Joshua - Chapters 3-5

Now we're reading in Joshua chapter three. We have come thus far in the book, and we trust we will make further progress. Chapter three, verse one.

And Joshua rose early in the morning, and they removed from Shittim and came to Jordan. He and all the children of Israel and lodged there before they passed over. And it came to pass after three days that the officers went through the host, and they commanded the people saying, when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place and go after it.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cupids by measure. Come not near unto it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

Verse eight, and thou shall command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, when you're come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. Now look down, please, to verse number 15. And as they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest.

That the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up upon an heap, very far from the city Adam, and that is beside Zaretan. And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed and were cut off. And the people passed over right against Jericho.

And the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan. And all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were clean passed over Jordan. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command you them, saying, take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priest's feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place where you shall lodge this night.

Verse nine, And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bear the ark of the covenant stood. And they are there unto this day. Verse 19, And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the, in the east border of Jericho.

And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. Now, chapter five, please, and verse one.

And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites which were by the sea heard, How the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted. Neither was their spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel. I might not have time to ask you to notice that that little word heard in verse number one is a very important word because you remember last night in chapter two, we had it in the lips of Rahab, for we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you.

Then we had it in verse eleven, and as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt. Now, prepare for that very useful word that is now occurring frequently in the reading. Verse two, at that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make these sharp knives, knives of flint, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

And Joshua made him knives of flint, or stone knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the four skins. Verse ten, And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at Even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, on leavened cakes and parched corn in the selfsame day.

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land. Neither had the children of Israel manna any more, but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand.

And Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Now, we go into chapter 6, whether we will reach it tonight. Verse 10, And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout. Then ye shall shout.

So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once, and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord, and seven priests bearing seven trumpets of ram's horns, before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them. But the reward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on and blowing with the trumpets.

Verse 20, So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets, and it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. So that the people went up into the city, every man stood before him, and they took the city. Now the Lord will surely add his blessing to this reading of his holy word.

Now last night we came to the book itself, and examined very briefly the first two chapters, and we trust the Lord granted blessing through the ministry. We entitled chapter one as the chapter of the strength. Three times we read that God spoke to Joshua, and said be strong, and of a good courage.

Then we found at the end of the chapter, the people of God themselves said to Joshua, be thou strong. When we reached that point in chapter one, we discovered that that was the seventh time that Joshua had been thus encouraged. We went back to Deuteronomy 31, and found three times Moses encourages him to be strong.

Now three times God encourages him to be strong, and then the occasion of the people themselves. Thus we decided that in a sense, Joshua must have been timid, needing the several exhortations, and because of that we paralleled him with Timothy, to whom the apostle said exactly the same. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And we drew parallels, didn't we, between chapter one of Joshua, and second Timothy chapter two, outlining the same characteristics that are equal and identifiable in both chapters. Then we came to chapter two, and we thought of chapter two as the chapter of the sign. Joshua is obviously looking to God for evidence that he has gone before, and having sent the spies, and those spies having been received by Rahab, says Hebrews 11, by faith.

And listening to Rahab's testimony of deep conviction, it was evident that God had gone before. And when this report was brought to Joshua, those men told him that the land is ours, there is no question about it. That is, the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land, for the inhabitants, or for even all the inhabitants of the land do melt because of us, of faith.

So, Joshua is confirmed. We paralleled that with the exercise of Gideon, when he asked the Lord to put the dew on the fleece, and have the earth around dry, you remember? And then the next night, repeated his requests in a different form, and God graciously answered his requests, and confirmed his presence and power with his servant. And so, that's where we are as far as the book is concerned.

Now tonight, it's chapter 3, and a very practical chapter to my mind, beloved, and I want you to think of this great subject. First of all, I want you to notice that if you read chapter 3 and 4 very carefully, you will find there are expressions, there are words, there are things that are mentioned that we do well to ponder. For example, 17 times the ark is mentioned, and if you read it very carefully, you would be quickly able to classify not only the identity of the ark, but those great titles that are used to describe the ark.

