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“Hall of Faith” (Mess.#12) “The Victory of Faith”
Text: Heb.11: 30; Jos.6: 1-16 Intro.: In just fifteen short words Joshua’s great victory over Jericho is described. The word “faith” is used twenty-four times in this chapter, “by faith” or “through faith” twenty-one times. We will now consider the victory of faith. God used a very unlikely method to bring this city down in defeat. He told His people to merely march around the city seven days and to blow their trumpets. This was, no doubt, met with scorn and derision by the inhabitants of Jericho. It seemed to put the ark in jeopardy as it was carried around the city by the priests. But all of this was done to reveal the ways and wisdom of God. After seven days God caused the walls to fall down, thus manifesting His power. So we see the victory is not my might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit! In the same way today we face strongholds, like Jericho, that we can’t defeat with carnal weapons. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds . . . ” (2 Cor.10: 4), and thus we gain the victory, just like Joshua, by faith. Let’s see what we can learn about the victory of faith from Heb. 11: 30...
A) The Problems (that hinder victory) “. . . the walls of Jericho” 1) Jericho was the principal stronghold of the Canaanites (Jos.6: 1-16). 2) It was the key city in a string of fortresses protecting the land of Canaan. Its capture was absolutely necessary before Israel could hope to progress any further in conquering the land. 3) The “walls” represent opposition, unbelief, superstition, and ungodliness. Whatever might hinder you in your life of faith! 4) You’ll not travel too far down the path of faith before you’ll face a “wall of Jericho” opposing you! 5) Israel is before Jericho, a walled city; it’s not by power and might, but by faith they are to take it. 6) So too must we conquer the strongholds that loom before us by faith, not by our own power and might! 7) The evil, unbelieving spies of Canaan had said it was impossible to conquer the land because the cities were “walled up to heaven” (Deut.1: 28). There will always be those who are filled with unbelief and who will discourage you and tell you that the problems are too great! 8) We must exercise faith to overcome the problems that we face and remember that the weapons we use “are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor.10: 4). 9) The Israelites merely marched around the walls, blowing trumpets and God brought down the walls. We must depend on His wisdom and His ways, not our own! 10) God is greater than any problems we face! 11) Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible, He does the things others cannot do!
B) The Power (that gains the victory) “fell down . . . ” 1) God has little regard for those things in which the world places its confidence. 2) The “walls” seemed to be impossible to knock down without some type of weapon, but God wanted to reveal His power. 3) The Children of Israel merely blew trumpets and shouted to bring the walls down, thus revealing that the victory was of God and not by their strength. 4) The ram’s horns (not silver trumpets) proclaimed war on the enemies and put the fear of God in their hearts. We too must blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in the holy mountain, that sinners in Zion might be afraid! 5) Rams’ horns were not beautiful, and had a dull sound that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of man. Thus by the foolishness of preaching (compared to the blowing of rams’ horns) the devil’s kingdom is thrown down! 6) This illustrates the victory of God’s kingdom – He shall descend from heaven with a shout and the trump of God and Satan’s kingdom shall be thrown down. Note: The walls did not fall down till the last day and the “walls” of Satan’s kingdom won’t fall down until the last days either! 7) Note: The priests and the people were united together in the task. So too must preachers and the people work together in reaching the lost and attacking the “walls” or strongholds of the devil!
C) The Patience (that is needed until the victory is ours) “after they were compassed about seven days.” 1) God told Joshua, “I have given into hand Jericho.” This was a prophetic certainty, a divine promise. God spoke as though it was in the past tense, because it was certain that Joshua would defeat Jericho. 2) We have the same assurance that God has given us the victory over our “walls” too! 3) They were told to march around the city once a day for six days and seven times around on the seventh day. 4) At first the enemy may have watched in fear as the Israelites marched around. 5) But after two or three days they grew secure. They probably began to ridicule and mock, as did the enemies in Nehemiah’s day. 6) The Israelite’s had to patiently bear all of the ridicule and mockery and continue obeying God’s orders. 7) The world may mock and ridicule us too as we patiently wait for the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. But if we’ll continue on in obedience we shall see the day when God will vindicate us. 8) The Israelites had to wait till the end of the seventh day, after compassing the city thirteen times, before God finally intervened. 9) We too will have to wait upon our God and eventually He will intervene! “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord” (Ps.27: 14). 10) They must have felt very safe after six days and probably cried out “Peace and safety” but then sudden destruction came upon them! 11) God is not willing that any should perish and so He withholds His judgment. The wicked think God is never going to judge them, so they indulge in more and more sin, until finally God lowers the boom! 12) Ill.- One day a friend saw his preacher friend Philip Brooks pacing the floor like a caged lion. “What is the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t.” 13) How often that’s our trouble too! We’re in a hurry, but God isn’t!
Conclusion: The Victory of Faith Before there is victory, there must be a problem Before the problem can be overcome, we must rely on God’s power. Then we must have patience while we wait upon God’s power to give us victory over our problem! Are you enjoying victory in your life? What “wall” are you facing today that you need God’s power to cast down? The wall of debt, discouragement, unbelief, opposition, doubt, fear, worry? Are you relying on God’s power or your own? Are you in hurry and God isn’t?
Is.40: 31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
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