1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:06,840 Would you open a Bible to Joshua chapter 6? 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,600 And as you're turning, I'm going to pray for us. 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,640 Father God, we are your people. We are the sheep of your 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,440 pasture. And we would hear your voice 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,960 today. We ask you to send your Spirit, 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:27,040 and we ask you to teach us that this most famous story would 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,720 become our story and would become a teacher for us, proving 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,080 an example for us, giving us wisdom, giving us courage, 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:39,280 giving us the humility that it ought to as we stand and hear 10 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,480 the Lord Jesus Christ commanding his armies to move forward, to 11 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:47,160 take dominion. Lord, would you, Would you speak 12 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:48,800 to us? Would you encourage us? 13 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,760 Would you instruct us? So we ask you to bless us in 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,280 these moments through your Word and through your Spirit. 15 00:00:54,720 --> 00:01:01,400 We ask it in Jesus name, Amen. So before we read Joshua chapter 16 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,360 6, there's a helpful thing to do sometimes when you read the 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,320 scriptures, especially if it's a very familiar story, is to try 18 00:01:08,320 --> 00:01:10,320 and read it like you've never read it before. 19 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:12,600 Like this is the first time we've ever read the story and we 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,360 just want to observe details as we go through. 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,080 There's typically 2 hats you want to wear when you're when 22 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,160 you're trying to dig into the scriptures. 1 is the hat of a 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:22,960 novice. You, you'd never know the story 24 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,800 to, to kind of help yourself see it with fresh eyes. 25 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,360 And then you want to put on your thinking cap and know everything 26 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,800 you can possibly know about the scriptures to kind of draw out 27 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,440 the meaning. And So what I would like to do 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,800 is invite you as I read, We're going to read the whole chapter 29 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,080 together. I want you to, I want you to 30 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:43,800 read it as if for the first time. 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,240 It's the story of the fall of Jericho and you know it, but 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:48,800 read it as if for the first time. 33 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,480 And then when we're done, I will point out some details that you 34 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,680 might have missed and some of the meaning here. 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,840 So you're in Joshua chapter 6, verse one. 36 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:03,640 This is the word of the Lord. Now Jericho was shut up inside 37 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:05,960 and outside because of the people of Israel. 38 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:12,720 None went out and none came in. And then Yahweh said to Joshua, 39 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,880 See, I have given Jericho into your hand with its king and 40 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,160 mighty men of valor, You shall March around the city, all the 41 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,120 men of war going around the city once. 42 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:28,000 Thus you shall do for six days, 7 priests shall bear 7 trumpets 43 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,760 of ram's horns before the ark. On the 7th day you shall March 44 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:35,920 around the city 7 times, and the priests shall shall blow the 45 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:38,640 trumpets. And when they make a long blast 46 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,360 with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, 47 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,200 then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall 48 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,440 of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up 49 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,600 everyone straight before him. So Joshua son of Nun called the 50 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,720 priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and 51 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:02,000 let 7 priests bear 7 trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of 52 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,080 the Lord of Yahweh. And he said to the people, go 53 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,840 forward, March around the city, and let the armed men pass on 54 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,280 before the ark of Yahweh. And just as Joshua had commanded 55 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,400 the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of 56 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,400 ram's horns before Yahweh. Does this sound familiar? 57 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,760 Is it getting tedious? The same detail repeated again 58 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,800 and again and again? I hope so. 59 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,680 They went forward blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the 60 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,400 covenant of Yahweh following them. 61 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,520 The armed men were walking before the priests who were 62 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,120 blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the 63 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,760 ark while the trumpets blew continually. 64 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,840 But Joshua commanded the people. You shall not shout or make your 65 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,880 voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth until 66 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,640 the day I tell you to shout, and then you shall shout. 67 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:58,040 So he caused the ark of Yahweh to circle the city, going about 68 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,200 it once. And they came into the camp and 69 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,000 spent the night in the camp. And then Joshua rose early in 70 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,000 the morning, and the priest took up the ark of Yahweh. 71 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,760 And the seven priests, bear, here we go again. 72 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,680 The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ram's horns 73 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,080 before the ark of Yahweh walked on. 74 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,200 And they blew the trumpets continually. 