July 27, 2025 • 25 mins
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of the biblical points of the New Testament is
that you have been set free.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I have been set free.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From our old enemy who used to hold us hostage.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Doctor Tony Evans says, the only power the enemy has
over you now is the lie you choose to believe.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
God wants to roll away the reproach of the enemy
so that you can pursue your birthright and declare your
new identity.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Some moments in
life are so significant you never want to forget them.
That's why God told the Israelites to build a memorial
when they crossed the Jordan River, so future generations would
remember how He made a way where there was none. Today,
(00:48):
Doctor Evans takes us to that turning point and unpacks
what it means to step forward in faith, live under
God's covering, and never forget who brought you through. Let's
join him as he begins.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Last time, I believe.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
We close with chapter three them crossing the Jordan River,
and they cross it at the end of chapter three,
verse seventeen, on dry ground. Two miracles, God dams the
river so that the water stops flowing and it walls
up many miles upstream. And then he hardens the ground
(01:22):
so that they're crossing like on concrete rather than on mud.
So there are two miracles. This is the same thing
that happened at an exodus when they cross the Red Sea.
God not only opened up the Red Sea, but he
hardened the ground. So they're crossing the Jordan River. They're
coming into the Promised Land, their destiny, a destiny that
(01:44):
had been promised over four hundred years earlier that now
because they're operating by faith. And remember we said the
wilderness is to teach you to walk by faith, so
that when you get into the place God is taking you,
you do not forget him, because you remember that it
is God who brought you to this place. As they
(02:07):
crossed the Jordan into now this promised land, the Lord
speaks to Joshua in chapter four, take for yourselves twelve
men from the people, one man from each tribe, and
command them, saying, take up for yourself twelve stones from
here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the
(02:28):
place where the priest's feet were standing firm, and carry
them over with you. And lay them down in the
lodging place where you were lodged tonight. So take twelve
men and get these twelve stones out of the Jordan river.
He tells them in verse twenty one, he said to
the sons of Israel, when your children ask their fathers
(02:50):
in time to come saying what are these stones?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
The twelve stones that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
They took out of the Jordan, then you shall inform
your children saying, Israel, cross this Jordan on dry land.
For the Lord your God dried up the waters of
the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as
the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea,
(03:17):
which he dried up before us until we had crossed.
That all the people of the earth may know that
the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you
may fear the Lord your God forever. What was the
purpose of these stones that the twelve men were to
pick up and to put and make this memorial.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
The memorial, he.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Says, is to look back at the mighty works of God.
It is to look back and remember. But the purpose
of looking back and remembering is to be a testament
to moving forward. The memorial is not just to remember yesterday.
(04:05):
It is to remember how yesterday happened. There's certain things
in my life and your life that you remember where
God showed up and he showed out, and he stepped
into your situation and did something out of the ordinary.
(04:26):
Don't forget those times.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Now. Only don't forget them. But when your children ask you, in.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Fact, he says, the whole earth, when anybody needs to
know you give testimony. Why because it establishes the mighty
hand of God. Red seas don't open every day, Jordan's
don't open every day, But memorials let you know they
can be opened, and it gives this next generation. He says,
(04:59):
when your children to ask you, you'll let them see.
So if your child even sees you take communion, mom,
why do you do that? Well, let me tell you
what happened to Calvary, you know, let me rehearse that
for your own faith development. You'll say to them, because
the water of the Jordan verse seven were cut off
before the ark of the Covenant of the Lord, when
(05:20):
it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan were
cut off. So the son of Israel verse aid did
exactly what they were told to do.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Notice verse nine.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of
the Jordan at the place where the feet of the
priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing,
and they are there to this day. No wait a minute,
we got two things going on here. We got the
twelve men, each one picking up a stone, setting up
a memorial for.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
All of Israel. But then we got Joshua.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Setting up his own memorial in the middle of the Jordan.
So he did something for everybody, But he did something
for him. See, because he getting ready face as you'll
see in a moment, he get ready faced Jericho in Ai.
