Romans-Related Topical Applications

The Confidences of the Wicked

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-03

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines Joshua 3–6 to expose the false foundations of the wicked in Jericho—trust in natural elements, personal preparations, and numerical superiority—and contrasts them with the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. He argues that God destroys all false confidences to glorify Himself and calls believers to rest their faith solely in Christ and His Word.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, today to the book of Joshua, chapter 3. The book of Joshua, chapter 3. And we'll read verses 9 through 17. The title of the message today is The Confidences of the Wicked. The Confidences of the Wicked. Notice in Joshua, chapter 3, and let's begin reading with verse 9. Joshua 3, verse 9. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Here you shall know that the living God is among you, and He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

[John Weaver] Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man, And it shall come to pass as soon as the souls of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above, and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as they that bear the ark were coming to Jordan, And the feet of the priests that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, for Jordan overflowed with all of his banks all the time of harvest, that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city of Adam that is beside Zaretan.

[John Weaver] And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed and were cut off, and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. Let me begin today with a personal testimony, and you will see why I'm giving this just momentarily. I trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] My confidence is in Him alone. My salvation, as well as yours if you're a believer, my salvation depends completely upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His life, His merits, His grace, and His mercy that sustain me. I am nothing and I can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. My salvation rests totally and completely upon Him. I cannot save myself. I cannot even help save myself. The Bible says in the book of Jonah chapter 2 and verse 9 that salvation is of the Lord. Since Christ has saved me, my desire is to bring my life into conformity to the Word of God. I have been instructed like you according to Matthew 4 and verse 4 where our Lord said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God.

[John Weaver] Likewise, I and each of you who are believers have been commanded by Christ not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind and the ultimate end and the ultimate goal of our salvation. According to Romans eight in verse 29, is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That means this, any good deeds, any works of grace and mercy that are in my life and that are in your life are simply the outworking of His grace and His mercy in each one of us. That's why the Bible says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath foreordained that we should walk therein. Likewise, the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13, Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, It is God who worketh in you both to will

[John Weaver] and to do His good pleasure. So it is God who works it in and we have the responsibility to work it out. That means whatever good we have in us is only by His grace. Any good, any gracious, any righteous, any holy thing that is done by us or comes from us originated only in His grace and mercy in us. One of my favorite hymns is entitled, My Faith Has Found a Resting Place.

[John Weaver] Let me just give you two stanzas. My faith has found a resting place, not in devise nor creed. I trust in the ever-living One, and His wounds for me shall plead. Enough for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt. A sinful soul I come to Him, and He will never cast me out. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.

[John Weaver] And then the second stanza, my heart is written on the Word, the written Word of God. Salvation is by my Savior's name. Salvation by the Savior's blood. The great physician heals the sick. The lost He came to save. For me, His precious blood He shed. For me, His life He gave. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me. The hymn is expressive of the faith and confidence of every child of God. And if you are a child of God by faith, then your heart echoes every sentiment that I have just enunciated. My wife can tell you I've often remarked to her and probably to many of you as well, that I just do not understand and I cannot conceive in my mind how any man or any woman can live today without Jesus Christ, especially in this world of danger and disappointment. I cannot even imagine what it is like to live without faith, and to be honest with you, I don't want to try to imagine what it is like to live without faith.

[John Weaver] You have to ask this question. Since we as believers trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And unbelievers do not. In whom do they trust or in what do they trust?

[John Weaver] Now I want you to stop and think about this. Every man has to have a foundation. Now it is true. That that foundation may be an unstable one. It may be a shaky one. But everyone has to have a foundation. Everyone has to believe in something. Everyone has to believe in someone. You remember what our Lord said in Matthew 7 in verses 24 through 27? Let me just read it to you. Our Lord says this. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not. For it was founded upon the rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, it shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

[John Weaver] So our Lord is telling us that basically everyone has to have a foundation. You either have a solid foundation or you have a foundation that is very unstable and very shaky. In other words, the Word of God is telling us that a false foundation is worthless and useless. In Job 4 and verse 19, let me just quote some of these verses. We're going to be turning to a lot of passages just momentarily. But in John 4 and verse 19, the Word of God says this, How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth. Now I want you to note the question, who are crushed before the moth. In other words, those who are not built upon Jesus Christ, their foundation is so unstable and so shaky that even a moth lighting upon it will destroy it. Then he said in Ezekiel 13 in verse 14, God said, so will I break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered and it shall fall and you shall be consumed in the midst thereof and you

[John Weaver] shall know that I am the Lord. Now note, God said, I'm going to break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar. and your foundation is going to be exposed and then it's going to fall. I remember the first time I ever tried to build a brick wall. I worked some with a brick mason and one time, you know, and you think you know everything after you do something one time. So I was going to build myself a little barbecue pit. And I had this wall, just a single wall. It took me just about all day to build the thing. And I was trying to make sure it was just right. And finally, I got my brick mason friend to come over and look at it. And I said, what do you think of my wall? He looked at it. He walked around it. Finally, he said, huh, and kicked it.

[John Weaver] And all my bricks fell down. Because the mortar wasn't right. And all he did was just kick, and the wall totally fell down. That's exactly what God says. God said, I will expose your foundation. And if it's not a solid foundation, it will be crumbled. Now, why in the world will God, in His righteous judgment, expose and destroy all false foundations? Well, the answer is very simple. In Isaiah 28 and verse 16, here's what the Scripture says. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious coner stone, a sure foundation, and he that believeth shall not be made haste."

[John Weaver] Now Peter tells us that that foundation is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11, For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So when He said in Isaiah 28, I will lay a foundation, that foundation is Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now the Bible says in Proverbs 10 and verse 25, As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more. But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. Now wait a minute, as a whirlwind passeth, the wicked are no more. But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. How can the righteous be an everlasting foundation? Well, the answer is found in Ephesians 2 and verse 20, where we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. By the way, one of my favorite verses is found in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 19. Listen to this. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Based upon the Word of God, it should be obvious that everyone has a foundation. The foundation may be a stable one or it may be an unstable one, but everyone has a foundation and everyone who has a false foundation will ultimately have that foundation collapsed and destroyed by the righteous judgment of God.

[John Weaver] Now you say, pastor, I know all of that. What in the world has that got to do with Joshua chapter three? Well, I'm glad you asked because I want to tell you, I want to show you what differing foundations have to do with Joshua chapter three. And to show you that look in Joshua chapter two. Notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 8, everyone knows the story of Rahab. Notice Joshua 2, verse 8. The two spies have gotten there.

[John Weaver] She has hidden them on her roof under flax. Verse 8, and before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof, and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us. and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt.

[John Weaver] Neither did there remain any more courage in man because of you. For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath.

[John Weaver] Now, therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token." Now, without me expounding this passage, I want you to note that Rahab acknowledged and confessed the sovereignty of God, the providence of God, the power of God, the protection of God, the punishment of God, and she said that not only because of God, but because of the children of Israel, that their terror had fallen upon every one of them that did not believe.

[John Weaver] Now Rahab was ready, willing, and eager to change her foundation structure. She was no longer interested in the heathenistic, non-biblical foundation. Instead of trusting in what the wicked trust in, She was now willing to rely upon the Lord God of Israel. How do I know that? Because the Bible says specifically in Hebrews 11 and verse 31, By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace. Notice it was by faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that believed not so she switched foundations. She said, I'm not going to be trusting in the same thing the rest of these people are trusting in.

[John Weaver] Now, if she changed foundations, if her confidence changed, you have to ask, what was her confidence previously? What were the confidences of all the other people of Jericho? of all the other Canaanites. In what did they trust? In whom did they trust? And what was their foundation built upon?

[John Weaver] Now, let me remind you of something before I show you from Joshua 3. Do you remember the 10 plagues in Egypt? Without me going into this, do you realize that each one of those 10 plagues was directed at a god of Egypt. Egypt was polytheistic. They believed in many gods. Finally, you remember Pharaoh himself believed himself to be God, and the last plague, the firstborn of every family died. Even Pharaoh was powerless to save his own child, which was exposing him as being no god at all and having no power at all. In other words, the ten plagues were destroying the foundation upon which all the people of Egypt stood upon, believed in, and relied upon. Why did God destroy the false foundations of Egypt?

[John Weaver] Let me ask this question another way. Why is God destroying the false foundations and the wicked confidences of the Canaanites? Here's why. Isaiah 42, verse 8. Listen carefully. God says, I am the Lord, that is my name. And my glory I will not give to another, neither my praise to raven images. God said, I'm not going to let some dumb idol take my praise and my glory. I'm not going to do that. Well, let's ask this question. What were the confidences of the wicked in Jericho? And we could also ask Are these same confidences prevalent in our land today? Let me give you the first one. The Canaanites in Jericho trusted, first of all, in the natural elements. In the natural elements. Look in Joshua 3 and verse 15.

[John Weaver] And as they that bear the ark were coming to Jordan, and that the feet of the priest that bear the ark were dipped in the brim of the water for Jordan overfloweth all his banks at the time of the harvest." Now scripture is telling us that Jordan is overflowing all of its banks. It was in flood stage. The Jordan River is mentioned nearly 200 times in our Bibles. The fast flowing waters especially during flood stage, created a natural barrier between Canaan and the lands to the east. The Jordan River begins at the foot of Mount Hermon and travels about 25 miles before it empties into the Sea of Galilee. And from the Sea of Galilee, it then travels about 65 miles down into the Dead Sea. And believe it or not, the Jordan River normally is very surprisingly narrow. only about 50 to 75 feet wide. But during flood stage it can be as much as a mile wide. And during flood stage the waters are flowing fast and furiously and anyone who gets in that water is certain to drown.

[John Weaver] So here then are the Israelites on one side, the people of Jericho on the other side, and here's this natural element, let's see how the heathen like to call it, mother nature, is in between the Canaanites and the Israelites. Now you have to ask the question, why did God bring the Israelites to fight against Jericho while the river was in its flood stage. Could he not have timed it differently? Could he not have timed it where the water was not overflowing, where there was a narrow passage? Well, of course he could have. But when he brings the children of Israel there at flood stage, guess what?

[John Weaver] They are now forced to trust in him. They're not only forced to trust in him, but it's going to magnify His power as well as His kindness to Israel.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point out something. We tend to think humanistically although we're Christians. If you were an Israelite on this side of Jordan, and Jordan's overflowing all of its banks, wouldn't you tend to think, The wicked have an advantage over us. How in the world are we going to get across this river without drowning? How are we going to get over there to fight? We tend to think that somehow, some way, the wicked always have a superior advantage, which is not so. Because God is going to show us in this passage that the wicked do not have an advantage, no matter how perceived that advantage is in our own minds.

[John Weaver] And in all probability, the Canaanites were very pleased with this timing. I mean, because come on now, here they are sitting back in their fortress, and yet here's this river at flood stage. And according to Rahab's own testimony, they've already heard about Sihon and Og, and how the Israelites had killed them. They'd already heard about what God did to the Egyptians. but now at least the river's in the flood stage and it's going to be for some while and so, you know, they're pretty safe. The flood waters of the Jordan to the people of Jericho demonstrated Baal's power to save them. Many ancient people considered their homeland rivers sacred and still do. The people of India revere the Ganges. The Egyptians honored the Nile. For those pagans who lived in Canaan, especially in Jericho, they viewed the Jordan River, especially as it overflowed its banks, as symbolizing the power and the protection of their fertility gods, the Baals. So when God stopped the flow of the Jordan River, when God allowed his people to walk across on dry land, He first destroyed their foundation of trusting in Mother Nature.

[John Weaver] The natural elements was not their God. Think about this great miracle for a moment. The crossing of the Jordan River in its flood stage, Dry ground by approximately 2 million people Was a great miracle in this miracle. God was glorified Joshua was exalted Israel was encouraged and the Canaanites terrified Now I want you to look in verse 16. I want you to look what God did He says that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city of Adam, that is, beside Zeratan. And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, or even the salt sea, failed and were cut off. And the people passed over right against Jericho." Wow. Now, God cut the waters off, He says, very far from the city of Adam, that is, beside Zeratan.

