The Battle belongs to the Lord

Notes:

Introduction:

Superman:

Given opportunity to help out others…

“Nah, I’m good.”

Travels around the world eating the best cuisine in the world.

Bruce Wayne: All this wealth and popularity.

You want to dress up like a bat and save people from harm and lock up bad guys.

“Nah, I’m good! I’ve got my mansion, my butler.”

You’re in this privileged position to help people and you’re like, “Nah, I’m good!”

“Saved by grace, man! Not works. Don’t want to boast!

Mobilizing in Moab:

Mobilizing a particular group of people. Will those who have been already granted land, and cattle, and opportunity, will they still fight for the well-being of others?

1. God’s Charge

2.God’s Faithfulness

3. God’s Fight

God’s Charge

18 “And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel. 19 Only your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in the cities that I have given you, 20 until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also occupy the land that the Lord your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.’

The Charge: Fight first, Farm Second

Story of 2.5 Tribes

New York accent:

Numbers 32:5: Good land for livestock, and people of Reuben and Gad had a ton of livestock. They saw the land was good for livestock, so they approached Moses to ask for this land.

Numbers 32:6–8 “But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.”

They responded to Moses in v.17: “But we will take up arms, ready to go before the people…” v. 18: “We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance.”

BUT, you’re possession doesn’t mean the end of OUR mission

Buckle up! It’s still go time!

CROSS OVER!

ARMED!

AHEAD

NIV: “But all your able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites.”

Moses address the 2.5 to avoid them from neglecting their mission:

May be tempted to stay, but Moses commands them: YOU MUST CROSS OVER. “Before your brothers, the people of Israel.”

v. 20: Fight…” Until the Lord gives rest to your brothers…”

NOT Shalom

Rest=Stopping activity. After the wars are over. Then you can come back and experience shalom.

v. 19: “I know that you have much livestock…”

Struck me like a ton of bricks:

The 2.5 Option:

You’ve got free land. You’re bringing in your cattle. You’re all set!

“We can just stay here? Why bother go over there and help…”

“We’ve got all we need for success.”

“Even the Lord has noticed how much I have…”

“I already got what I want, you’re left to fend for yourself.”

Temptation is real!

I know you’ve done well for yourself.

I know you have credentials,

I know you have tons of retirement savings…

I know you do well for yourself.

Question: How does what you have, hinder you from helping others?

But you are charged to GO!

“No, I”m good.”

God: “I know you’re good! I made it so, btw. But you’re wellbeing is not a end in itself! Your rest will come after your help your brothers and sisters first get their rest!”

“Don’t unpack, Don’t get settled. Don’t feel settled. You are not settled until those around are settled.”

Lies of Consumerism:

I must look out for myself.

I need more stuff to feel at peace.

I must ensure my financial future is 100% secure.

I must look out for myself first before I can help out others.

Consumerism vs. Covenant:

Consumerism: Me First, Safety in Stuff, Addiction to a Purchase Click, Comfort in Control

Covenant: Us first, Safety in Fellowship, Addiction to Generosity, Comfort in God’s Control

God’s Faithfulness

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing.

Deuteronomy 1:38 “Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”

Moses charges his protege.

Moses Reminds Joshua:

v. 21: Singular “You have seen with your own eyes”

Remember what you saw!

Eyewitness of God’s actions. Don’t forget what your eyes of seen. Don’t doubt what your eyes have seen…

Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Lucy enters into a magical land named Narnia.

She explains the whole adventure to her siblings, but they think it’s one elaborate hoax.

Either LIAR or LUNATIC!

LUCY WILL NOT DENY WHAT SHE’S SEEN. Lucy will NOT deny what she’s seen. No matter how crazy she sounds…

Lucy: “I don’t care what you think, and I don’t care what you say. You can tell the Professor or you can write to Mother or you can do anything you like.”

Why does Moses charge Joshua to tell Joshua that he was an eyewitness?

Because we are a forgetful bunch.

Speaking of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lucy’s older sister Susan would eventually forget about her adventures in Narnia. She would forget her identity as Queen of Narnia… She claimed Narnia was a place of make-belief and kids stories…

That’s the same kind of reasoning given by those who are deconstructing their faith right now… Fairytales and make-belief.

