Up next in 10
"Joshua at Jericho" - Pastor Don Guldin
Sep 19, 2025
Part Two Lesson 65 Bible Study Series Pastor Don Guldin 150 Guldin Rd Jacksonville, NC www.calvaryministry.org
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Good morning, folks. This is Pastor Don
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Golden from Calvary Ministries. Uh, as
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always, it's just an absolute blessing
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and a pleasure to be here with you to
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share the word of God and the things
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that we learn from them, the things that
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can fall into our minds and into our
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thoughts and into our daily lives so
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that God moves within us and through us
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all the time. That's our ambition that
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we become so centered on the word of God
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and that we become so filled with the
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word of God that it literally makes us a
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vessel to carry forth the riches of the
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word of God and share them with all
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those who have an ear to hear. We have
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uh been doing a series of sermons and
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teachings from what we would call the
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Old Testament. We finished a series of
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four in Moses. This will be the second
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one in Joshua who was the successor of
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Moses. And we are going to deal today
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with that period in history and the
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leadership of Joshua
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where the people of Israel, this new
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united confederacy of the Hebrew people,
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12 tribes that are going to be called
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Israel. And this message today is based
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on that time when they are preparing to
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move across the Jordan and into the
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promised land, the land flowing with
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milk and honey that God has promised
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them. You know, when I think of that, a
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land flowing with milk and honey. I
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think that these people came out of the
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Cyani Peninsula. And yes, there were
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those oasis
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uh areas within their travel where they
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would stop and they would water and they
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would rest and they would be in the
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shade, but most of their journey was
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through the desolateness
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of that Cyani Peninsula. And so when
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they talked about a land flowing with
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milk and honey, oh my word, it was
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something that most of the generation
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that was getting ready to go into
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Canaan, something that they had never
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seen, something that they could not
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imagine.
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And then I thought about our own
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country, the country we live in, this
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wonderful place called the United States
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of America,
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a unified organization of peoples from
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all over the world who come together and
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we live with a standard of affluence
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that most of the world can only imagine.
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I think of the the ease with which my
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wife goes into the grocery stores and
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she buys from shelves that are packed
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full of all types of sometimes things
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that I cannot fathom products of all
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types. You know, if you go and look, my
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grandchildren
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like to eat cereals oftentimes for
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breakfast. Go sometimes into that aisle
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that's dedicated to cereal and look at
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the number of cereals that are there,
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options for our children to choose from,
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to have for breakfast. Most of the world
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doesn't live with that. of fluence and
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that abundance. There's a show on TV
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about uh cooking challenges.
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And the MC of the show, who is a chef of
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some sorts himself, takes these people
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that are competing, these chefs that are
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competing into a grocery store filled
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with everything you can imagine to go
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ahead and cook meals that I can't even
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pronounce.
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But the affluence that we live in truly
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America,
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America, the United States of America is
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a land flowing with milk and honey.
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Back to where we want to take the lesson
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today and the sermon today. Go with me
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to the book of Joshua, chapter 3.
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Now Joshua is now the leader of the
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Hebrew people, the Israelites. He is the
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leader of this new nation called Israel.
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And they have traveled all the way from
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the land of Gan in Egypt for 40 years
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through the Cyani Peninsula. They have
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battled enemies along the way and they
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have been victorious every time. And now
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they are located in what the Bible calls
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the Acacia Grove. Apparently a large
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large wooden area that was just opposite
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on Jericho on the east shore of the
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Jordan River.
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It says there, we'll begin in chapter
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three. It says there that then Joshua
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rose early in the morning
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and they set out from the acacia grove,
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this place where they were encamped, and
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came to the Jordan, he and all the
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children of Israel, and they lodged
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there before they crossed over.
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Go to verse five.
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And then Joshua said to the people,
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"Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the
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Lord will do wonders among you.
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Sanctify. Make yourselves holy as the
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Lord is holy. Put aside your sins. Put
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aside everything that would cause you to
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be distracted from what the Lord thy God
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has set before you to do. I'm reminded
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of that verse earlier
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in Joshua
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where God tells Joshua, he says, "Do not
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turn to the right or do not turn to the
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left. Do not go anywhere except straight
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toward the Lord, and your life shall
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prosper.
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Be not afraid nor be dismayed, for the
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Lord your God is with you wherever you
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go. These people make themselves holy,
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commit themselves to that. If you look
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in Psalm 77
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and verses 11 to 14, you hear these same
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words in a different way.
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God says to the people of Israel there,
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I will meditate
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on all your work and talk of your deeds.
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Your way, oh God, is in the sanctuary.
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that place which is holy. And who is so
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great a God as our God? You are the God
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who does wonders. Truly, as they thought
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about all these times that they had
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wandered in the wilderness and God had
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provided not only for the generation
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that came out of Israel, but for this
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new generation that was now getting
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ready to cross into the promised land.
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Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the
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Lord will do wonders among you. Isn't
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that what it said here in Psalm 77?
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You are the God who does wonders. You
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are the God who does wonders. Turn with
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me now to Psalm 136.
