It was a miracle. No doubt about it. As big a miracle as parting the Red Sea. God stopped the rushing, raging, flood stage rising, Jordan River.
To the people’s credit, they had done, exactly what God told
them to do, without whining, complaining or tucking tail and running.
They were told to watch the Ark of the Covenant, and move when
it moved.
They did what they were told.
God did what He said He’d do, and the Jordan River stopped.
They crossed.
Just like that, they walked across on dry ground, and entered the territory God had promised them.
That was the easy part, but they were in no way on easy street.
Getting to the Promise Land is one thing, learning to live there, is quite
another.
So, without missing a beat God begins Promise Land Boot Camp with
three lessons that are as valuable now, as they were then.
Surviving and thriving in the Promise Land, we must understand
His, Protection, Provision and Protocol.
7 Then
Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place;
for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.8 So
it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in
their places in the camp till they were healed.
Protection
Naturally, the first lesson was Protection.
Why?
Because, while Israel was wandering around in the desert for
forty years, the giants that scared them away the first time they spied out the
land, were still there; and they probably weren’t getting any smaller, or fewer.
They definitely won’t be thrilled about giving up their lives, so Israel can
live in their land.
God teaches them about protection, by making them helpless.
Makes sense, right?
I just asked my, oh so wise, (almost sixteen-year-old) granddaughter,
if it made sense to her. I knew she’d say, “No, papa, that makes no sense. They
need to learn about, you know, weapons, and defending themselves, and stuff…”
But she didn’t. She said, “Yes, that make perfect sense.”
“What? Really? Why?”
“Because if they can’t do anything for themselves, they have
to trust Him.”
Out of the mouth of babes.
The method God used to make them helpless, vulnerable,
defenseless, was circumcision. We previously discussed why He chose circumcision;
you can read all about it here: Why
Circumcision?
Now, please don’t think that God was being heartless or cruel
in His request. Consider that He’d just shown His awesome power by holding back
the Jordan River, and they had just set up memorial stones to remember the
powerful event. So, it shouldn’t have been too difficult for them to trust Him
to protect them. And, hallelujah, that’s exactly what they did.
God was so pleased with their quick to surrender obedience, He
responded like this:
9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I
have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore, the name of
the place is called Gilgal to this day.
This is the second part of the protection plan. The most
important part. The God part. They just had to be willing and obedient, to be weak.
When they did that, God did what He does. What Heroes,
do. Protect them.
Pause for a moment and admire how He weaves words and
deeds together in perfect harmony, like only He can do.
Circumcision: the prefix is, circum,
which means, around; and the Latin root word circ, means, ring.
Gilgal means, circle
of stones.
God, rolls away the
reproach of Egypt, after they are willing and obedient. After
they become weak, submit and surrender, solely, to Him… Then, on this day, He becomes strong,
on their behalf.
Think about how this had to hit home with them. It must’ve
been like adoption day for an orphan.
They were the children of those who messed up. Their
parents were slaves, who had a chance at freedom, but were too faithless to
believe it, too cowardly to receive it. So, they wandered, surviving on God’s
wilderness welfare program, until they died in the desert.
But this day, the day they were willing to lay
it all on the line, become vulnerable before Him, this day, God took
away the shame, and gave them His name. He entered covenant with them.
No longer were they desert rats, wilderness orphans. No longer were they homeless,
wandering, ex-slaves.
Neither are you.
Behold I make all things new, says the Lord. Those who
are in Christ are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
They were His. And so are you, if you’re willing and
obedient, to surrender to His plan, and purpose, and calling.
If you listen, you can hear the Voice of the Lord, right
here, right now, this day, calling to you…
Fill in the blank, …a messed up past, …a broken family, …sickness, …bad choices, …poverty, …failures, …growing old, ...fear, …loneliness, ...shame, ...anxiety.
God rolls back reproach, with no condemnation, offers a new
family, Love, and Protection
Promise Land
Protection from any enemy is only accomplished by complete surrender
…to God
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
10 Now the children
of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of
the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.
11 And they ate of
the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread
and parched grain, on the very same day.
12 Then the
manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the
children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of
Canaan that year.
Provision
Many times, Divine Timing and Divine Provision, work
hand in hand.
By Divine timing, they kept the Passover. Which just
so happens to be exactly, to the day, forty years from the first
Passover; the very day they left Egypt.
Passover, was a reminder of God’s protection by delivering them
from Egypt and His Divine provision, from that day, to this.
The next day, they ate off the land; following that, the manna
ceased.
Just
because the manna ceased, doesn’t mean God stopped providing.