75 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,680 And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard 76 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:24,480 was walking after the ark of Yahweh while the trumpets blew 77 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:26,640 continually. And the second day they marched 78 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,120 around the city once and returned into the camp. 79 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,560 And so they did for six days. Verse 15, if you write in your 80 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,520 Bibles, put this in a parentheses. 81 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,920 On the 7th day, it's a Sabbath day. 82 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,200 On the 7th day, they rose early in the dawn of the at dawn of 83 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,360 day, at the dawn of day and marched around the city in the 84 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,240 same manner 7 times. It was only on that day that 85 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,360 they marched around the city 7 times. 86 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,480 And at the 7th time, when the priest had blown the trumpet, 87 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,080 Joshua said to the people, Shout, For Yahweh has given you 88 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,720 the city, and the city and all that is within it shall be 89 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,120 devoted to Yahweh for destruction. 90 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,120 Only Rahab the prostitute, and all that were with her in the 91 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,960 house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom he sent. 92 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,000 But you keep yourself from the things devoted to destruction, 93 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,760 lest when you have devoted them, you take any of the devoted 94 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,160 things, and make the camp of Israel a thing devoted, a thing 95 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,480 for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. 96 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,240 That's foreshadowing for Chapter 7. 97 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,400 But all silver and gold, every vessel of bronze and iron, are 98 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,120 holy to the Lord, and they shall go into the treasury of Yahweh. 99 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,160 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. 100 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,040 As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people 101 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,160 shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the 102 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,800 people went up into the city, every man straight before him. 103 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:58,840 They captured the city, then they devoted it all, all in it, 104 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:03,800 in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, 105 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,760 oxen, sheep, donkeys with the edge of the sword. 106 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,080 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, Go 107 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,920 into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman 108 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,680 and all who belong to her, as you swore to her. 109 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,480 So the young men who had, who had been spies, went in and 110 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,920 brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all 111 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,360 who belonged to her. And they brought all her 112 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,040 relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 113 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,120 And they burned the city with fire. 114 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,760 Everything in it, only the silver and golden vessels of 115 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,480 bronze of iron, they put into the treasury of the House of 116 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,840 Yahweh. But Rahab, the prostitute in her 117 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:45,760 father's household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved a 118 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,120 line. And she has lived in Israel to 119 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,280 this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to 120 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:55,120 spy out Jericho. Joshua laid an oath on them at 121 00:06:55,120 --> 00:07:00,200 that time, saying, cursed before Yahweh, be the man who raises up 122 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,360 and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his first born he 123 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,920 shall lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son he 124 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:12,120 shall set up its gates. So Yahweh was with Joshua and 125 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:17,960 his fame was in all the land. This is the word of the Lord. 126 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,600 OK, so there's two details in this text that I think are 127 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:26,600 commonly overlooked and both have profound biblical 128 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,800 consequences. If we see what they're teaching, 129 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,880 they have massive consequences for biblical interpretation. 130 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,840 The the two details are the first one is the planner of the 131 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,200 battle plan of Jericho, and the second is the details of the 132 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,320 plan itself. Now obviously it would be easy 133 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,040 for us to say we all know that it was God who gave Joshua the 134 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,840 plan. But I wonder if that's a clear 135 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,040 enough thing for us to say. It's just God. 136 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,760 It's God's plan. There's something deeper here. 137 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,120 We have been taught, inadvertently or advertently I 138 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,200 don't know, that the Old Testament God was a God of wrath 139 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,320 and vengeance, of lions and tigers and bears. 140 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,680 Oh my. And that the New Testament God 141 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:11,520 is a God of grace and mercy and love. 142 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,600 Lambs and cuddly rabbits. That's what we've been taught. 