Joshua and the Battle of Jericho

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.”  Joshua 6:2

Joshua probably needed some extra encouragement when he heard God’s unusual battle plans for Jericho. Certainly no other city has ever been conquered that way.  Even so, Joshua obeyed God explicitly, and God honored his obedience by giving him victory over the city.

Jericho was a well guarded city.  It was built on a mound, which made it harder to attack.  It had two walls.  There was a six foot thick wall around the edge of the mound.  Twelve to fifteen feet inside the first wall was a second wall which was twelve feet thick and possibly as high as thirty to thirty five feet.  The city was crowded, so people built houses in the spaces between the two walls.  Rahab’s house may have been one of these.

God loves to use plans that seem foolish to the world.  Then God gets the credit for what He has done. We find the plan in Joshua 6:3-5, “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

If you had been Joshua, what would you have thought of God’s plan?  Much to Joshua’s credit, he had the people do exactly what God had instructed.

James Montgomery Boice, “The thing that most honors God and that God most delights to honor is obedience...Not only is there no substitute for obedience to God, there is no substitute for obedience in all particulars--to the very end.  And when God does not act as quickly as we think He should or precisely in the way we are convinced He should act, we are still not justified in pulling back or adopting an alternative procedure.”

Joshua and the Israelites followed God’s instructions exactly.  Joshua 6:15-16, 20 tells us the result of their obedience, “On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!’...When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”

Before the wall of Jericho collapsed, God had given some specific instructions.  He said that only Rahab and all who were in her house were to be spared.  Joshua sent the two men who had spied out the land to rescue Rahab and everyone who was in her house.  They kept their promise to Rahab and rescued Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.  As God is faithful to us, He desires for us to be faithful to others.

Father, great is Your faithfulness to me.  May I be faithful to my family, my friends, and most of all to You.  Amen.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."  I John 4:10

The word that comes to my mind on Veteran's Day is sacrifice. One definition for the word "sacrifice" in Webster's Dictionary is: "the surrender or destruction of something valued for the sake of something else."  

    

Mothers sacrifice time, energy, and good nights of unbroken sleep for the sake of their children. Daddies sacrifice their time and energy and things they would like to do for themselves in order to provide financially for their families or toss a football or baseball with their kids. Soldiers, sailors, marines, and members of the Air Force sacrifice time at home with their families and put themselves in danger. They may be wounded or killed for our freedom.  

Of course, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. Imagine leaving the glory and splendor of heaven where He was omniscient, all powerful, sovereign, worshiped by angels, and adored by all in the heavenly realm, and coming to this old earth as a helpless baby. Imagine rubbing elbows with sinful people all around. Imagine having no home, walking dusty roads, and being tired, hungry, and thirsty for the sake of others. Imagine being stripped of clothes, being whipped, mocked, and crowned with thorns. And imagine being nailed to a cross and being left there until death eased His intense pain and humiliation.  Imagine choosing to do this for all of us. That's what love does. It sacrifices.

Father, thank You for all the people who have sacrificed for us.  Thank You for Your sacrifice in giving Your Son.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth and dying for us.  May we be willing to sacrifice with love for others.  Amen.

(reposted from May 2014)

Rahab and the Spies

"Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim.  'Go, look over the land,' he said, 'especially Jericho.'"  Joshua 2:1a

It is good military strategy to know the enemy and what to expect before going into battle.  Joshua sent the spies out privately, and they reported to him privately.  He didn't want to run the risk of frightening the people with an unfavorable report.

The spies went to the house of a prostitute.  Two strange men could enter there without being particularly noticed.  It was a good place to get information and hide.  But there was a much more important reason why Rahab's house was chosen.  Both Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 indicate that Rahab had put her faith in God before the spies ever came to Jericho.

Rahab hid the spies and helped them escape from the city, but she asked that she and her family be spared when the Israelites attacked Jericho.  She gave words of confirmation which surely encouraged Joshua when she told the spies,  "I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.  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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.  When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you," [and here is Rahab's confession of faith] "for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."  Joshua 2:9-11.