[John Weaver] That is about 18 miles away. God stopped the waters 18 miles away. When God stopped the waters on this side and the waters over here, it wasn't muddy land that they went across. It was dry land. God also allowed all the moisture in that soil to go out as well. So here is a huge opening. The children of Israel, therefore, did not have to wait. They did not have to go around.

[John Weaver] They did not have to look for possible fords. I just simply walked out, walked across on dry land, right straight to the city. You know what the Bible says in Job 28 verse 11? Listen to this. He bindeth the floods from overflowing and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth the light. What does God do? God binds the floods from overflowing. Then Psalm 29 verse 10 says this.

[John Weaver] The Lord sitteth upon the flood. Yea, the Lord is king forever. The Lord is the one who controls the floods. I want you to hold Joshua 3, but look in your Bibles to Psalm 114. Here's a reference to what happened in Joshua chapter 3. I love this. Look in Psalm 114. The whole Psalm is wonderful. Psalm 114. But notice if you would please, especially verses 3 and 5 because they particularly relate to this incident. Psalm 114, notice if you would please verse 1.

[John Weaver] When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of a strange language, Judah was his sanctuary and Israel his dominion. Now look, the sea saw it and fled, Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

[John Weaver] Now, I love verse 5. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest, thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Oh, what was wrong with you? You had no control over yourself. No one else could control you, but God had control over you, and God drove you back. In Job 38, verses 22 through 37. The Bible tells us that God has control over all of the elements. In fact, let me just read from Job 38. Listen to verses 22 and 23. God said, Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? What is God saying? God is saying that all of the elements are under His control. He controls the rain. He controls the hail. He controls the dew. He controls everything. Very quickly, let me quote this in Jeremiah 10 and verse 13. The Bible says, When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.

[John Weaver] He maketh lightnings with rain and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries. And then, of course, in Jeremiah 14 and verse 22, the question is asked, Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles or the idols of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait upon thee, for thou hast made all things. So God is the only one who can give rain. God is the only one who can withhold rain. God is in control of all the elements. Now let me ask you a question.

[John Weaver] If you were inside the city of Jericho, and you looked out and saw your Baal, your God, the natural element of that Jordan River overflowing its bank, and you saw the enemy on the other side, and you thought, mm-hmm, my God's got him. And all of a sudden, the water stood on a heap. the land was dry, and your enemy walked across on dry ground right in front of you. What would you think? Would you begin to think, I might be in trouble?

[John Weaver] My foundation may be breaking up. I may have been trusting in the wrong things. The very first thing they had a confidence in was that natural boundary, that natural element, and God just simply wiped out their confidence. He destroyed them. May I remind you of 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11? I've quoted it earlier. The Apostle Paul said, For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ our Lord. God is in control of all of the elements.

[John Weaver] And He uses them for His glory and for the good of His people. Here's the second confidence. If you will look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 6 and verse 1. Joshua 6 and verse 1. Their second confidence is this. These Canaanites trusted in their personal preparations. Not only in the natural elements, but their personal preparations.

[John Weaver] Now the Bible says, now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel. None went out and none came in. Now I want you to understand something about Jericho. Jericho was an extremely well-built and strongly fortified city. It was surrounded by walls. And the fortress could only be obtained through the city gates. If you look back in your Bibles to Joshua 2, and look at verse 5. And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Whether the men went, I know not.

[John Weaver] Persuade them quickly, for you shall overtake them. Note, it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate. Watch verse 7. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan and to the fords. And as soon as they which pursued them were gone out, they shut the gate. If you look in verse 15, Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. Look in chapter 6, if you would please, verse 5. Chapter 6, verse 5. And it shall come to pass when they make a long blast with a ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him." So here then is a strongly fortified city with a huge wall. You can only get in through the gate, and once you're in or out, they bar the gate.

[John Weaver] So Jericho then was surrounded by a huge wall which they believed was insurmountable and impenetrable. By the way, may I call your attention to the fact that in Joshua chapter 3, the Bible said that the river of Jordan overflowed all of her banks during harvest time. So a harvest had just ended. So here the people are in this fortified city. with plenty of food and undoubtedly plenty of water because it had been raining.

[John Weaver] Probably had springs in there as well. So when Israel walked across on dry land, I'm sure that they were concerned, but probably not that concerned because we've got this fortified city. We have these huge walls. We have plenty of food. Plenty of water. We can hold out for a long time. Let me read to you from Deuteronomy chapter 9, the first three verses, just to show you what the children of Israel should have known for God told them, listen carefully, Deuteronomy 9 verse 1, God says, Hero Israel, thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go on to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, now listen to this, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the children of the Anakims whom thou knowest and of whom thou hast heard say, who can stand before the children of Anak? Understand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth before thee as a consuming fire, he shall destroy them and he shall bring them down before thy face so thou shalt drive them out and destroy them quickly as the Lord has said unto thee.

[John Weaver] But notice what God said, you're going to face a people that's greater than you, mightier than you, and they've got cities fenced up to heaven. Now, you and I both know that the fence or the wall did not go up to heaven, but that is an expression showing that those walls were really great. I want to read to you very quickly just a couple of archaeological reports on the excavation of Jericho. Listen carefully. One archaeologist has written, the mound or the tell at Jericho was surrounded by a great earthen rampart or embankment with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was some four to five meters, that's 12 to 15 feet high. Now that's one thing to see a 12 to 15 foot high wall, a stone wall. On top of that was a mud brick wall 2 meters, that is 6 feet thick and about 6 to 8 meters, 20 to 26 feet high. So you already have a 12 to 15 foot stone wall. Now you've got a mud brick wall 6 feet thick and another 20 to 26 feet high.

[John Weaver] At the crest of the embankment was a similar mud brick wall whose base was roughly 14 meters, 46 feet above the ground, level outside the retaining wall. This is what loomed high above the Israelites as they marched around the city each day for seven days. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for the Israelites to penetrate the impregnable bastion of Jericho. The citizens of Jericho were well prepared for a siege. A copious spring, which provided water for ancient as well as modern Jericho, lay inside the city walls. At the time of the attack, the harvest had just taken place, so the citizens had an abundant supply of food.

[John Weaver] This has been borne out by many large jars full of grain found in Canaanite homes by John Garstang in his excavation in the 1930s and also by Kathleen Kenyon. With a plentiful food supply and ample water, the inhabitants of Jericho could have held out for perhaps several years. Now, the Bible records that when Jericho was stormed, the walls collapsed and everything in the city was destroyed. You can read about that.

[John Weaver] I'm not going to do so, but in Joshua 6, verses 16 through 24. Now, here's another archaeologist, Kathleen Kenyon. In her excavation report, she wrote this. The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire. And every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils. In most rooms, the fallen debris was heavenly burnt." Now listen to this. She writes this. What caused the strong walls of Jericho to collapse? The most likely explanation that is usually given is that the walls fell because of an earthquake. If God used an earthquake, it was an unusual one.

[John Weaver] because it struck in such a way as to allow a portion of the city wall on the north side of the site to remain standing while everywhere else the wall fell. Why would only a portion of the wall be left standing? The answer, of course, is given to us in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6, where was Rahab's house? upon the wall. Every one of her family got into that house. And she says this, Rahab's house was upon the wall and God sovereignly preserved the wall in that area so as to spare Rahab and her family. Isn't that amazing?

[John Weaver] And we're told, I read it earlier but let me read it again, in Hebrews 11 verses 30 and 31, listen, that the walls did not fall because of an earthquake. They fell in response to faith. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down. After they were compassed about seven days, by faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believe not, when she had received the spies with peace." It's interesting that the scripture says that Rahab perished not with them that believe not. Simply stated, Rahab had come to trust in the Lord God of Israel.

[John Weaver] So the question has to be asked, What happened to the foundations of those who believed not? They were destroyed. What good was all of their preparations? Did them no good at all. Preparations are useless and they fail to protect in time of danger without the blessings of God.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you another incident. I want you to turn in your Bibles. to 2 Samuel chapter 5. Here's another incident that will equal, in one sense of the word, the conquest of Jericho.

[John Weaver] David is about to conquer Jerusalem. Look what happens. 2 Samuel 5 and verse 5. Talking about David, in Hebra, he reigned over Judah seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem, he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, which spake unto David, saying, Now look what they said, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither, thinking David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, the same as the city of David. And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter and smited the Jebusites and the lame and the blind that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore, they say, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house." Now, here's what happened. The Jebusites believed that their fort was so fortified and so strong They mocked David and said, unless you can defeat the blind and the lame, you can't come in here.

[John Weaver] Even the blind and the lame can keep you out of Jerusalem. You can't possibly win. But he did. But he did. The point I'm trying to make is this. Personal preparations without the blessings of God are worthless. What were these people of Jericho trusting in? Not only the natural elements, but their own personal preparations.

[John Weaver] Now, let me emphasize a biblical truth here. It's evident from the Bible that preparations are demanded. What did he say in Proverbs chapter six? Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise. Who layeth up her meat in summer, you know, for the winter that comes down the line? The Bible tells you in Proverbs 22 verse 3, Proverbs 27 verse 12, A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself but the simple pass on, and are punished. The Bible does teach that yes, we must make preparations.

[John Weaver] One of these days, Probably as old as Dr. Holmes or something. I mean, you know, I won't get feeble. No, I'm older than he is. But you know, preparations. What about destruction of society? Preparations. But the point I'm trying to make is this. Preparations without faith are worthless. You remember that Passage in Luke 12, don't turn there. Verses 17 through 21. The rich farmer, he said, what shall I do?

[John Weaver] Because I have no room to bestow my fruits. And he said, I know what I'll do. I'll pull down my barns and I'll build greater barns and I'll there bestow all my goods and I'll say to myself, Saul, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry, for thou hast many goods laid up for many years. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.

[John Weaver] And then whose will all these things be? And then God said, so he that latheth up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God is a fool. Preparations in and of themselves are worthless. In all of our preparations, in all of our defenses, we must seek The blessing and the protection of God. Let me tell you something, folks. When foundations break up, so do men. When foundations break up, so does society. Our preparations are worthless without His blessings.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you the third confidence of the wicked. They not only trusted in the natural elements. They not only trusted in their personal preparation. But thirdly, they trusted in their natural abilities and their numerical superiority. Go back in your Bibles and look to Joshua chapter 9. Joshua chapter 9 and look at verses 1 and 2. We're talking about numerical superiority and natural ability. The Bible says, and it came to pass, when all the kings which are on this side, Jordan, in the hills and in the valleys and in the coast of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, the Jebusite, heard thereof, then they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel on one accord." Now, wait a minute. Man alive, here are all of these kings and all these people getting together now to fight against Israel. Now, there were probably 2 million people that crossed over Jordan, but that included women and children. You might have had 7 or 800,000 fighting men, but now 7 or 800,000 fighting men are probably facing several million.

[John Weaver] They're all coming together. Do you realize there are many people that possess natural strength and abilities. Goliath of Gath, his brethren are certainly examples of that. Down through history, there have been warring tribes and factions and nations. Even the Spartans are known for their fighting ability. Everyone knows the story about the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans withstood hundreds of thousands of Persians for the longest. The Canaanites evidently were a very warlike people and they certainly possessed a great army. And they amassed that army very quickly. Now, I don't know how many people lived in Jericho. But I do know that there were a great many Canaanites that lived in the land. They may have wanted to help Jericho, but possibly could not have. Yet, after its fall, they all banded together to fight. And let me tell you one reason they were banding together. They were not just going to fight Israel. According to Joshua 10, you don't have to read there now, but according to Joshua 10 verses 1 through 5, they were going to fight the Gibeonites.

[John Weaver] They were going to destroy the Gibeonites. Now, let me tell you who the Gibeonites were. The Gibeonites were Amorites. These were the people, you remember, that deceived Joshua and the other people and made peace with them. And God would not allow Joshua and Israel to kill the Gibeonites since they had made peace with them. But they made them drawers of water and hewers of wood. They made them their slaves. So the Gibeonites, who were Amorites, who should have been destroyed, were now not going to be destroyed because God made Israel honor her word. And the Gibeonites were to live among them as their slaves. Guess what now? all the other Amorites band together to come over and kill the Gibeonites, who were fellow Amorites. It's amazing that wicked men will turn on each other and seek to destroy each other simply because of a perceived advantage. Well, you're not going to have to fight like the way we are, so we'll just kill you too. Isn't that amazing?

