We are living in incredible times. What a privilege to be part of Christ’s body as we all move forward into the new!
And even as we move forward, there are lessons to learn and adjustments we need to make to fully align with God’s purposes. The good news is that God has already given us a pattern for many of these things in His Word.
Joshua chapter 5 records several significant events that take place between crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land and taking the city of Jericho. Even though victory over the inhabitants of the whole land was already assured (Joshua 5:1), God stopped the Israelites from immediately moving ahead. They first needed to refocus on Him.
Here are some insights that will also help us as we move into the new in our day:
Your surgery will become your sword
A most amazing thing happens following on from their painful circumcision experience. Joshua meets Jesus! (We know the man with the sword in his hand is Jesus, as an angel would never have allowed Joshua to bow down and worship him.)
But one of the keys to this passage is that the knife (chereb) used for circumcision (verse 2) is now the sword (chereb) in Jesus’ hand (verse 13). The same Hebrew word is used in both instances.
So the surgery knife becomes the sword of victory in Jesus’ hand. That’s incredible!
As we allow God to circumcise our hearts – to do the necessary cutting away of our fleshly desires and transformation of our thoughts and attitudes – we will find our inner world is being realigned for God’s purposes. Therefore, don’t be afraid of the heart surgery God wants to do. It’s part of the preparation for victory. (See previous post for more on this.)
Recognise who is in command
Even though God tells Joshua that he is the leader (Joshua 1:6), Joshua suddenly realises he’s not really in command!
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
Joshua 5:13-14 (NIV)
Joshua was a military commander and therefore understood that he needed to follow the Commander’s orders. His immediate response was to fall down and worship, and seek His orders.
Do you see yourself as part of the army of God? This is an interesting question. If we don’t realise we are an army, then we won’t act like an army who are required to follow the Commander’s orders. We will tend to do our own thing. But when we realise that we need to stand shoulder to shoulder together as an army, we will be ready to bow facedown in worship to Him. And we will be listening more closely for the strategies and battle plans of God. And this is what Joshua, the leader, did.
Recognise the territory is already won
What territory has God called you to occupy? Recognise that it is already won. You and I just need to take full possession of it.
God had previously promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites. Now that they were actually standing on the land, Jesus tells Joshua to do something interesting:
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.
Joshua 5:15 (NKJV)
Notice that Joshua is told to remove only one shoe (although some translations don’t show this). There is an ancient custom where casting down a shoe on any land was a symbol of taking possession or laying claim to it. (For example see Psalm 60:8 where God says He will cast His shoe over Edom or take possession of it. In Genesis 14:23 Abram refuses “even a thread or thong of a sandal” from the king of Sodom. In other words, he refuses to take possession of anything belonging to the king of Sodom. See also Deuteronomy 25:7-10.)
In taking off his sandal, Joshua was laying claim to the whole of the land he was about to take possession of. This was no longer just a promise. It was now a reality, even though he had only just stepped into edge of the land.
Right now, it might be difficult for you to recognise the vastness of the territory and victory that God has already prepared for you to take hold of. You may feel a little like Joshua, standing on the edge of the land, and not sure what’s out there.
Now is the time to recognise the territory already belongs to God. All you and I have to do is follow the Commander. Our responsibility is to stand shoulder to shoulder as His army, and continue to move ahead following His lead into the new.
