Scripture Study: Joshua 9:16-27

Tags

Christian, Deception, Gibeonites, Joshua, Oaths, Scripture Study, Work

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | The Previous Study

¹⁶ Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. ¹⁷ So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. ¹⁸ But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” ²¹ They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.

Verses 16-21: The oath that Joshua made was binding, not only for him but for the rest of the Israelites that followed him. They knew that God’s wrath would fall on them if any of them went back on the oath sworn, so they came up with a compromise to allow them laborious tasks for the entire community. This is an example that could be provided as to why Jesus cautions us not to swear oaths (See Matthew 5:34-37) and why James reiterates the same caution (See James 5:12). Even an oath made with the right intentions can come back to haunt us later when we must break it. Some oaths are designed to be binding, in spite of what today’s world may tell us. For example, marriage. It is not just an oath sworn, but a covenant between two people and God to remain together for their lives. This should be viewed as unbreakable, for what God has brought together shall not be parted by human means nor for human reasons. A marriage should not be entered lightly, nor lightly broken, yet today’s culture has shifted to make it an easy escape. The divorce rate is high, far too high, even among Christians in our country. Additionally, we should be cautious about any oaths made that include more than ourselves for, as we see in this passage, the oath made by a few applied to many.

²² Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? ²³ You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. ²⁵ We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

Verses 22-25: Joshua told the Gibeonites that they were under a curse for their deception, yet they respond with sense: had we not done this, you would have killed us. It seemed far better, to them, to live a life of servitude than to face death. They, unlike other kingdoms in the Promised Land, have come to realize that God’s chosen people will wipe everyone out before they are finished and satisfied. We have something in common with the Gibeonites: we are living under a curse. That curse is Sin, and it holds reign over our lives in this world, from the moment of our birth until the moment of our death. We are slaves to Sin, yet there is good news! We, too, can choose to surrender. If we believe in our hearts and proclaim with our mouths that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he lived a sinless life and was crucified to atone for our sins, we can break free from that enslavement. It will no longer reign over our lives; we may still be bound to it in this world, but freedom will await us in God’s Kingdom. What better news is there than this? Jesus died for you. He died for me. I cannot live a life free from Sin, which is why I need Jesus to intercede on my behalf. And so I freely choose to submit to Him.

²⁶ So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

Verses 26-27: In spite of their servitude to the Israelites, the Gibeonites held a place of importance because they provided the needs of the alter of the Lord. So while they might have been lower than the other Israelites, the fruit of their labors went toward God. It would appear there was no complaint from them, either, about the tasks they were assigned. They completed what they were asked and were content to live within the niche that had been carved out for them. Too many people today are quick to become discontent with their station in life. They want to be owners and executives and their own bosses, dreaming of operating a flourishing business while making their own hours and their own pay structure. But there is nothing wrong with laboring at a job that isn’t close to that dream. Whatever task you can obtain, labor for the Lord and He will be pleased by the fruit of your labor. Not everyone is called to operate their own business. Many will likely end up in careers outside of their dream job. Yet faithful service may be rewarded; remember the Parable of the Three Servants. They were each given a share of silver to tend to while the master was away. Do not let your work be like the servant who buried the silver. God may open paths to you that you would never expect, so long as you dedicate yourself to your work, regardless of what that job may be.

Advertisement

Scripture Study: Joshua 9:1-15

Tags

Gibeon, Idols, Israelites, Joshua, Scripture Study, Success

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | The Previous Study

9 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, ² they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

Verses 1-2: Nothing brings enemies out in droves faster than success. Joshua and the Israelites were having great success in their campaign through the Promised Land, and word spread like wildfire. So the kings in the land came up with a great idea: to band together as one to face Joshua and Israel. We like to dream of finding success in our own campaigns, whether those are to advance up a corporate ladder, become the next big artist, or a myriad of other dreams and ambitions. Yet when we find that success, we will also become a target. The closer we draw toward our dreams, the greater the force of opposition. Metal is tested when it is thrust into the heat of the forge, and the same holds true for us. We can break under the pressure trying to stand on our own, or we can strengthen ourselves through a reliance upon the Lord to grant us strength and patience and understanding. Having those ambitions can be a good thing, so long as we turn toward God for our comfort and strength rather than things of this world.

³ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴ they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵ with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” ⁷ But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹ They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵ And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

Verses 3-15: Here is one of the points in the book of Joshua where we see Joshua make a mistake. He was taken in by the things he saw and the words he heard, but he never took the time to inquire of God what he should do. After all, God had commanded Joshua and the Israelites to sweep through the land and eradicate everyone in there. God understood that the Israelites were human, after all they tried to worship a golden calf right after being led out of Egypt. So God understood that cohabitation with the current inhabitants of the promised land would, eventually, lead them to drift away from God and His teachings. There is a fine line to tread between being a part of the world and being apart from the world. The things of this world, whether material or otherwise, are not inherently bad. Money itself is not evil. Things are not evil. Music is not evil. Yet each of those things can be taken to excessive lengths and corrupted from their intended purpose. Each of them can become idols in our lives that lead us to break the first commandment and place them above God in our lives. So while it seems extreme and brutal that God would want all the people to be killed by the Israelites, we can on some level understand. The more entrenched we become with the ways of the world, following along with the popular trends in thoughts and science and politics, the greater risk we run in allowing something to de-throne God as the top priority in our lives. Nothing, whether family or spouse or sports or money, should hold that top spot over God. Yet time and again I know that I fall short. I go through dry patches where I waste time on idle things and put God and the Bible on the back burner. It often takes a period of rejuvenation for me to realign my priorities and shift them back to the order they belong. If you find you pray less, or rarely open your Bible, perhaps God is calling to you, asking for you to put Him first in your life.

Scripture Study: Joshua 7:10-18

Tags

Bible Study, Consequence, Grace, Jesus, Joshua, Mercy, Salvation, Scripture Study, Sin

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | The Previous Study

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.

Verses 10-12: The sin of one man has led to unforeseen consequences among an entire nation. God’s chosen people are going to suffer defeat after defeat at the hands of their enemy, for God will not be with them unless they correct that sin and get back into obedience. While I truly believe that salvation comes by grace through faith, not through anything we say or do, this is a good example of how hidden sins can have a ripple effect that affects those around us. There is a reason why Jesus and others often led with the word “Repent” in their message. We all are sinners (See Romans 3:23), and in the eyes of God there are no varying degrees of sins. We like to categorize them as big sins and little sins and, so long as we don’t do any of those big sins it is all okay. Or, perhaps, so long as no one else is hurt by those big sins they are okay. But God doesn’t draw those man-made lines. All sins are detestable to God and all sins stand in that chasm that separate us from being in harmony with God’s will for our lives. And when we are steeped in choices and lifestyles that run contrary to God’s will, we have a higher chance of having those decisions affect those who come into contact with us. The best solution is to find a few Christian men and/or women who you can confess those sins to and who will, in love, support you and help to keep you on track to walk on a path that will free you from bondage to those sins.

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.”

Verse 13: Tying in with the idea of repentance comes this command from God. He commanded the people to prepare themselves, and that they need to remove the devoted things from among them. Repentance is not just confessing sin and asking for forgiveness, but it is turning away from those things as well. To go and sin no more, as Jesus commanded the woman who was to be stoned for adultery (See John 7:53-8:11).

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 tribe by tribe, 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.

Verses 14-18: The punishment allotted for Achan might seem to us to be extreme, but we should remember that his actions were sinful and in direct conflict with God’s clear command. Achan stole what did not belong to him because he coveted the wealth. God is the supreme judge for us all, and the sentence passed down upon Achan is not out of line with what is deserved for the sin. We all deserve such punishments as sinners, for we daily commit sins in our hearts, our minds, and with our actions. This is a punishment that is very real and could be hanging over our heads each and every day. Rather than abounding in sin because of the mercy and grace of God, we should fall to our knees and give thanks to Him who sent Jesus to pay for all of our sins. A just God would give us what we deserve, saying to us “They will be done” and granting us the penalty we incur through our sinful lives. How much love God must possess for us all to send his Son to save us all and grant a path to eternal life! He knows we cannot earn that reward on our own power, yet He still welcomes us with open arms and patiently waits so that as many of His children will come to know Him and receive that salvation as is possible.

Scripture Study Home

Scripture Study: Joshua 7:1-9

Tags

Achan, Ai, Bible Study, Christian, Gospel, Jesus, Joshua, prayer, Scripture Study

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | The Previous Study

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.