And you know, that's very important. I'm not here tonight on the tabernacle, but if I were, I would bring that to be one of the most important aspects of the ark. We would have its construction, of course, and then, you remember, its coverings, and then its contents, and then its conveyance, and then, of course, its course, how it was moved, and how it manifested its power, and it's the presence of God in it, and with it, in its journey, and then its character.

Now, if you examine those words I have given you, you'll find that they affected different ranges and different people. As to its construction, it affected Moses and those that were associated with its manufacture. They had to be careful that they made it according to the pattern.

Then when it came to its coverings, only the priests could cover it, and only the priests did cover it. If anyone else attempted that, says God, they would have died. They would have died.

Then when it came to its conveyance, you remember, beloved, only the Levites could carry the ark, and they were to carry it upon their shoulders. So it affected them. And you see, each range, each word that I've used, opens to you the effect, the responsibility, the tremendous impact that the ark makes upon these several people and classes of people.

When we think of the content, then we think of Israel and their great failure, having broken the law, and so on. You can understand the contents of the ark with the things that were placed in its custody affects the nation of Israel. And then as its course, well, it affects as we will see nations, walls fall down, idols collapse, rivers are drawn back.

Oh, as we follow the course of the ark, what an effect it has on the nations around. But when we think of its character, by the titles that are given to it, we think of that ark as the ark of God. And we think, dear saints of God, of how it so beautifully presents to us the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, what is here is very clear. And I'm going to make the ark the subject, verse 3, and they commanded the people saying, when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, listen to that title, the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites bearing it, it says, then you shall remove from your place and go after it, go after it. Now, you think of this ark on the shoulders of these Levites, and you think of it being lifted up so that all the people of God could see the ark.

When you shall see, when you shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, I want you to think of the preeminence, beloved, the preeminence revealing the ark. And I believe that that is useful in any assembly of God's people. The Lord Jesus Christ should be lifted up.

The testimony, the truth of our Savior should be presented to the people of God. And it is this that will motivate the movement. You shall follow after it.

And the more we lift up the Lord Jesus, beloved, the more there will be a following after Him. That's what we need. And that's what the New Testament is full of.

That's why we have the Gospels. That's why we have the Epistles. And you know, beloved, I feel that we pass these matters by.

When did you last hear a ministry on, in the beginning was the Word? How many of us understand that title and term of the Savior? What does it mean? We were taught it in Sunday school. I would think it was the first verses ever I learned. But the depth, the profundity, the truth that it contains, when are we going to get a ministry, beloved, that will draw our hearts out after this blessed one who is the Word? I've never heard a ministry on it in my life, as far as I'm concerned.

Heard it quoted. Heard it repeated. I've never heard a brother come to the desk and expound to us the glory of the Word.

You see, that's what's here. When you shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the priests, the Levites bearing it. Is that what you see in this assembly? Men rising with the Word of God and lifting up the person of the Lord Jesus to the sight of all present.

That's what's needed. When we come to Paul's epistles, when did you last hear an expository ministry on a familiar expression? Do you know what it means? If I asked you at the door, do you understand what it means, brother or sister? I hope you could tell me. Who being in the form of God? What do you understand by that? Have you heard it quoted, haven't you? Sure.

You could quote it yourself freely. But when do we last have a ministry, beloved, that expounds the glory of that term and that title and that presentation of our blessed Lord Jesus? When you go past the photography shop, you used to see a German camera called Icon. And then the Japanese got the hold of it as they would, and they put a name in front of it.

And now it's called Nikon. Well, drop the N and just get that little word I-K-O-N. Right? Well, that's the word the apostles using in Colossians 1. Who is the image? When did we last hear a word on the image of the invisible God? See, simple words.

In the beginning was the word, who being in the form of God, who is the image of the invisible God. Then come to Hebrews, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. Right? Over here, when did we last hear anything on that? And the word in that verse and the word in that expression is the word from which we get our word character.

It's called in the text of scripture character. And therefore, you can hear that it's just the same as our word character, the exact expression of God. Now, pardon me for being technical.

