God loves to use underdogs to accomplish great victories.  He likes to win when the odds are stacked up totally against His people.  One of the reasons for that is stated in the Book of Judges.  God told Gideon that he had too many men to go out and fight the Midianites.  If he won the victory, the army would begin to take credit for it themselves and swell with pride.  (Judges 7:2)  This pride would become their downfall.

Gideon, himself, was also a weak man.  In his own estimation, he was the least of the least of his tribe.  (Judges 6:15)  He was cowering in fear of the Midianites as he threshed out some wheat to feed his family when approached by the Angel of the Lord.  This angelic visitor greeted him with “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”   God is a God of encouragement and He is able to see our true potential when we walk by faith!

After a series of reductions of Gideon’s forces, Gideon ended up with three hundred men who had lapped water like a dog.  ( Judges 7:6-7)  God promised that with these three hundred men he would deliver Midian into Gideon’s hands. Gideon divided these three hundred men into three companies and gave them trumpets, jars, and torches to place in the clay jars.  He led them himself, and told them to do exactly as he was going to do.  They were to encircle the Midianite camp and at the signal from Gideon they were to break the jars, wave the torches and shout: “For the Lord and for Gideon!”  This shout was an act of faith that would bring victory to this small company! (Judges 7:18)

We know the story and the happy ending.  As they shouted, the Midianites became confused and began killing each other.  The power of God brought victory to Gideon and his small band of shouting warriors with fire in their pots!  This story helps us to learn some simple lessons.  God can use very weak and simple people.  Numbers are not the most important thing in life, victory comes through God and obedience to His directions.  Our weapons that are most powerful are our tongues when employed in obedient faith and the light of God’s presence shining forth from us.  Take time today to ask God to use you!

My wife and I have always prayed for our children and grandchildren.  We want them to experience a personal walk with the Lord and avoid the snares of Satan.  Though our prayers are powerful, each child must still choose on his own to obey the Lord.  Sometimes, children  enter a cycle of disobedience where consequences, rather than parent or God,  become their teacher.  Many times, parents are too quick to bail their children out of consequences before the lessons are learned.  Take a look at our heavenly Father’s parenting techniques in the book of Judges!

Through Joshua, the people had renewed the covenant commitment to fully follow God.  (Joshua 24:15), but after the death of Joshua the people fell away. (Judges 2:8-11)  This falling away was due to the failure of the next generation to learn faith and a failure of Joshua’s generation to live out faith.  If we become engrossed in the culture around us, instead of in God and His word, failure always results.  The Israelites did evil in God’s eyes by forsaking Him and turning toward the gods of the culture.  As a result, they reaped the consequences of enemies plundering them and inability to withstand attacks on their land and families.  (Judges 2:14-15)   God allowed consequences to become their teacher!

The remedy for sin and rebellion is repentance.  When the people of God recognized their sins, they would cry out to God for help.  God was merciful and would raise up a judge to deliver them from their enemies.  They would then have peace again under the wise leadership of a godly judge.  When he or she passed from the scene, the cycle would repeat itself in the next generation!  (Judges 2:16-19)

Today’s culture is no different and Christians must stick close to God, worshiping  regularly.  We need the power of the Holy Spirit living in us to stay victorious over Satan’s attacks.  When we begin to mix with our culture and neglect the things of God, consequences of disobedience come upon us and we suffer.  Our “Joshua” is alive, praying for us, and His body, the Church, is there to help us and give us victory!  By staying close to God, we can live continuously in victory!

Covenant commitment makes a difference in our lives and in the life of our family.  When the head of a house stands true to serving God, the home is much more likely to be godly and continue in godliness.  When the man of a house boldly commits to follow God, wife and children most likely will follow.  When the head of a nation commits to follow God, the people will also follow.  Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.  Some commitments are not as sincere as others.  It is a matter of the heart!

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to  you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Joshua made a strong appeal to his fellow Israelites to make a choice of who to worship.  It was not like he was proposing a choice that didn’t matter to him, for he was clear in his decision.  The Israelites were prone to making decisions by their feelings or the traditions of the past instead of make choices because of principle and truth.  They would serve false gods if they failed to serve and worship the Lord of heaven and earth.  What you worship you will serve.  Feelings will follow decisions and to make no decision is also a choice that leads the wrong direction.

The people responded positively, “We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God.”  Joshua countered their initial confession by speaking a warning to them.  He warned them that in their own strength, they would fail to serve and worship the Lord.  He was (and is) a holy and jealous God!

Joshua further warned them to throw away their foreign gods and yield their hearts to the Lord. (Joshua 24:23)   They must fully turn away from idolatry and embrace God with their hearts.  These timely words of Joshua from over 3400 years ago speak loudly to us today.  Our Joshua, Jesus Christ, fully committed to His Father and declared that He and His house would serve the Lord!  We are that house!  Is there anything you need to get rid of today in order to fully commit to Him?

Some of the reading in today’s passages seems to be boring.  It is the details of how Joshua divided the land for the tribes of Israel.  Each tribe had fought faithfully and waited patiently for the completion of the long war to conquer the promised land.  God gave them each a definite inheritance, chosen by lot. (Joshua 18:10)   The inheritance established them in a land of their own with rest from war!  Read today with an eye for the distant future and God’s sure promises!

“So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.  The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their forefathers.  Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them.  Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” Joshua 21:43-45

The land of Israel belongs to them by divine promise.  This is being debated today by nations who are trying to divide the land and make a Palestinian state.  God’s promises are true, however,  and the land will ultimately belong to them forever.  (Deuteronomy 1:8)  (Joshua 18:3)  God brought Israel back to her land in 1947 and she will ultimately possess this land.

God gives rest to His people.  Jesus Christ called to the Jews first to come unto Him for rest for their souls.  (Matthew 11:28-30)  Sin and guilt are heavy burdens on men.  Jesus came to save those who were lost and burdened.  The real rest is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!  The best is yet to come!

Just as every enemy of the Israelites was defeated, Jesus has gone before us and defeated our last enemy, death. We are victorious through Jesus Christ!  (1st Corinthians 15:54-57)  He faced death and took the keys of death and hell from our arch-enemy, Satan!  (Revelation 1:18)  Jesus is alive forevermore and lives to pray for us until we come home to Father’s house!

Every promise of God is “yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Joshua.  We will surely get our full inheritance and enjoy His presence forever and ever!  Praise the Lord!  (2nd Corinthians 1:18-22)

Greetings!  Our faith brings us to another day of rest in Jesus Christ!  He conquered our walled city of self and the walls fell outward.  His love entered and we were overcome!   Our “Joshua” advanced on us with the presence of God, in the Holy Spirit.  His army went ahead, trumpets blaring, banners flying and worshiping their way to victory, speaking to the walls with a mighty shout!  Each member of the army was armed with that powerful sword of His word and followed the Presence!  The old man was slain and the goods of the city devoted to God!  We were among the spoil, more precious than silver or gold, iron or bronze!

Like Rahab, we had prostituted ourselves but were drawn by members of God’s army to plead for mercy.  We trusted in the scarlet cord of Jesus’ blood to save us from destruction.  We gathered our loved ones in a blood-marked room.  We waited in faith and heard the shout.  The earth rumbled, walls fell, but we were kept safe.  We were brought out and joined to the people of God with great joy!  What a joy it is to be conquered by God!  What a celebration it is to march with the army of God and be armed with His Presence and holy Word!

Take time today to celebrate with God’s people (army) and arm yourself with a sharpened sword (Word)!  He is worthy of our faith and worship!

In His Love,  Pastor John

Are you old or feeling old and tired?   God understands that we get old and tired!  God even reminded Joshua that he was old and that there was still lots of work to be done in the promised land.  (Joshua 13:1, 13)  God is not on the same time schedule that we are to see His work completed. In fact, He understands us and uses us anyway to fulfill His purposes and when our time is over, He raises up someone else.

The Israelites had not completed taking the land and driving out the Canaanites who resided there.  God had told them to march through the land and He would give them every place that the sole of their feet would tread.  (Joshua 1:3)  He told them to be strong and courageous and obey Him completely for He would be with them wherever they went.  (Joshua 1:6-9)  God kept His word but they had not done the walking He asked them to.  However, even when we are faithless, God remains faithful to His word! (2nd Timothy 2:13)

Caleb and Joshua were the only two of the previous generation to enter the land of promise.  They did so because of their faith and obedience.  Caleb and Joshua remained true to God and sought to walk faithfully in the promises, even if they did not fully complete the tasks the Lord gave them.  Caleb’s example always amazes me.  He was about 85 when he spoke to Joshua about getting his inheritance.  (Joshua 14:10-12)  He had endured the 40 years of wandering and the years of conquest and was as strong as ever!  He remembered Moses’ promise from God to give the Israelites every place their foot would tread.  He was ready to take the mountain stronghold of the Son’s of Anak in Hebron.  The word of God records that Caleb followed the Lord “wholeheartedly.”

Even in our weakness, God can make us strong.  Faith brings strength to obey and conquer.  Faith makes God smile and fulfills His purposes.  When our time on earth is over, God honors faith.  It is not up to us to complete all the work, only the work of believing Him each day and doing what He has asked.  If Jesus tarries, we will all get old.  But we can walk by faith every day of our life and please God!

God’s words are powerful.   He has given authority to those who are in covenant with Him.   This authority involves asking in prayer for needs and speaking in faith to mountains or hindrances.   He has told us that we may ask for anything in accordance with His will in prayer and if we know that He hears us, we will have what we ask for.  (1st John 5:14-15)  He has told us that if we have faith in Him and  we can speak to mountains and they will obey.  (Mark 11:22-24)  Today’s reading has an amazing example of the power of faith-filled words!

Joshua had neglected to inquire of the Lord and made a covenant with one of the tribes that God told him to destroy, the Gibeonites.  They had used an elaborate ruse to escape death by lying about where they lived.  Joshua made an agreement with them and then found out that they lived close.  (Joshua 9:14-15)  He made them servants of the Israelites and told them they were under a curse for lying but honored his word to spare their lives.  (Joshua 9:20-21)  Joshua understood that our words are powerful and carefully accounted for by God.  When we make a promise or oath, He expects us to keep it even if it hurts.  (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6)

The Gibeonites came under attack by other Canaanite neighbors and called to Joshua and the Israelites for help. (Joshua 10:6-7)  Because of the covenant, Joshua and his men immediately set out for an all-night march to Gibeon.  The Lord spoke to him, encouraging him to be fearless because he would be victorious.  A word from God helps us every time because we can count on it!

The next morning Joshua took the enemy by surprise and the Lord threw them into confusion before Israel.  Great hailstones fell from the sky and pounded them to death.  (Joshua 10:11)  The Amorites ran and were being defeated but Joshua could see that for a complete victory, his army would need more time.  He spoke to the sun about noon in a prophetic poem.   (Joshua 10:12-13)   God listened to his words and caused the sun to stand still for about a full day as the Israelites pounded the Amorites.  Joshua found the five kings and had his commanders put their feet on their necks as a picture of total conquest. Praise the Lord!

Fresh from recovering from circumcision, the Israelites were told by the Lord that He had given Jericho and all its fighting men into their hands.   They were facing a walled city with heavy defenses.  God gave Joshua the battle plan and he shared it with the people.  It was a strange plan that sounded more like a worship celebration than war.  When God’s people go to war against strongholds, their tactics are not like the world’s tactics!

God told Joshua to have the men march around the city once each day for six days.  Seven priests were to carry and blow their trumpets just ahead of the Ark of the Covenant.  No one was to say a word as they marched.  (Joshua 6: 8-10)   This must have been a very strange sight to those in the city.  An army marched ahead of the Ark of God led by seven priests blowing their trumpets.  Everyone was quiet; the only sounds were the trumpets blasting  and feet tramping around the city.

On the seventh day, the plan was altered.  They marched around the city seven times  and on the seventh time, as the trumpets sounded, each warrior was to shout.  (Joshua 6:15-17)  This shout was an act of faith that the Lord had given them the city.  The shouts rang out and the walls collapsed and the warriors ran into the city and put all living there to death by the sword.  They were devoted to the Lord and all the silver, gold, iron and bronze of the city was to be given to the Lord.  (Joshua 6:19-21)

The interesting thing about the destruction of Jericho, was the salvation of Rahab and her household.  Rahab the prostitute had hidden the spies and was promised protection if she stayed in her house and tied the scarlet cord to the window.  The collapsed walls did not harm Rahab and Joshua spared her as was promised!  God is faithful and merciful to those who choose to follow Him.  (Joshua 6:22-23)

This story helps us today to see how the presence of God and obedience brings victory over strongholds.  God fights the battles and leads his people.  Faith shouts can bring down the most hardened walls of opposition.  God protects those who are committed to Him and leads His people in victory through worship!  Give God a shout today as an act of faith!

God used an unusual mark for His people.  All males were to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant that they had made with God.  Moses, himself, had neglected to circumcise his son and God had tried to kill him for this oversight.   ( Exodus 4:24-26)  This happened after God had appeared to Moses and commissioned him to lead His people out of Egypt.  The leader must be obedient to set a proper example. God takes relationships and covenant very seriously!

The Israelites had wandered for forty years in the dessert and had neglected to place this important covenant mark on those who had been born in the desert.  As Joshua led them into the promised land, their first stop was at Gibeath Haaraloth.  There the Lord spoke to Joshua about circumcision. (Joshua 5:2-4)  He was to make flint knives and circumcise all the males who had not been marked in the desert.  They were to stay there until they healed.  Joshua obeyed and did this rather painful marking process.  They were ready to come into their inheritance, but this painful process must come first.

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.” (Joshua 5:9)  God viewed this action as an act of separation from the corruption of Egypt.  His people were set apart from the most powerful worldly nation by a mark that made them different and promoted cleanliness and safe sexual relations.  This mark reminded them of the covenant they had with their God to be faithful to Him.

In the New Covenant that we have in Christ, circumcision is now of our hearts.  The true life giving organ is not sexual, but the seat of control in our inner man.  It is with our hearts that we believe and have faith.  When we are born again, God gives us a new “circumcised” heart.  The apostle Paul had a battle with the Jews who were promoting circumcision and the Law.  He let them know that, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” (Galatians 6:15)

We have the world’s reproach rolled away from our hearts in Christ alone.  We are set apart in the New Creation as belonging to God.  We are marked by the precious Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14)  Thank the Lord!

God knows that His people like music, so He gave Moses a song to conclude his ministry with.  God knew that a song would get into the hearts of the people and help them remember His word.  He knew that a song would be sung over and over and could easily be learned by the younger generation.  Music has always held a place in the word of God and much of Scripture is written in poetic form that could be memorized easily or sung.

This last song began with a proclamation of God’s goodness and grace towards Israel.  God’s word had fallen like rain on their thirsty hearts!  (Deuteronomy 32:1-2)  The teachable people soaked up the word of God and grew like plants in a well watered garden.  This song told of God as Israel’s “Rock”.  He was perfect in all His ways and His justice was widely seen and recognized.  He was faithful, upright and incapable of doing wrong.  (Deuteronomy 32:3-4)  Their Rock had faithfully led them through the wilderness.  He had justly punished those who were unfaithful and  He rewarded those who humbly followed. Their Rock was also their Father and Creator.  (Deuteronomy 32:6)  He had made them and formed them as His own people.  It seems that the understanding of God was an important concept that Moses was to teach the people through this song.  Faith’s foundational teaching concerns God as Father and creator of all things.  (Genesis 1:1) (Hebrews 11:3) (Matthew 6:9)  This is an area of attack in our culture.  Evolution denies God as Creator and Father! God their Rock was also the avenger of His people’s enemies. (Deuteronomy 32:35-36)   Their Rock would put thousands to flight. He would save His people when their strength was gone.  He would avenge the blood of His servants and His land.  (Deuteronomy 32:43)   This was and is comforting news to God’s children!  This thought is repeated in the New Testament as well! (Romans 12:17-19) Israel was a blessed people because of their Blessed Lord who would save them!  (Deuteronomy 33:28-29)  He would be their shield and helper and glorious sword!  This sounds like the armor of God described in Ephesians 6 that talks of Jesus Christ!  We are a blessed people, too!  We can sing songs and hymns and spiritual songs by the Holy Spirit who teaches us about our “Rock” Jesus Christ and our glorious future!