Timeless Truths. Boxing God In
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?”
The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”
And Joshua did so.
“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?”
The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”
And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:13-15
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
. . . Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding.
So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.
Joshua 6:1-5. 12-15
Chapter 5
God has a plan.
- Too often we BOX Him in.
- When we do that, we find that the box is not what God intended.
God's commander is asked, "Who are you for?"
- He answers, "Neither [you nor your enemies]."
- That's not the box Joshua would have chosen!
To his credit, Joshua shows humility and obedience when he responds by falling face-down on the ground.
What Joshua might have expected--HIS BOX FOR GOD--was a lack of problems after entering the Promised Land.
- After all, God finally delivered His people to this place.
What happens is obstacles are still in place.
- Israel is still facing Jericho.
- But God is with the Hebrews--GOD'S NON-BOX
Chapter 6
- except is the key word in this passage.
- except implies that God is about to do something different OR differently.
- God IS about doing things differently.
- He's been providing water, food [manna], and clothing [didn't wear out] for 40 years!
Applications
- We consistently face obstacles, even though, as Americans, we live in what might be considered a "promised land."
- God wants to do great things if we will allow Him to work.
- Don't spend your life telling God what miracles YOU and how to perform them--THAT'S YOUR BOX.
- Let God "out of your box" and put your obstacles in God's hands--THAT'S GOD'S NON-BOX.
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