The Fall of Jericho The Results of Complete Obedience Joshua Becomes Israel s New Leader Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and thru the 40 years in the wilderness. But because of sin God did not allow Moses to enter the promised land After the death of Moses God appoints Joshua to take his place. God makes the following promise to Joshua 1
Joshua Becomes Israel s New Leader 5 "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Joshua had been able to witness the extent to which God was with Moses He had seen God bring about the destruction of Egypt while working thru Moses Joshua Becomes Israel s New Leader He no doubt knew what happened when Aaron and Miriam tried to usurp Moses God given authority He had also seen the results of Korah, Dathan and Abiram s revolt against Moses. Now God has promised him that he would be with Joshua just like he was Moses 2
They Cross on Dry Land After God appoints Joshua leader he starts the people toward the land of Canaan There was however one obstacle in their way. The Jordan river. The flooded Jordan River Once again God makes a way! Jos 3:14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, They Cross on Dry Land Jos 3:15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest 3
They Cross on Dry Land 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. They Cross on Dry Land 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan. 4
They Cross on Dry Land This miracle had to be encouraging to the people They lost their great leader for the last forty years when Moses died Now they see God performing a repeat of the dividing of the Red Sea for their new Leader Joshua here at the Jordan River Any doubts about whether God was with Joshua should now be erased The Taking of Jericho After crossing the Jordan river God lays out the battle plan for the taking the city of Jericho Jos 6:1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 5
The Taking of Jericho Jos 6:4 "And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 "It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him. The Taking of Jericho I don t think these tactics had ever been used before or since March around the city once a day for 6 days On the 7 th day march around the city 7 times After the 7 th time around the city blow the trumpets and shout. After the shout then the walls will fall down flat! Let s see what happens 6
The Taking of Jericho Jos 6:14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days. 15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. The Taking of Jericho Skip down to verse 20 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 7
The Taking of Jericho What do you think would have happened if the Israelites had stopped marching around on the 4 th, 5 th, or 6 th day? Would the walls have fallen down? Of course not How do we know? Because they didn t God expected then and now Complete Obedience! Is Complete Obedience Necessary? Do we remember the story of Naaman the Leper? He was told to wash himself in the Jordan River 7 times Was Naaman healed after washing 2,3 or 4 times? No! Not until he completely obeyed the Lord 2Ki 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 8
Is Complete Obedience Necessary? Do we remember why God wasn t pleased with King Saul? Because he did not completely obey God s commands Saul was to completely destroy the Amalekites (all the people and livestock, everything) Is Complete Obedience Necessary? 1Sa 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 9
Is Complete Obedience Necessary? 1Sa 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. 14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? Samuel was not dumb. He knew if he heard sheep and oxen then Saul could not have completely obeyed God. Is Complete Obedience Necessary? Because Saul did not completely obey God, his kingdom was given to someone else. 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 10
Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today When God tells us to hear, we must hear Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. When God tells us to believe, we must believe Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today When God tells us to Repent, we must Repent Ac 17:30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, When God tells us to Confess, we must Confess Ro 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11
Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today When God tells us to be Baptized, we must be Baptized 1Pe 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us- -baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mr 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today When God tells us to remain Faithful, we must remain Faithful Re 2:10 "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 12
Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today 1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today When God tells us to stop doing things like the following, we need to fully obey Col 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness (every kind of impure act), passion (lust), evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 13
Complete Obedience is Even Necessary Today 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Conclusion Just doing part of God s commands didn t bring down the walls of Jericho Just dipping 6 times didn t heal Naaman Doing most but not all of God s command caused King Saul to be rejected by God Which of the commands of God in the New Testament are we comfortable with disobeying? 14