Joshua 5
Amorites & Canaanites hearts meltedverse 1
And it came to pass – when all the kings of the Amorites
which were on the side of Jordan westward
And all the kings of the Canaanites – which were by the sea
HEARD that the LORD had DRIED UP the
waters of the Jordan from before
the children of Israel
Until we were had passed over – that their HEART MELTED
neither was there spirit in them any more
BECAUSE of the children of Israel
Joshua told to circumcise children of Israelverse 2
At that time the LORD
said to Joshua
Make you sharp knives
and circumcise again the children of Israel
the second time
Joshua circumcised male children of Israelverse 3
And Joshua made him sharp knives
and circumcised the children of Israel
at the hill of the foreskins
No male children had been circumcised during exodusverses 4-8
And this is the cause WHY Joshua did circumcise
All the people that came out of Egypt
that were males even all the men of war
died in the wilderness by the way
after they came out of Egypt
Now all the people that came out were circumcised
BUT all the people that were BORN in the wilderness
by the way as they came forth out of Egypt
them they had NOT circumcised
FOR the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness
till all the people that were men of war
which came out of Egypt were CONSUMED
BECAUSE they OBEYED NOT the voice of the LORD
to whom the LORD swore that HE would not show
them the land – which the LORD swore to their
fathers that HE would give us
a land that flows with milk and honey
And their children – whom HE raised up in their stead
them Joshua circumcised – for they were uncircumcised
BECAUSE they had not circumcised them by the way
And it came to pass – when they had done circumcising all the people
that they abode in their places in the camp – till they were whole
LORD rolled away reproach of Egypt at Gilgalverses 9
And the LORD
said to Joshua
This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt
from off you
Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day
Iraelites celebrated Passover in Promised Landverses 10-11
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal
and kept the PASSOVER on the
fourteenth day of the month
at even in the plains of Jericho
And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow
after the Passover – unleavened cakes
and parched corn in the selfsame day
Manna ceasedverse 12
And the MANNA ceased on the morrow
after they had eaten of the old corn of the land
Neither had the children of Israel MANNA any more
BUT they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan
that year
Joshua meets the captain of LORD’S ARMYverses 13-15
And it came to pass – when Joshua was by Jericho
that he lifted up his eyes – and looked – and BEHOLD
there stood a MAN over against him
with HIS sword drawn in HIS hand
And Joshua went to HIM – and said to HIM
Are YOU for us or for our adversaries?
And HE said – Nay
BUT as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth – and did WORSHIP
and said to HIM
What say my Lord to HIS servant?
And the captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua
Loose your shoe from off your foot
for the place whereon you stand is HOLY
And Joshua did so
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them anymore, because of the children of Israel. (7307 “spirit” [ruwach] means wind, breeze, breath, sense, mind, intellectual frame of mind, a strong will to accomplish something regardless of odds, however great, breath, or intellectual frame of mind)
DEVOTION: Once Jericho was defeated the rest of the rulers of the Promised Land lost heart. They no longer thought they could win against the Israelites. They would come out to fight against them but in their hearts they understood that they were going to lose the battle. It had to be hard for them to even leave their cities to fight against Israel.
This verse even says that they were paralyzed with fear of them. So they had no heart to fight but they were afraid to fight because they knew they would lose. It had to be a part of the nations that were in the land that was promised to Israel.
We are promised victory through Jesus. If we give our heart to the LORD when we face an enemy we will have the confidence that we will have a victory. HE promises never to leave us or forsake us.
Now remember these are battles that HE has commanded us to fight through either the Word of God or through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. HE will never lead us to defeat. HE will always lead us to victory.
Sometimes we think we are fighting a battle for the LORD when in reality we are picking the battle without the guidance of the Word of God or the Holy Spirit. Those battles we will lose because victory is not promised.
How do we know the difference? It can only be understood by Holy Spirit leading us into a battle.
