This morning, we are moving further into the Book of Joshua. But, before getting into the Scripture, I am going to take things a bit out of order. Usually, we examine the biblical text first and then draw from it certain Godly principals to live by. But, today, I am going to give you the overall point of the sermon up front. It is this: TRUST IN GOD and OBEY HIS WORD. That’s what I hope you will take with you when you leave here today. Now, the rest of this sermon is to convince you why you can confidently trust God and why you should obey His commandments as set forth in the Bible. So, with this in mind, let’s catch up with Joshua and the Israelites as they prepare to wade through the Jordan River and move into the Promised Land. For here, we will see two miracles that display God’s power and His faithfulness, as well as His seriousness in insisting that we follow His commands to the letter.
The first miracle involved the Israelites as they were preparing to cross the Jordan. It was then that the LORD told Joshua to command the priests, who transported the Ark of the Covenant, to proceed as follows: “When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.” Joshua 3:8 (NLT2) Upon hearing this, the priests may have been a little concerned over handling the river crossing in this way. After all, it was springtime, and the Jordan River was at flood stage from the rains and melting snows rushing down from Mt. Hermon. It may have seemed to them that a quick march across the rapidly moving water made more sense. After all, they were carrying the Holy Ark of the Covenant—a symbol of God’s presence among the people. The longer they were in the river, the greater was the danger that the Ark could fall into the raging water. From the priests’ perspective, getting the Ark across the river without delay made the most sense. But, the priests understood something. They knew that God always has a reason for working out His plans in the way that He does. The LORD had rescued them in the wilderness time and time again—often in unexpected ways. So, they knew He is faithful and always has His people’s welfare at heart. He had given them the Ten Commandments, and it was absolutely clear to them that they were not the “Ten Suggestions.” When God says something, He means it. He is absolutely serious about His commands and expects them to be followed without question or compromise. And, with this in mind, the priests were prepared to step into the river’s edge and stand there with the Ark if it took all day.
As it turned out, Joshua explained that as soon as their feet touched the water, God promised that the flow of water in the Jordan would be cut off just upstream from them. As a result, the water would stop and “stand up like a wall”—as if a huge set of invisible hands was holding back the water.[1] Joshua 3:13 (NLT2) Apprehensive or not, the priests trusted in God and did exactly as instructed. Sure enough, the water stopped flowing as God had promised and the riverbed became dry right in front of the Israelite encampment, allowing them to pass over safely. And, the priests remained in the riverbed until everyone had made it to the other side.[2] You see, the priests didn’t know how God was going to make the water stop flowing. They didn’t understand the hydrodynamics involved in such a miracle. All they knew was that God had issued specific instructions as to what they were to do. So, they trusted that God would faithfully do exactly what He said. The LORD, of course, didn’t let them down.
Now, the second miracle is very familiar to you. It involves the walls of Jericho when they came tumbling down and the Israelites conquered the city. If you read Joshua chapter 4, you will find that once they were on the other side of the river, the Israelites were primed for battle against Jericho. We are told that they were poised with 40,000 armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These men were eager for Joshua to give the command to rush the gates of Jericho. But, God had a very different plan of conquest.[3] As with the priests when they crossed the Jordan, the LORD’s instructions were very precise. God told Joshua: 3 “You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” Joshua 4:3-5 (NLT2)
What?!—no swords slashing or bows with flaming arrows to attack this Canaanite stronghold? This attack plan that the LORD laid out made no more sense to the Israelite warriors than God’s orders to the priests about how to cross the Jordan River. But, there is no indication that anyone questioned God’s directions. Rather, Joshua and the Israelites did exactly as instructed. They marched around Jericho for six days as commanded. And, on the seventh day, they marched with confidence as the priests blew the horns and the people shouted with all their might. Again, just as God had promised, those walls of Jericho crumbled into dust and the city was taken.
There is a lesson that we can learn from both miracles. Although God’s plans and His commands may not fully make sense to us, they are always the best plans we could ever follow. And, for those who will TRUST in God’s commands and OBEY them, they will find that things eventually work out for their good. That is why it is so important that we know what the Bible has to say about God’s commands, and that we have the faith to follow God’s ways even when the world insists on doing things differently.