All I'm doing is this. John speaks of the lugos, the word. Paul in Philippians 2 speaks of the morphe, the form.

Paul in Colossians speaks of the icon, the image. Paul in Hebrews chapter 1 speaks of the character, the exact expression of his substance. I am asking my soul, beloved, when do we last, when have we last heard an upholding of the Savior in these simple, precious, vital words? Now, you young men and young women with a Bible, you need to work at this.

If you're going to follow the Lord Jesus fully and your heart's going to be drawn out to him, I tell you, you have to get a proper scriptural view of him. And that can only be in so far as you get your Bible and start to work and start to meditate and start to draw upon the fullness of this blessed one. When you see, when you see, think of those men lifting up a material ark that they never saw, you know, because it had to be covered.

They couldn't look upon it. The men that carried it couldn't look upon it. Had to be covered.

But you know, that we with unveiled face behold is the glass, the glory of the Lord. He's unveiled. And as we behold the glory of the Lord, we're changed into the same image from glory to glory.

Second Corinthians 3, 18. And dear saints of God, if we're going to get the movement of this chapter, let us just get to this lovely point, the preeminence revealing the ark. Now, verse 4, the precaution regarding the ark.

You see, beloved, if you get a true concept of the Savior from his word, there is no one will have more reverence and more regard for the Savior than you. But if you have a clouded vision of the Savior, remember your respect and your regard and your reverence will be affected. It is when this, when this ark is seen, when these men look and see it lifted up and follow it.

Now they're told there's a prohibition. Although you follow this ark says God to Joshua, remember there must be a space between you and it. I like that.

Space between you and why is that? Well, beloved, there is no one came as close to man as did the Savior. He could ride on an ass. He could sail in a boat.

He could sit at the table. He could sit by the well. I could go through it all and you know it every bit.

Perfect man, holy man, spotless man, truly man. But now listen down there. Nevertheless, essentially God answers God here.

I want you to remember that there's to be a space between you and me. And listen, beloved, no one came so close to you or to me as did the Savior. But we must remember he has not ceased to be Lord.

And when we speak to him and when we speak of him and when we speak about him, we don't address him nor do we speak of him the way we speak about him. The man next door on the ground of intimacy, people say, to me is carnal familiarity. And let us remember, beloved, although he has come so close and although he's blessedly, truly man, remember dear young Christian and older one too, he is still Lord of all.

And it demands reverence and it demands regard and it demands that we exercise tremendous restraint. In his presence, in our language, the current state of modern translations have brought about a form of address that to me is abhorrent. And they'll tell you that, of course, the thou and the thee isn't in the Greek.

I know it's not in the Greek as well as anyone. Pardon me saying that, but the point is this, I don't address God in Greek. And if I were addressing God in Greek, I would use a form of language that would appropriately distinguish the deity and the spotless reality of the Savior.

Don't forget that. Don't forget that. And I know there are those that will argue that it's this and that.

You just get it into your heart tonight, that here's a little verse that just keeps us right where we ought to be, a space between you and it. Now verse five, the preeminence revealing the ark, the prohibition regarding the ark. Ah, but listen brethren, verse number five, the prerequisite respecting the ark.

The prerequisite, is that too big a word for folks in this country. I don't think it is. Even an Irishman would know that.

What does it mean, beloved? Listen to the careful words. What does God say? And Joshua said, rather, and Joshua said unto the people, sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. See, here's a prerequisite.

Now I'm going to look at you and you're going to look at me and don't think that I'm aiming against the wall, beloved, because that would be no good. But I'm going to ask you, what did you do before you came to this meeting? You prayed? You don't mean to tell me that you're brought into this meeting all the defilement of the days with which you were unconsciously and unwillingly associated? How do you expect God to bless his word? Whether it be in the ministry or the gospel, if we rush into meetings unsanctified. What does Joshua say? Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow.