CHALLENGE: This sometimes takes a time of prayer and fasting to make sure we are fighting the right battles. Pick your battles through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: to whom the LORD swore that HE would not show them the land, which the LORD swore to their fathers that HE would give us, a land that flows with milk and honey. ( 8552 “consumed” [tamam] means to finish, to be completed, to come to an end, be used up, be spent, be unimpaired, or to die)
DEVOTION: It has been preached throughout the Word of God. It is necessary for all those who want to have victory to learn this teaching. The teaching is basic but many don’t seem to understand it any time in their life.
What is necessary to have victory? Obedience!! It is always obedience that leads to victory in our life. Disobedience leads to failure and death. There is no middle ground.
The children of Israel left Egypt under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We are told that Jesus was the Rock in the wilderness. The Father spoke to the people and they were afraid and said that they would listen to Moses.
However, they didn’t listen to Moses. So we find a entire generation dying in the wilderness because of disobedience. The LORD wanted them to enter the Promised Land but they elected to doubt HIS ability to provide them a victory.
So the LORD said that they would die in the wilderness and their children who they were afraid would all die were the ones who gained the victory because they trusted in the LORD.
Jesus talked about little children leading others. We are to have childlike faith when we serve the LORD. We should be willing to step out of the boat into the water and walk toward the LORD. The problem is we take our eyes off Jesus too often.
CHALLENGE: If HE leads us in a direction we need to keep our eyes on HIM and walk in that direction in our life. Where is HE leading you today?
: 8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their place in the camp, till they were whole. (2421 “whole” [chayah] means to get over an illness or procedure, to revive, recover, return to life, get well, to flourish, to be prosperous, or be quickened)
DEVOTION: A sign that someone was following the LORD in the Old Testament was the act of circumcising every male child. It was done usually soon after birth but in this case they had waited forty years before they circumcised the men who were born in the wilderness.
So after they had crossed the Jordan River this took place in the Promised Land. This meant that all the men were weak from being circumcised. They were not an army of fighting men but the LORD protected them for the days it took to heal from this act of showing dedication to the LORD.
We in this country usually circumcise all male children. This is not done as an act of worship to the LORD but for health reasons. So we don’t understand the significance of this act as well as the children of Israel.
At this point the LORD was protecting them from their enemies while they were recovering. HE was their guide and their strength at all times and they needed to realize this fact.
We need to realize this fact as well. Even when we are weak HE is strong. HE will protect HIS people from danger. HE will defeat any enemy that comes near us if we are willing to follow all HIS instructions found in the Bible.
CHALLENGE: Are we ready to face our enemies each day? Have we circumcised our hearts regarding our relationship with HIM? We need to give our lives to HIM completely. That means total dependence on HIM!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten the old corn of the land: neither had the children of Israel manna anymore; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (4478 “manna” [mawn] means What is it? food given by LORD, a kind of bread, basic food of Israel in wilderness, or a whatness)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel needed food in the wilderness. They needed water. Both were provided by the LORD for forty years.
Once the children of Israel had crossed the Jordan River they were in the Promised Land. They no longer needed the provision of manna. They sometimes even complained to God about HIS provision of food. Now it was time for them to stop eating it and start eating the fruit of the land of Canaan which was going to become them land.
Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. In the prayer that the disciples were to pray they were to ask for a provision of “daily bread.” It is like the manna in the wilderness. The children of Israel could collect it for six day with a double amount on Friday because none was coming on the Sabbath. So the daily bread we are to pray for comes from the LORD. In praying the disciple’s prayer, we admit that we are depend on the LORD each day for our needs. HE never promises to give us all we want. Some false teachers say that God will give us everything we want if we only ask HIM. That is a lie.
We one day will eat from the trees of heaven that product fruit. The tree of Life will product twelve manner of fruits each month. For those of us who love fruit it will be great to be able to eat this fruit for eternity.