[John Weaver] That should be encouraging in our day and time. Listen, God can turn the swords of wicked men upon each other. Wow! The Gibeonites were no longer under the gun, so to speak, and so the rest of the Amorites said, look, we'll just kill you two and we'll fight against the Israelites. So all these kings came together to fight against Gibeon and the Israelites. And who could withstand such superiority of firepower and such numerical advantage that the Amorites had? Well, the answer is God can. Because all you have to do is read Joshua 10 verses 6 through 25 where God allowed Israel to wipe them all out. Numerical advantage and natural abilities mean nothing to God.

[John Weaver] I love Ecclesiastes 9-11 where Solomon said, I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, Then he says this, but time and chance happeneth to them all. Now, let me explain the word chance. The word chance does not mean what you and I think of when we talk about chance.

[John Weaver] Well, I'll buy a lottery ticket. I'll take a chance. Or I'll jaywalk. I'll take a chance.

[John Weaver] Now, the word chance here in the Hebrew means a current or incident. It has nothing to do with what the world calls fate or luck or chance, rather what it does teach is that everything is done in its own time as God by His providence orders it. Events do not happen according to the will of man. Events do not happen according to some clock that has been wound up. Events do not happen by haphazard measures. Events come to pass only because God has foreordained them in time and in history.

[John Weaver] That's what he means when he says, the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, neither bread to the wise nor riches to the understanding in favor of the men of skills. No, no, no. It doesn't come about because you have all those abilities. It comes about because God has ordained it. That's what he's saying. That's why in Acts 15 in verse 18, the Bible says, known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

[John Weaver] Stop and think about this. Victory, the rise and fall of armies, the rise and fall of leaders, the rise and fall of nations are all in God's hand and not in the hand of man. Therefore, there is no reason to fear the greatest nation, the greatest power, the greatest ruler. No. Because they're all in the hand of God. Let me give you one other illustration. I want you to turn to 2 Chronicles 14. 2 Chronicles 14. I want you to look at this. 2 Chronicles 14.

[John Weaver] Here's what happened to Asa, king of Judah. They were going out against the Ethiopians. 2 Chronicles 14 verse 9, And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots and came into Marashah.

[John Weaver] Now, let me spell that out for you. Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa and Judah. He had a million soldiers, a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots. Watch, if you would please, at verse 10. Then Asa went out to battle against him, and they set the battle in array at the valley of Zarephathah at Marashah.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point something else out. I want you to look, if you would please. Here's this verse 8. And Asa had an army of men that bear targets and spears, Out of Judah, 300,000. Out of Benjamin, that bears shields. And Drew Bowes, 200,000. Four score thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.

[John Weaver] Now, what does that mean? That means this. That means Asa had 580,000 soldiers. Huh. And Zerah had a million soldiers. And 300 chariots.

[John Weaver] We could say 300 tanks because that's about what the chariots were in those days. So Judah is outnumbered two to one besides the chariots. Well, look, if you would please, beginning with verse 11. And Asa cried to the Lord his God and said, Lord, it is nothing would be to help whether with many or them that have no power. Help us, oh Lord, our God, for we rest on thee.

[John Weaver] And in thy name do we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art God. Let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gera, and the Ethiopians were overthrown. They could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before the Lord and before his host, and they carried away very much spoil."

[John Weaver] The battle is not to the strong, no, the race to the swift. The battle does not belong to those who have natural abilities or numerical superiority. Let me ask you, what happens when natural abilities fail? What happens when numerical superiority fails? Men break up. because their foundations break up. Here they were destroyed. The only sure foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. That's the only sure foundation. Our confidence is to be in Christ.

[John Weaver] He is the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He controls history. He has ordained it. The elements are His, not man's. Preparations mean nothing without His blessings. Natural ability and numerical superiority means nothing when God is against you. Let me make just two applications. I hope you understand, first of all, that foundations are important. Not just in the area of construction of houses, but personal and spiritual foundations are the most important of all because they must be built solidly upon the word of God and upon the Lord Jesus Christ. What did God say?

[John Weaver] Behold, I lay in Zion a sure Foundation. And he that believeth shall not make haste. We don't have to worry. We don't have to run around, you know the expression, like chickens with their heads cut off. Why? Because we have a sure, solid foundation in Christ. The second is this. Confidence in the time of danger is equally important. Because we must have a place of safety. I love Proverbs 18 and verse 10.

[John Weaver] The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it and are saved. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it and are saved. And I'm going to preach upon this next text shortly, Lord willing. Psalm 127 verse 1. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

[John Weaver] So the question is, who is your confidence? What is your foundation? In whom do you trust? If you have any other foundation other than Jesus Christ and His Word, your foundation shall crumble and be destroyed. And when your foundation breaks up, so will you. The Apostle Paul said, for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we ask you to help us to understand the absolute importance of building upon thy word and upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sure foundation. Lord, many in our country have turned from Thee. Our leaders have turned from Thee. Our government has turned from Thee. And according to Your Word, that foundation will be destroyed.

[John Weaver] It will be broken up. For thy glory thou wilt not share with another, and neither will you give your praise to graven images. Give us grace and give us mercy, Lord, that we may trust in thee and not the natural elements, that, yes, we may fulfill our responsibilities and prepare, but, Lord, we do so in faith, asking your blessing and your protection. And help us not to fear man, nor natural abilities, nor numerical superiority, For Thou art superior to everyone and everything, and we rest in Thee and trust in Thee.

[John Weaver] In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

The Confidences of the Wicked

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	bQaYZL7CALU
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans-Related Topical Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 138: Romans-Related Topical Applications — Chapter 8
Source Timed Segments	78

Formatted Transcript

Opening

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, today to the book of Joshua, chapter 3. The book of Joshua, chapter 3. And we'll read verses 9 through 17. The title of the message today is "The Confidences of the Wicked." The Confidences of the Wicked. Notice in Joshua, chapter 3, and let's begin reading with verse 9. Joshua 3, verse 9.

Scripture Reading — Joshua 3:9–17

"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites." "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan." "And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan."

Let me begin today with a personal testimony, and you will see why I'm giving this just momentarily. I trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction: The Believer’s Confidence in Christ Alone

Weaver shares a personal testimony of trusting only in Jesus for salvation and sanctification, emphasizing that any good works are the outworking of God’s grace.

Scripture Reading — Jonah 2:9

My confidence is in Him alone. My salvation, as well as yours if you're a believer, my salvation depends completely upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His life, His merits, His grace, and His mercy that sustain me. I am nothing and I can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. My salvation rests totally and completely upon Him. I cannot save myself. I cannot even help save myself. The Bible says in the book of Jonah chapter 2 and verse 9 that salvation is of the Lord. Since Christ has saved me, my desire is to bring my life into conformity to the Word of God. I have been instructed like you according to Matthew 4 and verse 4 where our Lord said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Likewise, I and each of you who are believers have been commanded by Christ not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. And the ultimate end and the ultimate goal of our salvation, according to Romans 8 and verse 29, is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That means this: any good deeds, any works of grace and mercy that are in my life and that are in your life are simply the outworking of His grace and His mercy in each one of us. That's why the Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Likewise, the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will

and to do of his good pleasure." So it is God who works it in and we have the responsibility to work it out. That means whatever good we have in us is only by His grace. Any good, any gracious, any righteous, any holy thing that is done by us or comes from us originated only in His grace and mercy in us. One of my favorite hymns is entitled, "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place." Let me just give you two stanzas. "My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed; I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead. Enough for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt; A sinful soul I come to Him, He'll never cast me out. I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me."

And then the second stanza, "My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God, Salvation by my Savior's name, salvation by the Savior's blood. The great Physician heals the sick, the lost He came to save; For me His precious blood He shed, for me His life He gave. I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me." The hymn is expressive of the faith and confidence of every child of God. And if you are a child of God by faith, then your heart echoes every sentiment that I have just enunciated. My wife can tell you I've often remarked to her and probably to many of you as well, that I just do not understand and I cannot conceive in my mind how any man or any woman can live today without Jesus Christ, especially in this world of danger and disappointment. I cannot even imagine what it is like to live without faith, and to be honest with you, I don't want to try to imagine what it is like to live without faith.

Everyone Has a Foundation

Using Matthew 7:24–27, Weaver establishes that every person builds on either a solid or shaky foundation, and God will expose and destroy false foundations.

Now I want you to stop and think about this. Every man has to have a foundation. Now it is true that that foundation may be an unstable one. It may be a shaky one. But everyone has to have a foundation. Everyone has to believe in something. Everyone has to believe in someone. You remember what our Lord said in Matthew 7 in verses 24 through 27? Let me just read it to you. Our Lord says this: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

So our Lord is telling us that basically everyone has to have a foundation. You either have a solid foundation or you have a foundation that is very unstable and very shaky. In other words, the Word of God is telling us that a false foundation is worthless and useless. In Job 4 and verse 19, let me just quote some of these verses. We're going to be turning to a lot of passages just momentarily. But in Job 4 and verse 19, the Word of God says this:

Scripture Reading — Job 4:19

"How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?"

Now I want you to note the question,

Scripture Reading — Job 4:19

"which are crushed before the moth."

In other words, those who are not built upon Jesus Christ, their foundation is so unstable and so shaky that even a moth lighting upon it will destroy it. Then he said in Ezekiel 13 in verse 14, God said, "So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye

shall know that I am the Lord." Now note, God said, "I'm going to break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar, and your foundation is going to be exposed and then it's going to fall." I remember the first time I ever tried to build a brick wall. I worked some with a brick mason and one time, you know, and you think you know everything after you do something one time. So I was going to build myself a little barbecue pit. And I had this wall, just a single wall. It took me just about all day to build the thing. And I was trying to make sure it was just right. And finally, I got my brick mason friend to come over and look at it. And I said, "What do you think of my wall?" He looked at it. He walked around it. Finally, he said, "Huh," and kicked it.

And all my bricks fell down. Because the mortar wasn't right. And all he did was just kick, and the wall totally fell down. That's exactly what God says. God said, "I will expose your foundation. And if it's not a solid foundation, it will be crumbled." Now, why in the world will God, in His righteous judgment, expose and destroy all false foundations? Well, the answer is very simple. In Isaiah 28 and verse 16, here's what the Scripture says: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."

Now Peter tells us that that foundation is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:11

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

So when He said in Isaiah 28, "I will lay a foundation," that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now the Bible says in Proverbs 10 and verse 25, "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." Now wait a minute, "as the whirlwind passeth, the wicked are no more. But the righteous is an everlasting foundation." How can the righteous be an everlasting foundation? Well, the answer is found in Ephesians 2 and verse 20, where we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. By the way, one of my favorite verses is found in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 19. Listen to this: "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Based upon the Word of God, it should be obvious that everyone has a foundation. The foundation may be a stable one or it may be an unstable one, but everyone has a foundation and everyone who has a false foundation will ultimately have that foundation collapsed and destroyed by the righteous judgment of God.

Rahab’s Change of Foundation

Rahab’s confession in Joshua 2 shows she abandoned the confidences of the wicked and trusted in the Lord God of Israel, as confirmed in Hebrews 11:31.

She has hidden them on her roof under flax. Verse 8, "And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token." Now, without me expounding this passage, I want you to note that Rahab acknowledged and confessed the sovereignty of God, the providence of God, the power of God, the protection of God, the punishment of God, and she said that not only because of God, but because of the children of Israel, that their terror had fallen upon every one of them that did not believe. Now Rahab was ready, willing, and eager to change her foundation structure. She was no longer interested in the heathenistic, non-biblical foundation. Instead of trusting in what the wicked trust in, she was now willing to rely upon the Lord God of Israel. How do I know that? Because the Bible says specifically in Hebrews 11 and verse 31, "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:31

" Notice it was by faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that believed not. So she switched foundations. She said, "

I'm not going to be trusting in the same thing the rest of these people are trusting in."

