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Zechariah 1:7 – On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,

If you haven't read the book of Haggai recently, it would be beneficial for you to take a few minutes and do so now.  With only two chapters, you can finish it quickly.

The reason you might want to stop and do so, is because the ministries of Zechariah and Haggai overlap.  Because God used both of them to speak to the same groups of people during the same generation, your study of Zechariah will be enhanced if you are at least familiar with the work of Haggai.    

As far as the Jews were concerned, the messages of Haggai and Zechariah were a two-witness confirmation that God was moving in their midst (II Corinthians 13:1, Deuteronomy 19:15).  That must have been a real blessing and encouragement to them, as they were experiencing long and arduous trials, which seemed like they would never end.    

Because Haggai and Zechariah exactly date some of their material, we can form a general timeline of events.

516 BC, the sixth month: Through the prophet Haggai, God commanded the Jews to finish rebuilding the temple. (They had abandoned this task due to intense opposition.) Haggai also discloses that for the last few years God prevented his people from prospering because they had abandoned this work (Haggai chapter 1).

Based on the word of the Lord through Haggai, the Jews obediently returned to building the temple. 

516 BC, the eighth month: Zechariah gives his first prophesy (Zechariah 1:1-6). As we studied in our last post, God commanded his people to carefully consider the ways of their ancestors, so they could avoid making the same mistakes and receiving the same punishments. God invites the Jews to return to him and be blessed (Zechariah 1:3).

516 BC, the ninth month: Haggai receives and reports the revelation he received in Haggai 2:10-23.

516 BC, the eleventh month: Haggai prophesies that God is going to shake the heavens and the earth; he is going to overthrow/punish Gentile nations. He will use the current generation of Israelites like a signet ring to seal his word and promises to future generations. He will glorify Israel in the future (Haggai 2:20-23).

516 BC, the eleventh month: Zechariah has a series of visions, one following another all in the same night.

These visions all follow the same basic pattern – the vision is given, a question is asked which prompts additional information to be shared about the prophetic word, and then an angel gives the interpretation of the vision (more on that shortly).

The visions are distinct and separate, yet when taken together, they give a roadmap of God's future plans for his people.  Regardless of Israel's past mistakes and current lowly condition, God's purposes for them remained unchanged.  God was determined to do good to his people; he would make sure that Israel fulfilled the destiny he had in store for her.

These future plans and words of encouragement were a source of great comfort and inspiration to people who were just emerging from a period of God's discipline.

Zechariah 1:8 – "I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses."

The first thing to notice is that even though it is night time, Zechariah is having a vision, not a dream. 

A dream is a thought/idea or series of thoughts/ideas which occupy your mind during sleep. Dreams can be of divine origin, demonic origin or neither (i.e., the result of your own subconscious thoughts, which originate in your soul). They must be interpreted after you wake up. A good scriptural example would be the dreams that King Nebuchadnezzar saw (and Daniel interpreted) in Daniel chapter two.

Visions are more like a picture (or sometimes a movie), which you perceive when you are awake. During a vision, your physical eyes can either be open or shut. It really doesn't matter, because you are essentially using your spiritual eyes to see into the spiritual realm through the use of your mind or imagination.

For example, in Acts 9:10-17,  Ananias had a vision from the Lord in which he was instructed to go lay his hands on Saul and pray for him to receive his sight.  In Acts 10:9-16, Peter had a vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals which he was instructed to eat. 

God spoke to Zechariah through a vision, but that is not his only method of communication.  He also speaks through dreams, his word, or impressions upon your heart/mind.   Sometimes he sends messages to us through angels.  He even communicates with us through art, music or nature.  

The important thing to know is that God does not limit his communication to religious leaders or prophets.  He speaks to all Christians:

John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 

Let me repeat that:  If you are a Christian, God is speaking to YOU.  It is up to you to train your eyes and ears so you can see/hear him.  If you need further instructions, there are many good resources available which will teach you how to do just that.   

 

Zechariah saw his vision during the night.  Is there any significance to that?

Not necessarily. 'Nighttime' may simply have been the time he set aside each day to meditate on the law. Or maybe it was the only time he was by himself and able to fully pay attention to the vision.

