QT 9/23/2024 Josh 5:13-15, It is His will we seek, not ours

Joshua 5:13–15 (ESV) —

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.

 

NOTE: Jericho is the first city in the conquest of the land, and Joshua is near the city, probably staring at it before looking down. It was a walled city like none other in the land. It required siege instruments, not the swords and arrows of Joshua's army. Leon Wood writes,

 

"The walls were of a type which made direct assault practically impossible. An approaching enemy first encountered a stone abutment, eleven feet high, back and up from which sloped a thirty-five degree plastered scarp reaching to the main wall some thirty-five vertical feet above. The steep smooth slope prohibited battering the wall by any effective device or building fires to break it. An army trying to storm the wall found difficulty in climbing the slope, and ladders to scale it could find no satisfactory footing."

 

When Joshua looks up, he encounters the Commander of the Lord's Army. The instruction to take off his sandals suggests that this is the Lord himself (like Moses encountered at the burning bush). The Lord answers Joshua's question of which side he was on with a resounding "No." God does not take sides; God is not at man's beck and call, we serve God's will.

 

What do we learn? When we think it is impossible, we need to go to God, searching His will, not His help to do our thing. We need to do His thing. God did take down Jericho in a very miraculous manner. And when we go to God, we need to throw away our support. Sandals were man-made devices to protect our feet. Joshua was commanded to stand on his bare feet, not on the works of his hands. Also, it is holy ground, which means we need to repent. Before we go to God, we go with a clear conscience, ready to do his will.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I go to God to get him to do my thing?
2. Do I go to God to know His Will?

 

PRAYER: Father, get our eyes off of ourselves and our little problems. May we seek you and what you desire to do with our lives.

QT 6 Jan 17, Josh 23:14-16, God promises to bring good out of evil

Joshua 23:14–16 (ESV) — 14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

NOTE: The covenant that God made with Israel was both spiritual and physical. The Mosaic covenant, also called the Law, and the Old Covenant, is physical and conditional. It depended upon their actions. The majority of covenants in the bible are unconditional, which means that they don't depend on the two parties, only on one party, God. But Joshua's warning here is in reference to the Mosaic Law. It does not apply to Christians as we are under a different covenant. But there is still a lot to learn and there are corollaries' to the New Covenant. For one, when we are adopted into God's family upon belief in Christ (by definition, we are not children of God by physical birth--that is a false myth), God promises to act as our heavenly father, which may include discipline. The discipline is based on a Father's discipline and not necessarily the breaking of some NT law. As Hebrews says, a Father disciplines as he sees best. So, God disciplines us for our good, not for our disobedience. There is a huge difference because whatever we go through (when it is discipline) is a good thing. The problem is that sometimes we will interpret all bad events as discipline, but that ignores the fact that the world is not as God created or intended it. We wanted to be in control, so God allowed us to live in control (back in the garden of Eden), as a gracious reminder why it is not a good idea to rebel from God. So evil can happen, for no reason whatsoever except that Man at one time rebelled against God's rule. The one promise we have in the case of this suffering, is that while God doesn't say he will stop it, he does promise to bring good out of it. That is the essence of Romans 8:28 (ESV) — 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

QT 5 Jan 17, Josh 23:11-13, God is always trying to teach and get our attention, but are we listening?

Joshua 23:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

NOTE: Joshua acknowledges in the previous verses that there is still work to do. And he challenges the people to stay true to the task, but he also warns the people against failure to continue to drive out the nations from the land. This is the prelude to Judges, for that is exactly what happens over and over again. The people get comfortable; the people follow the example of neighbors and forget God; the people are enslaved or attacked by those nations; the people cry out to God in repentance; God sends a delivers; and God gives them peace. But Israel never learns, and approximately 12 times goes through this cycle in different parts of the land in one failure after another. The lesson to us is what failure continues to haunt us? Where do we get apathetic in our convictions? Are we too comfortable? Are we serving in ministry? God wants to use our lives as a blessing to Him and to others. But we have to get out of a focus on ourselves and begin living for others.

QT 3 Jan 17, Josh 22:7-34 (portions), Good motives do not justify bad choices

Joshua 22:7–34 portions (ESV) — 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, . . . 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. . . . 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. . . .