First Confidence: Trust in Natural Elements

The Canaanites trusted in the flooded Jordan River as a protective barrier, but God stopped the waters, demonstrating His control over nature and destroying their confidence.

Let me ask this question another way. Why is God destroying the false foundations and the wicked confidences of the Canaanites? Here's why. Isaiah 42, verse 8. Listen carefully. God says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 42:8

"I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."

God said, "I'm not going to let some dumb idol take my praise and my glory. I'm not going to do that." Well, let's ask this question. What were the confidences of the wicked in Jericho? And we could also ask, are these same confidences prevalent in our land today? Let me give you the first one. The Canaanites in Jericho trusted, first of all, in the natural elements. In the natural elements. Look in Joshua 3 and verse 15.

"And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest)." Now scripture is telling us that Jordan is overflowing all of its banks. It was in flood stage. The Jordan River is mentioned nearly 200 times in our Bibles. The fast flowing waters, especially during flood stage, created a natural barrier between Canaan and the lands to the east. The Jordan River begins at the foot of Mount Hermon and travels about 25 miles before it empties into the Sea of Galilee. And from the Sea of Galilee, it then travels about 65 miles down into the Dead Sea. And believe it or not, the Jordan River normally is very surprisingly narrow, only about 50 to 75 feet wide. But during flood stage it can be as much as a mile wide. And during flood stage the waters are flowing fast and furiously and anyone who gets in that water is certain to drown.

So here then are the Israelites on one side, the people of Jericho on the other side, and here's this natural element, let's see how the heathen like to call it, "mother nature," is in between the Canaanites and the Israelites. Now you have to ask the question, why did God bring the Israelites to fight against Jericho while the river was in its flood stage? Could he not have timed it differently? Could he not have timed it where the water was not overflowing, where there was a narrow passage? Well, of course he could have. But when he brings the children of Israel there at flood stage, guess what? They are now forced to trust in him. They're not only forced to trust in him, but it's going to magnify His power as well as His kindness to Israel.

Now, let me point out something. We tend to think humanistically although we're Christians. If you were an Israelite on this side of Jordan, and Jordan's overflowing all of its banks, wouldn't you tend to think, "The wicked have an advantage over us. How in the world are we going to get across this river without drowning? How are we going to get over there to fight?" We tend to think that somehow, some way, the wicked always have a superior advantage, which is not so. Because God is going to show us in this passage that the wicked do not have an advantage, no matter how perceived that advantage is in our own minds. And in all probability, the Canaanites were very pleased with this timing. I mean, because come on now, here they are sitting back in their fortress, and yet here's this river at flood stage. And according to Rahab's own testimony, they've already heard about Sihon and Og, and how the Israelites had killed them. They'd already heard about what God did to the Egyptians. But now at least the river's in the flood stage and it's going to be for some while and so, you know, they're pretty safe. The flood waters of the Jordan to the people of Jericho demonstrated Baal's power to save them. Many ancient people considered their homeland rivers sacred and still do. The people of India revere the Ganges. The Egyptians honored the Nile. For those pagans who lived in Canaan, especially in Jericho, they viewed the Jordan River, especially as it overflowed its banks, as symbolizing the power and the protection of their fertility gods, the Baals. So when God stopped the flow of the Jordan River, when God allowed his people to walk across on dry land, He first destroyed their foundation of trusting in Mother Nature.

The natural elements was not their God. Think about this great miracle for a moment. The crossing of the Jordan River in its flood stage, dry ground by approximately 2 million people, was a great miracle. In this miracle, God was glorified, Joshua was exalted, Israel was encouraged, and the Canaanites terrified. Now I want you to look in verse 16. I want you to look what God did. He says, "that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho." Wow. Now, God cut the waters off, He says, "very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan."

That is about 18 miles away. God stopped the waters 18 miles away. When God stopped the waters on this side and the waters over here, it wasn't muddy land that they went across. It was dry land. God also allowed all the moisture in that soil to go out as well. So here is a huge opening. The children of Israel, therefore, did not have to wait. They did not have to go around.

They did not have to look for possible fords. They just simply walked out, walked across on dry land, right straight to the city. You know what the Bible says in Job 28 verse 11? Listen to this: "He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light." What does God do? God binds the floods from overflowing. Then Psalm 29 verse 10 says this:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 29:10

"The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever."

The Lord is the one who controls the floods. I want you to hold Joshua 3, but look in your Bibles to Psalm 114. Here's a reference to what happened in Joshua chapter 3. I love this. Look in Psalm 114. The whole Psalm is wonderful. Psalm 114. But notice if you would please, especially verses 3 and 5 because they particularly relate to this incident. Psalm 114, notice if you would please verse 1.

"When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs." Now, I love verse 5. "What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" Oh, what was wrong with you? You had no control over yourself. No one else could control you, but God had control over you, and God drove you back. In Job 38, verses 22 through 37, the Bible tells us that God has control over all of the elements. In fact, let me just read from Job 38. Listen to verses 22 and 23. God said, "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" What is God saying? God is saying that all of the elements are under His control. He controls the rain. He controls the hail. He controls the dew. He controls everything. Very quickly, let me quote this in Jeremiah 10 and verse 13. The Bible says, "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.

He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures." And then, of course, in Jeremiah 14 and verse 22, the question is asked, "Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things." So God is the only one who can give rain. God is the only one who can withhold rain. God is in control of all the elements. Now let me ask you a question. If you were inside the city of Jericho, and you looked out and saw your Baal, your God, the natural element of that Jordan River overflowing its bank, and you saw the enemy on the other side, and you thought, "Mm-hmm, my God's got him." And all of a sudden, the water stood on a heap, the land was dry, and your enemy walked across on dry ground right in front of you. What would you think? Would you begin to think, "I might be in trouble"?

Second Confidence: Trust in Personal Preparations

Jericho’s strong walls and ample supplies gave a false sense of security, but God caused the walls to fall by faith, showing preparations without God’s blessing are worthless.

Now the Bible says, "Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in." Now I want you to understand something about Jericho. Jericho was an extremely well-built and strongly fortified city. It was surrounded by walls. And the fortress could only be obtained through the city gates. If you look back in your Bibles to Joshua 2, and look at verse 5. "And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them." Note, "it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate." Watch verse 7. "And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate." If you look in verse 15, "Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall." Look in chapter 6, if you would please, verse 5. "And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him." So here then is a strongly fortified city with a huge wall. You can only get in through the gate, and once you're in or out, they bar the gate.

So Jericho then was surrounded by a huge wall which they believed was insurmountable and impenetrable. By the way, may I call your attention to the fact that in Joshua chapter 3, the Bible said that the river of Jordan overflowed all her banks during harvest time. So a harvest had just ended. So here the people are in this fortified city with plenty of food and undoubtedly plenty of water because it had been raining. Probably had springs in there as well. So when Israel walked across on dry land, I'm sure that they were concerned, but probably not that concerned because we've got this fortified city. We have these huge walls. We have plenty of food. Plenty of water. We can hold out for a long time. Let me read to you from Deuteronomy chapter 9, the first three verses, just to show you what the children of Israel should have known for God told them, listen carefully, Deuteronomy 9 verse 1, God says, "Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee."

But notice what God said, "you're going to face a people that's greater than you, mightier than you, and they've got cities fenced up to heaven." Now, you and I both know that the fence or the wall did not go up to heaven, but that is an expression showing that those walls were really great. I want to read to you very quickly just a couple of archaeological reports on the excavation of Jericho. Listen carefully. One archaeologist has written, "The mound or the tell at Jericho was surrounded by a great earthen rampart or embankment with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was some four to five meters, that's 12 to 15 feet high." Now that's one thing to see a 12 to 15 foot high wall, a stone wall. On top of that was a mud brick wall 2 meters, that is 6 feet thick and about 6 to 8 meters, 20 to 26 feet high. So you already have a 12 to 15 foot stone wall. Now you've got a mud brick wall 6 feet thick and another 20 to 26 feet high.

At the crest of the embankment was a similar mud brick wall whose base was roughly 14 meters, 46 feet above the ground level outside the retaining wall. This is what loomed high above the Israelites as they marched around the city each day for seven days. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for the Israelites to penetrate the impregnable bastion of Jericho. The citizens of Jericho were well prepared for a siege. A copious spring, which provided water for ancient as well as modern Jericho, lay inside the city walls. At the time of the attack, the harvest had just taken place, so the citizens had an abundant supply of food. This has been borne out by many large jars full of grain found in Canaanite homes by John Garstang in his excavation in the 1930s and also by Kathleen Kenyon. With a plentiful food supply and ample water, the inhabitants of Jericho could have held out for perhaps several years. Now, the Bible records that when Jericho was stormed, the walls collapsed and everything in the city was destroyed. You can read about that.

I'm not going to do so, but in Joshua 6, verses 16 through 24. Now, here's another archaeologist, Kathleen Kenyon. In her excavation report, she wrote this: "The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils. In most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt." Now listen to this. She writes this: "What caused the strong walls of Jericho to collapse? The most likely explanation that is usually given is that the walls fell because of an earthquake. If God used an earthquake, it was an unusual one,

because it struck in such a way as to allow a portion of the city wall on the north side of the site to remain standing while everywhere else the wall fell." Why would only a portion of the wall be left standing? The answer, of course, is given to us in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6, where was Rahab's house? Upon the wall. Every one of her family got into that house. And she says this, Rahab's house was upon the wall and God sovereignly preserved the wall in that area so as to spare Rahab and her family. Isn't that amazing? And we're told, I read it earlier but let me read it again, in Hebrews 11 verses 30 and 31, listen, that the walls did not fall because of an earthquake. They fell in response to faith. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." It's interesting that the scripture says that Rahab perished not with them that believed not. Simply stated, Rahab had come to trust in the Lord God of Israel.

So the question has to be asked, what happened to the foundations of those who believed not? They were destroyed. What good was all of their preparations? Did them no good at all. Preparations are useless and they fail to protect in time of danger without the blessings of God.

Third Confidence: Trust in Natural Abilities and Numerical Superiority

The Canaanite kings amassed a great army, but God gave Israel victory, proving that numerical advantage and human strength mean nothing against God’s sovereign will.

Now, let me show you the third confidence of the wicked. They not only trusted in the natural elements, they not only trusted in their personal preparation, but thirdly, they trusted in their natural abilities and their numerical superiority. Go back in your Bibles and look to Joshua chapter 9. Joshua chapter 9 and look at verses 1 and 2. We're talking about numerical superiority and natural ability. The Bible says, "And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord." Now, wait a minute. Man alive, here are all of these kings and all these people getting together now to fight against Israel. Now, there were probably 2 million people that crossed over Jordan, but that included women and children. You might have had 7 or 800,000 fighting men, but now 7 or 800,000 fighting men are probably facing several million.

They're all coming together. Do you realize there are many people that possess natural strength and abilities? Goliath of Gath, his brethren are certainly examples of that. Down through history, there have been warring tribes and factions and nations. Even the Spartans are known for their fighting ability. Everyone knows the story about the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans withstood hundreds of thousands of Persians for the longest. The Canaanites evidently were a very warlike people and they certainly possessed a great army. And they amassed that army very quickly. Now, I don't know how many people lived in Jericho. But I do know that there were a great many Canaanites that lived in the land. They may have wanted to help Jericho, but possibly could not have. Yet, after its fall, they all banded together to fight. And let me tell you one reason they were banding together. They were not just going to fight Israel. According to Joshua 10, you don't have to read there now, but according to Joshua 10 verses 1 through 5, they were going to fight the Gibeonites.

They were going to destroy the Gibeonites. Now, let me tell you who the Gibeonites were. The Gibeonites were Amorites. These were the people, you remember, that deceived Joshua and the other people and made peace with them. And God would not allow Joshua and Israel to kill the Gibeonites since they had made peace with them. But they made them drawers of water and hewers of wood. They made them their slaves. So the Gibeonites, who were Amorites, who should have been destroyed, were now not going to be destroyed because God made Israel honor her word. And the Gibeonites were to live among them as their slaves. Guess what now? All the other Amorites band together to come over and kill the Gibeonites, who were fellow Amorites. It's amazing that wicked men will turn on each other and seek to destroy each other simply because of a perceived advantage. "Well, you're not going to have to fight like the way we are, so we'll just kill you too." Isn't that amazing?