Verse 1: In the previous chapter we saw the command that everything in Jericho was to be given as a sacrifice to the Lord, whether to slaughter or as donations to the Lord’s treasury (See Joshua 6:17-19). And every man save one followed this command. There are times in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, where we see examples where one person’s disobedience can affect others. This is one of those examples, as we see God holds his anger toward all of Israel and not just Achan, and we also know that we all inherit sin from Adam and his choice back in the Garden of Eden. Yet on the other hand, there are examples in there of God’s love and mercy being poured out upon many through the actions and decisions of one. No greater example can be found than that of Jesus and his sacrifice upon the cross. We may not be able to control what people do in their lives, but we can work to be the best possible influences by living out the Gospel, sharing the Gospel with others, and praying for families, friends, and future generations of our children and grandchildren.

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 have 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.”

Verses 2-3: One of the major themes that I catch time and again throughout the book of Joshua is that of the unexpected happening. Rahab is an unexpected helper for the Israelites and becomes an unexpected contributor in the genealogy of Jesus. The Israelites cross the Jordan River in an unexpected manner that is similar, yet different, from the parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites conquer Jericho in an unexpected manner by marching for seven days and shouting and blowing trumpets. It is something we’ll continue to see moving forward. And here, once again, something unexpected is about to happen. Joshua’s spies note that Ai has only a few men who would be able to retaliate when they attack, so they advise Joshua to send only a small portion of their army to handle this threat. This is a strategy that makes perfect sense: why tire your entire force when a small band could do the job effectively? Yet, as we’re about to see, things will not go as expected for the Israelites.

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.

Verses 4-5: We can safely assume that the men of Ai numbered less than 3,000. After all, the spies would not recommend sending a force of equal, or lesser, strength to take Ai. Most likely the number would be around 1,500-2,000 to give a fair advantage in numbers to the Israelites. Yet they flee from the men of Ai after only 36 men died. That is only 1.2% of their force that traveled to take Ai. So what went wrong here? It had to have been something strong enough to make the men turn and flee even though they likely still outnumbered the men of Ai. The most likely guess would be that God turned their hearts toward flight and I’d like to think this was to spare them from losing more men in that failed attack. You would expect far more men to die before one side or the other would flee, barring something like divine intervention. And if this speculation holds true and God worked to make them flee so soon, it would be yet another example of God showing mercy even when he could hold his anger against them. This encounter is serving as a wake-up call to the Israelites to remind them that obedience is expected and, so long as they obey, God will deliver on His promise to give them the land. Without that obedience on their part, they can expect a long, arduous, bloody campaign through the land.

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?”

Verses 6-9: We can learn a few things from Joshua’s response to this unfortunate turn of events. First, he demonstrated active sorrow by tearing his clothing and having him and the elders put dust on their heads. This was about the equivalent of wearing sackcloth and putting ashes on the head, another common action seen in the Old Testament. Next, he seeks to understand God’s reasoning for bringing them this far just to destroy them. Instead of criticizing God for it, he mentions that they would have been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan River instead of facing this fate. Contentment can be a difficult thing to express, but it is often a right attitude to hold. Instead of being mad at God for withholding something we desire, we should remember the blessings in our lives that we already possess and try to be content with where we are and what we have. That thinking runs counter to some of the popular ideas of the Prosperity Gospel, but it is the right heart to have. Finally, Joshua turns the problem toward how God holds a stake in the results. Prayers to obtain that bigger, fancier house are typically man-centered and offer nothing in terms of glory to God. But in this case, Joshua points out that the defeat of the Israelites will lead to a lack of respect toward God’s power from the other nations. Bear in mind that Jericho’s hearts had melted prior to the Israelites’ arrival because they had heard of the things God had done for them. The opposite is about to happen here if God continues to forsake the Israelites. God made promises, and He will deliver on them. Prayers that align with His promises, or that will bring glory to His name, are a lot more likely to be answered than prayers that are wrapped solely around things of the world.

Scripture Study Home

Scripture Study: Joshua 6:15-27

Tags

Bible Study, Hiel of Bethel, Jericho, Joshua, Rahab, Scripture Study

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | The Last Study

¹⁵ On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.