BUT, God reminds Joshua, remember what you saw! Remember how I work! Look at the rearview mirror of your life, and see MY FAITHFULNESS!

We experience God’s faithfulness through the rearview mirror:

Rearview mirror, helps us see what’s behind us.

God’s helped you once, he will help you again.

God has delivered you once, he will deliver you again!

Take a good look at your life

Mind’s eye: Remembering your past… How have you seen God’s faithfulness.

You’ve seen how the Lord fought for you!

God’s Fight

v.18: And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess…

v.22: You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’

Text Wrap:

Starts and ends with God who fights for us.

v. 18: Victory in the Trans Jorden is the prototype for Victory in the Cis Jordan. In other words, “What God does over here, He will do over there.”

v. 21: Singular “You have seen with your own eyes”

v. 22: “YOU shall not fear them…”

“A personal charge has become a public challenge and is now recalled in order to renew the courage and faith of this congregation.” Block

God the Fighter:

Deuteronomy 1:30 “The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,”

“That YHAH is the divine warrior, the One who fights… for Israel is a central metaphor in the historical books, prophets, and the Psalms. The Pentateuch anticipates the theme by noting the certainty of victory and hinting at human passivity in military exploits and the need only to be faithful in obedience to YHWH’s guidance.” Arnold

Exodus 14:13–14 “13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.””

Fought through His Son:

Victor is Jesus

Who did he fight against?

Kingdom of Darkness

So who is the enemy?

The real enemy is the evil one:

Tactic today is to remind us: Look at your cows, they’re all good!

Who will do anything to keep Christians silent with the Gospel. The enemy will place idols in our path that lure us away from that calling.

The enemy is happy when Christians are filled with resources, money and successful careers that keep them busy, comfortable, and quiet. The brilliant Christian musician Sufjan Stevens wrote a haunting Christmas song with just one line sung repeatedly, “I am Santa’s helper, you are Santa’s slave.” Satan’s happy when Santa’s slaves are stuck in their stuff. The enemy will promote ideologies that mimic Christianity but are, in fact, not true faith. Ideologies that teach earthly wealth is a Biblical mandate as opposed to sacrifice and generosity. Ideologies that teach we ought to seek security as opposed to expecting suffering. Ideologies that teach self-improvement and success is a Biblical calling as opposed to self-denial. Our enemy will do anything to shut us up and keep us quiet.

The second enemy, our confessions remind us, is our sin. The sin we still cling to keep us from copying Christ and making him know. It does so when we miss the mark through loosing our temper or saying one thing but doing another. Thoughts of prejudice and racism, greed and gluttony slide in our minds without warning. We can be lazy, and neglect our children because, hey, another all-important-can’t-miss game of the century is on. We size up or size down, we cheat on taxes or take music and movies without owning the rights to it. We gawk at what does not belong to us, whether things or people. We judge the appearance of her outfit, and we talk behind their backs. We fight. We yell. We stay silent. We retreat. We resent. We push back, insult, and put salt in people’s wounds. We use, misuse, and abuse God’s good creation. We deny our sin, defy those in authority, we idolize, and vocalize our opinions without considering the feelings of others. We have regrets of the past we can’t get over, we have addictions we can’t shake off, and our compulsive behavior trumps doing what honours God. We overgeneralize and ostracize. We excuse our sin and point at splinters in the eyes of others. We murder with our mind, lust over the ladies, judge without justice, fight without fairness, point the pointer, and bend the rules of righteousness. Folks, our sin is the enemy, and it keeps us disconnected to our calling to be missionaries.

Application:

What does it look like to be at a place of giving?

What does it look like to be at a place of receiving?

v. 20: Goal=Rest. Settling in the Promised Land=Rest

Temptation to Complacency

Due to Comfortability

Due to Wealth

Mentorship?

Leave no man behind mentality!

Going with the others.

Complacency after Victory:

Edict of Melon

Urgency ended

Political Move by Constantine

Justin Martyr: Blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the church

More than Complacency, it’s Selfishness

You’ve fought for your own. Now you have to fight for others!

Strong Covenantal approach.

Vows at baptism

“You may be good, but not everyone around may be!”

Temptation to Fear