However, there are some commentators who think the darkness was reflective of the current state of Israel – the light of the nation was dim compared to her former power and glory. 

Other scholars believe the darkness shows that Israel's current understanding of God's future plans was dim or dark, but the visions of Zechariah gave them glimpses of the future when God would bring his plans to full light.

Yet another theory says that the darkness was emblematic of the affliction under which the Jews groaned.

Regardless of whether the timing was significant or not, we know that Zechariah sees the following:

A man riding on a red horse:  This man is clearly the leader of the host who follows behind him.  As we will see, the others report to him and he instructs the angel, who then communicates with Zechariah.

Two main theories have been given as to the identity of the man on the red horse.

One theory claims it is an angel in the form of a man.  Those who hold to this theory believe it may be the angel Gabriel who also appeared to Daniel (Daniel 9:21), Zechariah (Luke 1:19) and Mary (Luke 1:26-27).

Another, more widely accepted view, says that the man on the red horse is a theophany – a manifestation or incarnation of Jesus which occurred before he was born on earth.     

For example, many believe that it was Jesus who appeared to Joshua just before the conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:13-15).  In this account, the 'man' instructed Joshua to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.  He also accepted worship from Joshua.  He identified himself as the captain of the Lord's army, which certainly corresponds to the role of Jesus.  We find similar appearances of Christ in Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel 10:5-6 and Exodus 3:2.

Those who believe the rider of the red horse was Jesus point out to the following facts:

• The rider cries out to God, advocating for the Jews; Jesus is the advocate of the saints.
• The rider speaks good and comforting words to the Jews; Jesus speaks comforting words to Christians.
• The rider comes swiftly to the aid of his followers; Jesus comes swiftly to the aid of the church.

In addition, at that time in history, common people rode donkeys. Riding a horse was a sign of majesty and glory which was reserved for kings or generals (Psalms 45:4).

For the purposes of our study, we will assume the rider on the red horse was Jesus.   

 His horse is red, which is often used as an emblem of war and bloodshed (Revelation 6:4).  In this particular vision, the red horse may symbolize the vengeance of God that will be visited upon the enemies of the Jews (see verse 15). 

Standing among the myrtle trees in the glen: Here is some information you might find helpful: Not every detail of a vision, prophesy, or parable has a corresponding element in its interpretation. In this case, the myrtle trees have no real significance.  They are present because they would be a natural part of an outdoor scene that involved men on horseback, who were traveling throughout the land.

Behind him were red, sorrel and white horses:  The riders of these horses are universally recognized as angels.  Angelic forces are known to be organized much like human military units.  They have different branches, ranks, levels of authority and areas of expertise.  For this reason, the different colors of the horses are thought to represent different ranks of angels who were under the command of Christ.   

 

Zechariah 1:9 – "Then I said, 'What are these, my Lord?'  The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.'"

If you don't fully understand the vision at this point you're in good company – Zechariah doesn't understand it either.  When has asks for clarification, God sends a ministering angel to assist him (Hebrews 1:14). 

This angel is distinct from the beings seen in the actual vision. His job was to present the visions to Zechariah's mind/imagination and then to function as a guide and interpreter who would assist Zechariah in understanding the things he was shown. For ease and clarity, we refer to him as the 'assisting angel' from now on.

Zechariah 1:10-11 – "So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, 'These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.' And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, 'We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.'"

In response to Zechariah's question, the assisting angel turns to the leader on the red horse (Jesus) who provides the answer to his question.  This demonstrates that all information given to Zechariah by the assisting angel comes from Jesus.  This will be true in all of the visions.   

 

Jesus says that the angels on the horses patrol the whole earth (not just Israel), taking note of the affairs of mankind.

No mention is made of these angels executing judgment on God's behalf or of them rescuing people. This leads to the conclusion that the orders of these specific angels are limited to inspection and reporting. They either report to a higher angel or directly to the Lord.

Was this a temporary assignment or a permanent one?  Although we have limited information from the vision, we get the distinct impression from the context that this was a permanent duty for this particular subset of angels.