Now the children of Israel were in transition. They were no longer going to need the LORD’S provision of manna as they will have the crops of the Promised Land to feed them. The LORD will provide the rain for all their crops to grow but the land will truly be a land of milk and honey.
One day we will be citizens of heaven. As citizens we will have access to the fruit trees of heaven. This is a great promise for the future of all those who are followers of Jesus Christ.
The days of working for a living will be over and we will have the privilege of inheriting a land that is even better than the Promised Land as we will be in the presence of the LORD every day throughout eternity. We will have the end of our wilderness wandering.
CHALLENGE: Are you prepared to enjoy the provision of the LORD not only here but in heaven? We are to enjoy what the LORD gives us now with the anticipation of HIS future provision.
: 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said to him, What, says my lord to his servant? (7812 “worship” [shachah] means to prostrate, bow down, fall down, do obeisance, do reverence, or make to stoop)
DEVOTION: Joshua has been recognized as the leader of the children of Israel. The people of the land had their hearts melt because they saw the power of God when HE had the waters of the Jordan River divide to let the children of Israel pass over on dry ground.
Joshua was commanded of the LORD to have all the males who were born in the wilderness circumcised. Remember that circumcision was a sign of a proper relationship with the LORD. The children of Israel were disobedient when they didn’t circumcise their children in the wilderness. This had to be done. There was a reproach on the children of Israel because of this in the eyes of the LORD.
Next they celebrated the Passover for the first time in the Promised Land. Once they had celebrated the manna stopped because now, they could eat the fruit of the land.
With Joshua’s obedience he received a visit from the LORD. This visitor came in the form of a man. This visitor was the captain of the army of the host of the LORD. When he made this announcement, Joshua fell down and showed HIM reverence.
If this had been an angel, HE would have refused the reverence. Remember that only God receives reverence. HE is the only one we are to bow down before. The angels always refused to receive reverence. When individuals tried to do obeisance to angels, they told them that only God is to be bowed down too.
This was an important time in the life of Israel. This was an important time in the life of Joshua. Joshua needed a fresh visit from the LORD. This was a Theophany or a visible appearing of deity in the Old Testament. The only person of the Godhead to come in human form was Jesus Christ. So here we have Jesus Christ in HIS pre-incarnate state visiting with Joshua. HE had visited with Adam in the garden. HE had visited with Abraham before HE destroyed the four cities in the valley. God the Son was visiting with man before HE came as a baby in Bethlehem.
When he approached the Christ, he asked who he was. Was he a friend or a foe? He answered NO! That was a weird answer. HE was more than a friend and HE was not a foe.
Joshua asked him what he should do. The captain of the LORD’S host told him to take off his shoes. Does this remind us of another occasion when someone was told to take off their shoes because they were on holy ground? Remember when Moses walked up to the burning bush?
We need a special visit from the LORD on special occasions in our lives. How do we receive these special times with the LORD? The Bible says by prayer and fasting today. Does that mean that the LORD will appear in human form before us? NO!! It means that we will have better communication with HIM and the Holy Spirit will guide us regarding what we should do for HIM. If we want a special visit from the LORD, we have to spend time in HIS presence.
CHALLENGE: God continues today to call men and women to fight for HIM. We need to be available for this service. HE knows our hearts. IF we are willing, HE will use us for HIS glory.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Joshua prayed to Captain (Jesus Christ)verse 14
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Passover celebratedverse 10
Plains of Jericho
Eat old corn
Unleavened cakes
Parched corn
Joshua worshiped Jesus Christverse 14
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 15
LORD promised a land flowing with milk and honeyverse 6
Voice of the LORDverse 6
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Man with sword drawn in his handverse 13
Captain of the host of the LORD verse 14
Received worshipverse 14
Captain of the LORD’S hostverse 15
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Amoritesverse 1
Canaanitesverse 1
Waters of Jordan dried upverse 1
spirit of menverse 1
Hearts meltedverse 1
Egyptverses 4-6, 9
Land of Canaanverse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Obeyed not the voice of the LORDverse 6
Uncircumcised Israelitesverse 7
Reproach of Egyptverse 9
Adversaries of Israelverse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Inheritanceverse 6
Worshipverse 14
Servantverse 14
Holyverse 15
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Children of Israelverses 1-3, 6, 10, 12
Joshuaverses 2-4, 7, 9, 13-15
Circumciseverses 2-8
Stayed in camp till healed
Forty years in wildernessverse 6
Gilgalverses 9, 10
Passover celebratedverses 10, 11
Manna endedverse 12
Eat fruit of the land of Canaanverse 12
Joshua meets Jesusverses 13-15
What says my lord to HIS servant?
