The Nature of True Faith – Joshua 2-5

• Did we land on the moon?

• Is the earth round or flat?

• Are birds real, or has the government replaced real birds with robotic spies?

There are hundreds of popular conspiracy theories floating around the world today. Here are a few more:

• Hollow-Earth Theory holds that under the crust of the earth is another world.

• Some believe that the Denver Airport is the headquarters for the Illuminati.

• Others believe that Paul McCartney actually died in a car accident in 1966, and the man we know as Paul is actually a look-alike the Beatles hired to replace him.

And I’m afraid that, in a world spinning out conspiracies left and right, many people may think of the claims of Christianity as just one among a million conspiracies. They may think that Christian faith is similar to faith in the hollow earth, or the flat earth theory.

Last week, as we began our study of Joshua, we saw that God has promised to be with his people: to never leave or forsake them. This is God’s promise to us.

And today, we are thinking about our response to the promises of God: faith. What does true, Biblical faith look like? Is it belief despite all evidence to the contrary? Is it simply a blind leap? No. It is not. Biblical faith is not a fatal leap into nothing. It’s not conspiratorial.

• Biblical faith is a plea for God’s mercy that is based on evidence.

• Biblical faith constantly remembers and reflects on God’s power in the world.

• And Biblical faith is accompanied by action: we live out our faith through obedience to God’s will.

Our text this morning is Joshua 2-5, and on one level, these chapters show us the logistical and spiritual preparations for the conquest of Canaan: spying out the land, crossing a river, and renewing spiritual fidelity to God’s Covenant.

But these chapters are no mere blow-by-blow disinterested history. Rather, events of Joshua 2-5 present us with a vivid picture of true faith in God. They answer the question, “What is true faith?”.

Rather than read all 4 chapters, I’ll summarize them now and we’ll dip into individual verses later.

Chapter 2 tells the story of a reconnaissance effort on the garrison of Jericho. Two spies are sent into the garrison, find safe lodging with a prostitute named Rahab. Why a prostitute? Because, if you are spying, you need to go to a place where people come and go without learning one another’s name.

To their surprise, Rahab confesses her faith in the God of Israel. Rahab shelters the spies and lies to the leader of the garrison in order to protect them. In return, the spies offer Rahab assurances of future safety.

Chapters 3 & 4 record the procession of the Ark of the Covenant, signifying the Lord’s invasion of Canaan, followed by the children of Israel. As the Ark enters the Jordan, the waters back up to Zarethan, 30 miles north, and the new generation of Israel recapitulates the Red Sea Crossing.

All of this is done to show that God is faithful to Joshua just as he was to Moses. Israel is commanded to build a memorial of 12 stones, one for each of Israel’s tribes, set in the river where they crossed. The memorial would serve as a visible reminder of God’s power for succeeding generations.

Chapter 5 concludes the logistical and spiritual preparations for the conquest of Canaan. Here we see the men of Israel circumcised as a sign of covenant faithfulness.

Joshua 2-5 presents a picture of true faith in God. And we can summarize that picture under three headings:

1. True Faith Seeks God’s Mercy (Joshua 2, Rahab)

2. True Faith Remembers God’s Power (Joshua 3-4, Crossing Jordan/12 Stones)

3. True Faith Lives in God’s Will (Joshua 5, Circumcision)

As we explore the topic of true faith, I pray that you will not assume that your faith in God is true Biblical faith. Rather, I pray that you will honestly question your own faith—not that it might be dismantled, but that it might be strengthened.

And, friend, if you are not a follower of Jesus, I would call you to put your faith in him today. To not simply know God exists, but to seek refuge in his Son, Jesus Christ.

In the story of Rahab, we learn that true faith is based on evidence, but it is more than mere belief, or knowledge.

First, Christian faith is based on evidence. When Rahab engages the Israelite spies in Joshua 2:9, she says:

Her belief in the God of Israel is based on what she has seen and heard. There is evidence. She isn’t taking a blind leap into nothing.