15  . . . they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

. . . 21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? . . .

. . . 30 When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. . . .34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

NOTE: It is noteworthy that the people of Israel were concerned about the holiness of the nation  and reacted quite quickly to this apparent sin. It is also good that the parties took time to discuss the issue before charging into battle. Sometimes we are so quick to judge that we don't stop to hear the other person's side. Also, we find that, if anything, the motives of the people were good. But good motives do not make for good actions. I am not aware of any case of this altar being used in Israel's history, but it could have been. Many times, Israel took good things and then incorrectly used them in worship. Even the tabernacle itself was misused. Good motives change our opinion of a person and their actions, but good motives do not justify bad actions. The action to build an altar was wrong, the motive was fine, although the theology was suspect (and that by itself should have been a warning sign). The Levites were given cities across the nation. Their job was to protect the theological underpinning of Israel. In the next book, Judges, they stand out as failures to help the tribes continue in their walk with God. Motives are a good thing but they don't justify false actions.

QT 2 Jan 17, Josh 22:1-6, "Well done" seems rare in scripture, but oh it sounds so good

Joshua 22:1–6 (ESV) — 1 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

NOTE: So many times in Israel's history, the story is one of pain, failure, and disobedience (not surprising either since Israel is just like us). For the most part, the book of Joshua defies the norm. It is characterized by obedience and fulfillment of God's will. There are failures, like Ai and Gibeon, but they do not define the story. The two and one half tribes agree to fight with Joshua and their brothers, even though they have already received their inheritance. They complete their commitment, seven years of helping the other tribes get their inheritance. Joshua's summary in verses 2-3 are humbling and kind. But, Joshua warns them to continue to walk in God's ways and serve God  with all their heart and soul. Their children will forsake that warning, but they obeyed (sounds like the "great generation"). What is the application? I can't control everything in which I have input, but I can make sure that I do the right thing. And at the end, the "well done" is worth it.

QT 29 Dec 16, Josh 21:41-45, Rest is good, rest is not a command

Joshua 21:41–45 (ESV) — 41 The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. 42 These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.

43 Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

NOTE:  God did not clear out the land completely. In fact, he never promised to clear out the land completely. 

Exodus 23:29–30 (ESV) — 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

So, in fact, the people experienced rest while there was still work to do. The two ideas (rest and work) are not mutually opposed in the economy of God. Both rest and work are good. In fact, they probably work best when both are experienced in some sort of regular back and forth. We never stop working. We never stop resting. They are essential aspects of life. In the original idea for the Sabbath (Saturday rest), it was based on the fact that God worked six days, and then rested one day (however one might interpret the Hebrew word for day). The New Covenant does not repeat the command to keep Saturday as a day of rest nor does it add Sunday as a day of rest either. No, rest is no longer a command in the New Covenant, as Paul tells us in Colossians that we are freed from commandments and regulations that made days special.

Colossians 2:13–16 (ESV) — 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

But rest is a principle of life. It is necessary for healthy well-being, just as work is necessary for healthy well-being. We need to work hard and we need to rest well--those are solid principles for a good and health life.

QT 28 Dec 16, Josh 20:1-6, Justice and mercy fully expressed

Joshua 20:1–6 (ESV) — 1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. 6 And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’ ”

NOTE: The idea of sanctuary cities finds its best expression in the bible. I don't know if the idea originated earlier or in some other culture, but it is used here by God. The purpose of the sanctuary cities is to protect individuals, not groups, who have committed a sin unwillingly or unknowingly (not willingly or with intent). Also, the person must present his case to the elders of the city. They can then bring him into the city. If the avenger of blood pursues him, then the person seeking refuge must stand before the congregation for judgment. It appears that he must both stand for judgment and wait until the death of the High Priest to leave. Implied is the sense that he can still be avenged if he fails to make his case at one of the three points (before the elders of the city, before the congregation and avenger, or leaves prior to the death of the High Priest). The system does not protect an individual from purposeful crime or gives the person a do-over. Ultimately, after all the conditions are met, he can return to his home. Considering how long high Priests live, the parole is pretty lengthy. How does this apply to us? In societal relationships, God establishes justice because God is a God of justice. God also recognizes the need for mercy, but not completely at the expense of responsibility. God never excuses responsibility for actions. Even in our salvation, ultimately the penalty for sin had to be paid, it could not be "just ignored or forgotten." That is why Jesus died in our place for our sins. Only a sinless perfect person could accomplish that. Any good person would still have his own sins to pay. But Jesus reached God's perfect standard because he was God. He suffered humanly and spiritually, as the relationship in the Godhead was broken for the first time in all of eternity. God the father turned away from God the son on the cross, "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me." Justice is important to God and there is still a justice planned for those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ.