That should be encouraging in our day and time. Listen, God can turn the swords of wicked men upon each other. Wow! The Gibeonites were no longer under the gun, so to speak, and so the rest of the Amorites said, "Look, we'll just kill you too and we'll fight against the Israelites." So all these kings came together to fight against Gibeon and the Israelites. And who could withstand such superiority of firepower and such numerical advantage that the Amorites had? Well, the answer is God can. Because all you have to do is read Joshua 10 verses 6 through 25 where God allowed Israel to wipe them all out. Numerical advantage and natural abilities mean nothing to God.

I love Ecclesiastes 9:11 where Solomon said, "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Now, let me explain the word chance. The word chance does not mean what you and I think of when we talk about chance. "Well, I'll buy a lottery ticket. I'll take a chance. Or I'll jaywalk. I'll take a chance."

Now, the word chance here in the Hebrew means a current or incident. It has nothing to do with what the world calls fate or luck or chance, rather what it does teach is that everything is done in its own time as God by His providence orders it. Events do not happen according to the will of man. Events do not happen according to some clock that has been wound up. Events do not happen by haphazard measures. Events come to pass only because God has foreordained them in time and in history.

Biblical Illustrations of God’s Sovereignty Over Human Strength

Examples from 2 Chronicles 14 and Ecclesiastes 9:11 reinforce that victory and success come from God’s ordination, not human ability or numbers.

Stop and think about this. Victory, the rise and fall of armies, the rise and fall of leaders, the rise and fall of nations are all in God's hand and not in the hand of man. Therefore, there is no reason to fear the greatest nation, the greatest power, the greatest ruler. No. Because they're all in the hand of God. Let me give you one other illustration. I want you to turn to 2 Chronicles 14. 2 Chronicles 14. I want you to look at this. 2 Chronicles 14.

Here's what happened to Asa, king of Judah. They were going out against the Ethiopians. 2 Chronicles 14 verse 9, "And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah." Now, let me spell that out for you. Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa and Judah. He had a million soldiers, a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots. Watch, if you would please, at verse 10. "Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah."

Now, let me point something else out. I want you to look, if you would please. Here's this verse 8. "And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour."

Now, what does that mean? That means this. That means Asa had 580,000 soldiers. Huh. And Zerah had a million soldiers. And 300 chariots.

We could say 300 tanks because that's about what the chariots were in those days. So Judah is outnumbered two to one besides the chariots. Well, look, if you would please, beginning with verse 11. "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil."

The battle is not to the strong, no, the race to the swift. The battle does not belong to those who have natural abilities or numerical superiority. Let me ask you, what happens when natural abilities fail? What happens when numerical superiority fails? Men break up, because their foundations break up. Here they were destroyed. The only sure foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. That's the only sure foundation. Our confidence is to be in Christ.

Applications: Build on the Sure Foundation

Weaver urges believers to examine their foundation, trust only in Christ, and find safety in the Lord, who is a strong tower for the righteous.

He is the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He controls history. He has ordained it. The elements are His, not man's. Preparations mean nothing without His blessings. Natural ability and numerical superiority means nothing when God is against you. Let me make just two applications. I hope you understand, first of all, that foundations are important. Not just in the area of construction of houses, but personal and spiritual foundations are the most important of all because they must be built solidly upon the word of God and upon the Lord Jesus Christ. What did God say?

"Behold, I lay in Zion a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." We don't have to worry. We don't have to run around, you know the expression, like chickens with their heads cut off. Why? Because we have a sure, solid foundation in Christ. The second is this: Confidence in the time of danger is equally important. Because we must have a place of safety. I love Proverbs 18 and verse 10.

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. And I'm going to preach upon this next text shortly, Lord willing. Psalm 127 verse 1. "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

So the question is, who is your confidence? What is your foundation? In whom do you trust? If you have any other foundation other than Jesus Christ and His Word, your foundation shall crumble and be destroyed. And when your foundation breaks up, so will you. The Apostle Paul said, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Let's pray. Father, we ask you to help us to understand the absolute importance of building upon thy word and upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sure foundation. Lord, many in our country have turned from Thee. Our leaders have turned from Thee. Our government has turned from Thee. And according to Your Word, that foundation will be destroyed.

It will be broken up. For thy glory thou wilt not share with another, and neither will you give your praise to graven images. Give us grace and give us mercy, Lord, that we may trust in thee and not the natural elements, that, yes, we may fulfill our responsibilities and prepare, but, Lord, we do so in faith, asking your blessing and your protection. And help us not to fear man, nor natural abilities, nor numerical superiority, for Thou art superior to everyone and everything, and we rest in Thee and trust in Thee.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Necessity of a Sure Foundation

Summary: Every person builds their life on some foundation; only Jesus Christ provides a stable, everlasting foundation that will withstand judgment.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 7:24–27 and 1 Corinthians 3:11 to argue that false foundations will be destroyed, while the righteous are built on Christ.

God’s Sovereignty Over Creation

Summary: God controls all natural elements and uses them for His glory and the good of His people, as shown when He stopped the Jordan River.

Evidence: The sermon references Joshua 3:15–16, Psalm 114:3–5, and Job 38:22–23 to demonstrate God’s command over floods and weather.

The Futility of Human Preparations Without God

Summary: Personal preparations, like Jericho’s walls and supplies, are useless without God’s blessing; true security comes from faith, not human effort.

Evidence: Weaver discusses Joshua 6:1–5, archaeological findings, and Luke 12:17–21 to show that preparations apart from God lead to destruction.

God’s Sovereignty Over Human Strength and Numbers

Summary: Numerical superiority and natural abilities cannot prevail against God’s will; He ordains victory and defeat according to His purpose.

Evidence: The sermon uses Joshua 9:1–2, 2 Chronicles 14:9–15, and Ecclesiastes 9:11 to illustrate that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Faith as the Only True Confidence

Summary: Believers must place their confidence entirely in Christ and His Word, not in worldly securities, because He alone is the sure foundation.

Evidence: Weaver’s personal testimony (157.8–443.9) and his closing appeal (3419.5–3625.5) emphasize resting in Jesus alone.

Key Arguments

False foundations will be exposed and destroyed by God.

Summary: God promises to break down walls built with untempered mortar, symbolizing the destruction of all confidences not rooted in Him.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Ezekiel 13:14 and Isaiah 28:16, explaining that God will not share His glory with idols or false trusts.

The crossing of the Jordan was a direct assault on Canaanite trust in nature.

Summary: By stopping the flooded Jordan, God demonstrated that Baal and natural barriers are powerless before Him, shattering the wicked’s confidence.

Evidence: The sermon notes that the Canaanites viewed the river as sacred, and its miraculous halting proved God’s supremacy (Joshua 3:15–16).

Jericho’s walls fell by faith, not by human might or natural disaster.

Summary: Hebrews 11:30 attributes the collapse to faith, showing that God honors trust in Him over reliance on fortifications.

Evidence: Weaver cites archaeological reports and Hebrews 11:30–31 to argue that the walls fell in response to Israel’s faith, not an earthquake.

Human strength and numbers are irrelevant when God opposes a people.

Summary: The Canaanite coalition and the Ethiopian army were defeated despite superior forces because God ordained their destruction.

Evidence: The sermon references Joshua 9:1–2, 2 Chronicles 14:9–15, and Ecclesiastes 9:11 to prove that victory comes from the Lord.

Salvation and security are found exclusively in Jesus Christ.

Summary: No other foundation can be laid except Christ; believers must rest their entire confidence in Him for salvation and daily life.

Evidence: Weaver repeatedly quotes 1 Corinthians 3:11 and shares his personal testimony of trusting only in Christ’s finished work.

Scripture References

Joshua 3:9–17

Context: The primary text describing the crossing of the Jordan and the stopping of the waters.

Jonah 2:9

Context: Quoted to affirm that salvation is of the Lord.

Matthew 4:4

Context: Cited to show believers must live by every word of God.

Romans 8:29

Context: Mentioned as the goal of salvation: conformity to Christ’s image.

Ephesians 2:8–10

Context: Quoted to emphasize salvation by grace through faith, not works.

Philippians 2:12–13

Context: Cited to show God works in believers to will and do His good pleasure.

Matthew 7:24–27

Context: Used to illustrate the wise and foolish builders and the necessity of a solid foundation.

Job 4:19

Context: Quoted to describe the fragility of those whose foundation is in the dust.

Ezekiel 13:14

Context: Cited to show God will break down walls built with untempered mortar.

Isaiah 28:16

Context: Quoted to identify Christ as the sure foundation laid in Zion.

1 Corinthians 3:11

Context: Repeatedly cited as the key verse that no foundation can be laid other than Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 10:25

Context: Quoted to contrast the temporary wicked with the everlasting righteous foundation.

Ephesians 2:20

Context: Cited to explain that believers are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as cornerstone.

2 Timothy 2:19

Context: Quoted to affirm that God’s foundation stands sure, sealed by His knowledge of His own.

Joshua 2:8–13

Context: Rahab’s confession of God’s sovereignty and her request for protection.

Hebrews 11:31

Context: Cited to show Rahab was saved by faith, not perishing with the unbelievers.

Isaiah 42:8

Context: Quoted to explain why God destroys false foundations: He will not give His glory to another.

Job 28:11

Context: Cited to show God binds the floods from overflowing.

Psalm 29:10

Context: Quoted to declare the Lord sits enthroned over the flood.

Psalm 114:1–5

Context: Read to poetically describe the Jordan being driven back at Israel’s crossing.

Historical References

Archaeological reports on Jericho’s walls

Context: Weaver cites findings by John Garstang and Kathleen Kenyon describing the massive fortifications and the destruction layer, supporting the biblical account.

Battle of Thermopylae

Context: Mentioned as an example of a small force withstanding a larger army, illustrating natural fighting ability, but contrasted with God’s sovereignty.

Important Quotes

My confidence is in Him alone. My salvation, as well as yours if you're a believer, my salvation depends completely upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Significance: Establishes the central thesis that the believer’s only sure foundation is Christ, setting up the contrast with the wicked’s false confidences.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Significance: The key verse repeated throughout the sermon to anchor the argument that all other foundations are doomed to fail.

The flood waters of the Jordan to the people of Jericho demonstrated Baal's power to save them.

Significance: Explains the cultural and religious significance of the river, showing why God’s miracle was a direct assault on Canaanite idolatry.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Significance: Highlights that the victory was not by human strategy or natural causes but by faith, underscoring the sermon’s call to trust God.

Preparations without faith are worthless.

Significance: Summarizes the second main point that human readiness cannot substitute for reliance on God’s blessing.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Significance: Provides the positive application: believers have a secure refuge in God, contrasting with the crumbling foundations of the wicked.

Discussion Questions

What are some modern examples of 'natural elements' that people trust in for security instead of God?

Context: Based on the first confidence of the wicked—trust in natural barriers like the Jordan River.

How can we balance making practical preparations with maintaining faith in God’s protection?

Context: Arising from the discussion that preparations are demanded but worthless without faith (Proverbs 6:6–8; Luke 12:17–21).

In what ways do we rely on 'numerical superiority' or majority opinion rather than on God’s sovereignty?

Context: Related to the third confidence—trust in numbers and natural abilities (Joshua 9:1–2; 2 Chronicles 14).

Why does God refuse to share His glory with idols or human achievements?

Context: Stemming from Isaiah 42:8 and the destruction of Egypt’s gods in the plagues.

How does Rahab’s change of foundation encourage us to share our faith with those who seem far from God?

Context: Based on Rahab’s confession and her inclusion in Hebrews 11:31 as an example of faith.

Applications

Examine your foundation

Summary: Believers should evaluate whether their ultimate trust is in Christ alone or in worldly securities like finances, health, or human relationships.

Evidence: Weaver repeatedly asks, 'In whom do you trust?' and warns that false foundations will crumble (464.4–828.4).

Make preparations in faith

Summary: While Scripture commands prudent preparation, it must be done with reliance on God’s blessing, not self-sufficiency.