But I also want to point out that God does send other angels on unceasing errands to counter Satan's plans and to defend and rescue his people:

Psalms 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

(See also Psalms 91:11, Psalms 103:20-21, etc).   

Now, at this point, we need to stop and clarify something. 

God is omniscient.  This means that he knows absolutely everything.  He is aware of all the events, decisions, thoughts, and actions of every individual person as well as every nation in the world, at every moment in time (Psalms 139:1-4).  In fact, he even knows what will happen before it actually occurs (Isaiah 46:9-10).  Therefore, God has no real need for angels to patrol the earth and report their findings back to him. 

Since that is the case, what is the purpose of the angels in the vision?

The vision is to give comfort and encouragement to the Jews. God condescended to the level of his people to teach them/give them a picture of his love and care for them. Let me explain.

From Israel's perspective, things are not good.  In fact, the situation is depressing.  The nation experienced the wrath of God and was sent into exile.  Even though God had opened the door for them to return to Jerusalem, they face opposition from the Samaritans and Gentiles at every turn.  Construction on the temple had only recently begun again and the walls/gates of Jerusalem were still in shambles. 

The people were poor, discouraged and tired. No doubt, they often wondered if God took any notice of them at all. Furthermore, they questioned that if God did see them, why wasn't he doing anything? Why were their enemies at rest when they were constantly under duress?

 

So, the picture of numerous angelic hosts patrolling the earth and reporting to God is a simple yet concrete way for the Jews to understand that God is always watching.

He is taking note of every event that happens. He is well aware of the trouble that other nations/people are giving the Jews, and at the proper time, he will move into action.

Have you ever experienced a time when you wondered if God saw you or your situation?  If so, remember the vision of the angels and be reassured that God is keeping a close watch on you, just as he did the Jews of Zechariah's day.

The angels on horseback confirm that they have indeed traveled through the world, as instructed.  Their investigations reveal that all the nations of the earth are at rest or peace.  In other words, there is an absence of war and calamity on the earth.  History confirms that this was true in the second year of the reign of Darius. 

This rest contrasted with the unrest and hardships being experienced by the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem.  Although rest had been promised to them, they were not yet experiencing it.  The walls/gates of Jerusalem were still broken down (Nehemiah 1:3, 2:3), and work on the temple had only recently started again.  There was a lot of work to be done, and the Samaritans and Gentiles were still actively opposing them at every turn.

But the vision indicates that their present distress will not last forever. God was not asleep on his throne; at the appointed time he would step in and punish those who abused the Jews.

Zechariah 1:12 – "Then the angel of the Lord said, 'O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?'"

Again, the Angel of the Lord is the one who rides a red horse and stands as leader among the myrtle trees.  This is none other than Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) and the only Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5).

The vision portrays the passionate and fervent intercession of Jesus as he calls out to his Father (the Lord of Hosts). There can be no doubt that Jesus sees and is affected by their afflictions. His intensity demonstrates the level of compassion he has for his people. He cries out for both their temporal and spiritual good.

The phrase 'how long will you have no mercy' is not a complaint; it is the heartfelt request of one who has been touched by our infirmities and is longing for mercy (Psalms 13:1-2, Revelation 6:10).

The stated term of 70 years is a bit tricky to understand.  We know that the period of the Babylonian captivity was 70 years, but this cannot be the seventy years mentioned here, because that time period was well past.  By the time Zechariah saw this vision the Jews had been back in Jerusalem for 18 years. 

What 70-year time period is mentioned here?  Rather than referring to the period of captivity, it seems to refer to refer to the period when there was no temple and thus no place of fellowship between God and his children. 

The destruction of Solomon's temple occurred at the same time King Zedekiah was removed from Jerusalem to Babylon (roughly 588 BC; see Jeremiah 52:9-13).  At the time of this vision (516 BC), it was in the process of being rebuilt, so this was likely the period in question. 

The focus or point of this question is the lack of fellowship between God and man.

Zechariah 1:13 – And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

In response to the prayer/petition for mercy, Jesus gave the angel (and Zechariah) words of comfort and consolation.  These were reassurances from God that his anger towards Israel was appeased and he would soon bring to pass all the promises that he had made to her.  Because of his great love and compassion for Israel, he would once again bestow his favor and blessings upon the nation (Isaiah 57:16-19).    