I could show you plenty of other Biblical examples. Thomas, one of the 12 disciples said, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in Jesus’ hands, I won’t believe.” The Apostle Paul, whenever he argues for the resurrection, he always gives evidence. He names the eyewitnesses. Over and over again you and I are encouraged to look into, search, scrutinize, and see the evidence for what we believe.

So, true faith is based on evidence, but know this: true faith is more than knowledge. It’s more than knowing the truth. For, in the story of Rahab, she not only knows the truth about God, she pleads for his mercy.

She confesses her belief that the God of Israel is the one true God—supreme, over all creation, and she says, “If there is any refuge from this God and his judgment, that refuge is in him.”

So, listen to me. Christian faith is not believing in spite of the evidence. Christian faith is based on evidence, BUT…true faith never rests content with being convinced of the reality of God. True faith presses on to take refuge in God.

Friends, so many people say they believe in a good God, yet they don’t feel their own need of his mercy. They think of themselves basically in good standing. Sure, they’ve made a few mistakes, but hopefully, God will make an exception in their case. Maybe he’ll let them off.

But they know at the bottom, that unless God utterly hates and detests all evil, then he cannot truly be good. And this means, that if God is absolute goodness, then he must hate most of what we do.

Friend, this is the fix we are in. If there is no absolute good God behind everything, then we have no real hope of finding goodness in this world. But if God is absolutely, totally, perfect, and good, then we make ourselves enemies to that goodness, well, every day.

Here’s what this means: a good God is the thing we need most, and yet he is the very thing we are hiding from.

Some people think it would be fun to meet the absolutely good face-to-face—but Rahab tells us differently. She meets the true God—the absolute good—and she’s terrified at her own sin. She realizes that the only salvation from the wrath of a good God is the mercy of that same God.

So how can God be good enough to judge all sin, yet show mercy to sinners? The Scriptures teach us that God sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life of righteousness that we ought to have lived, and at his death, he bore the just wrath of God against sin and sinners. And in doing so God perfectly balances his justice and mercy.

Faith is more than knowing God exists. It’s running to him for mercy.

The entire focus in Joshua 3 & 4 is the power and presence of God seen in the Ark of the Covenant.

So, quick background: after God delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery, he gave them the 10 Commandments at Sinai and he had them build the Tabernacle, a portable tent that would serve as the temple, the place where God would meet with his people and pass over their sin.

In the center of the Tabernacle was the inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies which housed the Ark of the Covenant. A gold-covered box shaped in the physical dimensions of an ancient king’s footstool. It symbolized the throne of God coming down from heaven and resting on earth. It’s the symbol of his power and presence with his people.

And when the time comes to cross the Jordan River, God tells Joshua, I’m going first. The Ark is carried down into the river and when the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touch the water, the waters back up for 30 miles. That’s the distance between Uptown Charlotte and York S.C. And Joshua tells us in 3:15 that his was the time of year when rains caused the Jordan to overflow its banks, which means the river in places would be nearly 100 feet across.

So, the Jordan crossing isn’t a single file line. No. 2.5 million people en masse marched across a dry river bed, and there was no doubt that God was the one who accomplished this.

As soon as the crossing is complete God commands the people build a memorial of 12 stones, one for each tribe of Israel. Why? Joshua 4:21

What’s he saying? He’s saying that the way of true faith is remembrance. This means the greatest enemy of faith is forgetfulness. So, the Lord says, “You must remember what I’ve done.”

Psalm 103 is one of my favorite Psalms. Verse 2 tells us:

Amd the rest of the Psalm is a recounting of all God has done for his people. We are commanded to remember the Lord.

One of the saddest verses in the Bible, Jeremiah 2:32 says:

What is this teaching us? The essence of sin is forgetting; forgetting God. It’s neglecting the Lord.

In the case of the Jordan crossing, the Lord commands them to build a memorial. His insistence that they remember this particular day implies that this event was unique. Yahweh does not always work in visibly raw power. His standard method of holding our attention is not by frequent dazzling displays of power.

