Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 12 February 2013
Joshua 5 verses 13 –
chapter 6 verse 7
Joseph
Scriven wrote a little poem dedicated to his mother while living in
Canada. There was a great bond between
them. He knew no doubt because of his
move that his mother would be discouraged.
He sent it to her by post. Some
years later the poem was put to music and it read “what a friend we have in
Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry, everything
to God in prayer.” In Joshua chapter 5
we see a man in turmoil. He had a big
problem on his shoulders. He had a lot
of thinking to do. He was standing here
by the city of Jericho contemplating his walk and obedience to God. As we come into God’s house that is what we
are doing – contemplating our walk with God.
What does he want to do with my life?
Joshua is standing at the base of Jericho looking at the great obstacle
in front of him. He knows what God wants
him to do and he is contemplating it all.
The
focus Joshua had. 40 years previously God had brought the
children of Israel out of Egypt. The
lamb had been taken, slain and the blood mixed with hyssop was sprinkled on the
door posts. When the angel came at
midnight the firstborn in every home would die but if the blood had been
applied the angel would pass over. That
is what the Passover means. Exodus
12. God is still looking for the blood
today. Not the blood of a little lamb
but rather the blood of his own dear son applied to our lives. There is only one thing that will deal with
your sin – the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He took upon himself our sins. He
died for you and I. When I come and
trust him for all he has done for me then that blood is applied to my
life. The hyssop was the weakest of all
the plants to use, it grew out of the little cracks in the walls. That is sometimes what happens – God takes
the weakest for his honour and glory. It
is not about our own ability but rather whom I am trusting in. 40 years on they are back in the same place
as 40 years before. Joshua was thinking
of the failure of 40 years ago. God has
a blessing for him. God has a blessing
for us too. A challenge comes to
us. God wants to bless out lives. He does not want us to sit at the place where
we are sitting. God calls you now to
move on with him. First thing the old
devil throws into our minds is failure.
Do you not remember that time years ago thought what good am I to the
Lord and you failed then. When God asks
us to do something failures of the past come to our minds. This could be any one of us, you and I with
this gigantic problem. Maybe you thought
and focused on what was bothering you so couldn’t get mind around it. A gigantic problem Joshua has taken a moment,
left the campsite of the tribes and is standing alone focusing on journey
ahead. Maybe you have focused on
something that is taking up your energy, really don’t know how ever going to
get around. Some would suggest this
little word “by” actually means “in” Jericho.
That throws a different light on things.
Herein lies an obstacle. God has
something marvellous for our lives then comes the obstacle. Only we can trust God to take us through
it. None of his adversaries could
deliver him. Only God could take him
right through it. He could only depend
on God. There could be hindrances in our
lives but there are obstacles in our lives right now. W P Nicholson that old preacher of the word
of God who saw revival in his day, saw Belfast transformed and probably all of
the province transformed too. He was
saved in his little home sitting at the fire.
He told his mother when she came into the room “I am saved”. She asked him when and how he had got
saved. “Just here, right now at this
very moment sitting by the fire.” He
joined a fellowship but felt he was leading an up and down experience. He couldn’t get on in his life. Nicholson knew there was something more for
his life. He wanted to know victory in
his spiritual life, wanted to be sanctified fully. God brought him to his Jericho. For W P Nicholson it was pride that was
preventing him going through with God.
Nicholson knew if he was to surrender himself to God he would be asked
to do something he couldn’t do. The
greatest fear he had was to be asked to join the local Salvation Army in the
town on a Saturday evening. One day
Nicholson fully and totally surrendered to God, went into Bangor and was handed
a tambourine. His Jericho was gone. I wonder for you and I – what is our
Jericho? The thoughts on Joshua’s mind
were how would they ever succeed, ever take this city. In some places the walls were 25 feet in
height and 20 feet thick. Verse 13 says
“then the angel came.” This was no
ordinary angel. They would say this was
the Lord in the way he would appear in days before he came to this earth. God doesn’t desert us when we stand
alone. He knows all our thoughts. The focus in Joshua’s life.