Verses 15-17: Not only has Joshua remained faithful to the commands of the Lord, however unorthodox they might have seemed, but he is also remaining faithful to the promise his men made to Rahab regarding her family. The emotions of all the Israelites were undoubtedly high at this time, having camped around Jericho for about a week. They were eager to conquer and begin to fulfill what God had promised them. Joshua tempers those emotions, first by proclaiming God has given them the city, second by letting them know the city and all within it will be devoted to the Lord, and third by reminding them of the one place that has sanctuary from the invasion. As we go through life we often need the help of others, directly or indirectly, in order to accomplish our goals and the plans that God has for our lives. And in the moment when we obtain that desire, it can be easy to focus on that moment and forget to thank those who helped get us there. Be like Joshua and remember where the help came from, both from God and from those who helped along the way. Something as small as providing thanks and recognition can bless someone far beyond what you will ever know.

¹⁸ But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. ¹⁹ But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” ²⁰ So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. ²¹ Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

Verses 18-21: Common practice throughout history is to loot the spoils of the conquest of an area. Food, drink, and monetary possessions were up for grabs and a great incentive for the soldiers to put their lives on the line. But this conquest of Jericho is different; everything within the city is to be devoted to the Lord. And not just in any manner, it is to be destroyed except for the gold and silver (which were placed in the treasury of the Lord). All people and all animals within, with the exception of Rahab and her family, were slaughtered. This seems harsh, after all isn’t the God we know a loving God? These are parts of the Bible that we, as Christians, ought to wrestle with rather than react. A reaction would be to simply ignore the fact that everyone there died. Another would be to throw the Bible aside and proclaim that you cannot believe in a god who would do such a thing. Yet we can see only an infinitesimal glimmer of what transpired. Perhaps God, in His all-knowing wisdom, foresaw that this land would lead to the complete destruction of the Israelites if even one was allowed to win. Perhaps God knew that if everything was destroyed in Jericho, it would ultimately save more lives over the course of the military campaign. We will never know the answer. We can only speculate. But the more a person wrestles with these passages, considering possible reasons that align with the traits of God, the more developed and mature our faith becomes and the better apologists we will be able to become.

²² But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” ²³ So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴ And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. ²⁵ But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Verses 22-25: Not only did Rahab receive life through her actions, she was also welcomed in among the Israelites. And God had a great plan for Rahab, which can be seen in completion when you look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. From a prostitute in a city that God had promised for total destruction to being a link in the chain that led to the coming of Christ. What great honor was bestowed upon Rahab, a woman who probably never imagined great things would ever come out of her life. She never lived to see this happen, nor do we know of any promises given to her about it, but I have to believe that Rahab has been rejoicing in Heaven ever since she first found out that the Son of God would be born from her line. Think of those people who have touched your life over the years without ever knowing it. Even a complete stranger possesses the power to completely change a person’s day, and changing one day for the better could transform them for life. You don’t have to actively preach the Gospel to every person you meet. But every person should be able to see the Gospel being lived out through you and your interactions.

²⁶ Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.

“At the cost of his firstborn shall he
    lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest son
    shall he set up its gates.”

²⁷ So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.

Verses 26-27: Joshua lays down a curse on whoever would dare to rebuild Jericho, that it would cost him both his firstborn and youngest son in the completion of this feat. And Jericho remained in ruins until a man named Hiel of Bethel decided to rebuild it during the reign of King Ahab (See 1 Kings 16:34). And, sure enough, Joshua’s declaration came true regarding to cost to rebuild Jericho. But why would this curse be laid, and why would God honor it? It was a city whose whole destruction was dedicated to God, and it was through God that the walls came crashing down to give the Israelites the victory. We see that the Lord was with Joshua and God’s fame spread through the entire land. It is not clear whether it was Joshua’s fame or God’s fame spreading, but we can be certain that if the former, it also brought about the latter. Time and time again we have seen Joshua follow God’s commands faithfully, and constantly reminding the Israelites of God and His promises to them. A successful military campaign at Jericho would be unlikely to change that.