The Lord will do wonders among you. Brethren, listen, I would to God we would hear his voice on this verse. And especially now, if you were thinking and asking God for help and asking God for direction and asking God for guidance, and you were in the pain of circumstances that was bringing upon you affliction, I know that you would get down and pray, Lord, help the wee man or say something tonight that'll help me.

I know you will. But listen, do you know that it's vital that you make this a practice? Get the idea here. Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow.

The Lord will do wonders among you. Brethren, we need to be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Remember, brethren, if we're going to be a vessel meet for the master's use, we need to be clean.

And you have run around with the world today legitimately in your business and in the ways of life. And you must surely have known the defilement that sin brings. And you would feel the need, wouldn't you, before you come to a meeting like this of being cleansed, of being purged from that defilement, that as you sit in the presence of the Lord with his word, you may hear his voice and see his power.

Oh, that we could motivate the sense of God to this. You come to the meeting with an exercise. Have you come with a burden? Have you come with an expectancy? Have you brought the very spirit of God in concentration into the assembly? After all, what is an assembly? But the consecration of sanctified life.

That's what it is. That's what it is. Not a club.

No, no. No, no, not anything that marks the world. But men and women that have come together having experienced and having undergone the sanctification of God, the sanctification of the spirit.

After all, isn't that the very word of 1 Corinthians chapter one? Sanctified in Christ Jesus. It's a concentration of sanctified life. You bringing your personal experience of the sanctifying power of God into this company.

And thank God me bringing mine and together there is a concentration of sanctified life. Like a witch doesn't exist anywhere else in this time. Oh, when I think of days when I was a little fellow looking to God for guidance for future life.

One of the Brown asked me what I tell how it was called. I take a week, I suppose, but just a moment for this one. I received the call of God in 1945, 50 years ago this year.

And exactly this month, 50 years ago, I was sitting in meetings in my home assembly conducted by the late Mr. David Walker. He would have been seen above this platform, but there was many a platform you couldn't have seen him at all. And I had to get him a box, but he's a powerful man.

And I said, Lord, I want confirmation of the call of God at these meetings. Went Monday night, there was no word. Went Tuesday night, there was no word.

Went Wednesday night. And the little man got up and he said, now, from I've come into the meeting, the spirit of God has caused me to change my subject. And he said, I want to read from Matthew.

And he started reading, started reading. And I said, Lord, it's coming very near what I'm looking for. So what he started to do, he started to read all the goals of Matthew.

It'd be good to do that before you sleep tonight. All the goals in Matthew. G-O, do you know what I mean? Sure.

And then he got started and he concentrated on, I say unto one, come, and he cometh. And I say unto one, go, and he goeth. I thought it was coming very near, Lord, what I'm looking for.

And I said, there's a young man in the meeting. And before he left for this meeting tonight, he got down at his bedside and he asked God for guidance. That was me.

He said, I just want to be the Lord's messenger with the Lord's message. Go. See? I would to God, God would preserve that spirit in me this meeting.

I'm telling you. That's it. That has dominated my life for 50 years to this moment.

I didn't pack and go the next day. Oh no. It was as clear as that wall to my eye that God would have me go.

But then I'm dealing with God, not with me. I didn't get gold until another 11 years had passed. So if you're in a hurry, just wait.

I'm telling you because I've experienced it. I will not get into that any further. I want you to get verse eight.

And I want you to see, beloved, the power reflecting the ark. The preeminence revealing the ark. Not good.

The prohibition regarding the ark. The prerequisite respecting the ark. Now the power reflecting the ark.

Oh, brethren, what a sight. When the feet of these men touch the water, the water rolled back. What mighty power.

And those priests and those Levites right at the very brink of the waters of Jordan, they crossed through. And as they stood in the water with their feet on dry land, every one of God's people passed through and were untouched by the water of Jordan. I love that.

Verse 13, the priests revering the ark. And it shall come to pass as soon as the souls of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above, and they shall stand up or shall stand upon and heed. Now I'm going to call that chapter, as we hurry through, the chapter of the sanctification.

And I think if we get that in our hearts, it will be a practical message to us. The chapter of the strength, chapter one. The chapter of the sign, chapter two.