143 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:20,640 Wrath, anger, love, mercy. Brothers and sisters, this text 144 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:25,440 excludes that idea all together and shows us something shocking 145 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:29,000 about our God. So in order to see it, you have 146 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,799 to actively disregard the chapter break between chapters 147 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:36,720 5:00 and 6:00. So we need to remember where 148 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,039 Joshua is when he's hearing this command. 149 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:46,240 Joshua hears the Jericho battle plan as he is barefoot prostate. 150 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,480 His face is in the dirt before a man standing with a drone sword. 151 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,640 Never forget that. Never forget that this man 152 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,680 himself styles himself in the following manner, that I am the 153 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:01,480 commander of the armies of Yahweh. 154 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:06,080 This man, whoever he is, receives worship from Joshua 155 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:10,200 like no created being ever has done in all of the scripture. 156 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,640 When Joshua asks this man for orders, the 1st order he gives 157 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,960 is to go. Is is greater humility in 158 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,480 worship? Take off the sandals from your 159 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:24,920 feet for the place where your standing is holy. 160 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,520 Brothers and sisters, this man who gives the battle plan is 161 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:34,400 none other than Christ the Lord. It is Jesus Christ pre Incarnate 162 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,280 who came and gave Joshua his plan. 163 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,440 So it's Joshua the greater giving a plan to Joshua the 164 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,600 younger. So none other than our dear Lord 165 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:49,080 Jesus Christ gives Joshua this plan. 166 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,520 And so let me remind all of us, brothers and sisters, that the 167 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:59,640 Christ who died for us is a holy, holy, holy Christ. 168 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,560 He is holy. He is altogether holy, A Christ 169 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:09,560 before whom angels must prostate fall, a Christ who has promised 170 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:15,280 either to rule all nations in love or ruin all nations in 171 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,600 wrath. He is holy and he is Christ the 172 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:23,120 Lord. OK, so so let's dispatch with 173 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,080 this Old Testament God of vengeance, New Testament God of 174 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,440 grace and love. This is Christ who is his name 175 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,720 is faithful and true. He's the one who gives the 176 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,520 orders. The other detail we need to 177 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,960 think on that will help us make sense of one of the most often 178 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,920 misunderstood books in the entirety of the Bible is the 179 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,640 battle plan that Jesus gives. It's very interesting. 180 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,400 You've known for a long time the counter intuition of this plan. 181 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,560 Nobody lays siege this way. Nobody does it. 182 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,120 We need to take a city. This is not the way we do it. 183 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,280 We expect ramparts, battering Rams, months or years of 184 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,480 skirmishes and Sally's, and then the eventual breach in the wall. 185 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:10,040 Small breach. Nobody's expecting a military 186 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:12,360 parade that leads to a sweeping victory. 187 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:14,880 But that's not what I want you to see. 188 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,320 What I want you to see is something more. 189 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:21,160 Have you ever noticed? You probably noticed it as we 190 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:24,120 read it together just now, the tediousness of the telling of 191 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,240 this tale, Like, listen, whoever wrote this book, you can get a 192 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,720 lot shorter. Just tell us this is what we're 193 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,880 doing. It's one time and then move on. 194 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:38,280 But there's this repeated, repeated how many times we got, 195 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,720 we got told that it was 7 priests with 7 trumpets and the 196 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,680 ark and the army. And they go around once a day. 197 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,960 And then on the 7th day, they go around again on 7 times. 198 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:52,440 So the writer of this book thinks it is really, really, 199 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,480 really important that we remember the details. 200 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:00,080 And what we need to remember is that the details of this battle 201 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,800 plan are like, are like nesting dolls, Russian nesting dolls. 202 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,680 Just go with me for a moment. My favorite author calls them. 203 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:12,520 One of my favorite teachers calls them telescoping sevens. 204 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:19,080 We're going to call them seven Russian nesting dolls in Nacho 205 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,200 accent. So you have first the first set 206 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,320 of dolls. You have 7 priests bearing 7 207 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,200 trumpets before the ark and they're walking before the army 208 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,520 rearguard in the back and they they walk 7 times. 209 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,120 They they walk once a day for seven days. 210 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:41,160 That's the that's the picture. OK, so first seven days are 211 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:45,080 first are our first seven dolls. And when you get to the 7th day, 212 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,240 7th day in a row of this, of this battle plan madness. 213 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,480 But when you get to the 7th day, you open that day and you reach 214 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,600 another set of seven. So once a day for seven days. 215 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,440 Then we get to that 7th day and now we open that one and we have 216 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:04,880 7 more trips around the city. A second set of seven dolls. 