Loose your shoe from off your foot for the place whereon you stand is holy
Obeyed
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Men of war died in wildernessverse 4
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QUOTES regarding passage
15 The command “Take off your sandals” does not indicate that this incident occurred at an ancient shrine. Rather, any place where God reveals himself is hallowed by that revelation (cf. Jacob at Bethel, Gen 28:10–22). The similarity to Moses’ experience at the burning bush is obvious (Exod 3:1–6). These many parallels to the experiences of Moses confirm that Joshua is Moses’ divinely chosen successor.
The events of this chapter are further evidence that the Conquest was to be accomplished by God’s power, not man’s. From a human point of view, it would have been wiser to fulfill the rituals of circumcision and the Passover on the other side of the Jordan where the Israelites were not exposed to their enemies. Celebrating them in the Promised Land, however, symbolized that the covenant relationship between God and Israel was a prerequisite for possessing the land. With this encounter the preparation for the Conquest was completed. (Madvig, D. H. (1992). Joshua. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 276). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
5:15. The reply of the Lord to Joshua was brief but urgent. Remove your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy. The presence of the holy God sanctified this spot in a strange and defiled land (cf. a similar command to Moses, Ex. 3:5).
This was a deeply significant experience for Joshua. He had anticipated a battle between two opposing armies, Israelite and Canaanite. He had thought this was to be his war and that he was to be the general-in-charge. But then he confronted the divine Commander and learned that the battle was the Lord’s. The top general of the Lord‘s army had not come to be an idle Spectator of the conflict, or even an ally. He was in complete charge and would shortly reveal His plans for capturing the citadel of Jericho.
How comforting all this was for Joshua. He did not need to bear the heavy burden and responsibility of leadership alone. By removing his sandals, he gladly acknowledged that this battle and the entire conquest of Canaan was God’s conflict and that he was merely God’s servant. (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Joshua. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 339). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Joshua had read in the Book of the Law what Moses had said to the Lord after Israel had made the golden calf: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (Ex. 33:15, NKJV). The Lord had promised to be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses (Josh. 1:5), and now He reaffirmed that promise in a personal way. Like his predecessor, Joshua refused to move until he was sure the Lord’s presence was with him.
This paragraph records one of the pre-incarnation appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ recorded in the Old Testament. To Abraham the pilgrim, the Lord came as a traveler to share in a friendly meal (Gen. 18:1–8). To Jacob the schemer, He came as a wrestler to bring him to the place of submission (32:24–32). The three Hebrew men met Him as their companion in the furnace of fire (Dan. 3:25), and Joshua met Him as the Captain of the Lord’s armies. Our Lord always comes to us when we need Him and in the way we need Him.
It must have been a great encouragement to Joshua to realize that he was not alone. There is a loneliness to leadership that can be disturbing and even depressing as you realize how much your decisions affect the lives of others. “To be President of the United States is to be lonely,” said Harry Truman, “very lonely at times of great decisions.” Joshua must have been feeling some of that loneliness.
God had promised to be with Joshua (Josh. 1:5, 9), and the people had prayed that the Lord would be with him (vv. 16–17). The enemy knew that God was with Israel (2:8ff), and Joshua had encouraged his people with this promise (3:9ff). Joshua was now experiencing the reality of that promise! The Lord met him as Captain of the Lord’s armies, whether in heaven or on earth. “The Lord of hosts [armies] is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Ps. 46:7, 11). Joshua would recall the song Israel had sung at the Red Sea: “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is His name” (Ex. 15:3).