He's getting ready face some big situations. And even though
(06:17):
he was the leader, he needed to remember. So he
just did something for him, he says. Joshua went back
and he placed twelve stones to remind him when he
faced the next crisis of what God could do. And
so for the priest verse ten, who carried the ark,
the ark was standing in the middle of the Jordan
(06:37):
until everything was completed. That the Lord had commanded Joshua
to speak to the people. According to all that Moses
had commanded Joshua, and the people heard and cross. So
he's been given instruction. Verse sixteen, He commands the priest
who carried the ark of the testimony that they come
up from the Jordan. And so he commanded the priest, saying,
(06:57):
come up. And when the priest who carried the ark
of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan,
and the.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Souls of the priest's feet were lifted to.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
The dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to
their place and went over all the banks as before.
Remember this happened at flood stage. Flood stage meant that
the waters were at their highest peak, so God waited
until it would be a show enough miracle. In other words,
we can't say that, well, the water was low. First
(07:25):
of all, at the ground still wouldn't have been dry,
but the water was low. In other words, this couldn't
be explained away because the water had cress at its
highest point during this season. So let me say a
word here. God occasionally performs miracles to show his hand
(07:46):
so that when you face a future challenge, you remember
what He did yesterday. That's why there's so much in
the Bible about not forgetting, because God wants you to
remember his mighty hand as a testimony to others and
for us to fear the Lord ourselves. This leads us
(08:07):
to chapter five. Now, it came about when all of
the kings of the Emirates, who were beyond the Jordan
to the west, and the king of the Canaanites were
by the sea, heard how the Lord had dried up
the waters of the Jordan before the Sons of Israel
until they had crossed. That their hearts melted and there
(08:29):
was no spirit in them any longer because of the
Sons of Israel. Now remember, Rahab told them they folks scared.
Ray had already told them that the Lord says the Joshua,
make for yourself flint and lives, and circumcise again the
sons of Israel the second time. Okay, the circumcision, remember,
(08:53):
was the sign of the Covenant. It indicated we are
different than the people which we live. And the cutting
away of the foreskin of the male was an indication
of the transfer of the Covenant throughout the generations and
the bursts that would take place. So God put them
(09:16):
in a vulnerable position, so to speak, by circumcision. On
the other hand, circumcision placed you under divine covering. So
what looked like being placed in a vulnerable position was
really being placed in a protected position because circumcision put
(09:38):
you under divine covering. And if you recall, remember when
we talked about the story of David and Goliath, and
all of Israel was scared of Goliath, and David said,
who is this uncircumcised philistine that he would taunt the
armies of the Living God. In other words, he's not covered,
he doesn't have a divine covering. The circumcision was the
(10:01):
sign of the covering. The Bible and the New Testament
talked about this Colossia chapter two, verse eleven, that you know,
our circumcision is demonstrated through our baptism, that we are
set apart, as unique, as distinct, as different. So what
looked like a negative was really a positive because the
(10:23):
covering was taking place. So this is the reason verse
four why Joshua circumcised them.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
All the people who came out of Egypt, who.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Were males, all the men of war, died in the
wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.
For all the people who came out were circumcised, but
all the people who were born in the wilderness along
the way as they came out of Egypt had not
been circumcised, so we're not just talking about the circumcision
of kids. Were talked about the circumcision of people twenty
(10:55):
years and over. So the circumcision had had to be
done so that they would be covered. They had not
followed obediently what God had told them to do coming
through the wilderness.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
When doctor Evans continues our message in just a moment,
he'll tell us how God leads his people into a
new beginning. First, though, I want to remind you about
a great resource we're offering right now, The Kingdom Family Devotional,
a book written by doctor Evans and his son, pastor
and author Jonathan Evans.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
It's a fifty two.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Week journey through essential topics of the Christian faith with
daily devotionals, simple enough for kids, yet deep enough to
challenge the whole family to grow spiritually and closer together.