217 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,160 And when they've walked around the city on their seventh time, 218 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:14,680 you get another set of 77 trumpets blown, the people shout 219 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:20,760 and the walls fall flat. So summary just when the 7th 7 220 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:25,280 of Sevens takes place, the city that is under God's wrath falls, 221 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:29,520 the people under his protection are saved and the enemies of God 222 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:30,920 perish. Y'all see that? 223 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,880 It's very very important that you would understand because if 224 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,240 you don't understand this you will never understand the Book 225 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,640 of Revelation. Has anybody ever noticed that in 226 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,520 the Book of Revelation the battle plan is exactly the same 227 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:51,560 as the battle of Jericho? You have you have 7 seals, 7 228 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:54,000 trumpets, and seven bowls of judgment. 229 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,000 So when Christ is found in his ascension, this is Revelation 5. 230 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,960 When He is found in his ascension to be the only one 231 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:05,440 worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, there are 7 232 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,760 seals on the scroll and he breaks each one in turn, and 233 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,080 each one comes as a series of judgments upon the land of 234 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:16,120 Israel, focusing upon the apostate Temple in Jerusalem. 235 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,760 So there's 7 seals and we think, OK, that's the judgment, it's 236 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,200 just 7 seals. But then we get to the 7th seal 237 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:27,640 and it opens into 7 sequential trumpets that circle the same 238 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,120 territory. They just go back around. 239 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,080 The same kind of judgments are mentioned. 240 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:35,600 The judgments they bring are the the same essentially as the seal 241 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,720 judgments because it's all the same battle. 242 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,440 So you have a 7 and then on that 7th you have another set of 243 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:45,920 seven and then when the 7th trumpet is sounded, we are given 244 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,560 another set of 77 bowls of wrath that are poured out upon 245 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,720 Jerusalem as the final spend of God's fury on them for 246 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,560 crucifying his Son and for brutalizing his Son's bride. 247 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,480 So do you see that the, the, the battle plan of Joshua that Jesus 248 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:05,440 gives Joshua is essentially the same battle plan that Jesus 249 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,720 tells John he is going to use when he attacks and brings 250 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,520 judgement on Jerusalem? So the Book of Revelation is a 251 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:16,120 retelling of the battle of Jericho. 252 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,080 You read the Book of Revelation, you see it, it is equipped with 253 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,120 two spies that go into the city to save a remnant, a small 254 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,120 remnant. You have a saved Rahab. 255 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,880 You have the commander of the army of Yahweh bringing 256 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,160 judgement upon the same land but a different city in Canaan. 257 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,480 So just it's, it's very important, brothers, our thrice 258 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,320 holy Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 259 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:46,320 And apparently he loves to begin his conquest in the exact same 260 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,880 way. So Jericho marks the beginning 261 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,920 of God's conquest of the land of Canaan. 262 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:54,880 And the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD marked the beginning of 263 00:15:54,880 --> 00:16:00,120 Christ's conquest of the world. So the new and better Joshua 264 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,640 began with Jerusalem in 70 AD, and he saw to it that Rome was 265 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,400 the next city to fall. This time, instead of falling in 266 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:09,960 judgement, it fell to conversion. 267 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,560 And then Paris fell and the heathen N fell, the English 268 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:17,880 Isles, the North, North Africa, eastward to India and to China 269 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,640 and even to Japan. Colonial America, the Canadian N 270 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,920 the Catholic South America. Christ began with Jerusalem and 271 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,000 has been establishing His rule upon the earth ever since. 272 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,360 The fall of Jerusalem is just like the fall of Jericho and 273 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:37,280 that it was the beginning of the end of paganism that Joshua is 274 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:41,320 going to conquer and Christ is going to conquer Joshua, the 275 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,200 land of Canaan, Christ the very world. 276 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:49,360 He is Lord of all nations, and they will give their free or 277 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,960 their forced Amen period. So says King Jesus. 278 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:58,240 So let me give you a a really fun detail about the Book of 279 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:03,440 Revelation and how Joshua helps us to understand it in the 280 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,000 ancient world, If if it was literature, it was written 281 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,119 chiastically, which just means the beginning and the end are 282 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,760 paired, they match. And then the second from the 283 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,359 beginning and the second from the end are paired, They match 284 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:17,599 and it builds to the very center. 285 00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:20,079 And the center is always the most important thing. 