MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
JOSHUA: THE POWER OF GOD’S PROMISES
“ That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.” Joshua 4:24
WEEK III
REMEMBERING WHAT GOD HAS DONE (Ch. 3:1-5:12)
When we look back over our lives there are some things that are pleasant that bring smiles to our faces or that make us cry, and some things that are painful that we would prefer not to remember at all. Memory is important.
REMEMBERING AND CELEBRATING
MEMORY DEFINED: is the faculty by which the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. It is a record of
experience that guides future action.
Our memory serves a vital role in helping us to recall what happened in our past in order for us to make informed decisions that will affect our future. “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it”: quote by American philosopher George Santayana. If we don’t recall (learn from) the mistakes we made in the past, we are bound to repeat them.
REMEMBER DEFINED: have in, or be able to bring to, one’s mind an awareness of (someone or something that one
has seen, known, or experienced in the past).
to recall or make an effort to keep a person, event or thing in one’s mind.
God blesses His people for a purpose; we are blessed to be a blessing to others. When God blesses us, He wants us to view Him as our loving provider and to share that with others so they might know Him. When we recall what God has done for us in the past, we remember His blessings. It is important that we remember and celebrate what God has done for us; we should give praise to whom praise belongs.
1) Choose three or four stones to represent God’s blessings in your life. How have these blessings encouraged
growth in your life?
By remembering and sharing with others what God has done helps us to serve as witnesses to God’s goodness,
grace, mercy, and awesome power. As we continue to remember and stand on what God has done in the past, it
helps us to grow spiritually and strengthens us for the next battle.
2) Recall the gifts God has given you. Which of His blessings would make your “top ten” list?
–Salvation
-Grace & Mercy
-Peace of mind
Material blessings are good, but they cannot compare to the blessings that cannot be taken away or destroyed
GOD DEMANDS ORDER
CONSECRATE DEFINED: make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious
or divine purpose.
Sometimes God calls His people to get away or separate themselves from worldly distractions so that they can
hear clearly from Him or so they can dedicate themselves to Him for a particular purpose.
3) The Israelites consecrated themselves (Joshua 3:5) by washing their garments and by abstaining from sexual
intercourse (Exodus 19:10, 14 -15). Why was it important for them to consecrate themselves at this time?
Clean, washed clothes symbolize the righteous acts of the saints. In this instance, they physically had to wash
their clothes—to purify them.
By abstaining from sexual intercourse and washing their garments they were becoming ceremonially
clean (Leviticus 15:18). These acts were not to be considered ritual, but would also symbolize repentance and a
change of heart.
God was about to do wonders among them; they were about to cross over into the Promised Land. The Israelites
needed to be free from distractions; to place their full attention on God and His promises so that they could have
the strength to face what was ahead of them.
4) How and when should we consecrate ourselves?
The consecration of the Israelites was necessary in order to prepare them for the miracle God was about to
perform. We should consecrate ourselves when we need to hear clearly from God or when we need to prepare
to do something really significant for Him. God desires that we have a pure heart, a pure mind, and a pure
spirit. We should abstain from those things that would distract us from our purpose or contaminate our worship
and service to Him . Other common means of consecration include prayer, fasting, and bible study.
5) Describe the sequence of events the Israelites would have seen as they crossed the Jordan (v. 3:7-17).
God had a specific order in which the Israelites were supposed to cross over the Jordan River in order to
see their blessings. God still has specific things for His people to do today. It requires that we spend time in the
word and in prayer in order for us to hear clearly from Him
-the priests carried the ark to the brink of the Jordan River and stopped
–God stopped the flow of the Jordan River
-Joshua shared God’s word with the people
-the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan River until all the people crossed over the river
6) What would they have learned about God from these events?
They would have learned that God is mighty and that He is in control of all things (even the flow of the river)
and God demands obedience
7) Read Joshua 4. How would the events in this chapter have added to the joy and meaning of the river
crossing?
God commanded the people to take stones from the midst of the river to serve as a reminder that the waters
stopped for them to cross over (v. 5, 6) and as a reminder of how great and mighty God is (v. 24). Every time
they looked at the stones or anyone asked about the stones they could remember what God had done.
RESULTS OF OBEDIENCE
OBEDIENCE DEFINED: Obey simply means “to follow a command”; “to conform”; or “to comply with an order.”
God did not create us to be robots (simply following a command); that’s why we are created with a “will”; with the ability to reason. God wants us to think matters through and to choose to obey Him. Obedience requires that we submit “our will” to “God’s will”.
8) Why was this miraculous crossing especially important for Joshua’s leadership (v. 3:7 and 4:14)?
The crossing was reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea. It showed the people that God was with Joshua
just as He had been with Moses and established Joshua as a leader with authority just as Moses was given
authority by God.
9) What other goals did this miracle accomplish (v. 3:10; 4:24; 5:1)?
It was a reminder that God was with them to defeat their enemies and that everyone would know that God was
with His people
10) How would the twelve stones from the Jordan River serve as a memorial for future generations (4:1-7, 19-
24)?
Whenever anyone asked about the stones the people were to tell them the story of how God stopped the flow of
the river and allowed them to cross over on dry ground.
11) What memorials do you have to remind yourself and future generations of what God has done?
12) What have these chapters taught you about remembering and celebrating the things God has done?
It is important to remember and to celebrate all that God has done so we and future generations will know and
be encouraged when we encounter other challenges. It is also important to celebrate because that allows us to acknowledge God as our provider and to thank Him for what He has done and Promised to do.
13) Read Joshua 5:1-12. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and Israel. Why was it
important for the Israelites to be circumcised at this time?
The word circumcise literally means “to cut around.” All who came out of Egypt had died, except Joshua and
Caleb. Those who rebelled against God died in the wilderness and did not live to witness God’s blessing of the
Promise Land. Those who had been born in the wilderness had not been circumcised. By circumcising this
generation of Israelites, they were acknowledging the covenant God had made with Abraham and his
descendants (Genesis 17:9–14; Acts 7:8).
14) In what ways are circumcision and the Passover similar to today’s celebrations of baptism and the Lord’s
Supper?
–Both circumcision and baptism represent a cleansing
-The Passover and the Lord’s Supper are a reminder of the sacrifice required for the remission of sin. Jesus is
considered the ultimate Passover Lamb