QT 27 Dec 16, Josh 14:10-12, Stay in the battle, now is not the time to retire

Joshua 14:10–12 (ESV) — 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

NOTE: Why does it not surprise me? Caleb, the other spy besides Joshua, who argued 45 years earlier to take the land, wants to go against the Anakim, the very "giants," who had scared off the other 10 spies 45 years earlier. He does not choose an area already conquered where he can go, settle quickly, and enjoy his older years, no, Caleb chooses the hardest of the areas. He doesn't quit working. He doesn't retire. He is still in the battle. He still has faith to trust God for victory. I imagine Caleb as an 85-year old hammer, a hard man, who is always go-go-go, charge-charge-charge. Of course, the scripture does not necessarily give us that picture. In fact, Caleb is content to fight the battle, even if God does not give the victory, "It may be that the Lord will be with me, …" As Americans, it is a natural part of our culture to look forward to the days of retirement as days of rest and leisure. There are studies out comparing people of the same age who retire and those who do not retire from work. Those who retire have a shorter life span than those who do not retire (at the same age) and accounting for health factors that might influence the decision. I don't think retiring is wrong, but I do think that not working is unwise. In other words, even in our retirement, there are things we can be doing. We can volunteer; we can serve in ministries, we can do part-time work. We can stay involved in life. We do have a retirement, the most glorious and unimaginable joy, but it is reserved for when the Lord brings us home.

QT 26 Dec 16, Josh 11:23; 13:1-2b, 6b-7, Finish our mission (not others)

QT 22 Dec 16, Josh11:1-8a, After victory, we need to prepare ourselves for intrusions

Joshua 11:1–8a (ESV) — 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. 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.” 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, …

NOTE: This is one of the last major battles that secures the central and northern areas. It is also the hardest, because all the forces of the area recognized their mutual interest in destroying Israel. The old saying, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" applies well to this group of kings. Israel completely destroys the entire population as God has commanded as judgment against Canaan for their evil and their sins. They burn all the cities except for those on hills (the most defend-able). For the next six years, Israel continues to wage war, probably during the summer, until all the large cities are defeated. The entire operation takes seven years. It is probably that after this battle, the division of land and cities occurs with the Army of Israel regathering every year to continue the seven-year conquest. Very small pockets remain afterwards. Most likely, the Philistines were a very small pocket at the time, but grew to be a formidable opponent over the next 300 years. Israel will struggle with these small pockets for the next three hundred years because the individual tribes fail to finish the job. It is also possible that at the time the conquest ends, all the remaining enemies have left the area, and only move back in after Israel settles. So, the blame would not fall on Joshua, but on the tribes for not protecting their inheritance from enemies. The latter suggests an application. Sin is a little like those small pockets. We think we have won a victory, and then we let ourselves slip back into sin in very small steps because "it won't hurt us" and then we end up back in defeat because we did not maintain our spiritual defenses.

QT 21 Dec 16, Josh 10:29-43, Stay focused on the main task

Joshua 10:29–43 (ESV) —

29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. 30 And the Lord gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel. …

31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it. 32 And the Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, …

33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people, until he left none remaining.

34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon. And they laid siege to it and fought against it. 35 And they captured it on that day, ...