Evidence: The sermon cites Proverbs 6:6–8 and Luke 12:17–21 to show that preparations without faith are worthless (2632.2–2737.5).

Do not fear human power or numbers

Summary: Christians should not be intimidated by the apparent strength of worldly systems or majorities, because God controls all outcomes.

Evidence: Weaver uses 2 Chronicles 14 and Ecclesiastes 9:11 to argue that victory is determined by God, not human might (3053.1–3417.6).

Run to the Lord as your strong tower

Summary: In times of danger, believers are to actively seek refuge in God through prayer and trust in His promises.

Evidence: The closing appeal quotes Proverbs 18:10 and Psalm 127:1, urging reliance on the Lord for safety (3521.6–3625.5).

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:40:30Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:01:29Z

Clean Transcript

The Confidences of the Wicked

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, today to the book of Joshua, chapter 3. The book of Joshua, chapter 3. And we'll read verses 9 through 17. The title of the message today is "The Confidences of the Wicked." The Confidences of the Wicked. Notice in Joshua, chapter 3, and let's begin reading with verse 9. Joshua 3, verse 9. "And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites."
#1 | 0:17 to 1:05 | cleaned
"Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan."
#2 | 1:06 to 2:01 | cleaned
"And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." Let me begin today with a personal testimony, and you will see why I'm giving this just momentarily. I trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
#3 | 2:02 to 2:36 | cleaned
My confidence is in Him alone. My salvation, as well as yours if you're a believer, my salvation depends completely upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His life, His merits, His grace, and His mercy that sustain me. I am nothing and I can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. My salvation rests totally and completely upon Him. I cannot save myself. I cannot even help save myself. The Bible says in the book of Jonah chapter 2 and verse 9 that salvation is of the Lord. Since Christ has saved me, my desire is to bring my life into conformity to the Word of God. I have been instructed like you according to Matthew 4 and verse 4 where our Lord said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
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Likewise, I and each of you who are believers have been commanded by Christ not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. And the ultimate end and the ultimate goal of our salvation, according to Romans 8 and verse 29, is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That means this: any good deeds, any works of grace and mercy that are in my life and that are in your life are simply the outworking of His grace and His mercy in each one of us. That's why the Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Likewise, the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will
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and to do of his good pleasure." So it is God who works it in and we have the responsibility to work it out. That means whatever good we have in us is only by His grace. Any good, any gracious, any righteous, any holy thing that is done by us or comes from us originated only in His grace and mercy in us. One of my favorite hymns is entitled, "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place."
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Let me just give you two stanzas. "My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed; I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead. Enough for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt; A sinful soul I come to Him, He'll never cast me out. I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me."
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And then the second stanza, "My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God, Salvation by my Savior's name, salvation by the Savior's blood. The great Physician heals the sick, the lost He came to save; For me His precious blood He shed, for me His life He gave. I need no other argument, I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me." The hymn is expressive of the faith and confidence of every child of God. And if you are a child of God by faith, then your heart echoes every sentiment that I have just enunciated. My wife can tell you I've often remarked to her and probably to many of you as well, that I just do not understand and I cannot conceive in my mind how any man or any woman can live today without Jesus Christ, especially in this world of danger and disappointment. I cannot even imagine what it is like to live without faith, and to be honest with you, I don't want to try to imagine what it is like to live without faith.
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You have to ask this question. Since we as believers trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and unbelievers do not, in whom do they trust or in what do they trust?
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Now I want you to stop and think about this. Every man has to have a foundation. Now it is true that that foundation may be an unstable one. It may be a shaky one. But everyone has to have a foundation. Everyone has to believe in something. Everyone has to believe in someone. You remember what our Lord said in Matthew 7 in verses 24 through 27? Let me just read it to you. Our Lord says this: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
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So our Lord is telling us that basically everyone has to have a foundation. You either have a solid foundation or you have a foundation that is very unstable and very shaky. In other words, the Word of God is telling us that a false foundation is worthless and useless. In Job 4 and verse 19, let me just quote some of these verses. We're going to be turning to a lot of passages just momentarily. But in Job 4 and verse 19, the Word of God says this: "How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?" Now I want you to note the question, "which are crushed before the moth." In other words, those who are not built upon Jesus Christ, their foundation is so unstable and so shaky that even a moth lighting upon it will destroy it. Then he said in Ezekiel 13 in verse 14, God said, "So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye
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shall know that I am the Lord." Now note, God said, "I'm going to break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar, and your foundation is going to be exposed and then it's going to fall." I remember the first time I ever tried to build a brick wall. I worked some with a brick mason and one time, you know, and you think you know everything after you do something one time. So I was going to build myself a little barbecue pit. And I had this wall, just a single wall. It took me just about all day to build the thing. And I was trying to make sure it was just right. And finally, I got my brick mason friend to come over and look at it. And I said, "What do you think of my wall?" He looked at it. He walked around it. Finally, he said, "Huh," and kicked it.
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And all my bricks fell down. Because the mortar wasn't right. And all he did was just kick, and the wall totally fell down. That's exactly what God says. God said, "I will expose your foundation. And if it's not a solid foundation, it will be crumbled." Now, why in the world will God, in His righteous judgment, expose and destroy all false foundations? Well, the answer is very simple. In Isaiah 28 and verse 16, here's what the Scripture says: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."
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Now Peter tells us that that foundation is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." So when He said in Isaiah 28, "I will lay a foundation," that foundation is Jesus Christ.
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Now the Bible says in Proverbs 10 and verse 25, "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." Now wait a minute, "as the whirlwind passeth, the wicked are no more. But the righteous is an everlasting foundation." How can the righteous be an everlasting foundation? Well, the answer is found in Ephesians 2 and verse 20, where we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. By the way, one of my favorite verses is found in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 19. Listen to this: "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Based upon the Word of God, it should be obvious that everyone has a foundation. The foundation may be a stable one or it may be an unstable one, but everyone has a foundation and everyone who has a false foundation will ultimately have that foundation collapsed and destroyed by the righteous judgment of God.
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Now you say, "Pastor, I know all of that. What in the world has that got to do with Joshua chapter three?" Well, I'm glad you asked because I want to tell you, I want to show you what differing foundations have to do with Joshua chapter three. And to show you that, look in Joshua chapter two. Notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 8. Everyone knows the story of Rahab. Notice Joshua 2, verse 8. The two spies have gotten there.
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She has hidden them on her roof under flax. Verse 8, "And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt,
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neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
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Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token." Now, without me expounding this passage, I want you to note that Rahab acknowledged and confessed the sovereignty of God, the providence of God, the power of God, the protection of God, the punishment of God, and she said that not only because of God, but because of the children of Israel, that their terror had fallen upon every one of them that did not believe.
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Now Rahab was ready, willing, and eager to change her foundation structure. She was no longer interested in the heathenistic, non-biblical foundation. Instead of trusting in what the wicked trust in, she was now willing to rely upon the Lord God of Israel. How do I know that? Because the Bible says specifically in Hebrews 11 and verse 31, "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." Notice it was by faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that believed not. So she switched foundations. She said, "I'm not going to be trusting in the same thing the rest of these people are trusting in."
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Now, if she changed foundations, if her confidence changed, you have to ask, what was her confidence previously? What were the confidences of all the other people of Jericho, of all the other Canaanites? In what did they trust? In whom did they trust? And what was their foundation built upon?
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Now, let me remind you of something before I show you from Joshua 3. Do you remember the 10 plagues in Egypt? Without me going into this, do you realize that each one of those 10 plagues was directed at a god of Egypt? Egypt was polytheistic. They believed in many gods. Finally, you remember Pharaoh himself believed himself to be God, and the last plague, the firstborn of every family died. Even Pharaoh was powerless to save his own child, which was exposing him as being no god at all and having no power at all. In other words, the ten plagues were destroying the foundation upon which all the people of Egypt stood upon, believed in, and relied upon. Why did God destroy the false foundations of Egypt?
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Let me ask this question another way. Why is God destroying the false foundations and the wicked confidences of the Canaanites? Here's why. Isaiah 42, verse 8. Listen carefully. God says, "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." God said, "I'm not going to let some dumb idol take my praise and my glory. I'm not going to do that." Well, let's ask this question. What were the confidences of the wicked in Jericho? And we could also ask, are these same confidences prevalent in our land today? Let me give you the first one. The Canaanites in Jericho trusted, first of all, in the natural elements. In the natural elements. Look in Joshua 3 and verse 15.
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"And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest)." Now scripture is telling us that Jordan is overflowing all of its banks. It was in flood stage. The Jordan River is mentioned nearly 200 times in our Bibles. The fast flowing waters, especially during flood stage, created a natural barrier between Canaan and the lands to the east. The Jordan River begins at the foot of Mount Hermon and travels about 25 miles before it empties into the Sea of Galilee. And from the Sea of Galilee, it then travels about 65 miles down into the Dead Sea. And believe it or not, the Jordan River normally is very surprisingly narrow, only about 50 to 75 feet wide. But during flood stage it can be as much as a mile wide. And during flood stage the waters are flowing fast and furiously and anyone who gets in that water is certain to drown.
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So here then are the Israelites on one side, the people of Jericho on the other side, and here's this natural element, let's see how the heathen like to call it, "mother nature," is in between the Canaanites and the Israelites. Now you have to ask the question, why did God bring the Israelites to fight against Jericho while the river was in its flood stage? Could he not have timed it differently? Could he not have timed it where the water was not overflowing, where there was a narrow passage? Well, of course he could have. But when he brings the children of Israel there at flood stage, guess what?
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They are now forced to trust in him. They're not only forced to trust in him, but it's going to magnify His power as well as His kindness to Israel.
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Now, let me point out something. We tend to think humanistically although we're Christians. If you were an Israelite on this side of Jordan, and Jordan's overflowing all of its banks, wouldn't you tend to think, "The wicked have an advantage over us. How in the world are we going to get across this river without drowning? How are we going to get over there to fight?" We tend to think that somehow, some way, the wicked always have a superior advantage, which is not so. Because God is going to show us in this passage that the wicked do not have an advantage, no matter how perceived that advantage is in our own minds.
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And in all probability, the Canaanites were very pleased with this timing. I mean, because come on now, here they are sitting back in their fortress, and yet here's this river at flood stage. And according to Rahab's own testimony, they've already heard about Sihon and Og, and how the Israelites had killed them. They'd already heard about what God did to the Egyptians. But now at least the river's in the flood stage and it's going to be for some while and so, you know, they're pretty safe. The flood waters of the Jordan to the people of Jericho demonstrated Baal's power to save them. Many ancient people considered their homeland rivers sacred and still do. The people of India revere the Ganges. The Egyptians honored the Nile. For those pagans who lived in Canaan, especially in Jericho, they viewed the Jordan River, especially as it overflowed its banks, as symbolizing the power and the protection of their fertility gods, the Baals. So when God stopped the flow of the Jordan River, when God allowed his people to walk across on dry land, He first destroyed their foundation of trusting in Mother Nature.
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The natural elements was not their God. Think about this great miracle for a moment. The crossing of the Jordan River in its flood stage, dry ground by approximately 2 million people, was a great miracle. In this miracle, God was glorified, Joshua was exalted, Israel was encouraged, and the Canaanites terrified. Now I want you to look in verse 16. I want you to look what God did. He says, "that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho." Wow. Now, God cut the waters off, He says, "very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan."
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That is about 18 miles away. God stopped the waters 18 miles away. When God stopped the waters on this side and the waters over here, it wasn't muddy land that they went across. It was dry land. God also allowed all the moisture in that soil to go out as well. So here is a huge opening. The children of Israel, therefore, did not have to wait. They did not have to go around.
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They did not have to look for possible fords. They just simply walked out, walked across on dry land, right straight to the city. You know what the Bible says in Job 28 verse 11? Listen to this: "He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light." What does God do? God binds the floods from overflowing. Then Psalm 29 verse 10 says this:
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"The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever." The Lord is the one who controls the floods. I want you to hold Joshua 3, but look in your Bibles to Psalm 114. Here's a reference to what happened in Joshua chapter 3. I love this. Look in Psalm 114. The whole Psalm is wonderful. Psalm 114. But notice if you would please, especially verses 3 and 5 because they particularly relate to this incident. Psalm 114, notice if you would please verse 1.
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"When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs."
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Now, I love verse 5. "What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" Oh, what was wrong with you? You had no control over yourself. No one else could control you, but God had control over you, and God drove you back. In Job 38, verses 22 through 37, the Bible tells us that God has control over all of the elements. In fact, let me just read from Job 38. Listen to verses 22 and 23. God said, "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" What is God saying? God is saying that all of the elements are under His control. He controls the rain. He controls the hail. He controls the dew. He controls everything. Very quickly, let me quote this in Jeremiah 10 and verse 13. The Bible says, "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.
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He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures." And then, of course, in Jeremiah 14 and verse 22, the question is asked, "Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things." So God is the only one who can give rain. God is the only one who can withhold rain. God is in control of all the elements. Now let me ask you a question.
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If you were inside the city of Jericho, and you looked out and saw your Baal, your God, the natural element of that Jordan River overflowing its bank, and you saw the enemy on the other side, and you thought, "Mm-hmm, my God's got him." And all of a sudden, the water stood on a heap, the land was dry, and your enemy walked across on dry ground right in front of you. What would you think? Would you begin to think, "I might be in trouble"?