And now the chapter of the sanctification, chapter three. And now we hurry into chapter four. And what is it? It is simply the chapter of the stones, the stones.

Ah, you have read this chapter and read it again, beloved, for it's a continuation, really, of chapter three. And as you read chapter four, you'll read of two sets of twelve stones. Twelve stones that were on this side of Jordan that went into the water.

Twelve stones that were in Jordan and went to the other side of Jordan. Now that's simple. You see the figure? What was seen on this side was deposited in the Jordan, never to be seen again.

What had never been seen before was taken out of Jordan and placed as a testimony on the other side. Now that's the simple message of the stones. I think it's a beautiful picture of our identification with the Lord Jesus Christ that brings us into the good of his divine purpose and power and grace.

You remember they crossed the Red Sea. That, of course, is separation from Egypt. That's baptism of Roman six.

No doubt. But this is Colossians one. And this is our identification with the Lord Jesus that brings us through the same experience, brings us through the same kind of issue, but presents us on the other side in the very good of divine purpose.

Maybe you need that tonight. Those twelve stones, beloved, would recall those 40 years of wandering to be lost forever out of sight, never to be seen again. Twelve stones that were never seen before brought up and put there as a testimony to the mighty power of God.

And beloved, get into that experimentally if God would have you and if you feel your need of it. Come to Jordan. Come, listen, brother, to the work of Christ afresh.

Come to this experience and know what it means to be identified with the Lord Jesus. After all that failure, after all that pathway of displeasure to God that never brought him pleasure at all, and have it dealt with by the death of Christ. And know what it is to come from that experience as it were new and fresh and clear of the past.

Surely, beloved, we need something of that nature. Well, whatever. Let us just get the message of the stones in this respect.

Twice it is anticipated. First, as you can see, as you can see by the Lord himself, that is in verse number 6, that this may be a sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in time to come saying, what mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over Jordan and so on. And then says Joshua in verse number 21, and he speak unto the children of Israel saying, when your children shall ask their fathers in time to come saying, what mean these stones? Then you shall let your children know saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

I think that's good, beloved, because we have amongst us an inquiring youth and their inquiries must be answered and must be answered faithfully and freely from the word of God. Now, you understand that a way back in Exodus chapter 12, there was the same kind of question, what mean ye by this service? And there the youth are asking, another generation is asking, what is the significance of this Passover feast? You have to answer. When we come to chapter 13, while the question is not really asked, but is anticipated, that in chapter 13, it's not so much the service, but it's the separation as seen in the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

They would wonder why you have to live separate for God. Your young Christian would ask, why do we not go here? And why do we not go there? And why do we not follow worldly pursuits? And why are we separate from the things of the world, father or mother? Tell me, what is it all about? Says God, you must tell them. That's chapter 13 of Exodus.

So chapter 12 is the service. Chapter 13, as you know, is the separation. But Deuteronomy chapter 6, when my son asketh thee, what meaneth thee by these statutes? You have to tell them.

You have to tell them. And then in this passage, it's what mean ye by these stones? Isn't that simple to remember? Then the people of God were to explain what the Lord did. And when you come to Ezekiel chapter 37, they're asking another question, what mean ye by these sticks? And you have to answer the question.

Will these two sticks come together? No, says God, they're separate. Can we not unite them? No. There was a day they were united, and there's a day coming when they'll be united.

But just now they're broken. And that has to be explained. Why are we gathered as we are tonight? Why are we not associated with many things around us that would claim to be of the same nature? Why can we not be one? Because there has been a break.

And you see, beloved, that's the very point of Ezekiel 37. Any attempt to make those two sticks one before God's time will not bear the truth of God. And the young people ask these questions.

Well, says God, on each occasion, Exodus 12, you got them in your mind or on the paper? Exodus 13, Deuteronomy 6, Joshua chapter 4, and Ezekiel 37, here are the young asking, what meaneth ye by this, this, and this? Well, says God, you answer. That's why we have our ministry meetings. That's why we have the Bible readings.