This ties in with a word given much earlier by the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:1-2 - Comfort you, comfort you my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

Zechariah 1:14 – So the angel who talked with me said to me, "Cry out, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.'"

The assisting angel instructs Zechariah to 'cry out'.  In other words, the vision was not just for his edification or comfort.  He was to proclaim this good news to the entire nation.

Specifically, he was to inform the people that God was 'exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem'.  What does that mean?

This is an expression that clearly declares the boundless love of God for his people.  Because it is difficult, if not impossible, for us truly to understand the depth of God's love toward us, God often uses an analogy to express it.  Sometimes he likens himself to a husband, with the Jews (or the church) as his wife.  Other times he expresses his love in terms of the relationship of a Father to his children. 

In both/either case, God is showing that he is, was and will continue be utterly devoted to/in love with his people.  He is fully and zealously committed to blessing his people, showering them with favor and leading them to the incredible destiny he has prepared for them.

In addition, he has a strong feeling of indignation against their enemies.   

Now let's stop and consider the outlook of the Jews for a minute. Although they had returned from captivity, they were not experiencing the joy, rest or favor of God. Because of this, they doubted his love for them. They felt like God was neglecting them or that he was indifferent and unconcerned about their struggles.

But they were wrong.  The Lord of Hosts (the God with infinite power and resources) was like a jealous husband or father, who was getting ready to wage war on anyone who harmed his loved ones.    

 Zechariah 1:15 – 'And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster.'

There is no doubt that God had disciplined his people for their idolatry by sending them into captivity.  Much like a loving Father, it probably broke God's heart to do so, but he had to correct his people for their own benefit.

Proverbs 3:12 - For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.

There is also no doubt that God used the Gentile nations of the world as his method of punishment; it was the Assyrians and the Babylonians who took Israel into captivity. 

But while God's intent was correction through punishment, the Gentile nations were bent upon the total destruction of the Jews.

As the Gentiles of the world were enjoying a period of prosperity and peace (no wars or national calamities), they not only turned a blind eye to the suffering and hardships of God's people, they continued to cruelly abuse and oppress them, multiplying their misery and distress. 

God wants his people to know that he sees the injustice being done to them, and it has aroused his jealous anger.

Zechariah 1:16 – Therefore, thus says the Lord, 'I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.'

God now announces the action he is going to take.  He gives the Jews a message of hope, pardon and reconciliation.  Their punishment is over; they have been pardoned. 

The proof of his favor and presence among them was that the temple (the place of fellowship between God and man) was going to be rebuilt. Once again, divine worship would be restored. Once again, people would celebrate the festivals. Once again they would honor God with sacrifices/offerings.

Sure enough, this came to pass just as God said.  We know the foundations of the temple had been laid many years earlier, and that work had ceased until the call of Haggai in the second year of Darius (Haggai 2:18, Zechariah 1:1).  It is also good to know that the temple was finally completed in the sixth year of Darius (Ezra 6:15).  

Thus, God was giving his people hope and encouragement through this vision.  Their current condition was not going to last forever; therefore they should rejoice as they set about the work before them.  They had good reason to look to the future with hope and expectancy, because God had returned to Jerusalem!

God also declares that he will stretch a measuring line over Jerusalem. What does that mean?  Today, carpenters use a tool called a tape measure.  They use this device to take measurements while building.  The measuring line mentioned here is used in the same context; it speaks of God ensuring the rebuilding not only of the temple, but also the walls, gates, streets and houses of Jerusalem. 

The rebuilding would not be haphazard, but methodical and full of purpose.  The buildings would have both beauty and strength due to the skill and artistic ability of the people.  God had a plan and he was bringing it to pass!     

Zechariah 1:17 – 'Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'

The phrase 'cry out again' indicates that a further promise is being made. 

Not only will Jerusalem be rebuilt, it (and the other cities of Judah) would again overflow with good (earthly prosperity and happiness as well as spiritual blessings).  This would be an indication that God had chosen or favored the city of Jerusalem and his people. 