We'd like to send you a copy of this devotional
as our thank you gift when you make a donation
to help support the ministry of the Alternative. And on
(11:49):
top of that, we'll also include all the messages from
Tony's current teaching series on the Book of Joshua, including
the full length version of today's message the Road to Jericho,
as well as other powerful lessons about trusting God's strategies
to overcome life's obstacles. In addition to the nine digital downloads,
you can also get those resources on CD or USB
(12:12):
flash drive, including material we won't have time to present
on the broadcast. Don't wait to take advantage of this
special double offer. Visit us today at Tonyevans dot org
or call one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty
two and let one of our friendly resource team members
assist you anytime of the day or night. That's one
(12:33):
eight hundred eight hundred three two two two. Well, right now,
let's return to doctor Evans in Joshua chapter five.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And then verse nine. Very important statement of verse nine.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Then the Lord said.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
To Joshua, today I have rolled away the reproach of
Egypt from you. So the name of the place is
called Gilgal. To this day, I have rolled away the
reproach of Egypt. Remember in Egypt, they were slaves, they
were under the gun, they were humiliated, and it was
(13:11):
time for them to reclaim their birthright. So it was
illustrating rolling back the reproach that you are now free
One of the biblical points of the New Testament is freedom.
That you have been set free. I have been set
(13:31):
free from our old enemy who used to hold us hostage.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
So the only way.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
The devil can hold you hostage now is by deceiving you.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
He has to trick you.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Because he no longer has legal authority over you.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
So the only way you're held.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Hostage is something outside of God's will is that Satan
has deceived the thought process. God wants to roll away
the reproach of the enemy so that you can pursue
your birthright and declare your new identity.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Verse ten.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
While the sons of Israel camp at Gilgal, they observe
the passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of
the month on the desert plains of Jericho. Of course,
the passover reminded them of their deliverance from Egypt when
the Death Angel passed over on the day Verse eleven.
(14:34):
After the passover, on that very day, they ate some
of the produce of the land eleven cakes and parched grain.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Now that's a virtue.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Probably read over quick and say, okay, they had something
to eat over passover. No, don't miss a phrase there.
It says they ate of the land. God promised them
a land flowing with milk and honey. But along the
way of the wilderness he fed them with manna from
(15:05):
one high, miracle food, corn flakes from above. That's when
he fed them going through the wilderness. Once they got
into the wilderness, they fed themselves on what the wilderness provided.
When God is developing us, he brings things to us,
(15:28):
but he expects us to get to a place in
our spiritual experience where we can take advantage of what
He's already provided, and where we act on his promise.
He promised them a land that they would eat from,
and now they are benefiting. So what happened verse twelve.
The manner ceased on the day after they had eaten
(15:50):
some of the produce of the land. So God stopped
flowing down stuff from heaven, because now you can get
it yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Now.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
One of my favorite stories in the whole Bible, or
at least in the Old Testament, comes up in verses
thirteen and following. Now, it came about verse thirteen when
Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes
and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him
(16:21):
with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went
to him and said to him, are you for us
or for our adversaries? He said, no, rather, I indeed
come now as captain.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Of the host of the Lord.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and
bowed down, and said to him, what has my lord
to say to his servant? The captain of the Lord's
host said to Joshua, remove your sandals from your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy. And
Joshua did so. Now, Joshua is by Jericho. Jericho has
(17:04):
two big walls around it, an outer wall and an
inner wall. So Joshua is a military man. He's trying
to figure out. Okay, God, God told us this is
our land. But we got a problem in our land.
We got these cities, starting with Jericho. So the question is,
how are we gonna do this? How are we going
to have victory over this Jericho problem. It's too big,
(17:29):
it's too it's too it's rock solid. It can't you
can't defeat it because it's so big. That's called a
stronghold in a New Testament. So Joshua's there, he lifts
up his eyes and looks and he sees a man
ready for battle with the sword drawn. That means you're
(17:50):
ready to fight. We're told that this man is a captain.
So he wants to know who side of you, and
he says, are you for us? Are you for them?
Because obviously, if you're for us, we have help. If
you're for them, they have help. So I need to
know who side are you on fair question, because this
guy's ready to fight right now, he's got his sword drawn.