That's why we have the conferences. There are opportunities for our beloved brethren and sisters of all ages to come together and listen to the explanatory ministry of the word of God that answers from time to time these important questions. So good to see the watchful eye and the hearing ear in these nights.

Now, chapter 5. Chapter 5, as we will see, opens to us, as I've mentioned, a very interesting word. And if there were more nights left to this week, we would be able to follow it right through, but you'll be able to do it later. But you get your eye on that little word, heard.

The king's heard. The king's heard. And that's important for the further development of this book.

The consternation of the enemy, verse 1. Now, verse number 2 to verse number 9, the circumcision of the people. The circumcision of the people. What a tremendous passage this is.

Now, let us just think of these verses, 2 to verse number 9, and let us place it in the context. Here is the token of circumcision. I'm going to call it the pain of the knife.

If you were a leader of an army within sight of the enemy, how would you like it if all your fighting men were put in the hospital ward with the enemy breathing down your neck? It would be the most unfortunate and the most unrealistic situation a leader, a governor, a general could ever face. Well, that's what's here. That's what's here.

God says, Joshua, before another step is taken, I want you to circumcise everyone. Why? Why? Because all through the wilderness, from the left Egypt, they never implemented circumcision. Brother, sister, how long do you propose to live without the application of the death of Christ to your life? Can you answer that? Man, you can live a long time.

You didn't like the resentment, you resented the truth of circumcision. Well, you know what is the truth, don't you? And back to Colossians, you were circumcised with or in the circumcision of Christ. Now, that's not the circumcision of the Savior that took place the eighth day.

That circumcision of Christ's beloved is the death of the Savior. The death of the Savior. And you were circumcised in the circumcision of Christ.

You learned that? Have I learned that? Do I know the daily demand of that truth in my life? Or am I living a life of uncircumcised behavior, conduct, character? These people were. God says there's going to be no victory. There's not going to be an item of this ground possessed until every man is circumcised.

Now, listen, you're baptized, aren't you? Yes, there's something there. Well, now listen, the same exercise that brought you into baptism is the same exercise that brings you into circumcision. That is practice.

What did I tell you? Didn't I tell you about those 12 stones in and 12 stones out? Didn't I? What's the next thing God says? Make stone knives, stone knives. See that bit you've done? See what brought you right through? Now you're going to have to suffer the pain of what you've just done. Stone knife, stone knife.

See what I'm saying? That's all? Is that all? Is that where it finishes? See the connection? They passed through the Jordan. Now the 12 stones testify we've been there. But God says, now listen, I want to apply that to you.

I want to apply it where it hurts. And Joshua, before there's going to be another step, put every man on his back so that both you and they will be wholly dependent on me. You know what, I don't like that.

Sephora didn't like coming out of it. And these people didn't like coming into the line. I'm not talking about wives for the sake of talking about wives down there.

I'll not be able to get out the door tonight. But there's a wife in the Bible didn't recognize hatred. And there's a wife in the Bible had no love for circumcision.

And there's a woman in the Bible had no love for separation. And there's a woman in the Bible who had no love for kingship. And there's a woman in the Bible who had no love for the inheritance.

And there's a woman in the Bible had no love for the ark we were talking about. You know all those women, don't you? But there's a Bible being asked this man in the front, he could give me a whole sentence. She refused it.

Sephora didn't like circumcision. Delilah had no love for separation of the Nazareth. Michael had no respect for the ark.

Athaliah had no love for kingship. Jezebel had no respect for the inheritance. I love it.

I'm not preaching the woman just because I'm mentioning woman. I think you know down there that when we speak of woman, we speak of the condition of things. The condition.

Is this the condition of your heart? Is this condition of my heart? Am I resenting a truth of this nature? Now, don't worry about the clapper. That's severe, isn't it? And this is me preaching it now. When I come to the end of the chapter, there's a number of men, I don't know how many have felt the pain of the knife.

And the man that commanded them and the man that told them is the man that was able to say, now listen gentlemen, you're going to have to be circumcised whether you like it or not. Painful though it may be and all the rest of it, it's coming and here it is. And you might feel that here I am doing exactly the same thing to you tonight.

