Let me add my welcome to Winston's.
It's good to see this good crowd out on this glorious Sunday when
we can gather together and hear the word of God proclaimed as
we've already heard and I hope you'll hear again in this message.
You can see the title of the message is For Us or Against
Us. I'll be looking at Joshua again. If you're going to follow with
me, turn to Joshua 5. For us or against us. Who wouldn't want to know the
answer to this question, is God for me in this world or against
me? Well, I hope when this message
is over, I can tell you assuredly when this message is over, if
you'll believe the word of God, you can know whether God is for
you or whether he's against you. Let me remind you here in the
book of Joshua, we've been studying this down verse by verse and
we've come to the end of chapter five. We'll try to cover these
last three verses here today. You remember that God has miraculously
delivered this nation, Israel, into the land of Canaan. This
is the promised land. This is the one they hoped for
and this is the one God has brought them into. They've submitted to circumcision,
something their fathers had neglected while they were in the wilderness.
And they've kept the Passover, something they also neglected
when they were in the wilderness. The manna that fed them during
their wilderness experience has ended. It's ceased. They're feeding
off the old corn of the land, according to the word. They're
in Campton-Gilgal on the outskirts of Jericho, and that'll be their
first obstacle. Jericho was a walled city, a
fortified city, and you know the inhabitants aren't just going
to give them this land. I mean, they're kind of concerned
about it. I think we'll see in this lesson
Joshua might be a little concerned, but they're now at the point
where they're ready to begin to possess this land. God's brought them in. They've
crossed the Jordan. They're on the west side of the
Jordan, inside the promised land, and ready to begin their possession
of the land. So let's look here at Joshua
chapter 5 and verse 13. It says, and it came to pass
when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword
drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said
unto him, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? Are you for us or against us?
That's what he's asking this man. Now Joshua, it says, was
by Jericho. Jericho, as I already said, was
destined to be the first encounter of Israel with the inhabitants
of Canaan. It was the first obstacle standing between them taken possession
of this land. Now, we don't know what Joshua
was doing here. Maybe he was contemplating his
next move. You see, he was the general over
Israel's fighting forces, so he might have been contemplating
his next move. Maybe he was praying, maybe he was meditating. We really
don't know what he was doing for sure, but he lifted up his
eyes, it said, indicating that he was perhaps in some mode of
contemplation, and maybe even startled by this man that he
saw. And he saw a man. That's all he saw. A man indicating
his readiness to fight. He had his sword drawn in his
hand. And Joshua went to this man with this urgent question. Are you for us or are you for
our adversaries? Are you for us or are you for
those who would oppose us possessing this land? Are you for us or
against us? Now the question is, are you
for us? Who is represented in the us
here? Well, it's God's chosen, set-apart
nation. That's what Israel was all the
way till Christ came. They were God's chosen, set-apart
nation in this world. No other nation could make that
claim. Israel alone could make that claim. And it's the nation
which God had determined to possess this land of Canaan. It's those
who'd been given this land in a promise to their father Abraham
over 400 years earlier. And it's those certain to possess
this land. There's no doubt they're going
to possess this land. God's determined it. He's brought
them into this land and they will possess it. Joshua is asking
this man, are you for us? God has brought us here to possess
this land. Are you for us in this endeavor? And are you for us? Are you for
us? Will you be using your sword,
that one you've drawn, for our benefit? Can we count on your
support? Are you for us in this matter?
Now, spiritually and typically, that's who the us is physically,
it's Israel. But spiritually and typically,
the us is those chosen of God in Christ and given all the benefits
and blessings of grace in him before the world began. Look
at 2 Timothy 1, verses 8 and 9. Paul writes to Timothy, be not
thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of
me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of
the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began." So the us, see, is spiritually
and typically those chosen by God before the world began, given
salvation in Christ before the world began. Are you for those
chosen by God and redeemed by Christ? You see, right now, every
person who's in some kind of religious assembly is either
for those chosen of God or they're working against those chosen
of God. Are you for each of them possessing, enjoying, resting
in the salvation that they were given in Christ before the world
began? Or are you against us? Who represented those against
Israel? Well, it was any who stood in
opposition to them occupying, taking possession of this land.