I appreciate the courage of Joshua as he confronted this stranger; for he wanted to know whose side he was on. With Joshua, there was no compromise: You were either for the Lord and His people or against them (Matt. 12:30; Luke 11:23). When Joshua discovered the visitor was the Lord, he fell at His feet in worship and waited for His orders.
In Christian ministry great public victories are won in private as leaders submit to the Lord and receive their directions from Him. It’s doubtful that anybody in the camp of Israel knew about their leader’s meeting with the Lord, but that meeting made the difference between success and failure on the battlefield. The Chinese Bible teacher Watchman Nee wrote, “Not until we take the place of a servant can He take His place as Lord.”
Joshua was reminded that he was second in command. Every father and mother, pastor, and Christian leader is second in command to the Lord Jesus Christ; and when we forget this fact, we start to move toward defeat and failure. The Lord came to Joshua that day, not just to help but to lead. “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NKJV). Joshua was an experienced soldier, whom Moses had trained for leadership. Yet that was no guarantee of success. He needed the presence of the Lord God.
The Lord’s first order to Joshua revealed to him that he was standing on holy ground. This reminds us of God’s words to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5). Joshua was standing in “heathen territory”; yet because God was with him, he was standing on holy ground. If we are obeying the will of God, no matter where He leads us, we are on holy ground; and we had better behave accordingly. There’s no such thing as “secular” and “sacred,” “common” and “consecrated,” when you are in the Lord’s service. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31, NKJV).
The sequence here is significant: first humble worship, then holy walk, then heavenly warfare. This parallels the “spiritual postures” found in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Joshua first bowed the knee (Eph. 3:14); then he submitted to a holy walk (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15); and then he went out to battle the enemy in the power of the Lord (6:10ff). Like Joshua, we have already been given our inheritance (described in Eph. 1–2) and we must overcome the enemy in order to claim it for ourselves and enjoy it.
When Joshua met the Lord, he discovered that the battle was the Lord’s and He had already overcome the enemy. All Joshua had to do was listen to God’s Word and obey orders, and God would do the rest. God had already given Jericho to Israel (Josh. 6:2); all they had to do was step out by faith and claim the victory by obeying the Lord.
In a meeting with a small group of missionaries in China, James Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (now Overseas Missionary Fellowship) reminded them that there were three ways to do God’s work: “One is to make the best plans we can, and carry them out to the best of our ability … or, having carefully laid our plans and determined to carry them through, we may ask God to help us, and to prosper us in connection with them. Yet another way of working is to begin with God; to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes.”
Joshua followed the third plan, and that’s why the Lord blessed him.
The main lesson of Joshua 5 is that we must be a spiritually prepared people if we are going to do the Lord’s work successfully and glorify His name. Instead of rushing into the battle, we must “take time to be holy.”
