Faithful to Renew
Joshua: The Faithfulness of God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 9 viewsJanuary Bible Study: Session 5
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
TURN: Joshua 7
Opening ILL: Kelly thinks he is getting called in for a raise, but it actually being fired for cause.
Transition: When we thing of God’s faithfulness, most often we think of it in terms of blessing.
But God’s covenant with His people from the outset included not only promises of blessing for obedience, but curses for rebellion.
This morning, from God’s Word, we will see that God is faithful in discipline as well as deliverance.
PRAY
God is faithful in discipline and in deliverance.
God is faithful in discipline and in deliverance.
Joshua 7:1- 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.
Joshua 7:1- 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.
No one was supposed to keep anything, the metals collected for the Lord’s treasury
Why might have motivated such rebellion? What inner flaw might have been revealed?
Joshua 7:2–5a- 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…
Joshua 7:2–5a- 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…
Compared to Jericho, Ai looked more like a small town that could have been conquered easily
Joshua and the scouts came up with a plan rather than getting directions from God, unaware of the sin in the camp and the Lord’s anger.
Note also the missing ark of the covenant in this skirmish.
Perhaps they did not think they needed Him
What might Joshua have been feeling after this defeat?
Joshua 7:5b–9 - …And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
Joshua 7:5b–9 - …And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
JOSHUA TORE HIS CLOTHES…- in shock, grief, confusion, embarrassment, possibly fear
Yet still he turned to the Lord
WOULD THAT WE HAD BEEN CONTENT TO DWELL BEYOND THE JORDAN- At first it sounds similar to the complaints of the ungrateful and rebellious people under Moses
But Joshua is not complaining to men out of ungratefulness, but expressing his feelings to the Lord seeking guidance, possibly wondering if continuing the conquest further was even God’s will
WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR YOUR GREAT NAME- Joshua’s primary concern is for the Lord’s glory, not his own reputation
Joshua 7:10–12- 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.
Joshua 7:10–12- 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.
Why was God angry with all the Israelites rather than just the guilty party?
Achan was guilty, Joshua and the scouts also had hatched up a plan without consulting God.
God had a plan of redeeming this particular situation through both corporate punishment (the death of the thirty-six) and individual punishment.
Joshua 7:13- 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.”
Joshua 7:13- 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.”
CONSECRATE THE PEOPLE…- before they moved forward, they had to deal with their sin
Joshua 7:20–21- 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel …they are hidden in the earth inside my tent…
Joshua 7:20–21- 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel …they are hidden in the earth inside my tent…
By hiding what he had stolen, he showed that he knew that he sinned and the seriousness of it
But Achan did not confess his transgression until he was caught.
Joshua 7:22–26- 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
Joshua 7:22–26- 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
What Achan hid, God exposed before all of Israel
Every Israelite participated in carrying out the sentence as a reminder of the seriousness of disobedience
People died because of his sin
The location of the spoils likely indicates that some in his family had knowledge of the sin
What are some examples of how sin impacts more than just an individual?
Apply to churches (condoning ungodly practices); families (covering up abuse or enabling addiction); businesses (adopting unethical systems); and countries (upholding questionable policies).
Joshua 8:1–2a- 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…
Joshua 8:1–2a- 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…
I HAVE GIVEN INTO YOUR HAND- now that the sin had been dealt with and God’s wrath satisfied, His people would receive the promised victory
How is this a parallel to the Gospel?
TAKE AS PLUNDER FOR YOURSELVES- If he had just waited…
Joshua 8:30–35- 30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
Joshua 8:30–35- 30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
Joshua guided the Israelites toward spiritual recommitment and renewal not unlike Moses to the new generation following the failures of the ones before and the wandering in the wilderness before the beginning of the conquest of the Promised Land.
Conclusion
Conclusion
How were the battle of Jericho and the battles for Ai similar?
How were they different?
The Bottom Line: God is faithful in discipline and in deliverance.
PRAY