Scripture Study Home

Scripture Study: Joshua 5:10-15

Tags

Aslan, C.S. Lewis, Exodus, Job, Joshua, Moses, Scripture Study, Tash, The Last Battle

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | Previous Study

First Passover in Canaan

¹⁰ While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹² And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the Lord‘s Army

¹³ When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” ¹⁴ And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” ¹⁵ And the commander of the Lord‘s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Verse 10: An important thing to realize is that the Israelites still observed the Passover feast even after all these years. While they had not circumcised the children born in the wilderness, this act of remembrance continued onward. So they chose not to complete the outward sign of their covenant with God, but continued to honor the actions of God that led their parents out of bondage in Egypt. The significance of the Passover is critical, as this was a very pivotal moment in history. The Israelites had been in slavery until Moses was raised up as a leader among them (See Exodus 3:10) and Moses implored Pharaoh to let his people go. Yet we also know that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (See Exodus 9:12) to glorify His own name through the process. It was with the final plague, that of the firstborn, where the Passover came from (See Exodus 12:1-32) and provides us with an excellent picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. For he has taken our sins, which were red as scarlet, and made them white as snow (See Isaiah 1:18), allowing us to enter into Heaven through faith alone in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Verses 11-12: The Israelites celebrated Passover in the new land, and then something important happened: they ate food from the land. And then the manna, which had sustained the Israelites for so long, ceased. This portion of God’s intervention on their behalf was complete, now that they were in a land that could sustain them. How often do we get stuck in habits and routines to where we want the same things to continue to happen forever? We dislike change. In fact, many times we fear and loathe change. A change to our circumstances requires a change from us in order to adapt and be successful. Yet all things have their seasons and, eventually, those must come to an end. Rather than blaming God for taking away what we had, we should be more like Job. After all, Job had it all: money, a great family, thriving livestock (See Job 1:2). He was a man who God bragged about (See Job 1:8). Yet when it all was taken away, Job still praised God (See Job 1:20-21). He wasn’t happy about the circumstances. He wanted answers as to why those things happened. But he never stooped to the level of accusing God of being unjust, in spite of his wife demanding that he simply curse God and die (See Job 2:9). Instead, his response to his wife is one we should learn from: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (See Job 2:10)

Verses 13-14: An interesting exchange happens here. Joshua encounters a man with a drawn sword and asks if he is on their side, or the side of their enemies. And the answer is remarkable. Some translations respond with the word “Neither”, which is not the sort of answer you would expect to receive. Yet it tells us a lot here. It is not God’s responsibility to choose sides in a conflict. It is not a division of He chooses this side’s cause over the other. After all, God is for all people and all nations. He is the God of us all, and there will be people from every tribe, tongue, and nation present in Heaven. Comments like this remind me of a scene from C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle:

Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted.

Even those who are doing good deeds in the name of some other god may find, in the end, that what they have done has been accounted to the Christian God. It is not God’s place to be on the right side, but rather the burden falls on us to make sure that we are on God’s side.

Verse 15: This scene here is a great parallel to the scene in Exodus 3 with Moses and the burning bush. In both cases, the man is commanded to remove his shoes because the ground is holy. What a blessed encounter for Joshua, and a great and reassuring sign on the things to come for him and the Israelites.

Scripture Study Home | Next Study Coming 11/19/2016

Scripture Study: Joshua 5:1-9

Tags

Bible Study, Christian, Circumcision, Covenant, Gilgal, Jordan River, Joshua, Scripture Study

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | Previous Study

 

As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. ⁴ 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. ⁵ Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

⁸ When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. ⁹ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

Verse 1: Before a battle was even fought on this side of the Jordan River, God had already worked to deliver victory to the Israelites. Joshua did the wise thing by standing aside and letting God handle the method of crossing the Jordan rather than try to come up with a way to build a bridge or ford across the river. The supernatural actions of God sent ripples throughout the land ahead of the Israelites, something that God is still capable of accomplishing today for Christians. If God is prompting you to do something that looks impossible, perhaps He is preparing a mighty work to bring honor and glory to His name through you. Remember that faith is belief without seeing, and that faith is more than just a passive emotion or feeling or thought. Faith is active, and so God might be waiting for you to take those first steps on this revealed path, trusting that He will show up and bring about a way for things to be accomplished according to His will.

Verses 2-3: Verse two can appear as a head-scratcher at first glance, much like the passage in John where Jesus tells Nicodemus that a man must be born again to see the Kingdom of God (See John 3:1-15). It sounds as though God is telling Joshua that these men must be circumcised a second time but, as will be seen in verses 4-7, this assumption is incorrect. But it is important to note that God allows them to cross over the Jordan River, into the Promised Land, and then commands the circumcision. Religion can lead us to believe that a person must become clean, or be a good enough person, before they can enter into the presence and protection of God. Yet the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a God that brings His people in first and then works to clean them after they are His. Perfection is not required first by God. It is only when man gets involved that the weight of what we must do or be or say or think becomes a burden.