In a letter to his missionary friend Rev. Daniel Edwards, the saintly Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne wrote: “Remember you are God’s sword—His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”
That letter was written in 1840, but its admonition applies to God’s people today. All of us are His ministers, His servants; and we want to be holy instruments that He can use successfully. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Strong (pp. 64–68). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
5:13–15 captain. The Lord Jesus Christ (6:2; cf. 5:15 with Ex 3:2, 5) in a pre-incarnate appearance (Christophany). He came as the Angel (Messenger) of the Lord, as if He were a man (cf. the one of 3 “angels,” Ge 18). Joshua fittingly was reverent in worship. The captain, sword drawn, showed a posture indicating He was set to give Israel victory over the Canaanites (6:2; cf. 1:3). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jos 5:13–15). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 15. And the Captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, &c.] As a trial and proof of his obedience to him: loose thy shoe from off thy foot; which is to be understood literally, as when the like was commanded Moses at Horeb, Exod. 3:5. though some interpret it figuratively, as Abarbinel, “remove from thee such thoughts that thou shalt take this city by strength:” for the place whereon thou standest is holy; because of the presence of this Person, and as long as he was there, though afterwards was as another place; the Jewish commentator, last mentioned, thinks this intimates that the city, and all in it (and all round about it), should be cherem, devoted, and so be holy to the Lord: and Joshua did so; loosed his shoe from his foot, in obedience to the Captain of the Lord’s host, thereby giving proof of his readiness, willingness, and alacrity to serve under him. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 196). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Not called!’ did you say?” “Not heard the call,” I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face – whose mercy you have professed to obey – and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world. – William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army
Ask any random group of ten elderly couples about their marriage, and half of them will probably say something like this: “We were high school sweethearts, tied the knot soon after graduation, worked our way up from nothing, had kids, and here we are. Being married made us who we are today.”
Beneath these stories is a view of marriage as a foundation of life, a starting point for other goals. Today, this view has been replaced by a different one, what some call the “capstone” view of marriage. In the “capstone” view, marriage is a finishing touch to add to a life after individual careers have been achieved, personal goals have been checked off, and we’ve discovered “who we are.”
This massive shift in our ideas about marriage has all kinds of consequences, from delaying weddings (for many people, into their 30’s) to cratering the fertility rate in most developed nations to normalizing premarital sex and cohabitation. Still, the most consequential changes might be occurring within the Church.
University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus tracks these changes in his new book, The Future of Christian Marriage. Regnerus not only described his findings to Shane Morris on the Upstream Podcast, he also described the dramatic steps that will be required if a culture of marriage is to be restored within the Church.
The Future of Christian Marriage features interviews with numerous Christian young people from seven countries. By being both forward-looking and firmly planted in history, Regnerus traces how marriage went from a natural institution bound up with childbearing and blessed by the Church to one that is now, like so many other things in our culture, determined by adult desires and largely defined (or should I say redefined?) by the state.
One of the most counterintuitive findings in The Future of Christian Marriage is that Christian young people around the world still have a recognizably biblical ideal for what marriage should be. Those he interviewed typically mentioned the idea of a lifelong union of man and woman. Often, they talked about how marriage is a picture of Christ and His Church, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 5. Many even mentioned that children are part of God’s design for marriage.
Tragically, far fewer practice, or even try to practice, this design. The average age at first marriage is nearing historic highs in nearly every country Mark studied, and cohabitation is quickly becoming a common lifestyle choice, even for young people within the Church.
So, how did we get here? According to Regnerus, it’s complicated. Economic factors, the growing expectation that women will work outside of the home, the normalization of birth control and the resulting “cheapening” of sex, and the overall removing of children from the picture have all changed, not only our behavior, but how we think about marriage. Even more, Regnerus suggests that young people, including Christian young people, just aren’t that into marriage. In fact, an increasing number is willing to put it off indefinitely. Here’s what he writes in the book:
“The focus of twentysomethings has become less about building mature relationships and fulfilling responsibilities and more about enjoying oneself, traveling, and trying on identities and relationships … We now get ourselves ready for marriage, rather than marry to get ourselves poised to accomplish common objectives—a home, a job, a family. Instead, marriage itself has become one of those objectives, an accomplishment signaling that [we] have ‘made it.’”*
This is new. Historically, marriage was never considered an optional feature of the Church’s life, nor a trophy you win after reaching “adulthood.” God clearly calls some to the single life and elevates their potential for ministry. At the same time, marriage is the picture the Apostle Paul uses when to illustrate the love between Jesus and His redeemed. Marriage reorients our energies and affections away from ourselves and toward others in a way nothing else, other than parenting, can.
