Title: Men of War
Text: Joshua 5: 1-15; 6: 1-5
Date: October 24, 2013
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Our
text is Joshua 5: 1-6: 5. Notice this, phrase, “Men of War” in Joshua 5: 6 and
in Joshua 6: 3. I realize it means men 20 years old and up. But we have a
picture here of fleshly men of war and how God makes his spiritual men of war.
If God will give us spiritual discernment, this
passage shows us, in type, the necessity of God delivering his children FROM the
wilderness-death of unbelieving-disobedience INTO the promised-land of
believing-obedience—from being “men of war” in fleshly strength to being “men
of war” in Christ our Strength.
Believers
are called and assembled by Christ to be used of Christ our Head to preach his
mighty person and works. Our strength is
not ourselves but Christ the Power of God. Before Christ ascended to the Father, he told
his disciples, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28: 18)
Christ goes forth in the midst of his people using us as his mouthpieces
to preach the gospel. And Christ breaks down the gates of hell and delivers his
elect.
We see
it pictured. After Christ made his presence known, he gave Joshua the order to
go to Jericho. Seven priests blew seven trumpets as they carried the ark around
Jericho—a picture of the preaching of the gospel. Through that means, Christ broke down the
walls and called out one elect child, a harlot, named Rahab.
But our
text declares what must be done before Christ will use us in that way. This
point is of utmost importance. It is our focus tonight.
Proposition: Christ makes us his spiritual men of war sending us
forth to call his elect out of Jericho only after he has circumcised us in
heart and brought us to the obedience of faith, wherein he makes Christ our
Captain our only Strength.
I. FIRST, GOD MUST DELIVER HIS ELECT CHILD
OUT OF THE WILDERNESS OF UNBELIEF.
God
delivered the children of Israel over the Jordan River into the promised land. And when the mighty enemies on this side of
Jordan saw what God did for them, Joshua
5: 1, says, “their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more,
because of the children of Israel.”
Yet,
God did not send them forth immediately to conquer Jericho and deliver Rahab. Why? It was because they had not been circumcised
and partook of Christ the Passover. To
send them without this work, would have been like sending forth unregenerate,
unbelieving sinners to bear witness of the Lord Jesus and his power, whose
power they had never experienced and who they did not know. Unregenerate men can never accomplish
anything but only war with each other after the flesh and choose other means,
rather than being Christ’s men of war in obedience to him. We see this in their
father’s in the wilderness.
Joshua 5: 4: And this is the cause why Joshua did
circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all
the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of
Egypt. 5: Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people
that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them
they had not circumcised. 6: For the children of Israel walked forty years in
the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of
Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom
the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto
their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7: And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua
circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them
by the way.
A Form of Godliness
Their
fathers are an example of unregenerate sinners with a form of godliness. Physically, God delivered them out of
Egypt. But God did not deliver them all
spiritually. Those fathers were indeed circumcised
in their flesh by man’s hands, but not in their heart, spiritually, by God.
The
rebellious fathers were like unregenerate sinners who have been brought out of
places where they have no gospel into a place where they now have the gospel. But
who, as of yet, have not been delivered by God from spiritual death by
circumcision of the heart in regeneration.
Many
have a form of godliness who have never experienced the power of God in the
heart. Believing in sound doctrine does
not mean one has been circumcised in the heart. Neither does baptism or joining
a church. Switching from false doctrine to true is not repentance or faith in
Christ.
When
circumcised in the heart Christ becomes All and the believer becomes nothing—we
renounce all our former confidence as nothing but dung—we do not do this word
only but in deed. The believer becomes one with God in Christ and one with his
brethren in Christ. By the Spirit of
Christ, in the inward man, we are made to hate warring in our fleshly
strength—being fleshly men of war. Beholding,
Christ our only Strength we desire for him to have all the glory. We see
ourselves as the least, as the chief of sinners and no longer want men’s faith
to stand in the power of our flesh. Something
becomes more important than “big I” and my feelings and my way—it is Christ and
my brethren.
Fleshly Men of War
We see
what it is to be fleshly “men of war” in those rebellious fathers. We see why
God will not send us forth to Jerico to sound the gospel trumpet until after he
has made us his “men of war” in spirit.
Those
rebellious fathers warred against God constantly by warring against God’s
servants and their own brethren. Every time Moses and Aaron said, “Do it this
way.”; they said, “No, we will do this other way.” They constantly brought accusations against
Moses and against their own brethren. They
exalted themselves over Moses and Aaron, saying, “Ye take too much upon you,
seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among
them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?”
Such
fleshly men of war will never be used in Christ’s holy war because this is what
they will do. At the boarder of Canaan,
they refused to enter themselves. Plus,
they brought an evil report discouraging their brethren from entering. All of
this because they looked to their own strength rather than believing God.