In today’s society, we are being told that God’s ways are simply outdated and no longer apply. What makes it even more difficult for us is that many notable people, who claim to be Christians, have decided to ignore God’s Word and take up the ways of the world. For example, the popular singer, Carrie Underwood, who performed recently at President Trump’s inauguration and has often spoken publicly of her Christian faith, is a case in point. As far back as 2012, Underwood has spoken out in favor of gay marriage. In an interview, she was quoted as saying: “As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry. I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love.”[4]
It is uncanny how closely her remarks match those of a pastor of a major Baptist church here in Virginia with whom I had a conversation several years ago. I was challenging the theme of one of his sermons that apparently endorsed homosexual relationships. I remember him saying, “Why deprive them [referring to homosexuals] of love?” or words to that effect.
In a nutshell, Underwood and the errant pastor are claiming that gays have a right to feel good in their homosexual relationships just as much as straight people feel good in their heterosexual relationships. For them, it all comes down to “feelings” and what God’s Word has to say is completely irrelevant. The best response I’ve heard comes from Jackie Perry Hill. She is a former lesbian who repented and is now a “born again” Christian. She explains that it’s not about what we feel; it’s about what God’s Word says. She states: “God is real and His word is actual. It is to be believed. And, when believed, things change. . . The thing about feelings is God made them. God made us with the capacity to feel. And the main reason He did it was so that we could glorify Him with our feelings. But the thing about sin is that sin destroyed that. . . And so, I can’t trust my feelings because my feelings have no authority. The Word of God is the ultimate authority in everything. And so, if I put my feelings above Scripture, I am going to be led to death every time. I chose God because I love God.”[5]
Another standard attitude you’ll frequently hear from proponents of a gay lifestyle (and even more often to justify immoral heterosexual sin) is expressed something like this: “The Bible just doesn’t make sense to me. If what they’re doing is between consenting adults and it doesn’t hurt anyone, then they should be free to do as they please.” For them, it’s all about whether it “hurts” someone. But, the problem with this mindset is that it is plainly false. A gay lifestyle does hurt someone. In fact, it hurts everyone who engages in such activity. God’s Word is clear that homosexuality is a sin. The New Testament puts it this way: 9 “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin. . . [including the] practice [of] homosexuality . . . 10 —none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT2) The Old Testament is even more direct in saying: “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.” Leviticus 18:22 (NLT2) Thus, it is simply false to say that a gay relationship doesn’t “hurt” anyone. A gay lifestyle hurts people because sin hurts people. It separates them from God and consigns them to a place where there is continuous “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [6] In other words, it is that place of eternal misery and regret called Hell.
You see, it isn’t sufficient to simply shake your head and claim that you don’t have to follow God’s commands if they don’t make sense to you. Those who take such a position will one day stand face to face with God. And, when that day comes, that defense will fail miserably. Christ might well respond, “But, didn’t you read My Word? Didn’t you understand that when I say something, I mean it? My commands were very clear in saying: ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.’” Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
Now, don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. It isn’t my intent to single out homosexuals as sinners. I expect there are many more heterosexual sinners than those who are pursuing a gay lifestyle. Gays are not the only ones who have abandoned God’s Word. This happens whenever anyone chooses to disobey, or outright ignore, what the Bible has to say on any variety of subjects. And, despite the tendency of modern-day people to think otherwise, there is not much, if anything, the Bible doesn’t address either directly or indirectly.
For example, it hasn’t been too long ago that I read a letter to the editor in a local newspaper written by a gentleman with whom I am familiar. He was expressing his support for abortion on demand. What I found shocking was the rather callous and insensitive way he described an unborn baby resting in the womb. He contended that they were no more than a gristle of meat that could be discarded at the whim of the mother. Now, what does the Bible have to say about this man’s unseemly stance on the insignificance of innocent, unborn children?
Well, you won’t find a statement in God’s Word that specifically says, “Thou shalt not have an abortion.” But, there is much in the Bible that makes it clear that abortions are against God’s will. We can see this in those passages that confer the status of a living human being upon unborn fetuses. In Psalm 139, we find the following: 13 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT2) When reviewing these verses, it doesn’t take a doctor or prenatal care practitioner to see that an unborn baby is an existing human being whose life is precious. In fact, the phrase “before I was born” points to the existence of a human being during a person’s embryonic development. The Bible reveals to us that God is aware of our existence and deeply cares for us at the very early stages of our growth while still inside the womb. Thus, we can see here a biblical view of the sanctity of life beginning at conception. Add to this understanding what we find in passages like Jeremiah 1:5—“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (NLT2) This tells us that we have a human personality even while we are unborn babies in the womb.[7] So, if anyone tries to tell you that an unborn child is no more than a gristle of meat, you can assure them that the Bible clearly indicates otherwise.
