Sermons on Joshua

Like Israel, we’ve all heard of God’s faithfulness, but we’ve also heard of the consequences of our unfaithfulness. God has called us to be faithful to Him, and it’s in keeping our loyalty to Him that we truly experience the life and blessings He has for us.

Joshua warns the people that those things that may seem alluring and may look innocent will turn out to be a snare and a trap. So too, sin will be that which will corrupt and be a scourge if we don’t cut it away. The wages of sin is death, there’s no room to play around with it. Don’t believe the lie that you can handle it. Its purpose is to destroy.

There is meticulous recording as to what families receive what portion of land. Yet, there’s something wonderful to remind ourselves of – God is in the details. He’s at work and it’s a reminder that God is involved and cares about the affairs of life.

God had given the land of Israel to His people and called them to claim the full land. In the same way, Jesus has secured a great victory for us, but we need to be sure that areas of resistance are rooted out of our lives. If we let things remain in us that are footholds of the enemy, they can begin to win back small battles and take ground that should be rightfully Christs.

There will be times that we look at our mistakes and think that we’ve just totally blown it. But yet God took Joshua’s blunder (making a treaty with the Gibeonites) and turned it into a blessing. And in the same way, as we lay down our mistakes to the Lord in humility, He will transform them into blessings for His glory.

Israel had to be conquered by God before they could go and conquer. God’s conquering comes by our dying to the flesh. When we die to the flesh and live in the Spirit, we can walk in victory. That’s the book of Joshua.

God worked in a way where He would exalt Joshua. But this was not to make Joshua great, it was to show the greatness of God. It was to confirm to the people that God was with Joshua and was working through Joshua to lead the people of Israel into Canaan.

Rahab had to exercise great faith and courage in trusting these spies. She had to have faith and courage in telling her family about the coming judgment and the only way to be spared. They could have ratted her out. But her faith took action and she was justified by her works.