Obedience and God's Faithfulness: Lessons from Joshua

Sep 13, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stones That Speak When Children Ask

After crossing the Jordan, God commanded Israel to stack twelve stones as a memorial. These stones were not silent rocks but teachers. When future generations asked, “What do these mean?” parents would recount how God held back raging waters so His people could walk on dry ground. The stones anchored faith to tangible history, forcing Israel to remember Yahweh’s power in moments of doubt. Obedience here meant building a landmark for questions not yet asked. Faith thrives when we create markers of God’s intervention, even if their purpose feels unclear today. [32:54]

“When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
(Joshua 4:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: What “stones” have you intentionally placed in your life or family to remind others of God’s faithfulness? How might you answer a child’s question about His work in your story?

Day 2: Circumcision Before Conquest

Before facing Jericho, God ordered Israel to circumcise their men—a painful, vulnerable act on the eve of battle. Spiritual readiness mattered more than military strategy. The ritual reminded them that victory flowed from covenant identity, not human strength. Trusting God’s timing meant pausing to address inward obedience before outward conquest. Surrender often looks like prioritizing holiness over immediate progress. [33:57]

“At that time the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.’ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.”
(Joshua 5:2–4, ESV)

Reflection: Where is God asking you to embrace a “circumcision of the heart” before advancing? What inward obedience have you delayed for the sake of outward efficiency?

Day 3: The Cost of Hidden Compromise

Achan’s secret theft at Jericho seemed harmless—a little silver, a robe, a handful of coins. But his disobedience fractured Israel’s unity and cost lives at Ai. Sin’s ripple effect exposes how private choices have communal consequences. God’s justice burns away hidden idols, not to shame but to purify. Victory requires surrendering what we cling to in the shadows. [35:24]

“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies.’”
(Joshua 7:10–12, ESV)

Reflection: What “devoted thing” have you quietly claimed for yourself? How might your hidden choices be affecting your spiritual community?

Day 4: Marching When Walls Still Stand

Jericho’s walls loomed intact as Israel marched silently for six days. Obedience meant looking foolish while holding trumpets, not swords. Faith isn’t measured by visible results but by persistent trust in God’s unconventional methods. The seventh lap wasn’t a magic formula—it was the final step of surrendering human logic to divine timing. [34:53]

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.’”
(Joshua 6:2–4, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you marching in obedience even though the “walls” still stand? How does patience refine your trust in God’s timing over visible outcomes?

Day 5: Leaving Nothing Undone

Joshua burned Hazor and hamstrung horses, leaving nothing incomplete in God’s commands. Partial obedience is disobedience. Victory required destroying every foothold of enemy influence, not just the convenient parts. Full surrender means confronting the subtle ways we preserve “mounds” of self-reliance or compromise. God’s faithfulness demands our wholehearted response. [50:09]

“Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every man they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed.”
(Joshua 11:12–14, ESV)

Reflection: What “Hazor” is God calling you to burn completely? Where have you settled for partial obedience while preserving a foothold of control?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 11 brings the conquest narratives to their final big battle. Joshua picks up after Israel has crossed the Jordan, built the twelve-stone memorial, prepared spiritually through circumcision and Passover, and watched God bring down Jericho. The stones stand there to remind the children that God held back the waters and made a way for His people to walk into the promised land.

Achan’s sin at Ai shows that spiritual preparation is not enough when obedience is missing. God’s faithfulness never changes, but Israel’s obedience remains the variable. The Gibeonite treaty also shows what happens when Joshua moves ahead without first going to the Lord. Still, God keeps saying the same thing in every battle: “Do not be afraid. Do not fear, for I go before you and the victory is yours.”

Jabin, king of Hazor, gathers everybody he can find. The northern kings show up with troops, horses, chariots, and an army “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” The size of the enemy creates the kind of fear that makes God’s people wonder, “Are we gonna be okay? Does God really have this?” But God tells Joshua plainly that by this time tomorrow every one of them will be handed over slain to Israel.

God makes it clear that victory is not based on Israel’s firepower, skill, gifting, or effort. Joshua’s obedience becomes the central point: “As Moses commanded Joshua and Joshua did it. He left nothing undone of all the Lord commanded Moses.” Belief and behavior together equal obedience. Grace and forgiveness do not give God’s people a license to be disobedient.

The battle imagery presses into the real battles of life: strained relationships, financial pressure, trouble with children, work frustrations, and the habit of seeing everything through the lens of being wronged. Obedience does not respond by becoming the victim, complaining about the size of the stone, or comparing one person’s faithfulness with another’s. Obedience says, “Go, I’ll go,” and then asks, “What is the right next step?”