Verses 4-7: All of the people who left Egypt had been circumcised, yet almost every man, woman, and child here now was born during the 40 years spent in the wilderness. It does not mention why the practice of circumcision on the 8th day was not upheld during that time, but God makes the decision now to have His people get the circumcision in order to mark themselves physically as being under His covenant of the flesh. This act was one of many commands passed down throughout the Old Testament, this one being given initially to Abraham (see Genesis 17:10-14). Fans of religion, those who want to believe that what they do helps them to earn their promised salvation, may look to the old command of circumcision and believe it should still be upheld and practiced today because God had commanded it of the Israelites. Yet we see that the Holy Spirit descended upon the uncircumcised Gentiles (See Acts 10:44-48) and that Peter opposed the Jews in Antioch who proclaimed it was a necessary act to earn salvation (see Acts 15:1-11) and Paul and Barnabas also reached the conclusion that Gentiles should not be compelled to be circumcised (see Acts 15:13-21). What counts now, under the new Covenant brought about by Christ, is new creation (see Galatians 6:15) rather than a works-based approach to salvation (see Ephesians 2:8). So while the practice of circumcision is not a wrong one to have – there are certainly reasons to consider upholding the practice – choosing to circumcise in order to secure salvation is an attempt to bring about salvation through our own power and influence rather than by the Mercy and Grace of God.

Verse 9: The previous chapter mentioned that Joshua set up the monument of 12 stones at Gilgal (see Joshua 4:19-20), yet we see it being named here in the following chapter. The name Gilgal comes from a word that signifies to take away, which is representing a shift in the relationship between God and the Israelites. The past 40 years had been spent wandering in the wilderness as a result of the people’s decisions and inclination to turn toward man-made idols. With the act of circumcision here, the Israelites are moving into a right relationship once more with God, who will be leading the way as they campaign throughout the Promised Land.

Scripture Study Home | Go to the Next Study

Scripture Study: Joshua 4:15-24

Tags

Ark of the Covenant, Christian, Gilgal, Jordan River, Joshua, Scripture Study

The First Study | Scripture Study Home | The Previous Study

 

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁸ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

¹⁹ The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰ And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. ²¹ And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Verses 15-17: When God directs, Joshua listens. The obedience shown here is great, and something we all would like to think that we would do without hesitation. After all, if God spoke to us directly it would be so different than trying to decipher His will in other ways. Yet Jesus promised that He would send us the helper, the Holy Spirit. The part of the trinity that we often struggle to understand yet it is the part that directly affects our daily lives. Yet if we are Christians, we have access to tap into that Holy Spirit and gain its guidance in areas of our lives. Like prayer, it can be a frustrating process because most of the time there will come no answer, or at least no clear one. It may be as simple as a sudden impulse to read and study a certain passage or book in Scripture, something we could easily misconstrue as something we desire ourselves rather than a directive from God. Yet the more we know and understand God’s will, the better we will be equipped to determine if an impression could be from the Holy Spirit. Studying the Scriptures goes a long way toward accomplishing that purpose, as does a prayer life that is frequent and in alignment with God’s promises, repentance of our own sins, and a willingness to wait on the Lord.

Verse 18: Imagine the sound of the water of the Jordan River, previously held at bay on one side and raised up into the air, comes crashing down upon the now-dry river bed. Not only did the water resume its normal course of flow, it also resumed the previous overflowing level of capacity. You can imagine the sweat beading on the faces of those priests as they stood there in the middle of the riverbed, not only while waiting for thousands to cross but then for twelve men to come back and each take a stone, and then for Joshua to come back and erect a monument in the river where they were standing. Yet they stood steadfast, and God held the waters back until they had all reached the other side. Not one man set down his part of the Ark to flee to safety before the allotted time. That takes courage and faith, in equal measures!

Verse 20: As mentioned previously, the text seems to indicate this is a second monument that is erected, one in the river and then this one at Gilgal, which is further east across the Jordan. It is close outside Jericho, just to the northwest of the walled city where the Israelites are heading.

