After all that happened, it was finally time to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. This would be the Battle Cry of Victory. And these are the instructions God gave to Joshua. However these instruction are what we need as well. Today, in our times, we know that we march forward to the end when Jesus will return. He is our destiny. Just to be near Him eternally. As we approach that day, let us take heed also to these same instructions.
1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
3 Every place on which the sole of your foot steps, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No one will be able to oppose you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not desert you nor abandon you. Joshua 1 (NASB).
5 Steps to Succeed in the Battle Cry of Victory
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Be Strong and Courageous
- Be Careful to do as Commanded in God’s Word
- Meditate on God’s Word Day and Night
- Do Not Fear
- Do NOT Be Dismayed
How? Never forget the Lord Your God is with you wherever you go. No matter how dark the circumstances surrounding you, He is there. In your most desperate desert moments, He is there. He will supply your every need, every step of the way.
Battle Cry of Victory From Gentile Harlot to Faith’s Hall of Fame
So, under the leadership of Joshua the people prepare to cross over Jordan into the land God had promised them. Their fathers had stood here once before; but, the people didn’t trust God. They became afraid when the “spies” had returned with a fear filled report about the giants. Joshua was there. In fact, he along with Caleb were the only ones to give a good report of faith. He knew that what looked impossible to the human eye was possible because of God. The lack of faith of the majority brought God’s judgment.
Joshua is now to lead the next generation into the land. In Joshua 2, he sends out two spies to view the land—particularly he sends them to Jericho. Knowing the history, why would he think it a good idea to send spies now? Seems a little foolish, no? After all he is risking a repeat of the same old thing he had seen over the past many years. Therefore, I wonder. Were men really sent to check out the land? Or perhaps, they were sent at God’s command for an entirely different purpose. A miraculous plan of God involving the salvation of one harlot. Remember Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee through a horrific storm in order to save one demon-possessed man and return again. Only one man was saved that day. So, it be. God sent the spies to save Rahab and her family.
A Much Bigger Plan Leading to a Battle Cry of Victory for All
Precisely it was the home of Rahab in Jericho where they ended up. There was where they were met by a prostitute who warned them of danger. At risk of her own peril in Jericho, she took them in. She hid them. And she created a plan for their safe return to Joshua. Why would she do that?
She had heard of the miracles that God had performed among the nation of Israel. Thereby, she believed that God would leadHispeople into the land. Thus, she believed theirs would be the Battle Cry of Victory and wanted to be a part of that. She believed that God was the one and true God who would deliver this land into the hands of His chosen. Rahab had seen God as Glorious and so worthy of her humble adoration, fear and awe. Even having never met Him, she believed. Her faith saved her, washing away all her guilt and sin to clothe her with God’s righteousness. Now it was time to act on that faith. So when Rahab saw the men, she ushered them onto her rooftop where she hid them.
Listen to the conversation that followed.
Joshua 2 (KJV) ”9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
Rahab’s faith led to the salvation and protection of herself and her family when the Israelite nation marched around Jericho and God gave them the city. Yet, more than that, Rahab was a part of a much bigger story. She was the mother of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of Ruth (a Moabite woman). Both being in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5). Furthermore, she was named on the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11:
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
Her actions did not save her. Instead, her faith did. Her actions were merely representative of the faith she already held deep within her heart. She stood in awe and wonder at the Glory of God before she had chosen to protect these men. Furthermore, she trembled at the mighty power of God and knew of her own unworthiness. She protected them even before she knew they would agree to protect her.
3 Important Thoughts About Rahab for Us to Follow
1 Rahab acted out of faith. Her acts demonstrated she truly believed—the Lord your God, He IS God in heaven above and in earth beneath. Therefore let the same be said of us.
someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2
2 Her faith had come from hearing first
Romans 10:” 17 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”
She was willing to put her life and her family’s life on the line; because she believed so strongly that God would accomplish His promise. What are you willing to put on the line? And what are you doing to send His word out to others.
3 God saw her heart. This is the Battle Cry of Victory.
That was why God sent the spies so that she could hide them. They in turn protected her. Note: God is a God of tiny details particularly for all who believe in Him.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8.
