RUSSELL SANDERS

10-27-2025

THE LIFE OF JOSHUA – LESSON 10

VICTORY OR DEFEAT?

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After the men healed from being circumcised, Israel left Gilgal to go to Jericho. God had given very specific instructions to Joshua of how to march seven days around this large, fortified city.

Jericho actually had two 30-foot-tall walls spaced 15 feet apart. The first wall was six feet thick and the second twelve feet thick.  If the first six-foot thick wall was breached, the second twelve-foot-thick wall should hold any enemy.

Such walls were no obstacle to God. Both walls fell flat to the ground allowing Israel to rush in and kill every living creature except Rahab’s family.

Archaeologist Dr. John Garstang (1876-1956) found the walls in his excavations lying flat on the ground which verified the accuracy of Joshua 6:20 which said that “the wall fell down flat.” It fell intact, not crumbled or broken up. Only God could do that.

Joshua had approximately four hundred thousand men suited for war. After the conquest of Jericho, he sent spies to evaluate a small town near Jericho named Ai. The spies came back and reported that it would only take a relatively small band of soldiers to take the town.

Joshua sent 3,000 soldiers to conquer Ai. They lost the battle. It only took 36 men of Ai to conquer them! Joshua was so upset that he rent his clothes and spent the day prostrate before the ark of the LORD (Joshua 7:6). How could God perform such a great miracle at Jericho only to let them be humiliated by such a tiny group?

God revealed to Joshua that the defeat was due to sin in the camp. It was then shown that Achan, in his greed, had taken a spoil from Jericho consisting of 200 shekels of silver, 50 shekels of gold, some fine garments and hid them. It had been forbidden by God for the people to take anything from Jericho. Achan was then stoned and all the goods that had been stolen were burned. After this Ai was defeated.

Joshua, in his wisdom, raised up a large heap of stones over Achan’s ashes to appease God’s wrath (like unto an altar) as a reminder to never sin against God’s instructions.

We know that unconfessed sin in our individual lives can open the door to adverse happenings to us. What we do not usually think about is that sin in the church or our house can cause these adverse things to happen to the whole church or family including the innocent people. It opens the door to the devourer. Sin must be dealt with, not tolerated.

HELEN SANDERS

10-28-2025

BE PREPARED

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In Matthew 24 there is a discourse between Jesus and his disciples. They wanted to know about the end times. The very first thing that Jesus said, was in verse 4 where Jesus said, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Take heed that no man deceive you.’”

We learn that in the end times there will be great deception; but we are warned not to be deceived by this. The only way to know the counterfeit is to know the real. Yes, I believe in prophetic words because I walk in that gift, yet not all prophecies are from the Spirit of God. Many are from the flesh of man. We see this throughout the scriptures.

In Matthew 24:36 Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Why would the Father know and not the angels? In Jewish tradition, when there was a wedding, the bride would prepare herself and wait for the bridegroom to come. The bridegroom could not go until his father said “Go.” The same is true for Jesus. When it comes time to receive His bride, He cannot go until the Father says “Go.” The Father is the only one that knows when that will be, then Jesus will come. You cannot set dates for Jesus’ return.

But there will be signs pointing to that time. In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus tells us a sign. He said, “But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were BEFORE THE FLOOD they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, UNTIL THE DAY that Noe [Noah] entered into the ark, 39 And KNEW NOT until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

We can know for certain that the Lord’s return is soon, because not only is the sin abounding upon earth, but the life of man is like it was in Noah’s days. Mankind is doing their “thing” without a clue that things are about to change. Life for those not listening is going on as usual.

Even in the church, many are not heeding the warnings that true prophets are giving out. They make light of the warnings, just like Lot’s two sons-in-laws did when they were warned about the destruction coming to Sodom and Gomorrah; they mocked Lot and perished when destruction came. It was too late.

We are told by Jesus in Matthew 24:42 to “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Be ready. Be a watchman. Be prepared. Live your life like he could come back today but work like it may be a thousand years. Whatever the case, He is coming so we must be ready!