Joshua 8 v30to35 covenant remembered

I)       The Covenant Renewed

A)    File:  Joshua 8 v30to35 covenant remembered.doc

B)    Audio:  The Covenant Renewed

C)    Series:  Victory in the promised land

D)    Preached:  July 22, 2007.

II)    Context:  Joshua 8:30-35

A)    Israelites conquering promised land.

B)    Victory at Jericho

C)    Defeat and then victory at Ai

D)    Pause here to obey a command given through Moses:

1)      An interruption of military activities to re-commit to the Lord – a worship service!

E)     Where they are:

1)      Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim, near Shechem

(a)    Abraham – altar at Shechem (Gen. 12)

(b)   Jacob – lived near here for a while (Gen. 33-34)

III) READ Joshua 8:30-35

A)    Fulfillment of Moses’ commands from Dt. 27!

1)      Six tribes of Israelites on Mt. Ebal for curses

2)      Six tribes of Israelites on Mt. Gerizim for blessings

B)    The Ark, containing the stone tablets with the law on them was in the center of the people – representing God in their midst.

C)    The Priests and Levites were immediately around the ark.

D)    vv. 30-31, An altar of uncut stones: 

1)      Exodus 20:35 – using cut stones ‘profanes’ the altar.

2)      It’s not man-made religion that yields forgiveness for sins – it’s the sacrifice of blood that God has provided.

(a)    Keeps emphasis on the sacrifice, not the fancy altar.

3)      v. 31, Burnt offerings:  National commitment to the Lord

(a)    atonement – forgiveness of sins

(b)   reminded at Ai, their need for forgiveness

4)      v. 31, Peace / Fellowship offerings: 

(a)    thanksgiving – an expression of gratitude to the Lord

(b)   a portion to the priest and a portion to the offerer to enjoy with family in the presence of the Lord.

(c)    Ai – the spoils of war, the victories in the promised land

5)      Important that this altar is on Mt. Ebal – the mountain of cursing – only when there is sin, is there a curse, and a need for a sacrifice.  Mt. Gerizim has no altar!

E)     v32:  Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the Law

1)      It was tradition for commanders and kings to write of victories on plaster-covered stones.

2)      Here, Joshua writes upon the stones, their secret weapon – the Law.  Notice how following the Law, they had victory.  Failing to follow brought defeat!

3)      Another monument – Could you imagine a tour of the promised land shortly after the conquest:

(a)    At Gilgal, in the valley of Achor, At the entrance to Ai, now here on Mt. Ebal.

4)      Like the altar, notice that the stones with the Law are on Mr. Ebal – the Law is a curse.  It shows us our need for salvation. 

5)      Rom. 5:13 “Sin is not counted where there is no law.”  and 7:7, “If it had not been for the Law, I would not have know sin”

F)     v33 – “All Israel”

1)      including sojourners (Rahab and family)

2)      elders and officers and their judges

3)      Priests – around ark in the midst.  Spiritual leaders in the center of things – not for exaltation, but leadership and accountability.

4)      v 35 – women and the little ones – a family affair.

5)      No one is above worship!  The law, the sacrifices, the blessings – available to all regardless of life-situation.

G)    v34 – “afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse,”  Not a partial gospel – the good news and the bad news both were read by Joshua – because people deserve to know.  God commands the whole truth be shared.

1)      According to Moses’ instructions in Dt. 27, the people on Mt. Ebal would respond “Amen” to the curses and the people on Mt. Gerizim “amen” to the blessings.

(a)    Amen = “So be it”

IV) Believers today

A)    Also have both curses and blessings from the Lord.

1)      Our blessings come from walking in the Spirit and our curses come from discipline for grieving the Holy Spirit.

2)      We can have hope, peace, joy, purpose, mission, abundant life.

3)      While we cannot lose salvation, we can lose our joy, grieve the Spirit, have a ‘shipwreck of faith.’  We can also become slaves again to the law, or to sin.

B)    We do not have the Ark, but we have the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling within our hearts – in our midst.  Matt. 18:20, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

1)      With the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the Law is now written on our hearts in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:33

C)    Instead of an altar of uncut stones, the final sacrifice has been made on a hill called “Calvary”   

1)      A work accomplished by God

2)      Only it wasn’t on Mt. Ebal, It was at Mt. Zion.

3)      Where, according to the New Testament, Christ became a curse for us.  The lamb of God – the final sacrifice.

(a)    The fulfillment of the Law.

4)      Instead of a finely crafted altar like the pagans, we worship in Spirit and Truth – not needing fancy religion and keeping the focus on what Christ did, not what we do.

5)      Joshua gave offerings

(a)    Burnt offerings for atonement – atonement that was completed in Christ

6)      Peace offerings for fellowship and gratitude.  We are now one in Christ and offer up gratitude in our worship and enjoy unity in the Spirit with one another.

D)    Joshua wrote on stones as a monument and made sacrifices.  We too have spiritual monuments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper that we enjoy together.

E)     Joshua read about the curses – and we preach about the Law, and the crucifixion of Christ.

F)     Joshua read about the blessings – and we preach about the blessings in Christ.

1)      Most of all, eternal life.  How Christ was resurrected from the dead and how if we follow Him in His crucifixion, we will also follow Him in His resurrection.

2)      Then He ascended to heaven.