According to John Calvin in his Old Testament commentary, the original phrase translated 'overflow with prosperity' actually means 'to wear out through abundance of blessings'.

The implication is that all the ruined cities of Judah would not just be restored, they would increase and spread out with an explosion of population. Furthermore, such an enormous volume/amount of blessings will be placed upon them, that they will be crushed or squeezed by the weight of them; they would not be able to contain them.

This overflow of good things would be a sign that God's favor had returned to them; his goodness and love again rested upon his people.

From the perspective of the Jews back in Zechariah's day, this was an astonishing promise. It was hard enough to believe that the temple and the city would be rebuilt; the level of prosperity that God promised was too much to comprehend.  Such a thing could only be accomplished by the Lord of Hosts.

This promise was a further word of encouragement and strength to the people who had grown weary in their work. It spurred them into action and soon produced the blessings God described. We know that the Jews began to prosper once again under the leadership of Nehemiah and Zerubbabel.

And of course, they were always spiritually blessed. The culmination of that blessing occurred when Jesus the Messiah was born into their midst to deliver the gospel of salvation, which overflowed Jerusalem into Judea and unto the uttermost parts of the world. Hallelujah!

We expect the vision to be fulfilled once again in the future, when Israel finally recognizes Jesus as Messiah and the Jews will be converted.  This will be the final proof that God has chosen them and not cast them off or rejected them.

Now that we have taken the time to examine the first vision of Zechariah, it's time to ask ourselves a question:  Could this vision have a fulfillment in our generation?

What do you think?  I believe the answer is 'yes'.

Much like ancient Israel, the church in America has been unfaithful to God especially in the last 50 years. Our love for him has grown cold.  We legalized the killing of innocent children (abortion), kicked God out of the public arena (including our schools and government), and set about serving our own interests (money, pleasure, etc). 

Because of that, we find our nation in a current state of crisis.  Chaos is everywhere.  Our government is out of control, our economy is in danger of failing, the police cannot maintain law and order, and the courts no longer provide justice. 

More and more, the church is being oppressed by unbelievers. They actively oppose us as we try to take back the nation which was established under God. At the same time, we seem to be powerless and ineffective in promoting God and stemming the current tide of evil. It would be easy to slip into a state of despair and cease to do the work of the Lord.

But, like ancient Israel, God has not cast us off!  Jesus intercedes on our behalf before the Father, who jealously loves us.   

Romans 8:34 - Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25 - Therefore he [Jesus] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

Although it is hard to see any change yet, God has spoken through his modern day prophets to assure his church that he has seen our repentance and he is going to heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14). He will cause us to succeed in our destiny – to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.

As we continue to repent and pray, God is going to send a mighty revival to America.  The church will not only be restored, it will multiply and overflow with a new population (harvest) of believers. 

Just like ancient Israel, Christians can expect the blessings of God (both temporal and spiritual) to be poured out upon us.  We will then use these blessings to harvest even more souls for the kingdom. 

Although this may seem impossible at the moment, let us receive these words of faith and act accordingly; let us renew our commitment to the work of building God's house (the church) just as ancient Israel did!

In closing, let me encourage you to reread the information about the vision and see what parallels you can find between Israel and America.  There are a few more that I did not take the time to mention, but I bet you can find them on your own.   

  

Let me offer you some encouragement:

We all have times when it seems as if the heavens are closed and God isn't opening them up to us any time soon.  But as we saw in Zechariah's vision, that is not the truth.

During those times when we don't see him moving in our situation, we must live in faith. We must stand on the truth of his promises and reject the lies that Satan speaks through our circumstances.

We can take comfort in Zechariah's vision because it proves that God sees us and loves us; it reveals that he is busy behind the scenes working all things out for our good!

 

Let me offer you some relief:

The Israelites made their share of mistakes.  So have we.  But like Israel, we can't let those mistakes define us or ruin our future.  If we repent and return to the Lord, we can rest assured that he will draw near to us with open arms.  He is able to give us beauty for ashes, joy for mourning and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3).

This is also true for our nation. We have sinned greatly in the sight of God, but we cannot let those past mistakes ruin the destiny that God has planned for America.