The spies promised to save Rahab and her family if she would gather her family into her house and tie a scarlet cord in the window  to identify it during the invasion.  Rahab met both conditions.  Rahab exercised faith in God and followed up that faith with actions that showed her belief.  James says true faith will be accompanied by works, by action.

The scarlet cord represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  It reminds us of the Passover when the Jews who had believed God and marked their door frames with lamb's blood were protected from the death angel.

Rahab's family could be saved only if they met the conditions of the spies by gathering in the house and hanging the scarlet cord in the window.  People can be saved spiritually only if they meet God's conditions by placing their faith in Christ and taking Him as Savior.  All who come to God by faith are accepted equally.  There is a saying,  "The ground is level at the foot of the cross."  This Canaanite prostitute appears in the genealogy of King David and of Jesus.

Thank You, Father, that You accept all people who come to You by faith in Your Son and take them into Your forever family.  Amen.

Complainers

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."  Philippians 2:14

Have you ever gotten tired of hearing someone's complaints?  Did you ever have a child who whined often?  Have you ever asked someone how they are, and they told you in great detail, giving you much more information than you wanted to hear and none of it good?

The Israelites were world class complainers.  And God grew weary of hearing them grumble the same old tired phrases.  Numbers 21:5,  "They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  There is no bread!  There is no water!  And we detest this miserable food!'"  Same song, umpteenth verse.

God had heard enough!  He sent poisonous snakes into their midst.  Many of the people were bitten, and some of them died.  The Israelites came to Moses and confessed that they had sinned.  Then they asked Moses to pray that God would take the snakes away.  God did an unusual thing in answer to Moses' prayer.  He instructed Moses to make a snake and fasten it to a pole.  Anyone who was bitten could look at the snake and live.  Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole as instructed.  Those who had been bitten lived if they looked up at the snake.  They had to believe what God had said, and look to prove their faith in His words, in order to be healed.

The bronze snake on the pole foreshadows Jesus on the cross.  The complaining of the Israelites represents our sins.  We are helpless to escape the consequences of our sins, but, just as God made a way for those who had been bitten to live, He made a way for sinners--and that means all of us--to be forgiven and have eternal life.  If we look to Jesus in faith, all our sins will be forgiven, and we will escape the punishment we are due.

Jesus recognized the connection between the bronze snake on the pole and the cross when He said,  "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him."  John 3:14-15

Father, thank You for providing a way for people to be forgiven and have eternal life through the death of Your Son on the cross.  Amen.

Trust and Obey

From the song, “Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Swindoll says, “Numbers tells the story of a tragic pilgrimage where people who knew better didn’t do better and suffered the consequences.”  An 11 day journey stretched into 38 years because the Israelites failed to obey God when he told them to go in and occupy the land of Canaan.  They did not trust God to give them what He had promised. God was very angry with his people. Again, Moses interceded for them and again, God answered Moses’ prayer and spared them.  But He told them that all the people who were 20 years old or older would die before the Israelites could enter Canaan, all except Joshua and Caleb who had trusted God and urged the people to obey Him.

The people mourned because of God’s words.  The next morning they got up and decided to enter Canaan after all. Moses warned them not to go.  It was too late for them to obey God and go in.  They went anyway, but the Amalekites and Canaanites defeated them because they took matters into their own hands rather than obeying God.  

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron.  They were jealous of Moses’ authority and leadership position, and they accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves.  Moses and Aaron appealed to God.  The next day God caused an earthquake to swallow up the rebels and their families and fire to consume some of the rebels’ followers.  God takes sin very seriously.

The Israelites came to Kadesh in the desert of Zin and there was no water for them to drink. They complained to Moses and Aaron as usual.  Moses and Aaron took the problem to God, and God pointed out a rock.  He told Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock in front of the people.  Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, but they disobeyed God’s instructions.  Moses didn’t speak to the rock; he hit it twice with his staff instead.  And Moses said to the gathered crowd, “Listen, you rebels, must WE bring you water out of this rock?”  Moses was planning to take credit for what God was going to do.  God was very displeased.  Many acts of obedience do not make up for any act of disobedience.  God did not allow Moses and Aaron to enter the promised land as punishment.  Leaders are held to a stricter standard because they are role models, and their punishment serves as an example for others.  It doesn’t matter who we are or what we have done for God or what excuses we have; God always expects obedience.  No one is exempt!