(18:13):
He said, no, rather, I indeed verse fourteen, come now
as captain of the host of the Lord, okay, the
host of the Lord, of the angelic host. So I'm
captain of the angels. He's got a whole army of angels.
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and bowed down,
(18:37):
and said, what has my lord to say to his servant?
The captain Verse fifteen of the Lord's Host said to Joshua,
remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where
you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so, So
Jesus the captain who is worthy of worship. He bows down,
(19:02):
He says, my Lord, and holy ground is where the
space that God occupies. He says to him, remove your
sandals from your feet. Okay, that's getting into the posture
worship for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
With the last phrase in chapter five, and that says,
and he did so.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Now, why do I want to point out? And he
did so? Follow me.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Now, we've got a stronghold. We got a city that
you can't penetrate. Putting it in another way, we got
a problem you can't fix. You got a problem you
can't fix. It's too big, too thick, been there too long.
It's a stronghold that you can't break through. He is
confronted by Christ, who's ready to fight. So Christ shows
(19:50):
up related to the situation he's in, he's got to
fight Jericho. But before we get into any fighting, he
tells Joshua, you bow down and worship. Take off your shoe,
you worship, you worship. When Joshua takes his position of worship.
(20:14):
That transitions us to chapter six. And what you find
out in chapter six, which is the story we all know,
but we're gonna look at it more detail, is that
God now gives Joshua a strategy for breaking or overcoming
a stronghold, totally outside of anything he is totally familiar with.
(20:40):
He's gonna give him a strategy that's gonna blow his mind.
But the strategy doesn't come until the worship has occurred.
You got a stronghold, you got the captain, you got worship.
And now he's gonna get a plan from Heaven that
will be too outside of his background, history, training, and experience.
(21:04):
Because when we take the proper posture towards Jesus Christ rule,
then we get Heaven's plan to deal with earthly problems.
He says the station in chapter six, Now Jericho was
tightly shut because of the sons of Israel. No one
went out and no one came in. They closed that
(21:25):
mama down. The Lord said to Joshua, see, I have
given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the
valiant warriors. You shall march around the city, all the
men of war circling the city once.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You shall do it for six days.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Also seven priests to carry seven trumpets of ramhorns before
the ark. Then on the seventh day you shall march
around the city seven times, and the.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Priests shall blow the trumpet.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
What I want to call your attention to his verse two,
I have given Jericho into your hands. There is nothing
that can compare with God giving you something you were
trying to take. He's trying to take Jericho doesn't know
how he's going to take Jericho, But in his worship,
(22:24):
he discovered how God could give him what he was
trying to take. We miss a lot of divine intervention
because we do not appeal to the spiritual first. We
appeal to the pragmatic first. But because he appealed to
the spiritual first, he got a whole different pragmatic that
(22:46):
he would have ever come up with on his own.
And the pragmatic that he got was gonna be a gift.
So don't miss God's gifts because we refuse to take
off our shoes.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Doctor Tony Evans reminding us that when we honor God
first and fully, we open the door to receive the
unexpected gifts He's prepared for our journey. Now, before we
wrap up today, I want to remind you that this
lesson is part of Tony's current teaching series from the
Book of Joshua, a powerful collection that will help you
(23:22):
discover how to follow God's lead for your life even
when the odds seem impossible. As I mentioned earlier, if
you make a donation in support of this ministry, we'll
say thanks by sending you all nine messages in the
Joshua audio series along with a copy of the Kingdom
Family Devotional, a resource designed to help your whole family
(23:42):
grow spiritually and draw closer together through practical and engaging
daily insights. Don't wait. This special double offer will only
be available for a limited time. Make your request today
at Tonyevans dot org, or let one of our friendly
team members assist you when you call our resource line
at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two.
(24:06):
Again that's Tonyevans dot org or by phone at one
eight hundred eight hundred three two two two. Following turn
by turn directions doesn't really help if you decide to
skip some of those turns along the way. Tomorrow, Doctor
Evan shows how Israel's greatest biblical victory quickly gave way
(24:27):
to unexpected defeat, and how our faith and obedience determine
whether we move forward with God or fall back on ourselves.