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Psalm 136.
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And this psalm
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deals with in God's enduring mercy.
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And it says here in Psalm 136, listen to
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these words. And would these words have
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rang then as they do today? Oh, give
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thanks to the Lord for he is good. For
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his mercy endures forever.
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Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords,
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for his mercy endures forever. What a
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song to sing. Verse four. What are we
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talking about? Wonders. To him alone
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does great wonders for his mercy endures
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forever.
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And then it goes through and it talks
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about what God has done. The great
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wonders that led to their being able to
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leave Egypt. the great wonders that God
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did to provide for them as they defeated
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the Amalachites, as they defeated the
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Bashionites, as they defeated the
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Amorites, how the army of Egypt was
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completely destroyed.
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And it closes there by saying,
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"For his mercy endures forever."
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the people say, "Who remembered us in
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our lowly state, for his mercy endures
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forever,
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and rescued us from our enemies,
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for his mercy endures forever.
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Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven
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for his mercy endures for me for
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forever.
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Happy is the one
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who repays you have you as you have
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saved us. Happy is the one who takes and
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dashes
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those that were wrong against the rock.
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Do not forsake
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the works works of the Lord.
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Continuing on says here in verse six,
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then Joshua spoke to the priests saying,
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"Take up the ark of the covenant." Now
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remember they're getting ready to go
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across the Jordan and they are going to
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advance on the city of Jericho. You
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remember that Joshua sent out the spies.
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They came back with a report saying that
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victory was surely going to be theirs.
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And now Joshua is talking to the
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priests. And he says, "Then Joshua spoke
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to the priests saying, take up the ark
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of the covenant and cross over before
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the people."
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So the priests, they took the ark.
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Remember the ark is the symbol of the
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very presence of God among the people.
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So they took up the ark of the covenant
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and they went before the people.
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And Joshua said to them down to verse
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10. By this you shall know that the
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living God is among you,
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and that he will without fail drive out
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from before you the Canaanites, and the
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Hittites, and the Heivites, and the
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Parizzites, and the Gegosites, and the
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Amorites, and the Jebusites.
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And it shall come to pass down verse 13,
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as soon as the souls of the feet of the
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priests who bear the ark of the Lord,
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the very presence of the Lord with the
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people, the Lord of all the earth, shall
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rest in the waters of the Jordan, that
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the waters of the Jordan shall be cut
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off the waters that came down from
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upstream, and they shall shall stand as
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a heap.
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Go with me to the book of Daniel.
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Go with me to the book of Daniel
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and chapter
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6 and verses 25 27
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it says therefor
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he is the living God
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and steadfast forever. His kingdom, God,
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this living God, his kingdom is the one
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which shall not be destroyed. And his
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dominion shall endure to the end. He
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delivers and rescues, and he works signs
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and wonders in heaven and in earth.
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Isn't this what we're looking for? Going
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back there to verse five, the wonders
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that only God can do.
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They're getting ready to cross the
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Jordan River.
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And the Bible says that as soon as the
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souls of the feet of the priests bearing
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the ark of the covenant touched into the
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water that the waters of the Jordan
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River were pushed back. The waters of
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the Jordan River were pushed back, and
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the people crossed on dry land. Verse
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16, that the waters which came down from
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upstream stood still, and rose up in a
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heap very far away.
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The same thing that happened in the Red
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Sea to the generation that left Egypt,
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that left out of the land of Gan and
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went to worship the Lord their God. When
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they got to the Red Sea, they were faced
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with the seemingly impossible barrier of
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the Red Sea on their east and a nor army
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from the North Egyptian army, the
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largest army on the face of the earth at
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that time, the most powerful on the face
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of the earth at that time. They were
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caught between the two. And what were
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they to do? God commanded. Moses
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stretched out his rod and the waters of
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the Red Sea parted. The Bible says, "And
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the people crossed on dry land." Here
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again, they're at the Jordan River and
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they have left for the Acacia Grove and
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they're getting ready to go across the
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Jordan to advance on the city of
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Jericho.
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And God has the waters. As soon as the
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presence of God, the ark that the
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priests are carrying, as soon as they
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step into the water, the river backs up
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and stands up. Stands up and the people
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are able to cross.
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Verse 17. Then the priests who bore the
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ark of the covenant of the Lord stood
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firm on dry go ground in the midst of
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the Jordan. Now this is the same Jordan
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where many lessons down we will find
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John the Baptist going into this same
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location
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to preach a baptism of repentance. Here
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the people are going through on dry land
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with the water in a heap to their north.
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And it says all Israel crossed over on
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dry ground until all the people had
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crossed completely over the Jordan.
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And so it was. Let's advance now
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to chapter five of Joshua.
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And so it was when all the kings of the
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Amorites who were on the west side of
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the Jordan. Now remember the Israelites
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were on the east side and they had just
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passed over
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these kings who lived on the west side
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of the Jordan in Canaan.