Whether by manna, the good of the land, a paycheck, mom and
dad, retirement fund, social security check, or whatever means, we must settle
in our heart, that God is our Provider, our Source. Period. And He never fails.
He may use any method He choose, but ultimately, He is our Provider.
The lesson is about the heart. Trust Him, for better or worse,
richer or poorer, in whatever state we are in, therewith be content, in Him.
This can be difficult, because, the world will offer other options.
All that glitters, is not God.
For example. We are currently in the clean-up stage of
hurricane Ian, and I’m located right in the heart of his wake. It’s a perfect
storm for someone like me with decades of insurance adjusting experience. The company
I work with (and many others) have offered positions with big, big, money.
I’ve said, without hesitation, they don’t have enough money,
there isn’t enough money in the world, if it means, compromising, for a minute,
or even one second, my responsibility as shepherd to the flock God entrusted
me.
I’ve had multiple adjusters (or wanna-be-adjusters) contact
me, seeking advice; should they pack up their lives to work hurricane Ian. For
some it’s God’s provision, for others, it’s just gold fever.
Lord Jesus, You said, My sheep,
hear My voice, and a stranger’s voice they will not follow. Please give us
discernment, to know the difference.
Are we able to say no to abundance, if it means, compromising
our position with Him?
Are we able to be at peace, in the midst of famine?
Promise Land
Provision is settling in our heart that God is our source…no matter the spout,
He chooses to pour out
But seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you. Matthew 6:33
13 And it came to
pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and
behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand.
And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our
adversaries?”
Protocol
To survive and even thrive in the Promise Land, in the Kingdom
of God, in this life and the next, we must learn heaven’s protocol.
Man get’s this all mixed up. We complicate it. Try to figure
out God with big words and doctrine, with rules and regulations and religion.
He can’t be figured out, and won’t be put in a box. His ways
are above our ways and past finding out. Isaiah
55:8-9.
But we can know Him. Intimately. That’s what He’s looking for.
Joshua’s question reveals, his thinking was small. Perhaps because
he was afraid. Of course, he knew he was supposed to be bold and courageous. But
remember, he was one of the original twelve spies, and he saw the giants, he knew
they were still there and getting bigger. He was trusting God but…maybe down inside,
the warrior, felt like a child. Perhaps he was doing it, afraid. Which, even
that, doing it afraid, is still courageous.
Whatever the case may be, his thinking, or at least his
question was too small. Too narrow. It was one side or the other. Black or
white. My side or theirs. My religion, or, goat. Republican or democrat? My way,
or highway. Tunnel vision thinking.
So, when he asked, the Man with the sword, whose side He was
on, he was hoping for, encouragement.
Down inside, he probably knew this was no ordinary man.
14 So He said, “No,
but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
Some translations say, “Neither,” in answer to
Joshua’s question about whose side He’s on. He’s on the only side that matters,
God’s side.
And Joshua fell on his face
to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His
servant?”
Now we know beyond the shadow of a doubt. This is no
ordinary man, but a Savior. This is Jesus, in the Old Testament, even before He
was born as a Babe in a manger.
Some call this a Christophany, others call it a Theophany.
No matter what you call it, Joshua knew he was having a Divine encounter and
fell on his face, worshiped, and called Him, Lord.
15 Then the
Commander of the Lord’s army
said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you
stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
He tells Joshua He’s the Commander of the LORD’S army,
and the ground where Joshua stands is holy. Like God said to Moses, at the
burning bush.
Reverence and respect demand Joshua pull off his shoes
and fall on his face and worship, the LORD God Almighty.
Which bring us to our third point, Protocol.
Heaven’s protocol dictates that there is no side, but
God’s side. It makes decision making so much easier. All bias, all opinions,
all politics, aside, and the protocol, the proper procedure, for whatsoever we
endeavor to do, is what’s right, in God’s eyes.
Additionally, we see the Lord, telling Joshua, the
ground on which he stands, is holy.
Today, every Christian who abides in Him, has His Spirit, abiding in them, and thus, every step we take, every move we make, is in His presence, and thus we are always, in every situation, on holy ground. The proper protocol, is to acknowledge His presence with reverence and Godly fear.
Promise Land
Protocol:
There’s only one
side; God’s.
We are ever
standing, on holy ground.
Joshua learned the lessons of Promise Land Boot Camp, and summed it all up at the end of his book with one sentence:
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, You are Protector, Provider and Your side is the only side, we ever want to be on. Please remind us that we are ever standing in Your presence, on holy ground, so that, our every word, and deed, and thought and prayer, honors You.
We love You. Come quickly. Find us faithfully serving You.
Remember, we love you.
Most importantly,
Jesus loves you.
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