EXPLORE THE BIBLE SERIES:
Any plan for victory must include God's direction
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Joshua 3:5; 4:20-24; 5:8-10, 13-15
___By Ellis Orozco
___Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen
___William Barclay reminds us: "To be a person of faith does not mean that you are not a person who plans. We need to remember the Revolutionary War saying, 'Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.'"
___There is an essential preparation for victory. It is a five-action checklist that must be followed if we are to be prepared for victory.
___ Trusting God (Joshua 3:5). It was more than a thousand years in coming, but the moment they had waited for finally arrived. Forty years earlier, God had delivered Israel after 400 years of slavery. They were then on the brink of entering the Promised Land when their trust in God broke down. He delivered them from slavery. He parted the Red Sea. He defeated Pharaoh's army. He provided manna and quail. But they felt the Promised Land was out of his reach.
___Amazing!
___Forty years later, Joshua gave the people instructions and then encouraged them by reminding them they were going to see something of epic proportions. All they had to do was trust God.
___ Testing God (Joshua 3:14-17). The children of God followed Joshua's instructions. They lined up at the Jordan River and prepared to cross. It was harvest time, and the river was at its highest peak. The priests who were carrying the ark began to walk into the waters of the Jordan River. Can you imagine how silly they must have looked walking toward a river with no way to cross? They were putting God to the test. God told Joshua he would get them across, and they were taking God at his word. God wants us to test him and his promises (Malachi 3:10). Of course, God has yet to fail a test.
___ Thanking God (Joshua 4:20-24). After the miraculous crossing, the Israelites commemorated God's great victory. Can you imagine the emotion? Their feet were actually touching the land God had promised their forefathers. They erupted into a spontaneous time of worship. Then God instructed Joshua on how to set up a memorial altar. Remembering God and thanking him are two of the most important elements of worship. It was this remembrance that kept the faith alive from generation to generation.
___ Testifying for God (Joshua 5:8-10). After a time of worship, the people of God camped out on the western bank of the Jordan River. They testified to the goodness and grace of God with two symbolic actions. First, they circumcised all the men. The circumcision was a symbol of their obedience to God and their citizenship in his kingdom.
___Second, they observed the Passover meal. The Passover was a commemoration of how God spared their lives in Egypt when the angel of death passed over their homes.
___These were two outward symbols of what God had done for them. They were primarily a testimony to God's grace and goodness.
___ Touching God (Joshua 5:13-15). Finally, a messenger of the Lord appeared to Joshua just before the first battle. The messenger was sent to direct Joshua in the battle. Joshua is humbled in the presence of the Lord and is asked to remove his sandals for he is standing on holy ground. This is a scene reminiscent of Moses at the burning bush. God was affirming Joshua's leadership by emphasizing that, like Moses, God had touched Joshua.
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