286 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:25,040 And so if you find an ancient work that is, that is a work of 287 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,079 literature, you can count on it. You can, you can, you can start 288 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:32,000 in the beginning and start in the end and count conceptually 289 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,640 and mathematically to the very center of the book. 290 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,560 And when you get there, you will find what the author really 291 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,800 wants to highlight. And so as John would have it 292 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,760 riding in the under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 293 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,320 he gave us these words at the dead center of the Book of 294 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,760 Revelation. So if you if you start at the 295 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,680 beginning of Revelation and at the end and you count to the 296 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,960 middle, this is what you hear. This is what you hear. 297 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:59,680 Then the 7th Angel blew his trumpet. 298 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:04,400 So it's the it's the middle set of seven judgments, the last of 299 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,240 the middle set giving way to the bulls. 300 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,400 The 7th Angel blew his trumpet and there were loud voices in 301 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,040 heaven. Just like when Joshua blows the 302 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,480 trumpet, there's a shout, the people shout and the walls fall 303 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,920 flat. The 7th Angel blows his trumpet. 304 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:22,400 There were loud voices in heaven saying, what shall they preach? 305 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,480 Brother, sister, what's the what is the message of the Book of 306 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,000 Revelation? This is it. 307 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:34,640 The Kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord 308 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:39,360 and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever. 309 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,280 That's the point of the Book of Revelation is that Christ has 310 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,360 begun his conquest and the 24 elders who sit on their Thrones 311 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:51,160 before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, 312 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:55,520 listen close, we give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is 313 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,080 and who was for you have taken your great power. 314 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,200 Watch these words and begun to reign. 315 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,960 He didn't bring it to completion at the fall of Jerusalem, but 316 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,040 that marks the beginning of the conquest of the world. 317 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,640 You have taken your power. You have begun to reign. 318 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,120 The nations raged, but your wrath came. 319 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,480 And the time for the dead to be judged and for rewarding your 320 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,240 servants, the prophets and Saints, those who fear your 321 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,600 name, both great and small. And for destroying the 322 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,960 destroyers of the earth. That's the mathematical center 323 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,120 of the Book of Revelation, that at the fall of Jerusalem, Christ 324 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:41,600 began to conquer on this world. OK, so we. 325 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:48,560 Yeah, we need to, we need to, to deal with and this text, one of 326 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:53,160 the most controversial ideas in your scripture. 327 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,560 If you have an atheist or if you have somebody who, who doesn't 328 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:00,240 want to believe the scriptures, typically what they do is they 329 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,680 borrow God's standard of morality and use it to judge 330 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,680 God. And they say things like, how 331 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:11,080 could a good God orchestrate the eradication of a, of a, of a 332 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,480 nation of, of a city of Jericho, we were told. 333 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:16,720 They devoted the city to destruction. 334 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,360 Men, women, young, old, oxen, sheep, donkeys with the edge of 335 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:24,120 the sword. So the question is, how can a 336 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,800 good God order the utter annihilation of the land of 337 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,520 Canaan? And I'm glad you asked, because 338 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:35,080 there's an important detail here that makes that controversy not 339 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,600 a controversy at all. It's not a controversy, and it's 340 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,640 not even close. The reminder in this text is 341 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:48,640 that Israel's extermination of the people of Jericho is not 342 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,560 rendered. It's not told to us as a story 343 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,600 of good guys killing bad guys. It's just not that. 344 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,960 Rather, it's a story. It's given to us as a story of 345 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:04,000 God shows his glory and mercy to some and God shows his glory and 346 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,160 judgement to others. And that is the point. 347 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:11,040 And the only difference is covenant relationship. 348 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,280 So you have all the people are bad people on this side, people 349 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,040 on that side, all of them are bad. 350 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,360 But God is in covenant with some and therefore he blesses those 351 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:24,600 some and the other are not in covenant with God and he brings 352 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,040 judgement upon them. Listen to the apostle Paul 353 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,120 talking about this same concept. He says, what shall we say then? 354 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,560 Is there injustice on God's part? 355 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:38,760 By no means, for he says to Moses quote, and he's quoting 356 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,480 Yahweh, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will 357 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,040 have compassion on whom I have compassion. 