Father, may we always trust and obey You.  Amen.

A Majority Report and a Minority Report

“They gave Moses this account…”, Number 13:27a

As the Israelites drew near to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, God instructed Moses to send 12 men, one from each tribe, to spy out the land and bring back a report.  The men were chosen, and they spent 40 days traveling throughout Canaan. When they returned, they brought a cluster of grapes so large two men carried it on a pole between them. All twelve men agreed that it was a very fertile land. Numbers 13:27, “They gave Moses this account:  ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey [as God had promised them].  Here is its fruit.”  So far, so good.

Ten of the spies reported that there were many people there and that the cities were fortified.  They said that the men of Canaan were so large that they felt like grasshoppers beside them.  The majority report concluded that the Israelites would be unable to take over the land they had seen.  These men operated out of fear, and this fear spread to all the Israelites.  They had left their all powerful God out of the equation.

Joshua and Caleb took God into consideration and gave a minority report.  Numbers 13:30, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it.’”

What can we do when we are faced with what appears to be an overwhelming challenge?  Does it help to turn away in fear?  Fear limits our lives, putting constraints on our actions and preventing us from expanding our lives.  2 Timothy 1:7 in the NASB tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.”  Who do you suppose wants us to cower with fear?

Probably you have heard the saying, “God and I are a majority.”  It is true.  With God on your side, you can venture forth with courage--which is doing whatever even though you are afraid--and become victorious over the giants of challenge in your life.  We can either quake with fear and draw back or trust God and march forward.  Which will you choose?

Elizabeth Cheney wrote,

Said the robin to the sparrow,

"I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

rush about and worry so."

Said the sparrow to the robin,

"Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

such as cares for you and me."

Dear God, thank You that you are a Heavenly Father Who cares for each of Your creatures including me.  Amen.

The Strong Should Help the Weak

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves."  Romans 15:1

     My pastor Mat wrote me,  "Once when I was dealing with a difficult person, my father-in-law encouraged me with these words,  "It's the job of the strong to take care of the weak."  His words made Mat feel that his father-in-law understood his situation and that, in that case, Mat was the stronger party.  As such, this behooved him to be patient and caring toward the other person.  God has given us strength and wisdom and other resources to use in helping others.  What a joy to have this perspective on what otherwise might be tedious, trying situations.
     There is a great example of the stronger helping the weaker in Numbers 12.  Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, began to criticize Moses.  They talked against him because of his Cushite wife and his position of leadership among the Israelites.  Number 12:2 tells us that they said,  "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses....Hasn't he also spoken through us?"  They were jealous of Moses.  Numbers 12:2 also tells us that the Lord heard what they said.  We can hide nothing from God.  He hears every word we speak, sees every action we take, and knows even our every thoughts.
     God was not pleased with Aaron and Miriam.  He came down and visited them in a pillar of cloud and defended His servant Moses.  When God left, Miriam's skin had become leprous.  Aaron quickly apologized to Moses for what they had said and begged him to help his sister.  If you had been Moses, what would you have done?  Moses could certainly have said,  "That will hush you two up.  She's getting just what she deserves."  But Moses had great strength of character.  He cried out to God on Miriam's behalf, asking Him to heal her, and God did.  When we are the stronger party in a situation, God wants us to help the weaker person as Moses did.
     We all like to be the strong one, able to give needed assistance.  But the truth of the matter is we are sometimes the weaker one, needing assistance and understanding.  How deeply we should appreciate the strength, patience, help, and encouragement of those who have come along side us and lifted us up and spurred us on!  May we be grateful for those helpers when we are the weaker, needy one, and may we pass along that helping attitude toward others when we are the stronger one.

Father, how we thank You for helping us so many times in our weaknesses.  We thank You for all those people who were Your channels to give us assistance and encouragement.  May we seek to help others, kindly and patiently, in their times of weakness.  Amen.