There is another passage that is rarely pointed out when discussing the issue of abortion. It is God’s commandment found in the Book of Leviticus. Interestingly, this commandment is listed in between the one prohibiting adultery (a heterosexual sin) and the one condemning gay relationships (a homosexual sin). In Leviticus 18:21, God commands: “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech.” (NLT2) Molech was a false god of the ancient Canaanites. It had the head of a bull with horns projecting in satanic fashion. The Bible tells us that the worship of Molech took place in the Hinnom Valley—the name of which is translated as “pit of flame.”[8] It is no accident that the Hinnom Valley (also known as “Gehenna” in the New Testament) is often a metaphor for the flames of Hell.[9] The climax of this worship ritual, honoring this disgusting pagan god, involved taking a little innocent baby and having it burned alive at the feet of the Molech idol.[10] The cries of those infants echo today in abortion clinics across this country as unborn babies are sacrificed on the altar of women’s reproductive rights.
So, what does all of this have to do with the priests who crossed over the Jordan, or the Israelites who marched around the City of Jericho? The short answer is: It has EVERYTHING to do with them. God is not dead, and neither is His Word. The comfort, hope, guidance, promises and commands of God’s Holy Word apply to us in the 21st century just as much as in any previous time in world history. What a travesty to think that you don’t have to follow God’s commands if they don’t make sense to you, or go against your desires. When the priests heard that God commanded them to step into the raging waters of the Jordan, they didn’t call a meeting to decide if God’s instructions made sense. And, when Joshua explained that the LORD would dam up the river through a great miracle that would allow the people to walk over a dry riverbed, the priests didn’t hesitate in carrying out God’s will. They didn’t ponder whether they could rely upon God’s promise. They didn’t shrink back and question whether God really meant what He said.
The same holds true for all those Israelites who marched around the walls of Jericho for a one-week span. I imagine that the citizens of Jericho stood on the heights of the walls watching. Perhaps, they even taunted God’s people as they marched along, heckling: “Is that the best ya got? You’re gonna have to do better than that to get in this place!” Today, Christians who remain steadfast in following God’s commands—whether they involve issues of human sexuality, abortion or a host of other social and spiritual matters—they too hear the taunts of secular detractors. But, here’s the thing: Those Canaanites standing on the walls of Jericho who decried God’s people paid a terrible price when the walls came tumbling down. A similar fate awaits those today who continue to ignore what the Bible has to say. And yet, some continue to say that the Bible is not binding on them because it was written by a “bunch of old men” centuries ago with no relevance today. They couldn’t be more wrong. The Bible is called “God’s Word” because it is written by the Holy Spirit. The men who were writers were simply the instruments God used. Perhaps, there is no better place to see this than in Paul’s letter to Timothy when he wrote: 16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT2) Although put in writing by the pens of men, the Bible is inspired by God. [11] The phrase “inspired by God,” comes from a Greek word meaning, “God-breathed.” Pastor and Bible scholar, Dr. Dan Hayden, explained this so well when he wrote: “The Bible is God’s Word—God spoke, and the Bible is what He said.” Then, he gave this illustration: “Have you ever breathed on a pane of glass in the winter and seen your breath take form as the glass fogged up? Well, that’s what happened with the Bible. God breathed out words—and those words took form on the pages of the Bible.”[12] This is wonderfully Good News, because as Christian writer and pastor, John Piper states: “We have access to knowledge that is unshakably true, and infinitely valuable.” [13] And, Christian writer, Meg Bucher, adds: “If we base our lives on news reports or what other influencers say, we can be swayed from the solid foundation of our faith and distracted by half-truths and opinions. Scripture is our firm foundation.”[14]
Now, when you tell people these things, some will claim that there are just too many things in the Bible they don’t understand. And, they’ll dig their heals in and claim that if they don’t understand all of it, then they refuse to be bound by any of it. What a foolish position to take because it is so inconsistent with the way they approach everything else in life. There are thousands of things that they willingly rely upon every day, but don’t fully understand. In fact, their understanding is at a surface level at best. For instance, do they fully understand the intricacies of how the internet works? Do they know everything about the workings of the internal combustion engine that powers the vehicle that carries them wherever they want to go? What about those new diet medications people are taking? Do they fully understand their molecular components? Do they have a detailed comprehension as to how they interact biologically with their bodies before they ingest these medications each day? These, and thousands of other examples, are things they do not fully comprehend. Yet, they don’t hesitate to rely upon them every day. It seems rather inconsistent for people to constantly rely on things that they don’t completely grasp, but reject God’s Word on the same basis.