36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron. And they fought against it 37 and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, …

38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it 39 and he captured it with its king and all its towns. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every person in it; …

40 So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. 41 And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. 42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

NOTE: This is the essence of the southern campaign, from one city to another; Joshua destroyed the inhabitants of all the cities. Interestingly, is that Joshua returns to Gilgal with all Israel, and remained encamped at Gilgal. This is important because they still had to capture the rest of the central and the northern cities. It does mean that inhabitants, stragglers, and other cities not attacked could move in to the newly emptied cities, but that the bulk of the armies in the southern region had been destroyed. To have settled the cities now might have jeopardized the whole endeavor causing the tribes who would inherit the northern area to be angry that the southern tribes got their inheritance before the job was finished. Joshua keeps the army together for the next part of the campaign. Later he will release the tribes and the individual tribes will have the responsibility of reclaiming the land and finishing off smaller elements. What is the application? Stay focused on the overall goal. Complete the main task before trying to enjoy the benefits of a partially completed task.

QT 20 Dec 16, Josh 10:20-23, 26, 28, God is not required to show mercy to anyone (that is the definition of mercy)

Joshua 10:20–23 (ESV) — 20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.

22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

Joshua 10:26 (ESV) — 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening.

Joshua 10:28 (ESV) — 28 As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

NOTE:  What is not understood in this narratives in which scoffers and atheists use to attack the concept of the OT God, is that God is a God of justice. The land of Canaan was given over 400 years to repent of their sin. Instead of seeking God, they engaged in activities that were immoral and evil. So, God destroys what he created. First, he had a right, and two, he had a reason (although the second reason is not required by a creator). Technically he could do that to all people at any time (since all of us are guilty of sin). If he doesn't, that is his choice. We can call that mercy, but he is not required to act merciful. The only decent argument someone might make would be in regard to the children, but that makes three assumptions that the arguer cannot prove. First, life here on earth is the greatest gift, and the loss of life for no reason is unfair. Second, there is no life after this life. Third, if there is life after this life it pales in comparison to this life. Considering the fact that before men were judged to die (Eden), this planet earth was God's idea of heaven (relationships, fulfilling work, purpose, knowledge of God, etc.,), the third reason is faulty.  The first and second arguments come down to much more difficult questions. Are we here by accident or is there an intelligent first cause? Personally, an intelligent first cause, as revealed in the scriptures negates the first and second arguments. Ultimately, we all live by faith since science has not proved that life is by accident. They have proposed a life by accident, but even their theory wouldn't negate God. And they have many holes in their theory. So many, that they have created a theory called "multiverse" which postulates an infinite number of universes so that they can explain why so many cosmological constants are finely tuned in order for life to exist. That sounds like God to me. But to each faith is required. But what does the passage teach me? I exist because of God's mercy and the grace that was shown me when Jesus died in my place for my sins. I deserve to die just like the five kings, but by grace I have life, in fact something much more important than life, I have eternal life.

QT 19 Dec 16, Josh 10:7-10, 15, Sometimes God works through normal circumstances, but sometimes through the miraculous

Joshua 10:7–10 (ESV) — 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

Joshua 10:15 (ESV) — 15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

NOTE: I did not realize until this week, that the camp for the Israelites remained at Gilgal. I suppose that makes sense. For one, it is close to the west bank of the Jordan, across where the families of 2 1/2 of the tribes lived, and it allows them to quickly respond or support those tribes. Secondly, those tribes on the other side of the Jordan can help to support the main camp with food. Third, it protects Israel's rear from surprise attack. Actually, just having the Jordan protects their rear as it will take some time to get troops across the water. Therefore, the trips to Ai and then to Shechem were short trips that always returned to Gilgal, the main camp. In this passage here, the five kings are apparently heading to Gilgal, but Joshua marches the troops all night, surprising them, and achieving a huge victory. In this passage, we see positive signs, the Lord speaking to Joshua, and God supporting Joshua with an artillery barrage of large hail (not seen in these verses) as well as some time dilation. In the first battle (Jericho), it was primarily miraculous and supernatural. In the second re-battle (Ai), the warfare was conventional. In this third battle (5-kings), the warfare is a mixture of miraculous and conventional. The conventional part was not easy--an all-night march in rugged terrain to take on the enemies of five kings. God expects his people to put effort into the work he has called them to do. He does work, sometimes supernaturally, but he also expects his people to step out in faith and effort.

QT 15 Dec 16, Josh 8:3-8, Victories follow obedience

Joshua 8:3–8 (ESV) — 3 So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. 4 And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. 5 And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them. 6 And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them. 7 Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8 And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.”