God’s faithfulness in the rearview mirror should produce gratitude and a desire to live differently. The cross has already secured the final victory, and Christ’s conquest of the grave guarantees that death will not have the last word. The present question is whether God’s people are becoming noticeably different year by year. The plumb line is not somebody else’s life. The plumb line is Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. God is constant, people are variable [39:59] God’s promises do not rise and fall with human performance. Human hearts move from obedience to pride, from repentance to self-righteousness, often faster than they realize. God’s faithfulness provides the ground for repentance, not an excuse to keep drifting. [39:59]
2. Victory does not rest on effort [45:38] God hands over an army that Israel could not defeat by its own strength. The battle belongs to the Lord, even when the opposition looks like sand on the seashore. Faith does not deny the size of the battle, but it refuses to make the battle bigger than God. [45:38]
3. Belief and behavior equal obedience [51:05] Obedience is more than agreeing that God is faithful. Obedience puts belief into action when relationships are hard, when circumstances feel unfair, and when surrender costs something. Grace forgives disobedience, but grace also calls a person out of it. [51:05]
4. Ask for the right next step [49:21] Obedience does not require having every detail figured out before moving forward. The faithful response begins with the next right thing God has made clear. A heart that asks how God would be glorified in a trial is already being turned away from self-protection. [49:21]
5. The plumb line is Jesus Christ [57:07] Comparison makes disobedience look reasonable because somebody else can always appear worse. Jesus exposes the deeper question: whether a life is actually being shaped by His Word. Spiritual growth becomes visible when people can see what God has done over time.

## [57:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[29:04] - God’s Word as the Plumb Line
[30:09] - Returning to Joshua
[31:17] - Crossing into the Promised Land
[32:20] - The Twelve Stones of Remembrance
[33:27] - Spiritual Preparation Before Battle
[34:35] - Jericho, Ai, and Achan’s Disobedience
[36:31] - The Gibeonites and God’s Victory
[38:39] - God’s Faithfulness and Human Obedience
[41:17] - Joshua 11 and the Final Battle
[43:29] - Fear in the Face of Overwhelming Trials
[44:48] - God Promises Victory
[49:21] - Obedience Means the Right Next Step
[50:09] - Joshua Left Nothing Undone
[52:42] - Looking Back at God’s Faithfulness
[56:21] - Christ Has Already Won the Victory
[58:28] - Areas Still Needing Obedience
[60:10] - Finishing the Battle Through Repentance

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 11:1–15

1. When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2. and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west,
3. to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. [41:45]

4. And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
5. And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” [44:48]

7. So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them.
8. And the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining.
9. And Joshua did to them just as the LORD said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

10. And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms.
11. And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire.
12. And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. [49:45]

13. But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned.
14. And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed.
15. Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. [50:09]

Joshua 1:5–9

5. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. [31:32]

6. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

8. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. [37:26]

9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. [37:40]

Joshua 4:1–7

1. When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
2. “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,
3. and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” [32:37]

4. Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
5. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,
6. that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’
7. then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” [32:54]

Joshua 7:1–26

1. But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. [35:01]

2. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai.
3. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.”
4. So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai,
5. and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

6. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
7. And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
8. O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
9. For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

10. The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11. Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
12. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13. Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”’” [35:24]

14. “In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man.
15. And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.”
16. So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near by its tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17. And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18. And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19. Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20. And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did:
21. when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.
23. And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the LORD.
24. And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and donkeys and sheep, and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
25. And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. [35:45]

Observation questions

In Joshua 11, what details make the northern army appear overwhelming, and what specific promise does God give Joshua before the battle begins? [43:29]
What actions does Joshua take in response to God’s instruction about the horses and chariots, and what does verse 15 say about the completeness of his obedience? [50:09]
What was the purpose of the twelve stones taken from the Jordan, especially when children later asked about them? [32:54]
What did Israel discover was behind its defeat at Ai, even though God had already given them victory at Jericho? [35:24]

Interpretation questions

God tells Joshua not to fear an army “as numerous as the sand on the seashore,” then promises victory within a day. How does that promise show that the outcome of the battle rests on God rather than Israel’s strength, weapons, or skill? [45:38]
Joshua 11:15 says Joshua “left nothing undone” of what God commanded. What is the difference between partial obedience and the kind of obedience shown in this verse? Why can partial obedience still become a serious issue in a believer’s life? [50:09]
The memorial stones were meant to help future children remember what God had done. Why do people so easily forget God’s faithfulness when a new hardship or fear comes along? [47:28]
Achan’s sin was hidden in his tent, but it affected the whole people and their battle at Ai. What does this passage reveal about the way private disobedience can affect a family, church, workplace, or other relationships? [36:02]