(a)    Right across the valley from Mt. Zion where He was crucified on a hill called the “Mount of Olives.”

3)      The Mount of Olives – where He will also return to.

(a)    Zech. 14:4 “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east”

(b)   Confirmed to the disciples in Acts, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

(i)     The same way – He will return from the clouds and at some point, come to rest on the Mount of Olives which overlooks Jerusalem from the east.

V)    So here we stand, believers today, between two mountains.

A)    If we have believed in the Lord, we are entering into His promises.

B)    It is fitting that we look at our worship times together as we see here in Joshua 8:30-35.

1)      We have been in the battle all week.

2)      We have had successes and failures.

3)      We proclaim His Word together.

4)      We look to the curses – the sin, the sacrifice that was made.

5)      We say “Amen”

6)      We look forward to our resurrection, eternal life, blessings of ruling with Him when He returns.  How He is giving us freedom from our sins now and how one day, he will free this whole world from sin and reign in Holiness and Righteousness.

7)      and we say “Amen”

8)      Let us especially look at this time of revival in this way.

(a)    Let’s give a fellowship offering of our time.

VI) At the same time, we have some sojourners among us.

A)    Have joined the group along the way.

B)    Maybe not thoroughly understanding so we proclaim the gospel:  Sin, sacrifice, blessings.

1)      It was tradition for commanders and kings to write of victories on plaster-covered stones.

2)      Here, Joshua writes upon the stones, their secret weapon – the Law.  Notice how following the Law, they had victory.  Failing to follow brought defeat!

3)      Another monument – Could you imagine a tour of the promised land shortly after the conquest:

(a)    At Gilgal, in the valley of Achor, At the entrance to Ai, now here on Mt. Ebal.

4)      Like the altar, notice that the stones with the Law are on Mr. Ebal – the Law is a curse.  It shows us our need for salvation. 

5)      Rom. 5:13 “Sin is not counted where there is no law.”  and 7:7, “If it had not been for the Law, I would not have know sin”

C)    v33 – “All Israel”

1)      including sojourners (Rahab and family)

2)      elders and officers and their judges

3)      Priests – around ark in the midst.  Spiritual leaders in the center of things – not for exaltation, but leadership and accountability.

4)      v 35 – women and the little ones – a family affair.

5)      No one is above worship!  The law, the sacrifices, the blessings – available to all regardless of life-situation.

D)    v34 – “afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse,”  Not a partial gospel – the good news and the bad news both were read by Joshua – because people deserve to know.  God commands the whole truth be shared.

1)      According to Moses’ instructions in Dt. 27, the people on Mt. Ebal would respond “Amen” to the curses and the people on Mt. Gerizim “amen” to the blessings.

E)     Amen = “So be it”

F)     Have the law written on their heart.  Rom. 8:1-4, 2 Cor. 3.

VII)          Remember

A)    Obedience to the Lord’s Law gives them victory in the Promised Land.

1)      The Lord provided salvation from the bondage of Egypt

2)      The Lord set aside the Land

3)      The Lord sent fear into the inhabitants

4)      The Lord gave the victory

5)      But only when Israel was obedient to the Law.

(a)    Achan and his family were an interruption and a lesson.

B)    The Lord is in the midst of the camp that worships Him

C)    Worship of the Lord is available to everyone

D)    There are curses for breaking God’s Law.

E)     Sacrifice is required for the forgiveness of sin.

F)     There are blessings in the promised land for those obedient to the Lord.

G)     

VIII)       Notes

A)    What we should remember

1)      Grace:  the uncut stones – that God alone provides salvation by the sacrifice.  Cutting the stones defiles the altar because it allows for boasting.

B)    These places:

1)      Shechem: 

(a)    Gen 12:6-8.  Abraham built an altar here when God said “To your offspring I will give this land”

C)    The Procedure according to Dt.

D)    Application:

1)      Periodic recommitments.

2)      Law written on the stones.

(a)    Now written on the hearts.

(b)   Our primary asset in warfare is still the Word of God.

3)      The shouting back and forth

(a)    Our message:  The wages of sin is death (Ebal) but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Gerizim)  This is what we proclaim.  The Law, the Sacrifice, the Blessings.

4)      Ark in the midst of the people.

(a)    Where two or three are gathered.

(b)   Holy Spirit dwelling in the hearts.

5)      Mt. Ebal – Christ on Calvary, became a curse for us, the end and fulfillment of the law.

(a)    Rejoice. 

(b)   Memorial:  Lord’s Supper – partaking of the sacrifice, His body and blood.  But just a memorial.

6)      Mt. Gerizim – Living in the Spirit.  The total fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets:  Love one another as yourself.  Eph. 4 – Do not grieve the Holy Spirit – but context is total submission to one another, unity and peace.

July 22, 2007, The Covenant Renewed

Joshua 8:30-35  (See also Deuteronomy 27:1-28:68)

·     The Altar (Exo. 20:35)

·     The Sacrifices (Lev. 1)

·     The Law (Romans 5:13, 7:7 ff.)

·     Christ became our curse (Gal. 3:13)

·     Christ in our Midst (Matt. 18:20)

·     Law written on hearts (Jer. 31:33)

·     Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4, Luke 24:50-51 (Note:  Bethany is on the Mount of Olives), Acts 1:10-12)

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Joshua 8:30-35 Word Find: