

Why Israel Was Uncircumcised

 

When Israel came out of Egypt their males were all circumcised.

But that generation refused to obey God's voice and consequently they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.

They died in the wilderness as God said they would.

The next generation had not been circumcised and were therefore outside the covenant agreement that God had made with Abraham.

We are not told why the parents did not circumcise their children in the wilderness.

But probably it was to show God's disapproval on Israel's present position.

They were out of His perfect will.

He never intended that they should wander in the wilderness.

This happened because of their disobedience to God's word.

For forty years the covenant sign of circumcision had been forgotten.

For forty years Israel was not in a right covenant relationship with God.

But now that the old generation had died in the wilderness, God could lead the next one into Canaan as He had promised to.

The next generation had shown faith in God and stepped out in obedience.

Before Israel could conquer Canaan, they must first come into a right covenant relationship with God.

The /covenant sign/ was to show the people's /consecration/ to God.

They were to be morally and sexually pure as servants of a holy God.

/The promises God made to Abraham concerning his seed and the land were related to the covenant sign!/ Israel could not inherit the land while they were outside their covenant agreement!