Application questions

Think about the “stones of remembrance” in your own life. What are one or two clear moments where you can look back and say, “God was faithful there”? How might remembering those moments help you face a current fear? [53:55]
When a hard situation comes up—a strained relationship, financial pressure, parenting stress, or conflict at work—what is your normal first response? Do you tend to feel wronged, complain, withdraw, try to control things, or ask God what the right next step is? [46:46]
Obedience is belief and behavior together. Is there an area where you say you trust God, but your choices, words, spending, relationships, or habits show that you are still holding back? What might faithful action look like this week? [51:05]
God’s grace truly forgives, but it is not permission to stay comfortable in disobedience. Where might you be depending on forgiveness while avoiding repentance and a real change of direction? [51:21]
Comparison can make disobedience look smaller: “At least I am not as bad as that person.” Where are you tempted to compare yourself with others rather than honestly measuring your life by Jesus Christ? [57:07]
The way adults live teaches children and younger believers what obedience looks like. What habits are your life currently teaching others about worship, Scripture, prayer, serving, generosity, and trusting God? [55:34]
What do you value more than your relationship with Jesus Christ when your schedule, money, comfort, ambitions, or relationships are under pressure? What would it look like to surrender that area to God and take the next right step? [59:32]

Sermon Clips

32s

#GodDesiresObedience

“because god desires obedience. God desires belief and behavior in action. What does this mean? Two things. First, when we're going through something, when there's a trial in front of us, we're in the middle of a battle, we know with certainty that the future is secure. God has us. The victory has already been waged. It has been won on the cross. And so when he conquered the grave, we too will conquer death and go to heaven.”

41s

#TransformationYouCanSee

“Yeah. That's not the barometer we're using. We're using that plumb line of Jesus Christ. Is there a long way to go for us? Yes. But we should be noticeably different year by year in our lives as we walk and grow closer to the lord. And my challenge for you is, is that really happening in our lives? The greatest compliment we can receive is someone saying, hey, man, I remember what you used to be and I see what God's done in your life since then. That's a greatest compliment. Compliment. And don't for a moment say, yeah, know I'm kinda great. That's because God did it.”

44s

#FaithInAction

“You see, we think obedience being nice and obedience is faith and action together. Its belief and behavior equals obedience. That's how this works. And the Christian church has lost their way entirely. Yes, we have forgiveness. Yes, there is grace, goodness, and I praise god for every day, but that is not a license to be disobedient. It is not a license to do so.”

30s

#GlorifyGodWithLife

“And obedience just isn't saying, oh, Lord, forgive me for when I'm sinned. Yeah. That's a part of that obedience. But it's more saying, I wanna be because I'm a follower of Jesus, I wanna know his word and live into his word in such a way that my belief and my behavior demonstrates my obedience, not for my sake but for the glory of God. That he would be glorified by my behavior.”

60s

#LiveInGodsPromise

“You know, as we begin now a new text in Joshua and we'll be preaching through it for the coming weeks. I'm excited to get into this because what happens next after the conquest is over is that God then begins to give out his land to his people. The battle is won and now here's the land for you to live in. This is the place you're gonna occupy. This is the space in which you're gonna reside. This is where you're gonna build your families and build out your faith and you're gonna live in this new way and this new place flow ing with milk and honey. This is the space. But before we get to that, we have to finish the battle. The battle right is what are the areas that we're still not obedient to God in? And would we be willing to repent of those and live for the sake of the glory of God?”

33s

#PrayBeforeBattle

“Trusting that the lord our god has us in the midst of this. When life doesn't go the way we think it ought, when the trials are mounting against us, as the battle is ensuing against us, we go to a place of spiritual preparation. Say, god, what do you want here? We go to a place of saying, god, how do you want me to handle this appropriately? How do you want me to handle this as a mature follower of yours so that you would be edified and glorified by my responses to things?”

33s

#ObedienceWinsBattles

“They learned a very important lesson there. First, there's a spiritual component to being in battle for the Lord, but there's one more piece. There's an obedient piece. You see, God's call the Israelites was very clear. You're gonna have to do this in a spiritual way, but you're also gonna have to be obedient to what I call you to do and to be in this world. And if you do that, the battle is won. You will absolutely be victorious.”

52s

#VictoryByGraceNotEffort

“Think about this promise and this truth that we experience here today. And what's funny is some of you are like, yeah, I got it. God's faithful. I need to be obedient. When the trials come, the victory is promised. I'm glad you get it. And if you truly get it, and we'll get to this in a minute, it would be evident by the way we live. I think we may understand it in our in our brains, but I don't believe it's being carried out in our lives. You see, make no mistake, the victory is not based on our efforts. It's not predicated on our skills or our giftings. It's not.”

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