Matthew 23:13: But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go
in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Against God the Authority
All of
their rebellion was against God’s Authority and Power and salvation of the
Lord. They desired to have his Glory. It
was God who put Moses and Aaron over them; it was God who commanded Moses what
to preach to them. In every detail, it was God using Moses to tell them what
was best, not only for their personal good, but for the good of the whole
congregation. Yet, as fleshly “men of war”, they only wanted what they saw to
be best for self. Such is the case with unregenerate men that will not have
Christ reign over them.
Such
was the case with you and I brethren—and this fleshly spirit is still with us
in our old man. We have to be aware of that constantly. I am not infallible, nor was Moses. But try
to understand that in the pulpit, as well as out, you will not hear me say a
word if there is no danger of causing an offense. But if I say, “This might be
a better way to do that” then you can be certain it is because, I am aware of
something, that perhaps you are not. And I’m looking out for the good of the whole
congregation. And what is for the good of the whole congregation is for your
personal good. If sinners take offense,
we want them to do so because of the gospel, not because of us. We cannot totally prevent that, but it is my
responsibility to lead this congregation in the way that will not make
something the offense, other than the gospel of Christ. That is what Moses was
doing in everything he said to them.
But thankfully,
God has delivered us from that wilderness of sin and death and shall continue to
do so.
Missed Blessings
Brethren,
when we find ourselves in unbelief and in the path of disobedience, don’t you
always find that it makes us burdened and to wander aimlessly in the wilderness.
And we miss so many spiritual blessings that God is giving through faith in
Christ?
As far
as I can tell from the scripture, while in the wilderness, they only observed
the Passover once. Unbelief makes us
cease partaking of Christ our Passover.
Also,
while in the wilderness, they circumcised none of their children—God promised
to cut them off—and so they ceased even pretending to worship God. Outward circumcision is a picture of God’s inward
work of regeneration, a picture of God making his everlasting covenant in our
hearts. (Rom 2: 28-29) So we could look at their children not being circumcised
as a picture of God giving them no conversions while they walked in rebellion
and unbelief.
Do you
see why God regenerates and why he delivers us from being “men of war” after
the flesh? It causes us to miss out on the blessings that are in Christ through
faith. Unbelief causes us to war after
the flesh—against God and our brethren. So
before we will be used of Christ, we must be delivered from our flesh, from our
wilderness of sin and unbelief and made Christ’s “men of war.”
II. SECONDLY, WE SEE THAT THE UNBELIEF AND
REBELLION OF SINNSERS DOES NOT HINDER GOD FROM WORKING THIS WORK AND DELIVERING
HIS CHILD FROM THAT WILDERNESS.
After
consuming those fleshly men of war, God delivered their children through the
river Jordan by sending the priests, holding up the ark of the covenant—Joshua 5: 7: And their children, whom he
raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised,
because they had not circumcised them by the way.
Salvation for God’s Elect Only
God’s
grace does not run in bloodlines. God
did not deliver the father’s into the promised land but God raised up their
children in their stead. Those rebellious fathers were in Israel but they were
not of Israel.
Romans 9: 7: Neither, because they are the seed of
Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8: That
is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of
God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
God
sent forth his Son, Christ Jesus who is our great High Priest and our Ark of the
Everlasting Covenant of Grace to put away the sin of his elect only! When God laid the iniquities of his elect on our
Substitute, Christ stepped into the river of death which separated us from our
God just as those priest bearing the ark did.
The Lord Jesus dried up the river of death for each elect child he
represented and delivered us to the other side.
Hebrews 9:12: Neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 1: 3:…when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Christ’s Redeemed Must Be Born Again
God
raised his elect in Christ when he raised Christ from the dead for the purpose
of showing each of his elect the riches of his grace toward us in Christ.
Ephesians 2: 5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6: And hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Therefore,
for the sake of Christ, God shall deliver his redeemed from the wilderness of
our spiritual death. We see it typified
in our text. Joshua brought each of these children through that river of death personally
to enter into the promised land and circumcised their hearts to partake of
Christ. Likewise, Christ our Savior does
the same for each of his children, personally. He said it is a MUST!
John 3: 2: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto
him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do
these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3: Jesus answered and
said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God. 4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be
born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and
be born? 5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God. 6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. 7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
John 4:24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Likewise,
God’s word is spiritual, and we are carnal, sold under sin. Therefore we must
be made spiritual by the Holy Spirit and given spiritual discernment.
1 Corinthians 2: 14: But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15: But he that is
spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
Romans 8:9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
This
work of the Holy Spirit is irresistible. Christ told Nicodemus,
John 3: 8: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
If God
purposed it, God shall do it. If it pleases God, the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in Christ’s hand. (Is 53: 10) And without faith it is impossible to
please God. So Christ shall bring it to
pass.
Infants,
that God takes home, are the only exception as David said of the infant who
died—“I can go where he is.” (2 Sam 12: 23)
But even John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when he heard the report of
Christ. The secret things belong to God. We do not build our doctrine on
exceptions but on Christ’s “except ye”
Christ’s Work of Regeneration Through the
Holy Spirit
Those
children who had been born in the wilderness were uncircumcised. So God told
Joshua to circumcise their hearts. God
gave that power to Christ our Savior as our Head that he might fill all in all.