Be sure to join us
One of the biblical points of the New Testament is
that you have been set free.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I have been set free.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From our old enemy who used to hold us hostage.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Doctor Tony Evans says, the only power the enemy has
over you now is the lie you choose to believe.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
God wants to roll away the reproach of the enemy
so that you can pursue your birthright and declare your
new identity.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Some moments in
life are so significant you never want to forget them.
That's why God told the Israelites to build a memorial
when they crossed the Jordan River, so future generations would
remember how He made a way where there was none. Today,
(00:48):
Doctor Evans takes us to that turning point and unpacks
what it means to step forward in faith, live under
God's covering, and never forget who brought you through. Let's
join him as he begins.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Last time, I believe.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
We close with chapter three them crossing the Jordan River,
and they cross it at the end of chapter three,
verse seventeen, on dry ground. Two miracles, God dams the
river so that the water stops flowing and it walls
up many miles upstream. And then he hardens the ground
(01:22):
so that they're crossing like on concrete rather than on mud.
So there are two miracles. This is the same thing
that happened at an exodus when they cross the Red Sea.
God not only opened up the Red Sea, but he
hardened the ground. So they're crossing the Jordan River. They're
coming into the Promised Land, their destiny, a destiny that
(01:44):
had been promised over four hundred years earlier that now
because they're operating by faith. And remember we said the
wilderness is to teach you to walk by faith, so
that when you get into the place God is taking you,
you do not forget him, because you remember that it
is God who brought you to this place. As they
(02:07):
crossed the Jordan into now this promised land, the Lord
speaks to Joshua in chapter four, take for yourselves twelve
men from the people, one man from each tribe, and
command them, saying, take up for yourself twelve stones from
here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the
(02:28):
place where the priest's feet were standing firm, and carry
them over with you. And lay them down in the
lodging place where you were lodged tonight. So take twelve
men and get these twelve stones out of the Jordan river.
He tells them in verse twenty one, he said to
the sons of Israel, when your children ask their fathers
(02:50):
in time to come saying what are these stones?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
The twelve stones that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
They took out of the Jordan, then you shall inform
your children saying, Israel, cross this Jordan on dry land.
For the Lord your God dried up the waters of
the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as
the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea,
(03:17):
which he dried up before us until we had crossed.
That all the people of the earth may know that
the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you
may fear the Lord your God forever. What was the
purpose of these stones that the twelve men were to
pick up and to put and make this memorial.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
The memorial, he.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Says, is to look back at the mighty works of God.
It is to look back and remember. But the purpose
of looking back and remembering is to be a testament
to moving forward. The memorial is not just to remember yesterday.
(04:05):
It is to remember how yesterday happened. There's certain things
in my life and your life that you remember where
God showed up and he showed out, and he stepped
into your situation and did something out of the ordinary.
(04:26):
Don't forget those times.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Now. Only don't forget them. But when your children ask you, in.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Fact, he says, the whole earth, when anybody needs to
know you give testimony. Why because it establishes the mighty
hand of God. Red seas don't open every day, Jordan's
don't open every day, But memorials let you know they
can be opened, and it gives this next generation. He says,
(04:59):
when your children to ask you, you'll let them see.
So if your child even sees you take communion, mom,
why do you do that? Well, let me tell you
what happened to Calvary, you know, let me rehearse that
for your own faith development. You'll say to them, because
the water of the Jordan verse seven were cut off
before the ark of the Covenant of the Lord, when
(05:20):
it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan were
cut off. So the son of Israel verse aid did
exactly what they were told to do.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Notice verse nine.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of
the Jordan at the place where the feet of the
priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing,
and they are there to this day. No wait a minute,
we got two things going on here. We got the
twelve men, each one picking up a stone, setting up
a memorial for.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
All of Israel. But then we got Joshua.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Setting up his own memorial in the middle of the Jordan.
So he did something for everybody, But he did something
for him. See, because he getting ready face as you'll
see in a moment, he get ready faced Jericho in Ai.