Anybody that did that was against them. Now those who opposed them,
those who were against them, they didn't know that they were
opposed to something that God had purposed and was certain
to take place. I imagine if they'd known that,
they'd have just thrown down their arms, don't you? I mean,
what fool wouldn't? But they didn't know that. They
didn't know that Israel was certain to take over this land. It was
theirs, and they would have it. God had determined it. God had
already determined that Israel occupy this land. He had already
ordained that they possess this land as their own. In the scriptures,
the question asked is always either or. This question. When it comes to the salvation
of God, when it comes to the people of God, you must either
be for us or you are automatically against us. That's what Christ
told those who accused Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub. He was accused of that. Look
at Matthew chapter 12 and verse 30. Christ said to those who accused
him, he that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth
not with me scattereth abroad, for or against, one or the other. When it comes to the people of
God and their eternal well-being, there's no straddling of the
fence. You're either working in behalf of God's chosen people,
you're working for them, or you're automatically working against
them. You're either working for a salvation that sinners obtain
by their doing. In other words, you're either
encouraging sinners to do something in order to get saved, or you're
working for sinners to possess that salvation which Christ has
already obtained for those people he died for. Paul the Apostle
said that he was working for the latter. He was working for
sinners to obtain the salvation Christ worked out. Look at 2
Timothy chapter 2 and verse 10. Paul said, therefore I endure
all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Paul
never said in any of his writings that his work was to show sinners
what they must do in order to get themselves saved. That's
legalism. There is something to be done
by sinners in this world. There's much to be done by and
in those sinners whom God has regenerated. But nothing being
done by them and nothing being done in them is either to gain
or maintain salvation. Joshua knew that God was for
national Israel. He knew that he was for them
possessing the promised land. He's asking this man, are you,
this man with his sword drawn, are you for us? Or are you against
us? Has God sent you as an ally or
an enemy? And this man responds. Look at
Joshua 5 and verse 14. And this man said, Nay, but as
captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell
on his face to the earth and did worship and said unto him,
What saith my Lord unto his servant? In response to Joshua's question,
this man said, nay, I'm not for your adversaries. I'm not for
your enemies. I'm not for those that would
oppose you. I'm for the Lord, capital L-O-R-D,
that's Jehovah who saves. I'm for the Lord. I'm for carrying
out His purposes. In fact, I'm the captain of those
whom God is for. I am captain of His host. I am God's captain sent to ensure
that all of God's purposes are fulfilled, especially those concerning
the salvation of His people. Who was God for in the book of
Joshua? He was for national Israel. He was for them possessing the
land they had been given. And national Israel's possession
of the promised land did indeed concern eternal, that eternal
salvation of God's people. National Israel's possession
of this land is typical, it's a type of spiritual Israel's
possession of the salvation they've been given in Christ. God brought
Israel to rest in this land that they were given by promise. They
did enter in. They did possess it. He brought
them to rest in this land. And he did so to typify his bringing
his elect to rest in the salvation that they were given in Christ
before the world began. It was vitally important here
that the type not fail in order to ensure that its anti-type
would not fail. National Israel, they're the
type. They must possess Canaan because
spiritual Israel, the anti-type, God's elect, must possess In
every generation, they must possess that salvation they've been given
in Christ. That's why the captain of the
Lord's host has come. The mission standing before Joshua
and Israel is vital. It must not fail. It must succeed,
and its success depends entirely upon God. It won't be dependent
upon the strength of Israel, not to any degree. Its success
depends entirely upon God. That's why he sent Christ, the
eternal captain of his host, to encourage Joshua, the temporary
captain of national Israel's fighting forces. He wanted Joshua
to know that God was for national Israel. He was for them possessing
this land that they had been given. He was for each individual
family possessing their portion of this land. And nothing could
stand in the way of that. Nothing could stop the success
in this matter because what shall we say to these things if God
be for us, who can be against us? That's Romans 8, 31. If God
is for anyone, whether it's national Israel's possession of Canaan
