There are a couple of things remaining in Joshua Chapter 6 to look at. Verse 24:
Joshua 6:24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with Fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
Before the Children of Israel could cross over the Jordan River and into the promised land, the Lord told them to sanctify themselves and make their preparations. Then they set up a memorial of stones to remember what the Lord had done and where He had brought them from. Then God gave them specific instructions on how to gain their victory at Jericho. The children of Israel would have to be obedient to see the walls fall. After the walls fell, they killed and destroyed everything in the city. Verse 24 says they even burned everything with fire. We see all throughout the Old Testament the mention of the gods of the Canaanites that the Children of Israel were punished for worshipping from time to time. When they took Jericho, it was important the land be purified from the unclean acts that were performed to the worship of the gods of the land.
In the bible, fire is a symbol of purification. There are many scripture references to being "refined by fire."
Jeremiah 9:7 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will refine them and try them; For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?
Refine in Jeremiah is to melt or to purge. The Lord is going to purge His people of impurities.
Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.' "
In Zechariah, God says He will refine as silver is refined and test as gold is tested. Both are tested and tried in fire to determine if they are true or counterfeit with impurities.
Joshua 6:24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with Fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
Before the Children of Israel could cross over the Jordan River and into the promised land, the Lord told them to sanctify themselves and make their preparations. Then they set up a memorial of stones to remember what the Lord had done and where He had brought them from. Then God gave them specific instructions on how to gain their victory at Jericho. The children of Israel would have to be obedient to see the walls fall. After the walls fell, they killed and destroyed everything in the city. Verse 24 says they even burned everything with fire. We see all throughout the Old Testament the mention of the gods of the Canaanites that the Children of Israel were punished for worshipping from time to time. When they took Jericho, it was important the land be purified from the unclean acts that were performed to the worship of the gods of the land.
In the bible, fire is a symbol of purification. There are many scripture references to being "refined by fire."
Jeremiah 9:7 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will refine them and try them; For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?
Refine in Jeremiah is to melt or to purge. The Lord is going to purge His people of impurities.
Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.' "
In Zechariah, God says He will refine as silver is refined and test as gold is tested. Both are tested and tried in fire to determine if they are true or counterfeit with impurities.
1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, (7) that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Peter says above that we greatly rejoice if we have been grieved by trials. Our faith, in its genuineness without hypocrisy, is more precious than gold, which will perish even though it is put through the fire. We won't perish.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
While the Israelites had to purify the land with actual fire, we have the various trials of life we face each day. Our faith is tested through these trials to produce patience. Patience will work us to completion causing us to lack nothing. All through the trails God uses to purify what is in our hearts. Remember, Jesus did not come to abolish the law. He came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17). By doing so, everything became a condition of the heart. The trials of our lives are designed to prove what is in our hearts (Deteronomy 8:2). Are we faithful to God and to His word through the trials we face? Do we lose heart and allow fear to overrule the faith we have been given? Do we succumb to the thoughts of defeat the enemy places in our minds? Do we blame God for what is going and get angry at the circumstance? OR Do we stand strong and confident in the victory that has been given us as adopted sons and daughters of God Almighty? Do we fight through those trials with the Sword of the Spirit?
So, we see the sanctification and preparation came first for the Children of Israel. They had to be obedient and follow the guidance of the Lord, which resulted in a purification process of the land they conquered. After all these steps were completed, they experienced their first victory in possessing the promise the Lord gave their forefathers.
Don't we get impatient sometimes? Can you imagine wandering in the wilderness for the number of years the Children of Israel did and then finally see the promised land but must go through sanctification, preparation, circumcision, and a time of remembrance before you could begin taking possession of the promise? I would imagine the children of Israel had to have been tired and just ready to do it...but they weren't ready. They were there. They could see it. But they weren't ready for possession. If they had tried to advance before being ready or following the instruction of God, then they would not have been successful. They would have faced the real possibility of defeat because they would not have known how to defeat a city that was so well fortified and seemingly impenetrable.
There are many parallels so far in Joshua to what we have to do in our spiritual lives to be ready for the fulfillment of the promise of God. We cannot be so ready to advance that we don't make our preparations through removing the things in our lives that would prevent us from receiving the promise. Preparing our hearts and being obedient are vital to our success for receiving and possessing the promises of God.
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Don't we get impatient sometimes? Can you imagine wandering in the wilderness for the number of years the Children of Israel did and then finally see the promised land but must go through sanctification, preparation, circumcision, and a time of remembrance before you could begin taking possession of the promise? I would imagine the children of Israel had to have been tired and just ready to do it...but they weren't ready. They were there. They could see it. But they weren't ready for possession. If they had tried to advance before being ready or following the instruction of God, then they would not have been successful. They would have faced the real possibility of defeat because they would not have known how to defeat a city that was so well fortified and seemingly impenetrable.
There are many parallels so far in Joshua to what we have to do in our spiritual lives to be ready for the fulfillment of the promise of God. We cannot be so ready to advance that we don't make our preparations through removing the things in our lives that would prevent us from receiving the promise. Preparing our hearts and being obedient are vital to our success for receiving and possessing the promises of God.
Join our discussion on Facebook.
