Joshua 5.13-6.27 God’s promises fulfilled to Joshua and Rahab Joshua – waiting for the walls to fall Rahab – waiting for the spies to call The LORD – powerful and above all

Joshua 5.13-6.27 God’s promises fulfilled to Joshua and Rahab gets up early 6.12 3.1 preparing to cross Jordan 7.16 to detect Achan 8.10 before attacking Ai the second time listens to God 6.2-5 gives precise orders: Before attacking Jericho: to the priests 6.6; to the people 6.7, 6.10, 6.16 After capturing Jericho: about the loot 6.18-19 For the future: the curse on rebuilding Jericho 6.26 (cp Moses in Numbers 16.26 – Dathan and Abiram) Result: blessed by God 6.27

Four times Joshua gets up early: Before Jericho 6 Four times Joshua gets up early: Before Jericho 6.12: Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. Preparing to cross the Jordan 3.1: Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. To discover who caused the defeat before Ai 7.16: Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken. Before attacking Ai the second time 8.10: Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. [CEV]

Joshua listens to God: Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Make seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the Ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, make all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.” 6.2-5 [CEV]

Joshua gives precise orders - To the priests: So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the Ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of us.” 6.6 To the people: And he ordered the people, “Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the Ark of the LORD.” 6.7 Joshua commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 6.10 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.” 6.16-17 To the spies: Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into Rahab’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 6.22 [CEV]

Result: Joshua is blessed by God - So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. 6.27 [CEV]

Joshua 5.13-6.27 God’s promises fulfilled to Joshua and Rahab The only female saint listed in Hebrews 11 ‘By faith Rahab, because she welcomed the spies...’ Heb 11.31 Heb 13.2: the importance of welcoming One of only three foreign women listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus ‘whose mother was Rahab’ Mt 1.5 Saves all who linked their salvation with hers ‘Only Rahab, and all who are with her in her house shall be spared...’ 6.17,22 ‘Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who beloged to her – her entire family’ 6.23,25 Contrast Lot: Genesis 19.14: ‘Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was joking’ Result: By faith included within the people of God Compare v.23: ‘ a place outside the camp of Israel’ with v.25: ‘she lives among the Israelites to this day’ [CEV]

Rahab: listed in Hebrews 11 - By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient (unbelieving.) Heb 11.31 (Note also Heb 13.2: Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels [lit: messengers] without knowing it.) Rahab: listed in Matthew’s genealogy - Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,… Mt 1.5 [CEV]

Rahab: brings salvation to all her family - Only Rahab and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 6.17 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into Rahab’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 6.22 They brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. 6.23 Joshua spared Rahab with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho… 6.25 (Contrast with Lot’s family: But Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was joking. Gen 19.14) [CEV]

Result: by faith included in God’s family - They brought out Rahab’s entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. 6.23 But Joshua spared Rahab with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho – and she lives among the Israelites to this day. 6.25 From ‘outsiders’ to ‘insiders’ to ‘ancestors’ of Messiah [CEV]

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as Commander of the Army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my LORD have for his servant?” The commander of the LORD’s Army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did. 5.13-15 [CEV]

Joshua 5.13-6.27 God’s promises fulfilled to Joshua and Rahab The LORD: ‘Commander of the Lord’s Army’ Joshua’s question: ‘Are you for us or against us?’ God’s answer: ‘Neither – as Commander of the Army of the LORD’ Joshua’s response: ‘He fell down to the ground in reverence.’

Joshua 5.13-6.27 God’s promises for us From Rahab Believes Acts Leads her family Salvation comes to all her household From Joshua Prepares Listens Obeys Is blessed, as are all his people

Joshua 5.13-6.27 God’s challenge to us Recognise that the LORD is over and above all human nations, ethnicities, cultures and powers: the Lord’s Army is not our army. In times of crisis, God looks for people like Joshua and Rahab: ‘A Man to stand in the Gap’ Ezekiel 22.30 Esther 4 Daniel 9 Nehemiah 2 What prevents us from standing in the gap as these men and women did: impotence? apathy? Joshua’s response: ‘He fell down to the ground in worship.’

In a time of crisis - “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” Ezekiel 22.30 [CEV]