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My foundation may be breaking up. I may have been trusting in the wrong things. The very first thing they had a confidence in was that natural boundary, that natural element, and God just simply wiped out their confidence. He destroyed them. May I remind you of 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11? I've quoted it earlier. The Apostle Paul said, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." God is in control of all of the elements.
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And He uses them for His glory and for the good of His people. Here's the second confidence. If you will look in your Bibles to Joshua chapter 6 and verse 1. Joshua 6 and verse 1. Their second confidence is this: These Canaanites trusted in their personal preparations. Not only in the natural elements, but their personal preparations.
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Now the Bible says, "Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in." Now I want you to understand something about Jericho. Jericho was an extremely well-built and strongly fortified city. It was surrounded by walls. And the fortress could only be obtained through the city gates. If you look back in your Bibles to Joshua 2, and look at verse 5. "And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not:
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pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them." Note, "it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate." Watch verse 7. "And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate." If you look in verse 15, "Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall." Look in chapter 6, if you would please, verse 5. "And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him." So here then is a strongly fortified city with a huge wall. You can only get in through the gate, and once you're in or out, they bar the gate.
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So Jericho then was surrounded by a huge wall which they believed was insurmountable and impenetrable. By the way, may I call your attention to the fact that in Joshua chapter 3, the Bible said that the river of Jordan overflowed all her banks during harvest time. So a harvest had just ended. So here the people are in this fortified city with plenty of food and undoubtedly plenty of water because it had been raining.
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Probably had springs in there as well. So when Israel walked across on dry land, I'm sure that they were concerned, but probably not that concerned because we've got this fortified city. We have these huge walls. We have plenty of food. Plenty of water. We can hold out for a long time. Let me read to you from Deuteronomy chapter 9, the first three verses, just to show you what the children of Israel should have known for God told them, listen carefully, Deuteronomy 9 verse 1, God says, "Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee."
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But notice what God said, "you're going to face a people that's greater than you, mightier than you, and they've got cities fenced up to heaven." Now, you and I both know that the fence or the wall did not go up to heaven, but that is an expression showing that those walls were really great. I want to read to you very quickly just a couple of archaeological reports on the excavation of Jericho. Listen carefully. One archaeologist has written, "The mound or the tell at Jericho was surrounded by a great earthen rampart or embankment with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was some four to five meters, that's 12 to 15 feet high." Now that's one thing to see a 12 to 15 foot high wall, a stone wall. On top of that was a mud brick wall 2 meters, that is 6 feet thick and about 6 to 8 meters, 20 to 26 feet high. So you already have a 12 to 15 foot stone wall. Now you've got a mud brick wall 6 feet thick and another 20 to 26 feet high.
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At the crest of the embankment was a similar mud brick wall whose base was roughly 14 meters, 46 feet above the ground level outside the retaining wall. This is what loomed high above the Israelites as they marched around the city each day for seven days. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for the Israelites to penetrate the impregnable bastion of Jericho. The citizens of Jericho were well prepared for a siege. A copious spring, which provided water for ancient as well as modern Jericho, lay inside the city walls. At the time of the attack, the harvest had just taken place, so the citizens had an abundant supply of food.
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This has been borne out by many large jars full of grain found in Canaanite homes by John Garstang in his excavation in the 1930s and also by Kathleen Kenyon. With a plentiful food supply and ample water, the inhabitants of Jericho could have held out for perhaps several years. Now, the Bible records that when Jericho was stormed, the walls collapsed and everything in the city was destroyed. You can read about that.
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I'm not going to do so, but in Joshua 6, verses 16 through 24. Now, here's another archaeologist, Kathleen Kenyon. In her excavation report, she wrote this: "The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils. In most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt." Now listen to this. She writes this: "What caused the strong walls of Jericho to collapse? The most likely explanation that is usually given is that the walls fell because of an earthquake. If God used an earthquake, it was an unusual one,
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because it struck in such a way as to allow a portion of the city wall on the north side of the site to remain standing while everywhere else the wall fell." Why would only a portion of the wall be left standing? The answer, of course, is given to us in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6, where was Rahab's house? Upon the wall. Every one of her family got into that house. And she says this, Rahab's house was upon the wall and God sovereignly preserved the wall in that area so as to spare Rahab and her family. Isn't that amazing?
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And we're told, I read it earlier but let me read it again, in Hebrews 11 verses 30 and 31, listen, that the walls did not fall because of an earthquake. They fell in response to faith. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." It's interesting that the scripture says that Rahab perished not with them that believed not. Simply stated, Rahab had come to trust in the Lord God of Israel.
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So the question has to be asked, what happened to the foundations of those who believed not? They were destroyed. What good was all of their preparations? Did them no good at all. Preparations are useless and they fail to protect in time of danger without the blessings of God.
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Now let me show you another incident. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 5. Here's another incident that will equal, in one sense of the word, the conquest of Jericho.
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David is about to conquer Jerusalem. Look what happens. 2 Samuel 5 and verse 5. Talking about David, "In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." Now, here's what happened. The Jebusites believed that their fort was so fortified and so strong they mocked David and said, "Unless you can defeat the blind and the lame, you can't come in here.
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Even the blind and the lame can keep you out of Jerusalem. You can't possibly win." But he did. But he did. The point I'm trying to make is this: Personal preparations without the blessings of God are worthless. What were these people of Jericho trusting in? Not only the natural elements, but their own personal preparations.
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Now, let me emphasize a biblical truth here. It's evident from the Bible that preparations are demanded. What did he say in Proverbs chapter six? "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." The Bible tells you in Proverbs 22 verse 3, Proverbs 27 verse 12, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." The Bible does teach that yes, we must make preparations.
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One of these days, probably as old as Dr. Holmes or something. I mean, you know, I won't get feeble. No, I'm older than he is. But you know, preparations. What about destruction of society? Preparations. But the point I'm trying to make is this: Preparations without faith are worthless. You remember that passage in Luke 12, don't turn there. Verses 17 through 21. The rich farmer, he said, "What shall I do,
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because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
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then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Preparations in and of themselves are worthless. In all of our preparations, in all of our defenses, we must seek the blessing and the protection of God. Let me tell you something, folks. When foundations break up, so do men. When foundations break up, so does society. Our preparations are worthless without His blessings.
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Now, let me show you the third confidence of the wicked. They not only trusted in the natural elements, they not only trusted in their personal preparation, but thirdly, they trusted in their natural abilities and their numerical superiority. Go back in your Bibles and look to Joshua chapter 9. Joshua chapter 9 and look at verses 1 and 2. We're talking about numerical superiority and natural ability. The Bible says, "And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord." Now, wait a minute. Man alive, here are all of these kings and all these people getting together now to fight against Israel. Now, there were probably 2 million people that crossed over Jordan, but that included women and children. You might have had 7 or 800,000 fighting men, but now 7 or 800,000 fighting men are probably facing several million.
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They're all coming together. Do you realize there are many people that possess natural strength and abilities? Goliath of Gath, his brethren are certainly examples of that. Down through history, there have been warring tribes and factions and nations. Even the Spartans are known for their fighting ability. Everyone knows the story about the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans withstood hundreds of thousands of Persians for the longest. The Canaanites evidently were a very warlike people and they certainly possessed a great army. And they amassed that army very quickly. Now, I don't know how many people lived in Jericho. But I do know that there were a great many Canaanites that lived in the land. They may have wanted to help Jericho, but possibly could not have. Yet, after its fall, they all banded together to fight. And let me tell you one reason they were banding together. They were not just going to fight Israel. According to Joshua 10, you don't have to read there now, but according to Joshua 10 verses 1 through 5, they were going to fight the Gibeonites.
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They were going to destroy the Gibeonites. Now, let me tell you who the Gibeonites were. The Gibeonites were Amorites. These were the people, you remember, that deceived Joshua and the other people and made peace with them. And God would not allow Joshua and Israel to kill the Gibeonites since they had made peace with them. But they made them drawers of water and hewers of wood. They made them their slaves. So the Gibeonites, who were Amorites, who should have been destroyed, were now not going to be destroyed because God made Israel honor her word. And the Gibeonites were to live among them as their slaves. Guess what now? All the other Amorites band together to come over and kill the Gibeonites, who were fellow Amorites. It's amazing that wicked men will turn on each other and seek to destroy each other simply because of a perceived advantage. "Well, you're not going to have to fight like the way we are, so we'll just kill you too." Isn't that amazing?
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That should be encouraging in our day and time. Listen, God can turn the swords of wicked men upon each other. Wow! The Gibeonites were no longer under the gun, so to speak, and so the rest of the Amorites said, "Look, we'll just kill you too and we'll fight against the Israelites." So all these kings came together to fight against Gibeon and the Israelites. And who could withstand such superiority of firepower and such numerical advantage that the Amorites had? Well, the answer is God can. Because all you have to do is read Joshua 10 verses 6 through 25 where God allowed Israel to wipe them all out. Numerical advantage and natural abilities mean nothing to God.
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I love Ecclesiastes 9:11 where Solomon said, "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Now, let me explain the word chance. The word chance does not mean what you and I think of when we talk about chance.
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"Well, I'll buy a lottery ticket. I'll take a chance. Or I'll jaywalk. I'll take a chance."
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Now, the word chance here in the Hebrew means a current or incident. It has nothing to do with what the world calls fate or luck or chance, rather what it does teach is that everything is done in its own time as God by His providence orders it. Events do not happen according to the will of man. Events do not happen according to some clock that has been wound up. Events do not happen by haphazard measures. Events come to pass only because God has foreordained them in time and in history.
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That's what he means when he says, "the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, neither bread to the wise nor riches to the understanding in favour of the men of skills." No, no, no. It doesn't come about because you have all those abilities. It comes about because God has ordained it. That's what he's saying. That's why in Acts 15 in verse 18, the Bible says, "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."
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Stop and think about this. Victory, the rise and fall of armies, the rise and fall of leaders, the rise and fall of nations are all in God's hand and not in the hand of man. Therefore, there is no reason to fear the greatest nation, the greatest power, the greatest ruler. No. Because they're all in the hand of God. Let me give you one other illustration. I want you to turn to 2 Chronicles 14. 2 Chronicles 14. I want you to look at this. 2 Chronicles 14.
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Here's what happened to Asa, king of Judah. They were going out against the Ethiopians. 2 Chronicles 14 verse 9, "And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah."
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Now, let me spell that out for you. Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa and Judah. He had a million soldiers, a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots. Watch, if you would please, at verse 10. "Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah."
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Now, let me point something else out. I want you to look, if you would please. Here's this verse 8. "And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour."
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Now, what does that mean? That means this. That means Asa had 580,000 soldiers. Huh. And Zerah had a million soldiers. And 300 chariots.
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We could say 300 tanks because that's about what the chariots were in those days. So Judah is outnumbered two to one besides the chariots. Well, look, if you would please, beginning with verse 11. "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee,
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and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil."
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The battle is not to the strong, no, the race to the swift. The battle does not belong to those who have natural abilities or numerical superiority. Let me ask you, what happens when natural abilities fail? What happens when numerical superiority fails? Men break up, because their foundations break up. Here they were destroyed. The only sure foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. That's the only sure foundation. Our confidence is to be in Christ.
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He is the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He controls history. He has ordained it. The elements are His, not man's. Preparations mean nothing without His blessings. Natural ability and numerical superiority means nothing when God is against you. Let me make just two applications. I hope you understand, first of all, that foundations are important. Not just in the area of construction of houses, but personal and spiritual foundations are the most important of all because they must be built solidly upon the word of God and upon the Lord Jesus Christ. What did God say?
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"Behold, I lay in Zion a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." We don't have to worry. We don't have to run around, you know the expression, like chickens with their heads cut off. Why? Because we have a sure, solid foundation in Christ. The second is this: Confidence in the time of danger is equally important. Because we must have a place of safety. I love Proverbs 18 and verse 10.
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"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. And I'm going to preach upon this next text shortly, Lord willing. Psalm 127 verse 1. "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
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So the question is, who is your confidence? What is your foundation? In whom do you trust? If you have any other foundation other than Jesus Christ and His Word, your foundation shall crumble and be destroyed. And when your foundation breaks up, so will you. The Apostle Paul said, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Let's pray. Father, we ask you to help us to understand the absolute importance of building upon thy word and upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sure foundation. Lord, many in our country have turned from Thee. Our leaders have turned from Thee. Our government has turned from Thee. And according to Your Word, that foundation will be destroyed.
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It will be broken up. For thy glory thou wilt not share with another, and neither will you give your praise to graven images. Give us grace and give us mercy, Lord, that we may trust in thee and not the natural elements, that, yes, we may fulfill our responsibilities and prepare, but, Lord, we do so in faith, asking your blessing and your protection. And help us not to fear man, nor natural abilities, nor numerical superiority, for Thou art superior to everyone and everything, and we rest in Thee and trust in Thee.
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In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:40:30Z