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Here's what they do. And so it was when
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all the kings of the Amorites who were
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on the west side of the Jordan and all
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the kings of the Canaanites who were by
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the sea heard of the Lord that had dried
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up the waters of the Jordan from before
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the children of Israel until all had
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crossed over that their hearts melted
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away
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and there was no spirit in them any
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longer because of the children of
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Israel. Now, what happened? Their
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strength melted away because the spirit
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that was in them was a false spirit. It
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was not the spirit of the living God who
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crossed with the children of Israel.
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and their spirit melted away and they
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stood there in fear of Israel that had
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just crossed
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and it says continuing on.
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It says it continues on there talking
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about the great things God has done.
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And it says now going to chapter six
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now Jericho remember Jericho is their
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objective
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the first city that they that Joshua is
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going to advance on. Remember the good
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report he got from the two spies he set
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out. Remember the faith of Rahab who
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helped the two spies.
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It says in chapter 6 and verse one, all
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the kings that were there gathered into
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Jericho. And it says, "Now Jericho was
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securely shut up because of the children
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of Israel. None went out and none went
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in." Now, let me mention something about
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Jericho. Jericho is one of the oldest
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cities that archaeology can find in all
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the world. It's about somewhere between
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8 and 9,000 years old since its
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beginning. This city was well
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established, but it was a pagan city. It
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was filled with idolatry and it was
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filled with those things that were
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shameful and sinful before the Lord. And
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so God was going to deliver this that
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the people of the land of Canaan saw as
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an impregnable
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obstacle to any enemy. For it had stood
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for 8 to 9,000 years. It had been in
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existence for 6,000 years at the time
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that the Israelites march on it.
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And of course the kings there were
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expecting a big battle. But listen to
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what God tells the people to do. He says
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to Joshua, he says to Joshua in verse
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three, "You shall march around the city,
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all you men of war, and you shall all go
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around the city once. This shall you do
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six days." Six days.
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and seven priests shall bear seven
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trumpets of ram's horns before the ark.
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But the seventh day you shall march
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around the city seven times, and the
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priest shall blow the trumpets. And it
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shall come to pass when they make a long
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blast with the ram's horn, the chauffars
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that they have, and when you hear the
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sound of the trumpet, that all the
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people shall shout with a great shout.
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Then the wall of the city will fall down
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flat, and the people shall go up, every
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man straight before him.
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And so the people do exactly as Joshua
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has said.
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The people do exactly as Joshua has
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said. And so on the seventh time on the
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seventh day and the seven times around
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when the priests blow the temples blow
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the trumpets seven times. It says that
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the people shouted when the priests blew
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the trumpets. And it happened when the
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people heard the sound of the trumpets,
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and the people shouted with a great
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shout,
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that the wall fell down flat. Then the
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people went up into the city, every man
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straight before him, and they took the
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city.
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But Joshua down in verse 22, now God
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never forgets a promise. God will never
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leave you. God will never forsake you.
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God will never abandon you nor leave you
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alone.
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It says in verse 22, "But Joshua said to
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the two men who had spied out the
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country, go into the harlot's house,
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remember Rahab, and from there bring out
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the woman and all that she has as you
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swore to her." And Joshua spared Rahab
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the harlot, her father's household, and
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all that she had so that she dwells in
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Israel to this day because she hid the
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messengers whom Joshua sent. Remember
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Harlot, she provided shelter. And if we
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go to the book of Hebrews, she is
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mentioned again in the book of Hebrews
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and it says of her and Joshua there by
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faith chap verse 30 of chapter 11 of
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Hebrews. By faith the walls of Jericho
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fell down after they were encircled for
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seven days. What about Rahab? By faith
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the harlot Rahab did not perish with
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those who did not believe when she
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received the spies with peace. Now you
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say what about this Rahab and what about
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that? Well in the book of Matthew
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chapter one Rahab is married and is in
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the lineage leading to Jesus the Christ
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the son of the living God. She marries a
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man named Salman. I believe he was
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probably one of the two spies that went
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in there and was maintained. But they
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get married and they have a son and that
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son has a son and generations go on down
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until the time of Jesse and the coming
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of the king of Israel named David and
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from there forward the lineage of the
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Christ. So this one named Rahab
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is a symbol of the mercy of God and the
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salvation that God imparts to any of us
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freely. God imparts to any of us free
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freely.
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So what do we learn from this today?
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We learn simply that God
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God is good. His mercy endures forever.
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Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven for
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his mercy endures forever.
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Who gives to all freely
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the pardon and forgiveness of sins.
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To one who gives to all of us redemption
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from our sins.
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And what is required of you
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but to simply go to God and say,
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"Almighty God, I know that I am a sinner
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and I cannot deal with this spiritual
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sin on my own. I must come to you,
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the father of salvation."
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And so our father I pray in your holy
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name. Forgive me of my sins.
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Forgive me of my sins. In this day,
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impart thy salvation unto me.
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For your mercy
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endures forever. For your mercy endures
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forever. I pray that you have said that
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simple prayer. Call upon God for your
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salvation
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and the life that only God can give. For
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truly his mercy endures forever. Amen.