358 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:49,760 And so then it depends not on human will or exertion, not on 359 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,040 human choosing, not on humans walking an aisle, not on humans 360 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,800 praying a prayer. It depends not on human will nor 361 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,760 exertion, but on God who has mercy. 362 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:01,720 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh. 363 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:05,680 And again, this is quoting God for this very purpose. 364 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,440 I have raised you up that I might show my power in you and 365 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,560 that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 366 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:17,960 So, so then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he 367 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:22,520 hardens whomever he wills. By the way, if you have a 368 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:26,120 problem with what I'm saying, just understand I'm not your 369 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:29,120 problem. You got a problem with Paul, you 370 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:32,560 got a problem with the Bible, and most importantly, you have a 371 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:34,600 problem with the God of the Bible. 372 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,840 Paul goes on to say, you will say to me, then why does he 373 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,160 still find fault? For who can resist his will? 374 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,360 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God, what is 375 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:46,720 molded will? What is molded say to its 376 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,760 molder? Why have you made me like this? 377 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,080 Has the Potter no right over the clay to make of the same lump 1 378 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,480 vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 379 00:22:57,120 --> 00:23:00,840 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known His 380 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,960 power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath 381 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,600 prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches 382 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,040 of His glory for vessels of mercy which He has prepared 383 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,400 beforehand for glory, even us whom He has called, not from 384 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,880 Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. 385 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,000 Listen to me. This text is certainly not the 386 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,000 only thing to say on this matter. 387 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:30,200 The matter of God's severity and judgment and His prodigality and 388 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,120 mercy. But I'm going to resist the 389 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:37,280 temptation and the urge to show a biblical balance because this 390 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:42,520 aspect, this sovereign grace of God, is the one aspect of His 391 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,080 character that you just cannot talk about in our day. 392 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:50,840 You can't say it boils down to God and his choice, not man and 393 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,960 His choice. You can't say that, but the 394 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,280 Bible teaches that from beginning to end and all the way 395 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,040 in between. So I'm not going to balance it 396 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,360 out. I'm just going to let us sit and 397 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:08,520 Stew, OK, stewing in the truth that our God's mercy is a 398 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:13,200 sovereign mercy. He is still thrice holy, and let 399 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:14,960 all the earth keep silent before him. 400 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,280 And what that means, brother and sister, is that if you are in 401 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,400 and under the mercy of God, it ain't because you got your stuff 402 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,200 together and you're just so darn lovable. 403 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,520 You're like Rahab the prostitute that God just sovereignly says, 404 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,480 this one's mine. And so we shut our mouths and 405 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,960 don't have this idea of they're the bad guys and we're the good 406 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:38,640 guys. All of us are bad. 407 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,720 But he gives mercy. He gives mercy. 408 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,400 Our God, listen to me, would be perfectly just if He gave 409 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,520 command and slew the lot of mankind upon the earth, 410 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,960 including you and yours and me and mine. 411 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:57,240 Perfectly just. There would be no hint of of 412 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,360 injustice on His part if He burned the world with fire and 413 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,480 this time provided no arc of salvation for anyone. 414 00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:08,520 It is what we deserve and it is what His just and holy nature 415 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,320 demands. Justice is not the problem 416 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,840 according to Scripture. The great mystery in the Bible 417 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,560 is not just judgment of God upon sinners. 418 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,000 It's not that all the people in Jericho were were killed. 419 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,520 It's that some were saved. That's the mystery. 420 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,000 How can God do that? The greatest mystery is God's 421 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,520 mercy. Mercy on sinners like the 422 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:34,680 Jericho prostitute, deserving of wrath by nature and by choice. 423 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,800 Mercy given to sinners like the ones she kept in her house. 424 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,280 Mercy given to sinners like the preacher in Muldoon and like the 425 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,720 sinners who gathered to hear and preach every Sunday. 426 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,800 That's the mystery, brothers and sisters, is how you can be found 427 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,640 in His mercy, and how I can be found in His mercy. 428 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:55,520 And so I repeat to all of us, the justice in the judgment of a 429 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,880 holy God upon sinners is not the mystery. 430 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:03,240 The mystery is His mercy, the mercy on any sinners. 431 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,440 So Joshua and the people of God are not good people. 