Joshua 6-9

God’s message to me: Doing what seems to be right is a really good way to get into trouble. Prayer and seeking God’s guidance in all things is the only right way to do anything. God has given us guidelines which we can look to but, for those things which are questionable we should always seek His council.

It takes no great leap of faith to stop at a red light. We are following the law and acting out of prudence as God has instructed. We know that murder is forbidden and there isn’t much reason to ask God if it is right to kill our neighbor, He has already told us it isn’t. Because war is more ambiguous it is something we should consider prayerfully. Governments are directed by God and by their basic function to fight against those who attack us but, there are occasions when it is necessary to be the aggressor. While the reasons for attack may seem just and obvious, such aggression should never be initiated without seeking God’s council. We cannot say that we have God on our side if we never asked His opinion. Likewise, it is unwise to enter into treaties without seeking His council.

Promises: God will never steer us wrong. When we act on our own without seeking His council we are open to disaster but, when we act on what God leads us to do we cannot fail. The first attack against Ai should have worked from a tactical standpoint but, when God laid down the battle plan it included the entire army rather than the small portion sent the first time. By the same token, Gideon was sent to fight against a far larger army, too large to be counted in fact, with only three hundred men. Based on the tests by which they were chosen these were not even the best soldiers but, were in fact, the least capable of the lot. Despite that fact, by following God’s plan, Gideon destroyed the enemy army completely without loosing a single soldier. God’s plan, no matter what it is, will always work.

Commands: God can not abide the presence of sin. No amount of grace will get you into heaven if you are not willing to ask God’s forgiveness and accept the sacrifice of Christ, on your behalf, to atone for your sin.

Timeless principles: The story of Achan and the defeat at Ai is an example of God’s view of sin. while God is a loving and forgiving God who wishes only the best for His people, He cannot abide the presence of sin. The spoils of war at Jericho were meant for the general treasury of Israel and not for individual enrichment. Achan took some of the treasure for himself and, in doing so placed sin in the camp that God could not support. As a result the Israeli army, which should have easily won the battle, was defeated by Ai because they did not have the support of God. Only when the sin was confessed and purged from the camp was God prepared to return and bless the efforts of Israel.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Had Achan been patient at Jericho he and his family would have lived to take personal spoils of war and livestock for themselves as the spoils of this battle were given to the people individually. God will give you the desire of your heart and fulfill your needs in His own time. Taking what isn’t yours before that time can only bring disaster.

When the people of Israel made treaties with some of the inhabitants of Canaan they accepted the word of liars without asking for the Lord’s council. As a result, people who God had commanded them to eliminate were left safe under the oath the Israelites took before God not to harm them. These people would be a thorn in the side of the nation of Israel for many generations to come because they followed their own ideas instead of asking God for guidance.

more to learn for in-depth study: This passage begins with the story of the fall of Jericho. The inhabitants of the city had barricaded themselves within the walls in fear of what the Israelites had proven capable of with other kingdoms. When the Israelites followed God’s battle plan He miraculously destroyed the walls of the city, ending the siege and making the attack against it’s inhabitants easy. Because Rahab had protected the Israeli spies and, in doing so, proved she would side with the Lord, she and her family were spared with all their belongings. The cities treasure was given to the treasury of Israel and all the rest was destroyed.

The second battle of Ai demonstrates several military tactics that are in use to this day. These tactics were ordered by God so that the Israelites would have an easier fight. Using their prior defeat to advantage, the attacking force ran away as the army of Ai attacked, drawing them out of their defenses. The flanking force destroyed their city defenses preventing a siege situation and then attacked from the only direction left to the Army of Ai for retreat. This pincer movement ensured total victory.

Notice at the end of the passage we are told that Joshua did what was commanded before. He wrote the law on the stones of the mountains surrounding the entrance to the promised land. He read the entire law before the children of Israel and he made the leaders of the tribes bear witness to the writing and the reading so that no one could claim not to know it. I’ve repeated this again and again. This is a WRITTEN RECORD, not an oral tradition.

tomorrow: Joshua 10-11

Deuteronomy 26-28

God’s message to me: Every bad thing can be turned to blessings through God if I serve Him as He commands. Every good thing can be turned to a curse if I refuse to glorify God in it.

Promises: Deuteronomy 27:15-26 Deuteronomy 28:1-68 The promises of the Lord are both blessing and curse. For those that love Him and honor His commandments the good of every promise is theirs to claim. For those who fail to serve him with gladness in abundance the opposite of every good promise will be their reward and they will instead serve others in bondage and despair.

Commands: The rules regarding distribution of the tithe get a little complicated under Hebrew law where much of government was handled through the temple. There were many offerings and tithes and per person fees paid to support the temple, the Levites and the priests and each was budgeted in it’s own way to serve those needs as well as charity. As Christians, we simply bring our tithes and offerings to the church and the church leadership is responsible to God for their stewardship of those funds. I have heard people, including pastors, refer to handling the congregations money. This is wrong. The money belongs to God, not the church or it’s congregation and only He is judge of what is right or wrong in it’s handling. This is why we choose good and God fearing men to lead us then trust in God to lead them.

Timeless principles: Most people think they are good and believe they are doing their best to follow God’s commands. They admit to lying, the occasional curse word and maybe a little lust but they think they do OK beyond that. It pays to know and understand God’s word.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Read it, Study it, write it down, post it in obvious places and commit it to memory. “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Even knowing all the rules it is impossible for man to obey them completely without God’s help and intervention. Want a little proof? Take the good test.

more to learn for in-depth study: Deuteronomy 27: 3 “YOU SHALL WRITE...” I know I’m repeating myself and I don’t care. Not only did God carve the law in stone, and command the law and the history to be documented in writing; God also commanded billboards to be made at the entrance to the promised land so that all the people could plainly see the words of the law in print as they entered and when they passed back and forth to the lands of the tribes who established their territory before the Jordan river.

tomorrow: Deuteronomy 29-31