Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Article: “The Fall of Jericho” by Ligonier
• Article: “The Judgment and Mercy of Our Greater Joshua” by Nancy Guthrie
• Sermon: “Every Single Word: Joshua 6” by Thomas White

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi, this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of The Gospel Project for Adults. Welcome to another Leader Training podcast. Today we are in Unit 7, Session 2, God Conquers His Enemies. With the core passage of Joshua 6:1-5 and 15-21 and the key concept of: God is sovereign over His enemies and their destruction.

Last week we saw God leading Joshua and the Israelites into the promised land. We saw the significance of His presence as the waters parted and the ark of the covenant led the way. And after crossing in Joshua 5, a few things needed to happen first before they could conquer their first city. Though not part of our core passage, it would be good to note the events of Joshua 5 as a re-beginning, a starting over of sorts for the people of Israel as they prepared to acquire the land God promised. First the men were circumcised in chapter 5, verses 2 and 3. While wandering in the wilderness, this generation had not been circumcised and that was needed as a ritualistic mark of God’s covenant people. Seems counterintuitive to circumcise a people right before battle, but this makes it even more clear that the victory is the Lord’s and the strategy for battle was consecration and devotion more than military-based. Along with circumcision, the people also celebrated the Passover, as instructed but also as a reminder of what God has already done for them—rescued them from Egypt and brought them to a new land. And with that, the day after Passover, the people ate unleavened bread and roasted grain produced from the new land in verse 5:11. And in verse 12, we see that the day after, the manna ceased. The people would not need God’s daily provision through manna anymore. They were now in the land flowing with milk and honey. After these things have happened, then, a commander of the Lord’s Army met Joshua and told him to remove his sandals because it was holy ground, almost exactly like how the Lord spoke to Moses through the burning bush.

And thus we get to our core passage: the Lord giving Joshua instructions on how to get inside Jericho.  Now that context of the previous chapter was long, but I want you to note the progression of events, seeing how everything done was to remember their covenant with God, His faithfulness to them, and His power in accomplishing what He set out to do. From the crossing of the Jordan to the fall of Jericho, God was active and the people knew they just needed to submit to God and obey His instructions. At least for this moment in time, they knew their God was holy, faithful, and almighty and would give them victory so whatever God said, they would do.

So verse 1 of chapter 6, then,  gives us the setting: “Jericho was strongly fortified…. No one leaving or entering.” This sets the impossible odds the Israelites were facing. But a strongly fortified city is no match for God.

In the face of the impossible, how does the gospel encourage us to look to God and not depend on ourselves? For the Israelites and for us, God’s character is what we lean on, rely on, and trust. He is sovereign and is going to do what He says He is going to do. He has been faithful to His people throughout the generations, culminating in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to give us life and salvation. If that is all we have, that should be enough. Our relationship with Christ sufficient for our needs, yet God continues to pour out more blessings on us beyond that. But faced with the impossible, we know God’s will will come through and, sometimes, it might not be what we want or expect, but it’ll be exactly what we need.

So the Israelites faced a strongly fortified city. Feel free to scan the QR code on page 34 of the Leader Guide to learn more about the city of Jericho. Then the Lord spoke, assuring Joshua of victory. “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.”  God promised victory as if it already happened, so Joshua could have confidence. Then God gave instructions, but instead of a military strategy, it was more of ritualistic ceremony. In verse 3, God tells Joshua to “March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.” Scholars say the perimeter of the ancient city of Jericho was about 1/3 to ½  mile. Joshua was also to have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark as they marched. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times while the priests blew their horns. Then when the horns sounded, the troops were to give a loud shout. Then, the city wall would collapse, and they could enter the city.

Many of you, if you grew up in church, are familiar with this story. It reminds us of what Paul said in Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who is against us?” We are reminded that nothing is impossible for God and God is always for us. And thus, all the battles of life that we face will always have God as victorious. We can live a life of victory knowing God knows best, and, being sovereign, can and is accomplishing all things for His glory.

The narrative continues in our next set of verses with Joshua and the Israelites obeying what the Lord commanded. From verse 15-21, we see the people marching, the priests blowing, the troops shouting, the walls falling, and the city destroyed. Their actions demonstrated their faith in the Lord, because this is the worst way to conquer a city by human standards—walking around a city, blowing horns, and shouting. It’s probably the most ridiculous thing they’ve ever done. But they did it. And they trusted God while doing it. And they obeyed and were ready to see God move miraculously.

In the midst of the action, Joshua gave more specific instructions. When Joshua called the people to shout, he also reminded them that the Lord was responsible and so the Lord was due everything. “The Lord has given you the city” (verse 16) and verse 17, “everything in [the city] are set apart to the Lord.” This meant everything was to be destroyed, and the silver, gold, bronze, and iron were to go into the Lord’s treasury—no one was to take anything for themselves. Everything else were to be destroyed. But Rahab got a shout out as an exception. Verse 17, “only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers we sent.”

So we didn’t have this is our study, but back in Joshua 2, when the two spies from the Israelites were sent into Jericho to scout it out, they stayed with Rahab the prostitute. She prevented them from getting captured by hiding them and diverting the soldiers elsewhere.  Both in 2:1 and 6:17, she is described as “Rahab the prostitute,” and possibly this might be her identifying factor but also, it reminds us that God saves and redeems all types of people as long as they trust and worship Him. This is the display of the grace of God. Rahab knew God was the only supreme God. Back in 2:11, she said, “for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below,” an extreme statement of faith, knowing that she lived in a Canaanite city immersed in Canaanite gods. Yet she had heard of the Lord of the Israelites and lived out her faith through action in rescuing the spies.