NOTE:  This victory is not as miraculous as Jericho. It combines good military art and a little trickery. God allows the people the spoil and the livestock but not the homes. This city is also burned to the ground. God has promised them to live in homes that they did not build and to eat from fields they have not sown, but in their first two victories, there are no homes yet. There is much work to do. The combined forces of the Canaanites probably outnumber Israel, and the Canaanites also possessed cavalry. Later in Israel's history, they would fall behind in technology, although it is not clear at this point that has happened, except for the cavalry. Usually, a nation requires a decisive advantage in size or technology to defeat an enemy. In many wargames that I have played, three to one is usually a good rule-of-thumb. "Even" battles just cause large losses for both sides. So far, Israel's losses have been negligible while defeating thousands of soldiers. The reason for their success is their decisive advantage--GOD! They will continue onto victory as long as they remain faithful to his commands. There is a principle here for us as well. Victory happens as we remain faithful to God's will for our life. It is not all at once, as we will soon find out that Israel did not completely defeat the Canaanites all at once, it took time. And even after the major armies are destroyed, it would take time for the individual tribes to fulfill their responsibilities to take the rest of the land.

QT 14 Dec 16, Josh 8:1-2, God wants his people to wait upon him

Joshua 8:1–2 (ESV) — 1 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”

NOTE: Achan's problem (he is the one who took the devoted things from Jericho and perished) is that he could not wait. The first city was a warning to the land and a test for Israel. Everything in Jericho was destroyed. Now, in the attack on the second city, the people are allowed to take spoil and livestock as plunder. If Achan has only waited, he could have participated in the spoil. The problem was two-fold. First, he didn't know what God would do next, that is, would God order all the cities burned. Actually, God had already told them that he would give them cities to live in and fields already planted. What God didn't say is that some cities would not be a part of his promise, and Jericho was not one of those cities. So since he did not think through God's promise or know God's specific plan, he acted too early. Secondly, he saw items that he wanted (gold and silver to get rich, and a fancy coat), and so he succumbed to temptation and disobeyed. He could not wait upon God for God's blessing, he acted to obtain his own blessings. Many people quote a verse that does not exist in the bible, "God helps those who help themselves." But the bible really says,

Psalm 37:9 (ESV) —  9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Lord, help us to wait upon you. Certainly we need to be obedient and prudence where required. But let us not confused lack of patience with prudence.

QT 12 Dec 16, Josh 7:1-5, Rebellion is our problem

Joshua 7:1–5 (ESV) — 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.

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.” 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.

NOTE: The instructions were very clear, but there is always somebody who doesn't think they apply to them. Actually, this would be even more prevalent in my country, the USA. We are a people who are independent and prize our heritage of doing things our way. Add to that the teaching of the last century, that there are no absolutes, no right and wrong, and pretty much half of the people would have broken the rule during the attack on Jericho. The world has a rebellion problem. It started when Adam and Eve rebelled against God as the ruler, the person who set the rules. Consequently, the painful world we live in today is a reminder to us from God that we chose to rebel. Far from an indictment against God for not caring, not knowing, or not being powerful enough to stop pain, pain is the reminder God left that we rebelled, we chose to be the rulers of our life. The only fix is repentance of the rebellion, and faith in the what Jesus did on the cross for us. The promise is that God will restore the world he created in the way he created it. Pain will be removed as it was before the fall. But for now, our sin greatly affects other people. All sin affects other people. Our sin culture slowly degrades the fabric of creation. And God lets it happen because it was what we wanted, and to do anything less would be to remove our free will--the very reason he created us--to be able to love freely. Have mercy on us Lord. Open our eyes and help us to see our sin problem. 

QT 9 Dec 16, Josh 7:1, All sin has consequence

Joshua 7:1 (ESV) — 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.

NOTE: The amazing thing was that it was not more people. The person thinks that "it is such a little thing and no one will notice." The person says to himself: "and God was clearly just intending to set the overall practice and not really intending such an extreme command." Christians are just as guilty today, when we take deductions on our taxes that are questionable, or disobey road signs. We think, the general principle is correct, but it doesn't really apply to me in this situation. We might argue that there is a difference between obedience to God and obedience to a government. The problem is that God tells us to obey the governing authorities, because he has placed them where they are. And Paul wrote that during a time where mob rule did not always pick the best of Caesars. The critical issue is that this one little sin, that was so-called victimless, will cost the nation and the person's family greatly. Our sins affect others, nothing is victimless or between consenting adults or whatever other argument we use to justify our behavior. All sin has consequence.