Seeing God in His Glory, trembling at His majesty, and believing that He is the great I AM ultimately results in our living a life that presents the gospel to the world. We may not have always gotten every step right; but God looks at our trembling, broken hallelujahs born out of our awe filled hearts and uses them to His Glory.
God Leads The People—A Memorial is Established
Once more, God demonstrates to His people the majesty of His power and His Glory. He halts the raging river while all the people cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. The priests were in the midst of the River with the Ark of the Covenant—a symbol of God’s presence and strength.
Once everyone had safely crossed over, God tells Joshua to have one man from each tribe to go back, pick up a stone from where the priests are standing and bring it to the place they will camp that night to build a memorial shrine as a reminder of what God did for them and a reminder as of the perfect sovereignty, righteousness, justice, Mercy and grace that is God.
God remained faithful to redeem Himself a people in spite of all their failures in the past. He is about to prove to the entire world that He is the Victory in every trial or battle of life. But there He has them pause and set up a memorial to be a reminder to all the generations to come of God’s Faithfulness.
Joshua 4 (NIV):
When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”…6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
We tend to be such a forgetful people as well. After all that God has done to demonstrate His love and mercy to us, we forget and then we have a failure in faith with the next trial we confront. These are the things we must remember if we are to live a victorious joy filled life. We must remember God’s perfect Love, Sovereignty, Righteousness, Justice, Mercy and Grace. What are your memorial stones? Perhaps a picture, a cross, an ornament. Not to bow down to and worship, but to be a reminder of God’s faithfulness to you.
Final Steps In Possessing the Land
So, the children of Israel had crossed over Jordan. They were finally going to take possession of the land that God had promised to Abraham so many years before. Imagine their excitement. The eagerness they must have felt. Anxious to move on further. Yet, they waited calmly at their first destination. There was no mention of grumbling, impatience, or fear among these who had been chosen. In fact, you may find it strange that it was there they stopped for a while. Joshua circumcised the people before they moved any further. They then tarried there until all were healed.
This was an act of surrendering faith born from hearts that loved, feared, and awed God for who He IS. They knew the armies of the land which had caused their parents to tremble and doubt, could easily come and attack while they were all weakened from the surgery. Yet, there was no doubt here. Everyone surrendered to the knife cutting away their flesh. The circumcision did not save them. Nor could the law save them. Instead, the circumcision was merely symbolic of the circumcision that had already occurred in their heart. They were willing to sit and wait for God to say “Go”.
Why Such Surrender?
They had glimpsed at God’s Glory and they desired to be a people who worshiped God. They had been captivated by His Glory, His Beauty, His Honesty, His Power, and His Abiding Love. Their hearts had been transformed into hearts that sought after God and that loved God with all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength.
They had learned that the letter of the law could not save them; but, it would have to be a transformed heart that had been changed by the power and spirit of God. Just, as God had promised in:
Deuteronomy 30(GNV)
“ 5 And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it, and he will show thee favor, and will multiply thee above thy fathers. 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
This act of circumcision was an outward sign of the transforming work within their hearts. They could not live a Holy life, obey the law, or love God as they should without a transformed heart. The only one who could transform their heart was God through the working of the Spirit.
Romans 2: (GNV) 29 But he is a Jew which is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Many, much like the Pharisees of Christ’s Day; try to follow the letter of the law. There are many who even give forth the illusion of following all of the commands but do so for the applause of men and not out of a contrite heart that bows in servitude to its Master and King. True salvation comes when the spirit begins to write the law on our hearts, Only then can we fall madly in love with Christ, desire Him and seek Him above all else that this world could offer us. All who accept Christ as their Savior, wooed by the spirit of God are being grafted into the family of God. We then are becoming the Children of the Promises because God has chosen to circumcise our hearts and cut away the fleshly desires.
God Takes Responsibility for The Transformation of Our Hearts
Do you remember a time or a moment when you could truly say that you had fallen deeply, madly in love with Christ? Has that trust, faith, and hope faded along the way? Have you taken your eyes off of Him as your greatest treasure?
Ask Him today to open the eyes of your heart that you might see a glimpse of His Glory so that you might desire Him with all your heart, your mind, and your soul. Then He will transform your heart from the inside out with the work of the Holy Spirit, so that you will become victorious against the darts of sin within your own heart.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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