Holy Spirit is calling believers everywhere to repent in response to our national sins and to pray for revival.  Let's continue to heed this call and watch as God restores and blesses our nation once again.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Life for the Jews of Zechariah's time was not a bed of roses.  It was a time of warfare and hardship.  But through that struggle, they got to witness the rebirth of the temple and their nation.  In the end, I bet they thought their struggles were worth it, because they had something worthwhile to pass on to the next generation.

I believe the same is true for the church today.  It will take spiritual (and fleshly) warfare in order to get America back on the path of righteousness.  We may be called to struggle or bear hardships.  But if we will answer the call, God will bless us immeasurably.  Plus, we will have the pleasure of knowing that we have something worthwhile to pass on to our children and grandchildren.  Isn't that worth fighting for?

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Zechariah 1:1 – In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,

Welcome to our study of Zechariah.  The first verse of this book essentially gives us Zechariah's credentials. 

He is the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.  However, in the book of Ezra (Ezra 5:1, 6:14) he is referred to only as the son of Iddo.  According to the reckoning of the Jews this most likely means that Berechiah died very young and Zechariah was raised by his grandfather.  He was born in Babylon and brought back to Jerusalem as an infant.  

According to Nehemiah 12:12-16, Iddo and Zechariah were priests, who served under the high priest Joshua (Joshua will be mentioned in one of the visions of Zechariah).  This means that Zechariah served as a priest before being called to the office of prophet.  Even after being assigned the office of prophet, Zechariah continued in the priesthood. 

But regardless of his lineage or experience, the foundation of his ministry rested on one irrefutable fact:  God had divinely appointed him to the prophetic office.  God spoke directly to him, and it was then his responsibility to deliver that message to Israel, regardless of the outcome. 

In a best-case scenario, Zechariah would be honored and revered as the messenger of God.  The Jews would listen to the message, follow God's commands and everyone (including Zechariah) would live happy, fulfilled, and prosperous lives from that moment forward.  But in the case of the prophets of Israel, this was rarely the outcome. 

More often, the prophets were both feared and hated among their own countrymen.  They were cast into prison, mocked, threatened, bound, starved, abused and even killed for the message they delivered.  Make no mistake - the office of a prophet was a tough role to fulfill.  It has sometimes been joked that God appointed them because no one would volunteer for the job!

Before the captivity, it was common practice for the prophets to date their messages by using the reigns of the kings of Judah or Israel.  For example, Jeremiah dates his first message like this:

 

Jeremiah 1:2 – Jeremiah to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

Because of this, we know what was going on in the nation when the prophets spoke, and we can surmise a fairly accurate date for their prophecy.  This also aids us in understanding/interpreting their messages.

Zechariah, however, is ministering after the collapse of the monarchy and subsequent captivity, so he dates his messages by the reign of Darius, king of Persia who ruled the Jews at that time.  Haggai, who ministered during the same time frame, also uses the reign of Darius to date his messages (Haggai 1:1). 

Zechariah 1:2 – "The Lord was very angry with your fathers."

For the Jewish people, there was an enormous amount of history included in this very short sentence.  None of the implications of it escaped their attention; indeed, the words of the prophet most assuredly struck terror/dread into the hearts and minds of that generation.

In order for us to understand what is happening, we need to review just a bit of that history.

God promised to give his people a land flowing with milk and honey where they could live in close communion with him, serve him, worship him, and be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.

We know that God kept his promise.  Israel became a nation, and she lived in peace and prosperity for many years.  God blessed her, expanded her territory, and gave her victory over her enemies.  All this time Israel had fellowship with God through sacrifices, offerings, festivals, worship, and keeping the law. 

Although Israel made mistakes along the way, God was willing to hear and forgive when the people repented.  Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, he covered the sin of Israel with the blood of an animal (Leviticus 16:1-30). 

But there was one grievous and persistent sin which eventually led to Israel's downfall: Idolatry.

Jehovah had blessed Israel with every material and spiritual blessing imaginable.  When the Jews turned around and gave the glory/praise/thanksgiving for these blessings to a false idol or demonic spirit, it was a slap in the face to God, and he wasn't going to stand for it. 