Even Billy Graham admitted: “I don’t understand everything in the Bible. You can ask me questions in the Bible that I cannot answer.” But, he went on to explain why he relies upon the Bible and is bound by all it has to say: “God inspired the Bible. It’s a Living Book. It speaks to you as you read it. There’s a supernatural power in reading that Book. It’s not like a history book. It’s not a book of science. It’s a book about faith. It’s a book about God. I accept it by faith as the Word of God. And, it’s changed my life. And, it feeds my soul.” [15] He didn’t understand it all, but he trusted it all. And, so can you. God’s faithfulness to us proves that all He says and all He commands is worthy of our trust. This is the lesson we get from those priests standing faithfully in the Jordan River. This is what we learn from those who brought about the destruction of the walls of Jericho. So, stand firm on God’s Word. It really comes down to this: TRUST and OBEY—because there is no other way! Let’s go to God in prayer—and then, that’s exactly the hymn we’re going to sing!
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
March 16, 2025
©2025 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Joshua 3:13 “As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river would stand still stand up like a wall.” (NLT2)
[2] Joshua 4:11 “And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the LORD as the people watched.” (NLT2)
[3] Joshua 4:12-13 12 “The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed. 13 These armed men—about 40,000 strong—were ready for battle, and the LORD was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jericho.” (NLT2)
[4] Stoyan Zaimov, “Carrie Underwood 'Creating Confusion' for Christian Millennials With Gay Marriage Support: AFA,” https://www.christianpost.com/news/carrie-underwood-creating-confusion-for-christian-millennials-with-gay-marriage-support-afa.html, ChristianPost.com (January 10, 2017).
[5] Jackie Hill Perry, “Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been,” U-Tube Channel, https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=929&q=U-Tube+“Gay+Girl%2C+Good+God%3A+The+Story+of+Who+I+Was+and+Who+God+Has+Always+Been+9-3-2018+by+Jackie+Hill+Perry+Channel&cvid=f4d6a84d2d5b450b85d8345c4ef641ea&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOdIBCDEzMjdqMGoxqAIAsAIA&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=DCTS, (September 3, 2018).
[6] Matthew 8:12 “But, the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (NASB)
[7] “Psalm 139:16,” BibleHub.com, https://biblehub.com/study/psalms/139-16.htm (accessed March 13, 2025).
[8] Jack Ashcraft, “Who was Moloch (Molech) in the Bible? Story and Meaning,” Christianity.com, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/angels-and-demons/who-was-moloch-in-the-bible.html (October 6, 2023).
[9] “The Valley of Hinnom,” BibleHub.com, https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_valley_of_hinnom.htm, (accessed March 13, 2025).
[10] Jack Ashcraft, “Who was Moloch (Molech) in the Bible? Story and Meaning,” Christianity.com, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/angels-and-demons/who-was-moloch-in-the-bible.html (October 6, 2023).
[11] Meg Bucher, “How Is ‘All of Scripture God-Breathed’?” BibleStudyTool.com, https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-is-all-of-scripture-god-breathed.html, (September 06, 2024).
[12] Dr. Dan Hayden, “God-Breathed – 2 Timothy 3:16,” A Word from the Word, https://www.awordfromtheword.org/god-breathed-2-timothy-3-16 (accessed March 14, 2025).
[13] Meg Bucher, “How Is ‘All of Scripture God-Breathed’?” BibleStudyTool.com, https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-is-all-of-scripture-god-breathed.html, (September 06, 2024).
[14] Ibid.
[15] Billy Graham: A Living Book, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, https://billygraham.org/minutes/billy-graham-a-living-book (accessed March 12, 2025).
