Northwest Gospel Church - Summit View

It's the perfect time for the people of Israel to recommit themselves to the Lord. And what better way to do that than for all the men who had been born in the wilderness, who had never been circumcised to be circumcised. Circumcision is the outward sign for the people of Israel that they are God’s and God’s alone. For whatever reason, in the wilderness, the practice had stopped, but now is the time for this next generation to commit themselves to the Lord, outwardly and inwardly. So, all the men get the snip with new flint knives. Then the people rest, recover and celebrate the first Passover in their new land.

Do you have something that brings up memories or starts conversations with others? Maybe a tattoo, a scar, or something hanging up in the house that stands out from what you’d normally see in someone’s house? We tend to put things out on display for ourselves but usually it catches the eyes of others and sometimes leads to discussions. For the Israelites, God had instructed twelve men, one from each tribe, to take up a stone from the riverbed of the Jordan and place it where they were to camp that night. Having witnessed a miraculous display of God’s complete control over nature, God instructed Joshua to display a monument to be seen and cause people to ask, “What do those stones mean to you?” These stones were just stones, yet, when the children and later generations would see them, they would ask what they mean. “What do these represent?”

Years of wandering are about to end. It is hard to imagine what’s on the minds and the hearts of the people. You might remember Joshua had been to the Promised Land forty years earlier. As a spy he came back to Moses with a positive report and encouragement to go in and possess the land, only to be shouted down. The crowd won the day, with their fearful disobedience earning them exile in the desert until that generation’s death. Joshua was a young man and now he is old. He is the new leader of God’s chosen people. There would be many battles ahead. Strong leadership would be required. God would again remind Joshua that he was not alone. It was time to cross the Jordan.

Joshua 2 introduces us to someone, who is quite honestly, unexpected as someone God would use. Her name is Rahab. She is mentioned alongside towering figures of the faith such as Abraham, Moses, Noah, Gideon, and King David in Hebrews Chapter 11. How is this possible? Why is it so shocking and unexpected? It’s surprising because Rahab is a prostitute. And almost every time her name is mentioned in the Bible she is known as Rahab the prostitute. Not a religious giant as you would expect but a person most people would be ashamed to be associated with. But God saw things differently. God saw a heart of faith and someone who believed in Him wholeheartedly.

In this first chapter of Joshua, God calls Joshua to lead the people into the land, the land he has given them. But it will take strength, courage, and commitment to follow God’s law as well as trust that God is with them always. The Israelites will need this as they conquer the land.

This Advent, we dive into the Gospels, looking at specific aspects of who Christ is and what he came to do. Each week will be a different Gospel book as we journey through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and we wrap up on Christmas Eve in 1 Timothy, and we meditate on and celebrate the gift that is Christ Jesus, who came to save sinners.

This Advent, we dive into the Gospels, looking at specific aspects of who Christ is and what he came to do. Each week will be a different Gospel book as we journey through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and we wrap up on Christmas Eve in 1 Timothy, and we meditate on and celebrate the gift that is Christ Jesus, who came to save sinners.

This Advent, we dive into the Gospels, looking at specific aspects of who Christ is and what he came to do. Each week will be a different Gospel book as we journey through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and we wrap up on Christmas Eve in 1 Timothy, and we meditate on and celebrate the gift that is Christ Jesus, who came to save sinners.