Verses 21-24: Last time I used the mention of the monuments to discuss building our own visual reminders so that we could better remember the times when God has worked on our behalf. This time, I want to take the opportunity to take a closer look at how we should be using those opportunities to share with others, whether our children or otherwise. Notice here how Joshua not only mentions the miracle done here with the river, but also ties it back to a similar miracle that was done for their near-ancestors with the Red Sea (only two men, Joshua and Caleb, were allowed to enter the Promised Land, so everyone else present at the Red Sea would be dead by now). Not only do we need those monuments to remind ourselves in times of trial and sorrow, we can use them as talking points with our children and others who enter our lives and our homes. Think of them as icebreakers, conversation starters in our homes. You do not have to be perfect and eloquent to boast about what your God can do, especially when He stepped in to accomplish things in your life that you had no chance of achieving in your own power. You do not need a degree in Theology, experience behind the pulpit, nor an elegant plan to share these things with those who ask. This is a passive form of spreading the Gospel, because it is based around others initiating conversation first, but it is a great way for introverts to share these things without having to struggle to find a way to bring up the topic. And, most important of all, it allows us to share these things with the next generations of children in our families. The best thing we can do is to equip our descendants with the faith, and the reasons before that faith. We should strive to actively model its importance in our lives, and these monuments (along with the conversations that will arise from their presence) are a step in the right direction toward this objective.

Scripture Study Home | Go to the Next Study

Scripture Study: Joshua 4:1-14

Tags

Bible Study, faith, Israelites, Joshua, Scripture Study

 The First Study | The Study Home Page | The Previous Study

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.’” 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.”

⁸ And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. ⁹ And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste. ¹¹ And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. ¹² The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. ¹³ About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴ On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

Verses 1-4: The Israelites have crossed over the Jordan River at last, and now God is passing along an important command: have one person from each tribe take a stone from the bed of the river. The symbolic act of having one man from each tribe take part in this cannot be overstated. They are all given equal shares in this inheritance and are taking equal action the conquest of the promised land. While three of the tribes have already received the land allotted to them (See Joshua 1:12-15), they are still actively involved in the task ahead and thus gain a place in this symbolic action.

Verses 5-7: The verses here echoes the content of Deuteronomy 6 perfectly. The Israelites are to erect stone structures in order to have a talking point for their children, which serves as an excellent reminder to the current generation of the things God has done while securing that the future generations will learn of those things. This is a practice many of us should do more often in our lives, not only to have them to discuss with our children but to remind ourselves of the great and wonderful things that God has done in our lives. A visible reminder to inspire us with hope and confidence in the times where things are going bad, when it appears that God is distant and not answering prayers. It doesn’t have to be a stack of rocks, but could be one of any number of visuals that are present in our homes. Just like our body gets scars to remind us of the trauma that happened to our physical bodies, we need to leave something to remind us of the major events for our spiritual bodies. Because we are sinful and flawed humans, containing memories that are short. Every time I read through Exodus and see the Israelites going through an off-again/on-again relationship with following God I laugh and shake my head at their short memories. But, truth be told, I would be just as prone to erect and worship the golden calf and to forget about the miracles being done on my behalf. It is the battle we’ll be fighting until our leg of the race on this earth is finished, and we need every reminder we can get to help keep us on track.

Verses 8-10: An interesting thing to note here: The twelve men retrieve rocks from the Jordan and carry them over to the other side. Then Joshua sets up stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests carrying the Ark were standing. This seems to imply that the stones being stacked later in this chapter form a second landmark. While it is unlikely that they would be able to see the landmark easily in the midst of the river, it would still be a very symbolic act to place this at the site of God’s miracle among them.

Verses 11-13: Here we have the Israelites gathered on the other side of the bank, with over 40,000 men armed and ready for war, and it seems to indicate this number just comes from the three tribes that had already received their inheritance. If this is truly the number just from three out of twelve tribes, this will mean that the Israelites have a truly impressive force and that these three tribes are certainly fulfilling their promise made to Moses.

Verse 14: God exalted Joshua. How many of us would love to experience that same honor in our lives? Joshua has lived a life of truth, courage, and honor in every capacity. He was the commander of Moses’ army. He was Moses’ understudy. He was a scout in the new land and one of two who told the truth about what they found. And now he has started his campaign as the leader of the Israelites on the right foot. If we seek after God, remaining strong and courageous and faithful through the good times and bad, we might encounter the day when God may choose to exalt us as well. It may take a lifetime of faithful commitment, like Noah and Abraham led, before it will happen. But if we are faithful in following God, He will surely reward us; if not in this world, certainly when we enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Scripture Study Home | Go to the Next Study