QT 8 Dec 16, Josh 6:1-5, It is not a question of "can" but of "what"

Joshua 6:1–5 (ESV) — 1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 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. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

NOTE: A lot of people will try to explain what happened here, arguing about vibrations weakening the wall and sound actually pushing the wall. That is all well and good, and as a physics minor in college, I understand and probably agree with some of the explanations. But the real point is missed. Israel could not have known the wall was not structurally sound (if it was). No one has ever attacked a fortified city using vibrations to bring the wall down. No, usually attackers bring in siege equipment, and in that day (and for a couple of thousand years afterwards), they would have expected a very long wait (months). If the siege equipment could not bring down the wall, and they could not scale the wall in sufficient strength, they were left to starving out the city. Israel was not prepared for siege warfare. They carried spears, arrows, and swords--nothing else. They were not prepared to take down a walled city quickly. But God knows exactly what must be done (assuming some flaw in the construction), or God provides just enough inhuman force to push the walls done. Whatever the case, it is an impossible task against a well-prepared foe that takes exactly one week to do. And all of a sudden, if they are thinking, they would realize that no task will be too difficult. It is an important lesson that has ramifications for the next battle. But our problem is that when God does that impossible task for us, do we remember? Or do we fret and worry, forgetting how God has intervened in the past? So when God does not answer (apparently), the question should not be a question of "can God" or "does God know", but what is the best thing and what does God want me to learn?

QT 7 Dec 16, Josh 5:13-15, Pivotal moments in our lives

Joshua 5:13–15 (ESV) — 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.

Note: Usually, a theophany, an appearance of God in human form in the OT, is called the Angel of the Lord, where the term Angel is literally messenger. A theophany should not surprise us, since Jesus is essentially a theophany, fully God and fully man. Most theologians agree that each theophany is the second person of the trinity (Jesus). This individual calls himself the commander of the Army of the Lord, which could be one of the arch-angels, but since they all report to God, it could also be God, that is Jesus. Finally, the taking off of the sandals is a reference to God's encounter with Moses at the burning bush and indicative of the presence of God. God in a warrior's outfit is a reference to Jacob when he wrestled with God all night (after wrestling with God and man for the previous 20 years of his life). Now it is Joshua's turn to meet God and to receive instructions. These are important moments, but believers have these encounters too, and far too often they are not remembered (in the sense of acting upon them). The whole course of Joshua's life and the nation is dependent upon his obedience, and then the people's obedience. God will give Israel the land, but it could be another generation who experience the rest, and not this generation. That is why obedience is so pivotal. When a work of God is laid before us, we must respond affirmatively or the opportunity could be lost. Lord, help us to be sensitive to these encounters and obedient to your commands.

QT 6 Dec 16, Josh 3:14-16, Our job is to obey, not to try to figure out God's next move for Him

Joshua 3:14–16 (ESV) — 14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.

NOTE: Normally, the Jordan is not very wide (150-180 feet), but during the harvest, it can easily double to 300-360 feet. Also, getting 2+ million people through that area in a day must have taken nearly a mile of width. If it was muddy, the whole operation would have ground to a halt moving carts and animals. God initiates a miracle, not on the same scale, but similar to the one Moses was a part of when they crossed the Red Sea. Not surprisingly, God does it differently, using the priests and the ark as the initiating force. God shows the people through this miracle that he is with them, as he was when Moses led them, so he will be with them as Joshua leads them. There are no issues of disobedience or grumbling at this point, and yet a huge task is before them. They should be the ones who are scared, but as the story from chapter two suggests, it is the people of the land whose hearts melt when they hear of Israel and their God. Rahab even uses the language of the culture of Israel. At this point, Israel just obeys. God does everything. And that will be the lesson of Jericho. Obey, and I (God) will take care of you and your concerns--just do your part, obey.