He's getting ready face some big situations. And even though
(06:17):
he was the leader, he needed to remember. So he
just did something for him, he says. Joshua went back
and he placed twelve stones to remind him when he
faced the next crisis of what God could do. And
so for the priest verse ten, who carried the ark,
the ark was standing in the middle of the Jordan
(06:37):
until everything was completed. That the Lord had commanded Joshua
to speak to the people. According to all that Moses
had commanded Joshua, and the people heard and cross. So
he's been given instruction. Verse sixteen, He commands the priest
who carried the ark of the testimony that they come
up from the Jordan. And so he commanded the priest, saying,
(06:57):
come up. And when the priest who carried the ark
of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan,
and the.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Souls of the priest's feet were lifted to.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
The dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to
their place and went over all the banks as before.
Remember this happened at flood stage. Flood stage meant that
the waters were at their highest peak, so God waited
until it would be a show enough miracle. In other words,
we can't say that, well, the water was low. First
(07:25):
of all, at the ground still wouldn't have been dry,
but the water was low. In other words, this couldn't
be explained away because the water had cress at its
highest point during this season. So let me say a
word here. God occasionally performs miracles to show his hand
(07:46):
so that when you face a future challenge, you remember
what He did yesterday. That's why there's so much in
the Bible about not forgetting, because God wants you to
remember his mighty hand as a testimony to others and
for us to fear the Lord ourselves. This leads us
(08:07):
to chapter five. Now, it came about when all of
the kings of the Emirates, who were beyond the Jordan
to the west, and the king of the Canaanites were
by the sea, heard how the Lord had dried up
the waters of the Jordan before the Sons of Israel
until they had crossed. That their hearts melted and there
(08:29):
was no spirit in them any longer because of the
Sons of Israel. Now remember, Rahab told them they folks scared.
Ray had already told them that the Lord says the Joshua,
make for yourself flint and lives, and circumcise again the
sons of Israel the second time. Okay, the circumcision, remember,
(08:53):
was the sign of the Covenant. It indicated we are
different than the people which we live. And the cutting
away of the foreskin of the male was an indication
of the transfer of the Covenant throughout the generations and
the bursts that would take place. So God put them
(09:16):
in a vulnerable position, so to speak, by circumcision. On
the other hand, circumcision placed you under divine covering. So
what looked like being placed in a vulnerable position was
really being placed in a protected position because circumcision put
(09:38):
you under divine covering. And if you recall, remember when
we talked about the story of David and Goliath, and
all of Israel was scared of Goliath, and David said,
who is this uncircumcised philistine that he would taunt the
armies of the Living God. In other words, he's not covered,
he doesn't have a divine covering. The circumcision was the
(10:01):
sign of the covering. The Bible and the New Testament
talked about this Colossia chapter two, verse eleven, that you know,
our circumcision is demonstrated through our baptism, that we are
set apart, as unique, as distinct, as different. So what
looked like a negative was really a positive because the
(10:23):
covering was taking place. So this is the reason verse
four why Joshua circumcised them.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
All the people who came out of Egypt, who.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Were males, all the men of war, died in the
wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.
For all the people who came out were circumcised, but
all the people who were born in the wilderness along
the way as they came out of Egypt had not
been circumcised, so we're not just talking about the circumcision
of kids. Were talked about the circumcision of people twenty
(10:55):
years and over. So the circumcision had had to be
done so that they would be covered. They had not
followed obediently what God had told them to do coming
through the wilderness.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
When doctor Evans continues our message in just a moment,
he'll tell us how God leads his people into a
new beginning. First, though, I want to remind you about
a great resource we're offering right now, The Kingdom Family Devotional,
a book written by doctor Evans and his son, pastor
and author Jonathan Evans.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
It's a fifty two.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Week journey through essential topics of the Christian faith with
daily devotionals, simple enough for kids, yet deep enough to
challenge the whole family to grow spiritually and closer together.