Thus, Rahab and her family were not only saved from the destruction of Jericho, but she was integrated into the Israelite camp. Her faithfulness also moved her into the lineage of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 1:5-6, we know Rahab was the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth and fathered Obed, who fathered Jesse, who fathered King David, and the genealogy continues in chapter 1 of Matthew to Joseph who fathered Jesus. Rahab’s faith is also mentioned in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25. She was an example of faith, and Gentile faith at that.

We are thus reminded then that though our key concept is God is sovereign over His enemies and their destruction, His compassion for those who trust Him are immeasurable. Even a prostitute from an evil nation, living in enemy lines, can be saved by the grace of God. We hold these two truths in balance knowing that destruction will come for those who forsake God, those who do not put their trust in Jesus Christ. But also, no one is too far gone to place their hope in Him and thus given salvation.

Thus, as we read of this grand story of the destruction of Jericho, we note that God was sovereign over the capture of that city. God does grand gestures for His people as a whole. But in the midst of that, God does grand gestures for individual persons as well. He saved Rahab. He redeemed her and her family as her words and actions showed real faith in Yahweh God.

By the way, I know we were covering a lot of surrounding chapters today. Sometimes some people ask, why we do portions of Scripture and not all. The reality is that in a three year scope, there’s simply not enough room or time to cover everything. So as we follow the chronological storyline of the Bible, we have the task of curating the parts that fit best. And once that 3 year cycle is up, in the next 3 year cycle, we might choose other portions of Scripture. We prayerfully try to outline a comprehensive storyline to guide your church through the Jesus thread that weaves through Scripture.

On to the Group Experience then, go through the icebreaker question, Who or what is your strongest enemy right now? Then transition into the key concept of the fact that God is sovereign over His enemies and ours. He is always in control. Cover the Context looking back at all God has done to this point in rescuing the Israelites out of Egypt, being with them through the wilderness, taking them across the Jordan, and preparing them for a unique battle that only He could be victorious in. You might want to cover some of chapter 5 here, in terms of the fact that the Israelites were circumcised, celebrated the Passover, stopped eating manna, and Joshua was confronted by the commander of the Lord’s army. This will set you up to get into the passage Recap. Ask for anything that stood out to your group or if any questions came up in their study. Then go over some of your notes in your own study.

Enter into the Group Activity with some openness. I know it’s simply a restating of the facts but as your group engages in the drudgery of writing over and over again, “The seven priest lead the way carrying their horns, the ark of the covenant followed, the people marched around the city one time” on day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, have them describe how they felt writing that over and over. Imagine the Israelites for 6 days, having to do that over and over. Ask, what might the Israelites be thinking or feeling? What might the people of Jericho be feeling or thinking as they watched? Day 1, both sides might have been nervous but waiting to see what would happen, fearful but curious. Day 2, maybe the Israelites would get a little impatient, maybe those in Jericho might start to laugh. Day 3, maybe the Israelites would be more impatient but they would stay the course and trust even in their impatience. Maybe those in Jericho might be unfazed, starting to fear less. Day 4, the same. By Day 6, the Israelites might have been extremely tired but knowing that God already said they would capture the city on day 7, maybe their spirits would be higher. Those in Jericho might have let down their guard completely, ridiculing the Israelites, and rolling with laughter by now. But by Day 7, the morning would be buzzing around the Israelite camp. This is the day. For those in Jericho, just another day of the crazy Israelites going in circles. But when the Israelites finished that first circling, then started on their second, then third, then fourth, those in Jericho would’ve started to realize that something different was going on. And when those trumpets blared and the troops shouted, the rumbling began and there was no going back. With the walls starting to crumble, it was the end for Jericho.

Looking at the debrief question in the Personal Study Guide on page 32 (and the Discuss question in the Leader Guide on page 40), How did God’s battle plan reveal His sovereignty in this battle? God’s plan was genius. If He had allowed the Israelites to attack the city and win, they might have thought their own efforts won the victory. No, God had to do something odd to show He was in control all along.

Also, could God have done it all in 1 day? Surely. But what faith would the Israelites know of or grow in if they didn’t have to wait 7 days to see the result? We are too eager sometimes to see results, yet God is concerned more about our character than anything else. He wants to mold us and refine us and remind us of who He is. Sometimes that means waiting for what we want as we continue in obedience. Rahab too, had to wait quietly in her house with her family, for deliverance, and trust that God and His people would be true to their word in rescuing her. Sometimes our faith walk is like these 7 days. Day in, day out, maybe we read our Bible and pray and we don’t see or feel anything different. We feel the drudgery of walking in circles. But God reminds us that He has been leading all along. He is going to do something mighty. We just need to be patient and obedient and stay the course.

Looking at the debrief questions in the leader guide then, What are some victories in our lives that point to God’s sovereignty over His enemies? Answers may include victory over an addiction or a sin, victory over temptations, or victory over the brokenness of this world because of sin. Your group may have specific answers.

How has God called us to act, in light of Jesus’s victory over sin and death? Like the Israelites and like Rahab, we are to be obedient and patiently wait for God to act in certain circumstances. We are to trust in His Spirit to guide us and be obedient to His Word, being a light for the nations.

Summarize and select the Head question in the Head, Heart, Hands section if you have limited time. Read through the paragraph and ask, What are some things you can do to help you trust God more? Maybe the answer is more time with God, more time in confession, more time in prayer in general, more time in stillness before Him, more time in Scripture and other disciplines. Your group may have other answers.

End in the Next Steps, maybe highlighting the second bullet point, considering what Paul’s statement of “fight the good fight of faith” in 1 Timothy 6:12 means. How does your fighting strategy need to change?

And close with prayer requests and praises and highlighting Psalm 144:1-2 if you have time.

Thanks again for joining me on another Leader Training podcast. Reach out at [email protected] with comments and questions and have a great group time!