(Eph 1: 23) The hearts of their enemies were melted within them—likewise Christ
binds the strong man—all our enemies.
Mark 3:27: No man can enter into a strong man’s house,
and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will
spoil his house.
Joshua
made knives—Christ sends forth the Holy Spirit with the sharp knife of his word
and circumcises our hearts.
Romans 2: 28: For he is not a Jew, which is one
outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29: But
he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in
the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
New Creatures in Christ
From
that day forward we are made new creatures—Joshua
5: 8..“they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. 9: And the
LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from
off you.
By
circumcising our hearts inwardly, for the first time we abide in our place—in
Christ Jesus. In Christ we are whole—ye are
perfect in him. And we abide in him until one day when he shall make us
altogether whole, in ourselves, when we see him face-to-face. By this work in the heart, bringing us to
faith in Christ, the LORD has rolled away the reproach of the curse from off.
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.
Partakers of the Fruits of Righteousness
Then we
begin enjoying the fruits of Christ’s righteousness—Joshua 5: 10: 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.
They kept
the Passover as God commanded. Likewise by this work of God, through faith, the
believer begins partaking of Christ our Passover. Likewise, Christ and his gospel becomes
something entirely new to us—Joshua 5:
11: And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the
passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
The day
after they partook of the Passover they began eating the “old corn of the land”—meaning
corn of the promised land—fruit they neither planted nor harvested themselves. Likewise,
when God circumcises our hearts, bringing us to believe Christ, from that day
forward, we begin receiving all spiritual blessings from Christ, for which we
did not labor, but for which he labored on our behalf.
Joshua 5: 12: 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.
The
manna in the wilderness ceased. Remember,
God gave them Manna to prove them whether they would obey God or not. (Ex 16:
4) Christ told us the manna was a type of himself and his gospel. (Jn 6: 28-71)
But
while in that wilderness of unbelief they disobeyed God’s ordained manner of
taking the manna and partook of it selfishly, as they would. Just as men
followed Christ selfishly—for their earthy gain—their bellies—but then walked
no more with him once he made them hear.
Brethren,
until we were circumcised in the heart by God, we only attended the preaching
of the gospel for selfish reasons. We did so as we willed. But when God made us
walk by faith, Christ and his gospel ceased to be manna whereby God proved our
disobedience. Now, Christ has become Life and his words are the words of life
which we cannot do without. We begin truly eating the fruit of heavenly Canaan,
cheerfully partaking of Christ as God commands, saying, “Lord to whom shall we
go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure thou art
that Christ.”
Let’s
see on scripture in the New Testament where Christ’s work of circumcision was
performed for us and where this work of circumcision is performed within us.
Colossians 2: 9: For in him dwelleth all the fulness of
the Godhead bodily. 10: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all
principality and power: 11: In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12: Buried with him in baptism, wherein
also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God,
who hath raised him from the dead. 13: And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having
forgiven you all trespasses; 14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to his cross;
Drop to
verse 19, for our last point, then, through faith, we behold Christ our Head
present with us.
Colossians 2: 19: [Christ is that] Head, from which all
the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together,
increaseth with the increase of God.
III. THAT IS OUR LAST POINT, THEN CHRIST—OUR
GODMAN MEDIATOR—MANIFESTS HIS PRESENCE IN OUR HEARTS—Joshua 5: 13: 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? 14: And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I
now come.
Lord
willing, we will be here on Sunday. For now let me just say this.
Christ our Strength
When God
works this work, revealing Christ presence in our hearts, he makes Christ to be
our Strength. Joshua saw Christ with his sword in his hand—the power is of God
not of us. (2 Cor 4: 7; 1 Cor 1: 24)
Joshua heard Christ declare himself to be captain
of the host of the LORD—he is the captain of our warfare. (Is 55: 4; Heb 2:
10; Rev 19: 11-16)
Effectual Result
This is
the sure effect—Joshua 5: 14: And Joshua
fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my
lord unto his servant? 15: 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.
None of
us is one with Christ and his people as long as we are fleshly men of war in
our fleshly strength. For then we will wage war on one another—accusing God and
God’s people—everyone except ourselves.
We will separating ourselves to wander in the wilderness alone; left in
our flesh we will be an accuser and discourager of God’s people from believing
only on Christ. But after God circumcises the heart and brings us into the
obedience of faith, after he manifests himself in our presence, after he makes
us know he is our Strength—the Captain of the hosts of the LORD. Then we hit our face, seek his command and
obey him.
Then We Are Sent to Jericho
That is
how Christ makes us his spiritual “men of war”—by making us behold our strength
is Christ in our midst, the Captain of the hosts of the Lord. This is how he brings us to be of one mind and
one spirit, through faith in Christ. Then Christ sends us to Jericho with the
promise of victory
Joshua 6: 2: And the LORD said unto Joshua,
See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty
men of valour. 3:
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war,…
Amen!