Last night we covered Joshua chapters 4 & 5 at our midweek service, and one of the points that really hit home was the fact that Joshua was a man that not only stepped OUT, but he also stepped UP! In other words, he was not only obedient to the task that God had called him to, but he stepped up to the role that God had called him to.
An interesting thing happened right after all the men were circumcised in Joshua chapter 5. God told them "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." In other words, the shame and disgrace of being slaves and being in bondage was OVER, and the Israelites were being brought into a new phase of their relationship with God – from being slaves to being FREE! Jesus spoke of this in John 8:
John 8:34 "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Joshua and the Israelites were in a place that they not only were to obey the task God had put before them, but they were to begin seeing themselves as a people who had been delivered – who had been redeemed! They not only were to step OUT to obey God, there were to step UP to be the people God called them to be. Joshua was not only to step OUT to obey God, he was to step UP to be the leader God called him to be, to walk fully in the role that God had called him to.
And what was the key to his success? His complete submission to God! When confronted with the Commander of the Lords army, a pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, …Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" (Josh 5:19)
To listen to the Joshua series, CLICK HERE.
...till the whole world hears,
Pastor Clay