The
feelings. Not only do we see this leader of the nation
of Israel in focus but notice his feelings.
Verse 13 “he lifted up his eyes”.
When Jesus was going back to heaven he knew he would leave his disciples
and as a result their hearts would fail them for sorrow. He told them “let not your heart be
troubled.” He was afraid of them
focusing on the emptiness. He was now
going to be taken away from them. Is
that the problem in your life? That we
can say on the strength of God’s precious word?
Don’t get so focused on this difficulty that we lose out on God? Peter’s problem as he sat in the little boat
with the disciples, turned with the great storm on the waves. The disciples sitting in the boat were so
afraid. The Lord walked to them on the
water. Peter said “if it you bid me to
come.” Jesus told him to come. Peter was walking on the water, everything
was fine until he took his eyes off the Lord.
He placed them on the sea. His
eyes went down. We need to be careful we
are focusing on something that affects only us.
When I get my eyes on that I lose out on God. That is what happened here with Peter in the
boat. Eyes off God and on the
impossibilities. 2 men were imprisoned
for their preaching of the word of God.
They were put in an underground cell.
There was only one window looking out on the street. The 2 men were then taken up into the king’s
quarters and questioned. The king asked
them “how is your accommodation?” One
man began to lament about it – “all I can see is mud, mire and water.” The other man said “I can see the sky and the
sun in the sky.” He was looking up
instead of looking down. God wants to
bless us but for many there is going to be a Jericho to go through and it will
not be easy. Joshua lifted up his
eyes. There is no harm in being focused
on problems but it is how we sort it out.
The harm is when we over focus on it.
The angel came to Joshua and it was then he lifted up his eyes. Abraham was blessed of God with a son. God comes and challenges him “I want you take
your son, the one who you love dearly and go out into the wilderness and offer
him up as a sacrifice.” Abraham never questioned
it. He took his servants with him, then
left them at a distance to offer up Isaac.
He took the wood and made an altar, then he laid out his son. Just then God spoke to him. We read in Genesis chapter 22 verse 13 that
“Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold and behind him a ram caught
in a thicket by his horns.” It speaks of
the perfect sacrifice. If that lamb had
been caught by its fleece then the fleece would have been torn and not
perfect. God provided the perfect
sacrifice. Abraham needed to lift up his
eyes. Joshua looked forward. He knew he was entering into the land God
would give him. The enemy would be there
but God had promised the land to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. Here was Joshua ready to claim the land but
the enemy was there. The enemy will be
there for you when you step out for God.
God puts his finger on something in our lives and you have to stop. Joshua could look back on 40 years in the
wilderness but he needed to look forward and upwards.
The
fellowship that Joshua enjoys. Verse 14 “and Joshua fell on his face to the
earth and did worship and said unto him ‘what sayeth thou my Lord.’” His eyes are firmly fixed on the one who has
come to help him. Hebrews 12 verses 1 -
3 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset
us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith who for the joy, that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your
minds.” Get our eyes and minds fixed on
him so that there is no turning away from him.
That Jericho you have could take you and defeat you. Joshua could have looked at the Jericho and
said “I can’t do it.” He could have
turned around and walked back to his nation, told them that he couldn’t do
it. Daniel was in the lions den when the
king came down and asked him “are you all right?” Daniel replied “the Lord has sent his angel.” What did he think when he went into that
den? This is it? But then he got his eyes on the Lord. The Lord sent his angel to him. Maybe instead of focusing on that big problem
we need to worship, thank the Lord for whatever is in our lives at this time
and say “I know you are in control of it Lord.”
Paul and Silas were beaten until their skin fell off them, they were
sore and wounded but what did they do at midnight? The lifted up their voices and prayed and
praised God. Whenever you feel you
cannot take another step it is good to worship the Lord. A young man crippled with pains testified how
he would come before the Lord and daily ask for God to lift him out of this
body of pain. One day he was going
through the motions of asking God to take it away when he lifted up his eyes to
the mantelpiece and there were 2 words that said “try praise.” Although his pains did not pass he was able
to praise God and God brought him into the land of blessing as a result.
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