432 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,960 They are sinners in the hands of a covenant keeping God who is 433 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,080 holy. And Rahab also is in his hands. 434 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,960 And so are you if you have repented of your sin and clung 435 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:21,560 in faith to Christ and there is invitation for any to repent and 436 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,440 to come and to be in covenant with him. 437 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:25,960 But we need to know that he is holy. 438 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:29,240 So one last short note before we come to the table. 439 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:34,160 Joshua at the end of this verse. I don't know if you if that hit 440 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:38,000 you as a jarring detail. What do you do after a a 441 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,440 resounding victory over a city? Well, the best thing to do is to 442 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,000 pronounce a curse on anybody who would want to build it up like 443 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,400 it's just the most weird text. It's it's kind of a jarring 444 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,080 thing. But Joshua pronounces a curse 445 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:55,440 upon the city of Jericho, which becomes a prophecy. 446 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,120 It actually happens, and it gives great insight into the 447 00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:01,520 types of nations that Christ puts under foot in order to 448 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:04,640 break them forever. This is what we're told. 449 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:10,040 Joshua laid an oath on them, saying at that time, cursed 450 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,520 before the Lord, be the man who raises up and rebuilds this 451 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,600 city, Jericho. Listen to these words. 452 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,600 At the cost of his first born, he shall lay its foundation, and 453 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,400 at the cost of his youngest, he shall set up its gate. 454 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,960 What occurs? You rebuild this city, you're 455 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:27,800 going to lose 2 kids in the process. 456 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:32,080 Now, the offending word here, not offending, but the the word 457 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:36,240 that that renders the wrong idea to us is the word cost. 458 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,160 We tend to read it. I wonder if you're like me, 459 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,600 you've tended to read this as though if somebody tries to do 460 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:45,040 it. Maybe he doesn't even know that 461 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,080 Joshua has spoken. He just fat, dumb and happy goes 462 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,320 to rebuild the city and then God strikes his first born and then 463 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:53,840 when he finishes God kills his youngest. 464 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:56,560 I think this would be a great mistake. 465 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:01,200 The word doesn't speak of consequence, it speaks of cost. 466 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:03,520 That would be consequence. He will. 467 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,000 He will lay it at the consequence of his first born. 468 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,080 God is going to judge his first born if he does this. 469 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,880 It's not what the text says. It says he will lay it at the 470 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:16,080 cost, meaning if you want to do this thing, this is what you 471 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,280 will have to pay. That's the meaning. 472 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:24,000 Now, astounding fact. Archaeologists have discovered a 473 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,200 chilling fact in their excavations of the cities of pre 474 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,160 Israelite Canaan. Canaan. 475 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:34,800 And what they found are the remains of ritualistically 476 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,600 sacrificed children. And do you know where they would 477 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,080 bury them? They would bury them under the 478 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,320 foundation of the city, under the threshold of the city. 479 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,600 Which just goes to show you that Satan is A1 trick pony. 480 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,160 Satan's mantra is quote, give me the people of tomorrow, namely 481 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,280 your children. Give them to me now for the sake 482 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:59,600 of your prosperity now. So just sacrifice tomorrow for 483 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,720 prosperity now. So in their world, it was the 484 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:06,480 ritualistic sacrifice of their children and the burial of that 485 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:11,040 body under the threshold of the city or house as a guarantee for 486 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,160 prosperity, for the house or for the city. 487 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,240 That's what they would do. And it's it is pervasive across 488 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,840 the land of Canaan, a can. When a Canaanite would build a 489 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,240 city, they would sacrifice a child and buried under the 490 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:23,760 foundation. I think that's what Joshua was 491 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,560 saying. When Israel has fallen into such 492 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:30,760 apostasy that they would dare to rebuild Jericho, they will be in 493 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,160 such a state that they will they will be sacrificing their 494 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,200 children just like the Canaanites as a guarantee for 495 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:40,120 prosperity. So in our world we have the 496 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:44,440 satanic and sickening logic that has deceived so many that 497 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,240 children are too expensive for single mothers and that a baby 498 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:49,160 must die so that the mother can thrive. 499 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:51,360 There's nothing new under the sun. 500 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,400 This has been Satan's game from the beginning. 