But look at the last verse. This man has not a knife but his heart, there's a sword in his heart. He's the leader.

And you see, it's all right standing up here telling you what to do, but you'll know this and I know it too, that the word's coming just as powerful to me because Joshua who gave the command is now faced with a sword. And brother, when you stand here, don't forget that. Don't forget that.

It may be easy to spell out things to the people of God, but remember the sword's at your heart. Joshua's astounded when he sees this angel and he says to the angel, who are you for? Are you for or against? Are you with us or for adversary? You see, this is really a perplexity, isn't it? And the angel said, for the Lord of hosts am I come. But as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.

What happened? Joshua fell on his face. All those men were on their back. Well, this man's on his face.

And beloved, I think that's good for leaders. Good for us all. But it's especially important here for this leader.

After all that he has commanded and after all that he has done, here he is faced with the sword. And he said, what saith my Lord unto his son? And there he is prostrate before this angel, the Lord of hosts, with the very sword drawn. And what does the angel say? The angel says, take thy shoe from off thy foot.

Not shoes. This isn't Moses. This is different to Exodus 3. Take thy shoe from off thy foot.

Why was it that? Well, you know the answer. When you come to Ruth chapter 4 and when that man refuses to redeem Ruth, you remember he took off his shoe. And you know what he did.

By taking off his shoe, he yielded his possession of the inheritance to another. Now listen, brethren, I'm putting it straight to you and I'm putting it as clearly as God would have me. The assembly is not yours.

It's God's. And Joshua, I know that you're going to go into this land and I know you're going to possess it. But what I want you to know at the very threshold of this land is this, that it doesn't belong to you.

It belongs to me. So take your shoe off your foot to show me you're acknowledging I'm the supreme owner. I think beloved that's important for me.

Now just a moment because I haven't given you the title of the chapter and the title of the chapter to me is the chapter of supply. Because we have in verses 10 to 12 what I'm going to call the glorious contribution of divine provision. I wish you another hour because before us are three great things.

The Passover, the first time it is mentioned since numbers nine, 39 years, not a mention of its celebration. The next thing is the manna, 40 years ago. And the next thing is the old corn of the land.

Absolutely. As you know, beloved, God feeds his people for whatever the need. How are they going to leave Egypt? Well, God says, take the lamb, keep it and you know, kill it and so on.

But you know what they did? They were to roast it. And then they were to eat it and they were to bring into their very souls the thing that died for. And that was the last meal they had in Egypt.

And God was giving them strength to leave an Egyptian world. And where's the parallel? Who gave himself for our sins. Who's done? Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us out of this present evil age.

My brethren, the death of Christ gives us strength to leave an Egyptian world. How were they fed through the wilderness? By the manna. All that Christ was here for God.

Feed on him every day. Now, how are they going to enter the land? And as soon as they reach this point, God had for them the old corn of the land. What does that mean? Well, it means this.

There it was, fruit abundant, crops abundant, everything waiting for them, ready for their possession. And they hadn't done a thing to produce it. Not a thing.

God had done it. Where were you when Christ died? Do you know where you were? Nowhere. Where were you when he rose from the dead? Where was I when he ascended? Where was I when he made choice of me and Christ? You enjoy those things? You feed on them? And as you feed on them, don't you know that you're coming into the good of something that you did nothing? You did absolutely nothing to produce.

God did it all for you. And here you are tonight sitting, feeding on those things. What's that? The chapter of the supply.

May God bless this work. Our blessed God, we thank thee for this time that we have spent together with the good word of God before us. We thank thee for the attention of thy people, and we bless thee for their attitude and attendance.

And we just pray, Lord, that each heart will be touched by the truth of God in all its greatness, in all its fullness. And may we bow in acknowledgment of thy mercy and thank thee for thy ways with us that brings us through these great chapters in the ministry. Be with us now, we pray.

Keep thy hand upon us. Take us to our homes in safety and be near to us and fulfill thy purpose in us. For the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.