How has the Lord commanded us to remember him? First, he commands us to meet weekly on the Lord’s Day. Every 7 days we are called to prepare our hearts, assemble together in his presence, and conduct worship that accords with his commands. That’s what we are doing here each week. God has given you a memorial every 7 days.

Friends, sometimes you get to see the miraculous. I know some of you were convinced of God’s kindness as you watched him save your spouse’s life in a hospital room. And praise God for those moments of his clear powerful working.

But also know that the normal way that God grows your faith is slowly, over time. Give him 25 years of ordinary Sundays, and your faith will mature.

Along with Sunday worship, we remember the Lord as we come to his table for the Supper. I want to be clear: there is nothing in the bread and the wine that we use that imparts faith. The bread is just bread. We have several folks who rotate making it. I don’t have their recipe, but faith isn’t in the ingredients list. But, when taken with faith, the Supper grows faith.

And even our children ask, “What is the Supper? What does it mean? What does the bread and wine mean?”

Say to your children: we have put our faith in Christ and when we see the break broken for us, so surely was Christ’s body broken for us. And just as physical bread and wine nourish our body, the crucified body and shed blood of Christ nourish our soul. That’s what the supper means.

So, true faith seeks God’s mercy. True faith remembers the Lord. Finally…

Joshua 5 sets the stage for the conquest of Canaan. Before the people can march around Jericho, before they can take the land, one last preparation remains: this new generation of Israelites have to be circumcised.

If you’re new to the Bible, circumcision was the physical sign and symbol of God’s covenant with Abraham. (Genesis 17) But here is an entire generation of Israelite men who have not received the sign of the covenant. What’s going on?

For the previous 40 years, Israel had wandered in the desert. It was a time of unbelief and rebellion. They had stopped believing in God, and therefore, they were not walking in the will of God. And because of that rebellion, they hadn’t received the sign of the covenant, nor the land of the covenant.

Now, consider what’s happening. All of the men of war, who are about to march against fortified cities, are all commanded to perform a medical procedure that will wound and weaken them. It’s counter-intuitive. It doesn’t make sense from a human perspective.

Your army should make military preparations. They are making spiritual preparations. You’d want your warriors healthy. But God wanted them to be holy. For the people of God, there is no replacement for holiness. They will not gain the land through their own strength. It will do them no good to have spears sharpened and hearts dull. It will be pointless to have armor without obedience.

You see the previous generation, had all the external signs, but no heart for God. In Numbers 14:22, God speaks of that rebellious generation who died in the desert. He says, “They had been circumcised, but they didn’t listen to my voice.”

This reminds us that you can have all the external marks of God’s people: baptism, the Supper, and weekly church attendance, but lack true faith. The Apostle Paul is right – you can experience the exodus, eat the manna, drink the water from the rock, and remain in disobedient unbelief.

But this second generation believed God. They cross the Jordan. In other words, they had a heart for God—and now God says, a true believing heart—a heart of true faith will also walk in my will. For the people of God true faith means living in God’s will.

Christian, those of you who love the Lord Jesus and trust in him: what obedience have you neglected?

• Have you withheld forgiveness to someone who is truly repentant?

• Are you harboring bitterness to your spouse?

• Is there a church member you have distanced yourself from in selfishness?

• Children, are you obeying your parents in the Lord?

• Husbands, are you loving your wives?

• Wives, are you honoring your husbands?

J.C. Ryle said that there are many real children of God, who appear to know far more than they live up to, and see far more than they practice and yet continue in this state for many years. They believe in heaven yet seem faintly to long for it and in hell and yet seem little to fear it. They love the Lord Jesus but the work they do for him is small. They hate the devil, they say, but they oft tempt him to come near them. They know that time is short, but they live as if it were long.

Friend, true faith seeks God’s mercy. True faith remembers God’s power. And true faith lives in God’s will. That is the comprehensive view of true faith.

So, have you put your faith in God? Have you cried out for his mercy, knowing you are a sinner? Are you daily remembering his power? Are you living in his will?