We'd like to send you a copy of this devotional
as our thank you gift when you make a donation
to help support the ministry of the Alternative. And on
(11:49):
top of that, we'll also include all the messages from
Tony's current teaching series on the Book of Joshua, including
the full length version of today's message the Road to Jericho,
as well as other powerful lessons about trusting God's strategies
to overcome life's obstacles. In addition to the nine digital downloads,
you can also get those resources on CD or USB
(12:12):
flash drive, including material we won't have time to present
on the broadcast. Don't wait to take advantage of this
special double offer. Visit us today at Tonyevans dot org
or call one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty
two and let one of our friendly resource team members
assist you anytime of the day or night. That's one
(12:33):
eight hundred eight hundred three two two two. Well, right now,
let's return to doctor Evans in Joshua chapter five.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And then verse nine. Very important statement of verse nine.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Then the Lord said.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
To Joshua, today I have rolled away the reproach of
Egypt from you. So the name of the place is
called Gilgal. To this day, I have rolled away the
reproach of Egypt. Remember in Egypt, they were slaves, they
were under the gun, they were humiliated, and it was
(13:11):
time for them to reclaim their birthright. So it was
illustrating rolling back the reproach that you are now free
One of the biblical points of the New Testament is freedom.
That you have been set free. I have been set
(13:31):
free from our old enemy who used to hold us hostage.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
So the only way.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
The devil can hold you hostage now is by deceiving you.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
He has to trick you.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Because he no longer has legal authority over you.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
So the only way you're held.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Hostage is something outside of God's will is that Satan
has deceived the thought process. God wants to roll away
the reproach of the enemy so that you can pursue
your birthright and declare your new identity.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Verse ten.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
While the sons of Israel camp at Gilgal, they observe
the passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of
the month on the desert plains of Jericho. Of course,
the passover reminded them of their deliverance from Egypt when
the Death Angel passed over on the day Verse eleven.
(14:34):
After the passover, on that very day, they ate some
of the produce of the land eleven cakes and parched grain.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Now that's a virtue.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Probably read over quick and say, okay, they had something
to eat over passover. No, don't miss a phrase there.
It says they ate of the land. God promised them
a land flowing with milk and honey. But along the
way of the wilderness he fed them with manna from
(15:05):
one high, miracle food, corn flakes from above. That's when
he fed them going through the wilderness. Once they got
into the wilderness, they fed themselves on what the wilderness provided.
When God is developing us, he brings things to us,
(15:28):
but he expects us to get to a place in
our spiritual experience where we can take advantage of what
He's already provided, and where we act on his promise.
He promised them a land that they would eat from,
and now they are benefiting. So what happened verse twelve.
The manner ceased on the day after they had eaten
(15:50):
some of the produce of the land. So God stopped
flowing down stuff from heaven, because now you can get
it yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Now.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
One of my favorite stories in the whole Bible, or
at least in the Old Testament, comes up in verses
thirteen and following. Now, it came about verse thirteen when
Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes
and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him
(16:21):
with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went
to him and said to him, are you for us
or for our adversaries? He said, no, rather, I indeed
come now as captain.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Of the host of the Lord.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and
bowed down, and said to him, what has my lord
to say to his servant? The captain of the Lord's
host said to Joshua, remove your sandals from your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy. And
Joshua did so. Now, Joshua is by Jericho. Jericho has
(17:04):
two big walls around it, an outer wall and an
inner wall. So Joshua is a military man. He's trying
to figure out. Okay, God, God told us this is
our land. But we got a problem in our land.
We got these cities, starting with Jericho. So the question is,
how are we gonna do this? How are we going
to have victory over this Jericho problem. It's too big,
(17:29):
it's too it's too it's rock solid. It can't you
can't defeat it because it's so big. That's called a
stronghold in a New Testament. So Joshua's there, he lifts
up his eyes and looks and he sees a man
ready for battle with the sword drawn. That means you're
(17:50):
ready to fight. We're told that this man is a captain.
So he wants to know who side of you, and
he says, are you for us? Are you for them?
Because obviously, if you're for us, we have help. If
you're for them, they have help. So I need to
know who side are you on fair question, because this
guy's ready to fight right now, he's got his sword drawn.
