TITLE: Jordan River Rule #9 – You’re Not in Charge, but Remember Who Is. Based on the Book by Robert Morgan OUTLINE Reviving the Promises of God (Joshua 5:2,7-10) Enjoying the Provisions of God (5:11-12) Surrendering to the Plans of God (5:13 – 6:2) Joshua 5:2,7-10 (NLT), At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites…. 7 So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. 8 After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. Reviving the Promises of God • By circumcising the second generation. (Joshua 5:2) • By celebrating Passover, the 14th day the 1st month. (10) • By ending 39 years of neglect, wandering, disobedience. • By rolling away the shame of slavery in Egypt. (9) REVIEW: The Abrahamic Covenant • God Promised Abraham a great Name, Nation, Blessing, Land. • The Covenant was Unconditional and Eternal. • The Sign of the covenant was circumcision. Enjoying the Provisions of God Joshua 5:11-12 (NLT), “The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. 12 No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.” Surrendering to the Plans of God (5:13 – 6:2) Joshua 5:13 (NLT), When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” 14 “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” 15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told...6:2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho…” GRAPHIC by Caleb Jasper Lumingkit What did Joshua learn on his scouting trip? He learned that he was no longer in charge! • This will not be a battle of Israel against the Canaanites. • This was the Lord’s battle for His people, His land, and His promises, His justice. • Joshua reminds us of the spiritual battle we are in today: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB) • In our highly partisan world, WE always want to know who is on OUR side. • All God wants to know is if we are on HIS side.