2020-02-09 Joshua 9
Notes
Transcript
3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
5 They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly.
6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.”
7 The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
9 They replied to him, “Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth.
11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, “We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.” ’
12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly.
13 These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey.”
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.
15 So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.
I. When you don’t seek God, His hand won’t guide you.
I. When you don’t seek God, His hand won’t guide you.
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.
Jsh 9:
A. Even though the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites, it is the Israelites who were at fault.
A. Even though the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites, it is the Israelites who were at fault.
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.
Illus: Back when I was in high school I remember a poster that was on the wall of every classroom I was in. It said, “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
Israel got themselves into a mess because they failed to plan properly. They failed to seek God.
The people wanted to play the victim card because the Gibeonites acted deceitfully. They wanted to pass the blame because they made decisions off of false pretenses.
That said, God held Israel responsible for the deception of the Gibeonites. Why? Because Israel forgot to seek the wisdom and direction of God in theat moment.
They were wise in their own eyes, and did not seek the Lord.
When you don’t seek God, don’t be surprised when you make foolish decisions.
When you don’t seek God, don’t play the victim card for the mess you are in. You had access to the wisdom of God, and you chose to ignore Him.
I want you to see the treasury available to you if you just seek God.
We try to use it to tell people about getting saved. “Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking.”
The passage is really about God’s availability to His children. “When you need me I am here.”
Look at it from God’s intent…
How, through prayer and reading from the riches of His revealed Word.
Our God is not far off… but desires for you to seek him and find life.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
B. When you don’t seek God, you make foolish decisions.
B. When you don’t seek God, you make foolish decisions.
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.
Illus: Recently my wife and I have been attempting to eat healthier.
At the beginning of the week we meal plan so that when we go to the grocery store we buy only the food that supports our healthy eating habits.
When we go out to eat we look at the menu before going and make decisions that align with our diet.
Because of this discipline I’ve dropped 10 pounds and feel better than I have in a very long time.
BUT, there have been moments when we were out and did not prepare for what we were going to eat.
In those moments I have made foolish decisions to eat what I know did not fit my diet. And yes, those simple decisions made me feel like garbage.
Let’s bring some application to this… Depending on God is a deliberate pursuit.
You deliberately seek him as you read the word, gather with His body the church, and cast all your cares on Him in prayer.
In the morning you must prepare for your day by praying for God’s wisdom and strength on every part of your day.
There will come unexpected moments where you will face the surprise decisions and reactions. In those moments you will be tempted to fall into your own wisdom and strength. If you do… you will make foolish decisions.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
II. Your integrity is not conditional on others actions.
II. Your integrity is not conditional on others actions.
16 Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them.
17 So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
19 All the leaders answered them, “We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
20 This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”
21 They also said, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them.
Jsh 9:
A. Your integrity when others deceive you shows who you are.
A. Your integrity when others deceive you shows who you are.
18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
19 All the leaders answered them, “We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
20 This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”
Jsh 9:
Illus: Your word should matter.
Follow the scenario… you make what seems like a right decision based off false facts. Someone else tricks you.
Your response to their misrepresentation will show who you are.
The easy thing would be to void the agreement and walk away. It was based on false facts, you are free.
What would it say about you if your kept your word even if they did not keep theirs.
Integrity is not conditional on others. It is a characteristic of who you are.
We have to get away from “I will do my part as long as they do theirs.”
We must get back to “I will do my part out of integrity.”
Are you a person of your word?
37 But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.
34 But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne;
35 or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.
36 Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.
37 But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
Mt 5:33-3
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.
B. Your integrity when others deceive you shows who God is.
B. Your integrity when others deceive you shows who God is.
19 All the leaders answered them, “We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
Illus: As Christians we should be people of our word.
Why? The promises we make, the lives we live, our integrity magnify who God is to the world around us.
If we do not keep our word, what does the world think of our God.
If we go back on our promises, what doe the world think of our God.
You are the visible representation of God on this earth.
This is why the bible is so specific about the way your live… because you are a reflection of the God who saved you.
Our God is a God who does not fail, not cease to work when we are faithless and falter. He is the promise keeping God.
If our God keeps His promises, so should we.
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus, Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”
20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.
2 cor 1:
III. God keeps His promises.
III. God keeps His promises.
Jsh 9
26 This is what Joshua did to them: he rescued them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them.
27 On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers—as they are today—for the community and for the Lord’s altar at the place he would choose.
A. Our future rests in a God who is faithful to a faithless people.
A. Our future rests in a God who is faithful to a faithless people.
Illus: The story of the Bible is the story of God who made promises with men who did not fufill their end of the agreement.
He made promises to Adam, who in turn ate of the fruit was told not toe eat.
He made a promise to Noah who in turn got drunk and cursed his son.
He made a promise to Abraham who in turn slept with his servant.
He made a promise to David who in turn stole a mans wife, and then murdered him.
God fulfilled every single promise, because our God is a God of integrity. While we are faithless, God is faithful.
God’s promises are not dependent on human faithfulness, but on His character.
To Adam He became the second Adam. To Noah, he never destroyed the world through a flood again. To Abraham he sent the Son who would bless the world. To David he placed an eternal kingdom by taking the throne himself.
All God’s promises find fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Our God keeps His promises!
3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen and guard you from the evil one.
2 thess 3:3