or spiritual Israel's possession of eternal salvation, who can
thwart it or stop it? Look at Daniel chapter 4 and
verse 35. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. And none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest
thou? If God is for us, who can be
against us? Look back at Joshua 5.14. And he said, Nay, but as captain
of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his
face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What saith
my Lord unto his servant? Joshua no longer saw this one
as a mere man. That's the way he saw him initially,
but he's seeing him a little differently now. He now saw him
to be God. He saw him to be God in human
flesh, the God-man. He saw him to be the one in whom
all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. Joshua was still
looking at a man, a man with a sword drawn in his hand, but
he now saw that man to also be God. He worshipped him. He showed
him the reverence he deserved. Joshua worshipped the one whom
God had sent to guarantee that national Israel possessed the
land of Canaan. Now God alone deserves such reverence. He alone deserves to be worshipped. When Christ revealed himself
to Joshua as God-man, he honoured him with worship. Who is God
for in this world, in any generation, at any given time? Who is He
for right now? He is for those who honor His
Son. He is for those who seek Him,
the just God and Savior He is, through His Son. How do you honor
God as God? How do you honor Him as a just
God and Savior? You honor the Son. How do you
honor the son? You honor his person. You honor
his work. You honor his salvation. You
honor his obedience unto death as that alone which enables God
to be just and yet justify ungodly sinners. You work in behalf of
those whom God is for. You support the gospel. Like
Bill said, you gather in fellowship in the gospel. Support it. Pray
for it. Pray for the men who preach it.
And you worship him whom God has sent. That's what this age
is all about. God is seeking sinners to worship
Him, a just God and Savior, through His Son. That's what Christ told
the woman at the well. Look at John 4 and verse 22 and
23. This is Christ talking to that
woman of Samaria. He said, you worship you know
not what. We worship, we know what we worship for salvation
is of the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is
when the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit
and in truth. For the father seeketh such to
worship him. Well, if there are true worshipers,
there must also be false worshippers. If there are those worshipping
the true and living God, there must also be those worshipping
gods of their imagination. In other words, there are those
who worship they know not what. You and I were among them at
one time, knowing not what we worshipped, knowing not who we
worshipped. Who do you worship? Who do I worship? Is it the God
who justifies the ungodly? Is it the God who saves through
Christ, the God-man, his finished work to put away the sin of his
people and bring in everlasting righteousness by the sacrifice
of himself, all efforts from sinners excluded in that salvation?
Is it the captain of the Lord's host? Or is it one who claims
to be but falls short of the criteria that would identify
and distinguish him as such? Joshua worshipped this one whom
he saw to be God and man in one person. Now in verse 14, Joshua
acknowledged this man to be God. He worshipped him. That's an
acknowledgement that he's God. In verse 15, this man made it
absolutely clear that he was God and why he had come to this
place. Look at Joshua 5.15. And the
captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from
off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua
did so. Now this is one of those pre-incarnate
appearances of Christ. Christ came to Abraham on the
plains of Mamre on his way to deliver Lot and destroy Sodom
and Gomorrah. Three men came. One of those
men was Christ. He appeared to Moses in the burning
bush. That was Christ in that burning bush. The bush was on
fire, yet it wasn't consumed. A picture of God pouring out
his wrath on Christ and yet him not consumed by it, but meeting
the demands of a just God and still living to save his people. He wrestled with Jacob before
he changed Jacob's name to Israel. Remember that ladder that came
down, Jacob's ladder, and Joshua and Christ wrestled all night,
and he threw Jacob's hip out of joint. That was Christ, a
pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. Here he appears to Joshua as
a man with a sword drawn in his hand. Now this man, Christ, had
already acknowledged his deity. When Joshua fell down to worship
him, he didn't protest. Now if he hadn't been worthy
of worship, whether it was him or an angel, they would have
said, whoa, I'm not to be worshipped. But he didn't. He didn't protest
at all because he was worthy of Joshua's worship. Here, as
he had done to Moses in the burning bush, he announces that the place
he occupies is holy and commands Joshua to remove his shoes. Now,
no doubt the place occupied by Christ, the God-man, was holy.
It was sanctified. It was set apart. Set apart simply
because he was there, simply because his presence there. They
were standing outside Jericho, and as we'll see in a later lesson,
Jericho and all that pertained to it was utterly destroyed. And it was destroyed because
it was a curse, which means it was devoted to God. God had devoted
all that land, all the inhabitants of Jericho, the livestock, men,
women, and children, they'd all be destroyed because that whole
place was devoted to God. So it's holy for that reason
as well. But there's another issue here. The issue is the
glory of God. All of God's glory resides in
Christ. To see Christ is to see God. To not see and know Christ, to
know His person, to know what He accomplished, is to not know
a just God and Savior, the God of the Bible. To know Christ
is to know God. To be in the presence of Christ
is to be in the presence of Him who upholds God's glory. Without
Christ's person and his work to accomplish the salvation of
his people, to put away their sin and bring in everlasting
righteousness, there's no glory to God in salvation apart from
that. God's glory as a just God and Savior is seen in the face
of Jesus Christ. Look at 2 Corinthians 4 and verse
6. It says, for God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. That's where we see God's glory
as a just God and Savior. We see it in the person and work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the matter of national Israel
possessing the land of Canaan, it's not so much about Israel
gaining and having a land as it is about God being glorified
in giving them this land and them taking possession of this
land, fulfilling his promise to Abraham to give his descendants
this land. It's more about God's faithfulness
to his promise. It's more about upholding the
honor of God's character. It's more about God's glory than
it is about Israel just gaining the land. In the matter of eternal
salvation, it's not so much about sinners being saved as it is
about God being glorified. In fact, the first and foremost
idea teaching in salvation is God's glory. Is he glorified
in the salvation I think I possess? Is he known to me as the God
who justifies the ungodly based on Christ's personal work alone?
To know him as a just God and Savior, to possess the salvation
that his people were given in Christ before the world began,
that's how he's purposed for spiritual Israel to know and
to worship him. This salvation is certain because
God has purposed it, because Christ has done everything necessary
for God's elect to have it, and because the Spirit is doing everything
necessary for spiritual Israel to possess it. Joshua was outside
Jericho contemplating his next move, and Christ came with his
sword drawn in his hand. Christ came to assure Joshua
that the battle was not Joshua's nor Israel. It was his. It was
the Lord's battle. He came because his father's
glory was at stake, and he came to command Joshua's worship and
obedience. Christ comes to his elect in
the gospel that same way. He reveals himself as the one
in whom all of God's redemptive glory rests, and he commands
the worship and obedience of his people. Who is God for in
this world in any generation? He's for those who worship him,
a just God and Savior. He's for those who come to him
through His Son, His finished work alone. He's for those who
honor and reverence the Son with worship, and He's for those who
reverence His Son with obedience. That's what our last verse will
tell us. Look at, well, look back at Joshua 5 and verse 15.
And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose
thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest
is holy, and Joshua did so. This command for Joshua to remove
his shoes could be a command for Joshua to cease his efforts,
to cease his contemplation of what he needs to do, and to look
to the captain of the Lord's host. This battle belongs to
him. It belongs to Christ. Therefore,
the victory here, the victory in Israel possessing that land,
the victory in every one of spiritual Israel possessing the salvation
God has given them, the victory is Christ. It's already assured because
it's all resting on the doing and dying of Christ alone. And
it says, and Joshua did so. Joshua responded to this command
with obedience. That's the only proper response
to the one you truly see as Lord. Look at Hebrews chapter five,
verses eight and nine. Though Christ were a son, yet
learned he obedience by the things which he suffered, and being
made perfect, complete, he became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him. He is the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him, to all who come to him. to all
who rest in Him, to all who find their hope of final glory in
His doing and dying alone. To not respond with obedience
to one you call Lord is a contrast. Are you calling Him Lord, but
yet you don't see any need to obey Him? That's what Christ
said to those of His day. Look at Luke chapter 6, verses
46 and 47. Christ said, and why call ye
me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever
cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will
show you whom he is like. Now the context here in Luke,
and it's recorded again in Matthew, but here in Luke, that context
is, he's contrasting two men who built a house. One built
his on the foundation of a rock. and the winds blew, and the floods
came, and the house stood, because it was founded on a rock. The
other man built his house on the sand, and the winds blew,
and the floods came, and the house fell, and great was the
fall of it, he said. That's the context. And what
he's doing here is contrasting those who hear the gospel, who
hear of Christ, who hear of a just God and Savior, who hear of a
finished work. and obey him by believing the
gospel, by looking to that one, and one who hears them and yet
goes on in their self-righteousness. That's exactly what sinners do
who claim that their hope is in Christ, but go on trying to
work out salvation by their efforts, by their contribution, by their
faith. They claim that their spiritual
house is built on a rock. but then insist that you're not
saved until you close the deal with faith, with reformation,
with good works. Here's the long and short of
it. Either Christ accomplished salvation for every sinner he
died for by his obedience unto death. Either he did that or
Christ just made salvation a possibility and sinners have to work it out.
They have to complete it. They have to appropriate it by
their efforts. Either or. The first, that salvation
accomplished by Christ for every sinner he died for, that first
is the house built on the rock. The latter is the one on the
sand. To obey God is to rest in that salvation Christ has
accomplished for every sinner he lived and died for. It's apparent
that God saw the need for Joshua to know without question that
he was for national Israel's possession of the promised land.
How do we know that? He sent His Son to confirm it.
He sent Christ to remove all doubt. He sent Christ to make
it happen exactly as He had purposed. He sent Christ to ensure the
glory of God in this matter. It's equally important for God's
people to know that He is for them, each of them, possessing
the salvation He's given them in Christ before the foundation
of the world. So He comes to them in the Gospel.
He comes declaring who Christ is, God and man in one person.
He comes to them declaring sin put away by the death of Christ.
He comes declaring to them righteousness established and imputed. He comes
to them declaring salvation accomplished and certain to be revealed to
all for whom Christ lived and died. He comes announcing that
the battle has already been won. The victory has already been
gained. Christ arose the victorious Savior
of His people. And He comes commanding all who
hear the gospel to obey the gospel. He comes commanding all who hear
the gospel to rest in Christ, and he does that in order that
his sheep might be made manifest in each generation. The good
news of the gospel is that Christ has entered heaven itself, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. The command of the gospel
to everyone who hears it is remove your shoes. In other words, cease
your efforts to obtain, to work out salvation. God's glory and
salvation depends on Christ's work alone. Rest in the salvation
Christ has already obtained for a people of God's choosing. God
commands his preachers in every generation go into all the world
and preach the gospel. And Christ commands all who hear
that gospel to find their rest in Him and in Him alone. Look
at Matthew chapter 11, verse 28 through 30. Christ said, come unto me, all
you that labor and are heavy laden, laden down with trying
to work out your own salvation, laden down with trying to meet
some condition, laden down that maybe you haven't done enough.
Come unto me, he said, all you that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find
rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden That's
Christ's command to all who hear the gospel. that the success of the battles
that lay before national Israel was not dependent on their strength
and power. The success of them possessing
the land they had been given was in his hands, not in their
hands. Joshua responded with worship
and obedience. By that he gave evidence that
he was one whom God was for. Christ comes to every spiritual
Israelite in the gospel declaring a successful Savior, a finished
salvation, sin put away, righteousness established and imputed, God
glorified as a just God and Savior based on Christ's work alone.
Christ cannot and will not fail to bring each one that the Father
has chosen, each one He has redeemed. He'll send the Spirit to call
them to Himself. This is His ongoing work in each
generation as long as this world remains. All that the Father
giveth me, He said, will come to me. Other sheep I have which
are not of this foal, them I must bring. They're going to come.
He's going to get them. He's going to bring them. In
closing, is God for you? Is He for me? Or is He against
us? How have you responded to the
gospel? Have you seen the God-man Savior God has sent? Have you
understood the salvation that He's already worked out for those
that were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world?
Have you rested all your hope of salvation in Him, in His work
alone? Your efforts totally excluded
in this matter? Well, our answers to these questions
will tell you without question what I told you you could know
if you just believe God's testimony when I started. Is God for us
or is He against us?