501 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:57,600 And so, Speaking of the just and holy wrath of God, this is just 502 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,360 the type of thing that our Christ hates with every fiber 503 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,720 and will judge when it is not repented of. 504 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:08,080 We have bodies in our past. We have if we have repented, He 505 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,160 is faithful and just not to require their blood at our 506 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,160 hands. Some of you bought into that 507 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:19,600 line and some of you have repented and all of you who have 508 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,400 done that and have repented, Christ has forgiven and there is 509 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,800 pardon, real pardon, forever and free. 510 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:31,320 But when those on the satanic left and those on the satanic 511 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,120 right of our political order, just so you know, I think 512 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,000 President Trump has been functionally our most our most 513 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,800 pro-life president of all time. But he said these words not too 514 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,200 long ago. He said, yeah, Christians, 515 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:45,520 something to the effect of Christians are going to have to 516 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:49,320 learn to compromise on abortion. Hell no. 517 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,280 Never in life we will never do that. 518 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:54,760 We will never compromise on murder. 519 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,320 Never. Now can we take incremental 520 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,960 approaches to to eradicating it? Of course we can. 521 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,440 But compromise, No, never in life. 522 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:09,880 Our entire country needs a healthy dose of Ninevite 523 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:14,160 sackcloth and ashes from the greatest to the least of us. 524 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,720 Or mark my words, brothers, sisters, Christ will make 525 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:22,200 America just one more relic and ruin of Satanistic paganism. 526 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,000 So let us pray. We do pray this. 527 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,640 We need to pray this more fervently, more consistently 528 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:32,400 that God would bring repentance, not just retribution, because we 529 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,240 deserve it. As a nation, we are up to our 530 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:38,400 ears, yeah, over our heads, in the blood of our children. 531 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:42,160 No nation can defy Christ like we have done and last long upon 532 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,640 this earth. And so, Speaking of cities 533 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:50,200 founded upon the blood and bones of children, we cannot do this 534 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:54,720 Pagan practice because God himself has already done it. 535 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,560 I don't know if you've ever spotted this or known this, but 536 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,160 we are the heavenly city of God, the New Jerusalem, coming out 537 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:06,440 down out of heaven from God. Our walls are the living stones 538 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,280 that He has named and that He himself is set in place. 539 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,480 And the foundation of our city is the cornerstone Himself, 540 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,680 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, crucified and raised so that the 541 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,680 city of God could have a sure foundation. 542 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:24,360 Indeed, the fear of the Lord is the treasure of Zion, and the 543 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:28,440 blood of Christ, brothers and sisters, is our sure foundation. 544 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:32,640 But He is risen, and so there are no bones to bury under the 545 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,560 threshold. His His body was broken for you. 546 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,160 His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins. 547 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,480 And it is to our own damnation that we say to our children, You 548 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,040 must die, that I might live. It is to our wondrous salvation 549 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,720 that Christ has said to us, I die so that you might live. 550 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:55,600 This table, listen to me. This table is for those who have 551 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,120 blood and their Ledger. This table is for those who have 552 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:02,280 skeletons in their closet. This table is for those who are 553 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,240 clothed in the Crimson Rams of sin. 554 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,040 Christ has come to give you new garments, white and clean, to 555 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,960 cleanse every spot and every wrinkle, because He came to make 556 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,480 his Ledger your Ledger. So come to the table, sinners 557 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:21,880 repentant, and know the mystery of Divine Mercy, for it is a 558 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,880 just mercy too. You come to the judge of 559 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,120 Jericho. You come to the rescuer of 560 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:28,680 Rahab. You come. 561 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,800 Welcome to King Jesus. Let me pray for us. 562 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:37,080 Father in heaven, we pray as we come to the table, Lord, that 563 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,920 you administer to us by your Spirit as we eat and drink in 564 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:44,840 remembrance of Christ, remembering that we were dead in 565 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:48,680 our trespasses and sins and in your great mercy, because of the 566 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:53,840 great love with which you loved us, You, you raised us up with 567 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,120 Christ. You forgave us of our sin. 568 00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,920 You reunited us to yourself in covenant loyalty. 569 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:05,880 And so our only claim, our only boasts, our only hope is Christ 570 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:10,320 the Lord, the greater Joshua, who comes to us as a rescuer. 571 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,639 So would you come to this table? Would you minister to us as we 572 00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:18,880 eat and as we drink in humility, remembering that we stand here 573 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:21,960 because of your sovereign mercy toward us alone? 574 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,040 We trust You for that, and we ask you to draw near in Christ's 575 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:27,000 name, Amen.