The Confidences of the Wicked

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines Joshua 3–6 to expose the false foundations of the wicked in Jericho—trust in natural elements, personal preparations, and numerical superiority—and contrasts them with the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. He argues that God destroys all false confidences to glorify Himself and calls believers to rest their faith solely in Christ and His Word.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Joshua 3:9–17

"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites." "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan." "And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan."

Let me begin today with a personal testimony, and you will see why I'm giving this just momentarily. I trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction: The Believer’s Confidence in Christ Alone

Weaver shares a personal testimony of trusting only in Jesus for salvation and sanctification, emphasizing that any good works are the outworking of God’s grace.

Scripture Reading — Jonah 2:9

My confidence is in Him alone. My salvation, as well as yours if you're a believer, my salvation depends completely upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His life, His merits, His grace, and His mercy that sustain me. I am nothing and I can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. My salvation rests totally and completely upon Him. I cannot save myself. I cannot even help save myself. The Bible says in the book of Jonah chapter 2 and verse 9 that salvation is of the Lord. Since Christ has saved me, my desire is to bring my life into conformity to the Word of God. I have been instructed like you according to Matthew 4 and verse 4 where our Lord said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Everyone Has a Foundation

Using Matthew 7:24–27, Weaver establishes that every person builds on either a solid or shaky foundation, and God will expose and destroy false foundations.

Scripture Reading — Job 4:19

"How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?"

Now I want you to note the question,

Scripture Reading — Job 4:19

"which are crushed before the moth."

Now Peter tells us that that foundation is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:11

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Rahab’s Change of Foundation

Rahab’s confession in Joshua 2 shows she abandoned the confidences of the wicked and trusted in the Lord God of Israel, as confirmed in Hebrews 11:31.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:31

" Notice it was by faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that believed not. So she switched foundations. She said, "

I'm not going to be trusting in the same thing the rest of these people are trusting in."

First Confidence: Trust in Natural Elements

The Canaanites trusted in the flooded Jordan River as a protective barrier, but God stopped the waters, demonstrating His control over nature and destroying their confidence.

Let me ask this question another way. Why is God destroying the false foundations and the wicked confidences of the Canaanites? Here's why. Isaiah 42, verse 8. Listen carefully. God says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 42:8

"I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 29:10

"The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever."

Second Confidence: Trust in Personal Preparations

Jericho’s strong walls and ample supplies gave a false sense of security, but God caused the walls to fall by faith, showing preparations without God’s blessing are worthless.

Third Confidence: Trust in Natural Abilities and Numerical Superiority

The Canaanite kings amassed a great army, but God gave Israel victory, proving that numerical advantage and human strength mean nothing against God’s sovereign will.

Biblical Illustrations of God’s Sovereignty Over Human Strength

Examples from 2 Chronicles 14 and Ecclesiastes 9:11 reinforce that victory and success come from God’s ordination, not human ability or numbers.

Now, what does that mean? That means this. That means Asa had 580,000 soldiers. Huh. And Zerah had a million soldiers. And 300 chariots.

Applications: Build on the Sure Foundation

Weaver urges believers to examine their foundation, trust only in Christ, and find safety in the Lord, who is a strong tower for the righteous.

The Confidences of the Wicked

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	bQaYZL7CALU
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans-Related Topical Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 138: Romans-Related Topical Applications — Chapter 8
Source Timed Segments	78

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Believer’s Confidence in Christ Alone: Weaver shares a personal testimony of trusting only in Jesus for salvation and sanctification, emphasizing that any good works are the outworking of God’s grace.
Everyone Has a Foundation: Using Matthew 7:24–27, Weaver establishes that every person builds on either a solid or shaky foundation, and God will expose and destroy false foundations.
Rahab’s Change of Foundation: Rahab’s confession in Joshua 2 shows she abandoned the confidences of the wicked and trusted in the Lord God of Israel, as confirmed in Hebrews 11:31.
First Confidence: Trust in Natural Elements: The Canaanites trusted in the flooded Jordan River as a protective barrier, but God stopped the waters, demonstrating His control over nature and destroying their confidence.
Second Confidence: Trust in Personal Preparations: Jericho’s strong walls and ample supplies gave a false sense of security, but God caused the walls to fall by faith, showing preparations without God’s blessing are worthless.
Third Confidence: Trust in Natural Abilities and Numerical Superiority: The Canaanite kings amassed a great army, but God gave Israel victory, proving that numerical advantage and human strength mean nothing against God’s sovereign will.
Biblical Illustrations of God’s Sovereignty Over Human Strength: Examples from 2 Chronicles 14 and Ecclesiastes 9:11 reinforce that victory and success come from God’s ordination, not human ability or numbers.
Applications: Build on the Sure Foundation: Weaver urges believers to examine their foundation, trust only in Christ, and find safety in the Lord, who is a strong tower for the righteous.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

False foundations will be exposed and destroyed by God.

God promises to break down walls built with untempered mortar, symbolizing the destruction of all confidences not rooted in Him.

Weaver quotes Ezekiel 13:14 and Isaiah 28:16, explaining that God will not share His glory with idols or false trusts.

The crossing of the Jordan was a direct assault on Canaanite trust in nature.

By stopping the flooded Jordan, God demonstrated that Baal and natural barriers are powerless before Him, shattering the wicked’s confidence.

The sermon notes that the Canaanites viewed the river as sacred, and its miraculous halting proved God’s supremacy (Joshua 3:15–16).

Jericho’s walls fell by faith, not by human might or natural disaster.

Hebrews 11:30 attributes the collapse to faith, showing that God honors trust in Him over reliance on fortifications.

Weaver cites archaeological reports and Hebrews 11:30–31 to argue that the walls fell in response to Israel’s faith, not an earthquake.

Human strength and numbers are irrelevant when God opposes a people.

The Canaanite coalition and the Ethiopian army were defeated despite superior forces because God ordained their destruction.

The sermon references Joshua 9:1–2, 2 Chronicles 14:9–15, and Ecclesiastes 9:11 to prove that victory comes from the Lord.

Salvation and security are found exclusively in Jesus Christ.

No other foundation can be laid except Christ; believers must rest their entire confidence in Him for salvation and daily life.

Weaver repeatedly quotes 1 Corinthians 3:11 and shares his personal testimony of trusting only in Christ’s finished work.

Scripture References

Joshua 3:9–17: The primary text describing the crossing of the Jordan and the stopping of the waters.
Jonah 2:9: Quoted to affirm that salvation is of the Lord.
Matthew 4:4: Cited to show believers must live by every word of God.
Romans 8:29: Mentioned as the goal of salvation: conformity to Christ’s image.
Ephesians 2:8–10: Quoted to emphasize salvation by grace through faith, not works.
Philippians 2:12–13: Cited to show God works in believers to will and do His good pleasure.
Matthew 7:24–27: Used to illustrate the wise and foolish builders and the necessity of a solid foundation.
Job 4:19: Quoted to describe the fragility of those whose foundation is in the dust.
Ezekiel 13:14: Cited to show God will break down walls built with untempered mortar.
Isaiah 28:16: Quoted to identify Christ as the sure foundation laid in Zion.
1 Corinthians 3:11: Repeatedly cited as the key verse that no foundation can be laid other than Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 10:25: Quoted to contrast the temporary wicked with the everlasting righteous foundation.
Ephesians 2:20: Cited to explain that believers are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as cornerstone.
2 Timothy 2:19: Quoted to affirm that God’s foundation stands sure, sealed by His knowledge of His own.
Joshua 2:8–13: Rahab’s confession of God’s sovereignty and her request for protection.
Hebrews 11:31: Cited to show Rahab was saved by faith, not perishing with the unbelievers.
Isaiah 42:8: Quoted to explain why God destroys false foundations: He will not give His glory to another.
Job 28:11: Cited to show God binds the floods from overflowing.
Psalm 29:10: Quoted to declare the Lord sits enthroned over the flood.
Psalm 114:1–5: Read to poetically describe the Jordan being driven back at Israel’s crossing.

Historical References

Archaeological reports on Jericho’s walls: Weaver cites findings by John Garstang and Kathleen Kenyon describing the massive fortifications and the destruction layer, supporting the biblical account.
Battle of Thermopylae: Mentioned as an example of a small force withstanding a larger army, illustrating natural fighting ability, but contrasted with God’s sovereignty.

Important Quotes

My confidence is in Him alone. My salvation, as well as yours if you're a believer, my salvation depends completely upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Establishes the central thesis that the believer’s only sure foundation is Christ, setting up the contrast with the wicked’s false confidences.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The key verse repeated throughout the sermon to anchor the argument that all other foundations are doomed to fail.

The flood waters of the Jordan to the people of Jericho demonstrated Baal's power to save them.

Explains the cultural and religious significance of the river, showing why God’s miracle was a direct assault on Canaanite idolatry.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Highlights that the victory was not by human strategy or natural causes but by faith, underscoring the sermon’s call to trust God.

Preparations without faith are worthless.

Summarizes the second main point that human readiness cannot substitute for reliance on God’s blessing.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Provides the positive application: believers have a secure refuge in God, contrasting with the crumbling foundations of the wicked.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What are some modern examples of 'natural elements' that people trust in for security instead of God?

[Context]

Based on the first confidence of the wicked—trust in natural barriers like the Jordan River.

[Question]

How can we balance making practical preparations with maintaining faith in God’s protection?

[Context]

Arising from the discussion that preparations are demanded but worthless without faith (Proverbs 6:6–8; Luke 12:17–21).

[Question]

In what ways do we rely on 'numerical superiority' or majority opinion rather than on God’s sovereignty?

[Context]

Related to the third confidence—trust in numbers and natural abilities (Joshua 9:1–2; 2 Chronicles 14).

[Question]

Why does God refuse to share His glory with idols or human achievements?

[Context]

Stemming from Isaiah 42:8 and the destruction of Egypt’s gods in the plagues.

[Question]

How does Rahab’s change of foundation encourage us to share our faith with those who seem far from God?

[Context]

Based on Rahab’s confession and her inclusion in Hebrews 11:31 as an example of faith.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:01:29Z