If we want Christian marriage to have a future, we’ll need to change this capstone view. Much of the problem that Regnerus describes in The Future of Christian Marriage is a failure of the imagination and the inability to see marriage as attainable. Among the ambitious and surprising suggestions Regnerus offers is to make sure our kids hear the kind of stories older couples often tell. It’s not “rocket surgery” to conclude we need to begin by telling the next generation the truth about marriage.
(Break Point)
Revelation 1
Jesus is seen in a vision as a glorious, powerful, heavenly being.
INSIGHT
When Jesus came to earth, He came in poverty, humility, and obscurity. He willingly allowed men to victimize Him and to seemingly triumph over Him. But this is not a complete picture of who Jesus really is. In coming to earth, Jesus Christ left a state of glory and power, clothed Himself in humanity, and veiled His divine appearance. The book of Revelation gives us a broader picture of who He is by telling us a little about His divine appearance and nature(vv. 14-15). Although we cannot know how Jesus looked while on earth, this description of Him certainly discloses many of His divine traits (vv. 17-18). (Quiet Walk)
PRAY FOR HOLINESS
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.1 John 5:15
We can pray that all the precepts, all the promises, and all the prophecies in the Bible with respect to ourselves may be fulfilled in us. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). And if you pray for sanctification, you can be sure that God will sanctify you. It is God’s will that we may know His love; ask Him therefore to reveal His love to you by the Holy Spirit, and you can be certain He will do so. And it is the same with all the various other promises that are in the Scriptures: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).
Are you concerned that you do not love as much as you ought? Tell Him about it; ask Him to shed His love abroad in your heart, and He will do so. Are you concerned about some sin that casts you down? Pray a confident prayer. It is the will of God that you should be delivered from sin; so pray for it. Are you concerned that your heart shall be clean? Well, offer David’s prayer (“Create within me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” Psalm 51:10), and I assure you, on the basis of the Word of God and His character, that He will answer you, and the blood of Christ will cleanse you from all sin and all unrighteousness. Go through your Bible, and make a list of the promises of God to you; then take them to God, use them in His presence, plead them, and you can be quite certain that you have your petitions. You already possess them, and in His own time and way God will give you a full realization of them and a full enjoyment of them.
A Thought to Ponder
We can pray that all the precepts, promises, and prophecies in the Bible may be fulfilled in us. (From Life in God, p. 125, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Mind Control
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” (Ephesians 4:17-18)
A question that troubles many Christians is why most highly educated leaders in science and other fields—even theologians—seem to find it so difficult to believe the Bible and the gospel of Christ. The answer is in the words of our text: They are “alienated from the life of God” because of self-induced ignorance. It is not that they can’t understand, but that they won’t understand! They “walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened…because of the blindness of their heart.” They don’t want to believe in their hearts, therefore they seek an excuse not to believe in their minds. They are “men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8).
The sad truth is that Satan himself controls their minds. They may be ever so intelligent in secular matters, but the gospel, with all its comprehensive and beautiful simplicity, remains hidden to them. “If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Is there a remedy? Yes. “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). In this verse, the word “thought” is the same as “mind.” The weapons of truth, of prayer, of love, and of the Spirit can capture even such minds as these!
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Those of us who live in freedom to practice our religious convictions have much to learn from our Christian ancestors who did not enjoy this blessing. The history of the Bible in Italy is instructive in this regard. Early reformists such as Savonarola and the Waldenses, as well as Vermigli, Turretini, and other later protestant reformers, exemplify the clash between the reformed view of the sufficiency and clarity of the Bible and the institutional church’s practice of coercive magisterial authority. This new post follows up from our Reformation Day Post on Giovanni Diodati and his amazing translation of the Bible into Italian over 400 years ago.
We thank Pastor Keith Jones of Rozzano, Italy, for collaborating on this post. He comments on the ongoing role of the Bible in reforming the church in Italy and speaks of his church’s plans for a series of seminars focusing on biblical truth for Italy.
Where do you stand on the question of Sola Scriptura vs. the Magisterium? Check out the post and think it through.
All the best,
David
drdavidlturner.com
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