(18:13):
He said, no, rather, I indeed verse fourteen, come now
as captain of the host of the Lord, okay, the
host of the Lord, of the angelic host. So I'm
captain of the angels. He's got a whole army of angels.
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and bowed down,
(18:37):
and said, what has my lord to say to his servant?
The captain Verse fifteen of the Lord's Host said to Joshua,
remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where
you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so, So
Jesus the captain who is worthy of worship. He bows down,
(19:02):
He says, my Lord, and holy ground is where the
space that God occupies. He says to him, remove your
sandals from your feet. Okay, that's getting into the posture
worship for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
With the last phrase in chapter five, and that says,
and he did so.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Now, why do I want to point out? And he
did so? Follow me.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Now, we've got a stronghold. We got a city that
you can't penetrate. Putting it in another way, we got
a problem you can't fix. You got a problem you
can't fix. It's too big, too thick, been there too long.
It's a stronghold that you can't break through. He is
confronted by Christ, who's ready to fight. So Christ shows
(19:50):
up related to the situation he's in, he's got to
fight Jericho. But before we get into any fighting, he
tells Joshua, you bow down and worship. Take off your shoe,
you worship, you worship. When Joshua takes his position of worship.
(20:14):
That transitions us to chapter six. And what you find
out in chapter six, which is the story we all know,
but we're gonna look at it more detail, is that
God now gives Joshua a strategy for breaking or overcoming
a stronghold, totally outside of anything he is totally familiar with.
(20:40):
He's gonna give him a strategy that's gonna blow his mind.
But the strategy doesn't come until the worship has occurred.
You got a stronghold, you got the captain, you got worship.
And now he's gonna get a plan from Heaven that
will be too outside of his background, history, training, and experience.
(21:04):
Because when we take the proper posture towards Jesus Christ rule,
then we get Heaven's plan to deal with earthly problems.
He says the station in chapter six, Now Jericho was
tightly shut because of the sons of Israel. No one
went out and no one came in. They closed that
(21:25):
mama down. The Lord said to Joshua, see, I have
given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the
valiant warriors. You shall march around the city, all the
men of war circling the city once.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You shall do it for six days.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Also seven priests to carry seven trumpets of ramhorns before
the ark. Then on the seventh day you shall march
around the city seven times, and the.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Priests shall blow the trumpet.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
What I want to call your attention to his verse two,
I have given Jericho into your hands. There is nothing
that can compare with God giving you something you were
trying to take. He's trying to take Jericho doesn't know
how he's going to take Jericho, But in his worship,
(22:24):
he discovered how God could give him what he was
trying to take. We miss a lot of divine intervention
because we do not appeal to the spiritual first. We
appeal to the pragmatic first. But because he appealed to
the spiritual first, he got a whole different pragmatic that
(22:46):
he would have ever come up with on his own.
And the pragmatic that he got was gonna be a gift.
So don't miss God's gifts because we refuse to take
off our shoes.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Doctor Tony Evans reminding us that when we honor God
first and fully, we open the door to receive the
unexpected gifts He's prepared for our journey. Now, before we
wrap up today, I want to remind you that this
lesson is part of Tony's current teaching series from the
Book of Joshua, a powerful collection that will help you
(23:22):
discover how to follow God's lead for your life even
when the odds seem impossible. As I mentioned earlier, if
you make a donation in support of this ministry, we'll
say thanks by sending you all nine messages in the
Joshua audio series along with a copy of the Kingdom
Family Devotional, a resource designed to help your whole family
(23:42):
grow spiritually and draw closer together through practical and engaging
daily insights. Don't wait. This special double offer will only
be available for a limited time. Make your request today
at Tonyevans dot org, or let one of our friendly
team members assist you when you call our resource line
at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two.
(24:06):
Again that's Tonyevans dot org or by phone at one
eight hundred eight hundred three two two two. Following turn
by turn directions doesn't really help if you decide to
skip some of those turns along the way. Tomorrow, Doctor
Evan shows how Israel's greatest biblical victory quickly gave way
(24:27):
to unexpected defeat, and how our faith and obedience determine
whether we move forward with God or fall back on ourselves.
Be sure to join us
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.