That kind of behavior also profaned and disgraced God's holy name in front of the heathen nations.  Instead of being a living witness to the love and mercy of God, Israel became a billboard for serving Satan.  God made it very clear that that behavior made him angry, and he would discipline Israel for it (Deuteronomy 6:12-15, Judges 2:11-15).

But the people of Israel did not listen or heed the warning.  They rebelled against the Lord.  As you read through the books of Judges, Kings and Chronicles, you will find that (with very few exceptions) the nation constantly worshiped Baal, Molech, Chemosh, Ashtoreth and other false gods.

In response, God once again kept his promises – he displaced Judah (and Israel) from their land.  He allowed the vile Babylonians to devastate the land, destroy the temple and burn Jerusalem.  The Jews once again fell into bondage/slavery to a foreign power.  They were no longer self-governing.  They were no longer prosperous.  They were cut off from all forms of fellowship with the Lord (sacrifices, festivals, temple worship, etc) and they had no high priest who could consult the Lord on their behalf:

Hosea 3:4 – For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, without a prince and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod.

At the same time, the Jews suffered a kind of identity crisis.  All Israelites had a very strong sense of national pride.  Being one of God's chosen people and dwelling in the Promised Land was a part of the very fiber of their being.  It was part of their identity as individuals and as a nation.  Banishment from the land struck the very core of who the Israelites believed themselves to be.  Everywhere they turned, they were faced with confusion and chaos. 

All this was the result of God's judgment upon Israel for her idolatry.  The nation had been humbled and humiliated by God, so that he could once again restore fellowship with them.      

This was the devastating history that Zechariah was referring to when he said 'the Lord was angry with your fathers'. 

Now keep in mind that Zechariah was addressing a new generation of Israelites which God brought back to Jerusalem after the 70 year exile.  He instructed them to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple.  They started that task, but due to severe opposition, they never finished.  In response, God sent Zechariah (and Haggai) to stir up or motivate the people to finish their work. 

Zechariah's opening statement no doubt triggered grave concern in the minds of the current generation.  The last thing they wanted to do was provoke God as their forefathers had done.  There can be no doubt that God had their attention!

Zechariah 1:3 – "Therefore say to them, 'Thus declares the Lord of Hosts:  Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts.'"

Now we see the true reason for striking fear/dread into the minds of the Jews – it instantly captured their attention and put them into a state of willingness to follow the Lord's commands.  In this case, the command is for the people to return to the Lord.

What is meant by that?

God was looking for a sincere state of repentance from his people.  Remember, the Jews willingly returned to the land when God called them, but they soon gave up on God's agenda and became devoted to their own private concerns.  They set about trying establish their own niche in society/culture, and amass their own wealth.  They began to marry heathen women and otherwise forsake the laws of God.    

They claimed to be God's people, but in reality their hearts and minds were far from him. 

It was important for them to understand that God wasn't looking for 'lip service'.  He didn't want Israel to simply go through religious motions; he wanted their hearts and minds to be his.  He wanted to fellowship with them in a true relationship, on the most intimate level possible. 

If Israel truly wanted to be God's people, they needed to return to him body, soul, mind and spirit.  This required not only an acknowledgement of sin, but a change of heart and a commitment to reform their future actions.

The good news is that God assured Israel that if they would turn to him, he would welcome them back; their relationship could be fully restored.    

It's no accident that God referred to himself as 'The Lord of Hosts' three times in this passage.  That title, which is frequently found in both Haggai and Zechariah, implies God's boundless resources and universal power.  Clearly, if Israel was willing to repent, God would once again move on her behalf just as he had done during the conquest of the Promised Land.  He would make Israel successful in all of her endeavors.

Here is something else to consider: God was not asking his people to do the impossible.  The command of God to 'return to me' clearly indicates that the Jews had the power to repent and return to him, if only they would.  In other words, if they would only take advantage of the grace God had already offered to them, God would take them back.

How does this apply to us?

There is no doubt that on an individual basis, God wants a deeper relationship with each one of us.  The apostle James tells us this:

James 4:8 – Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The interesting thing about this verse is that James is NOT addressing unbelievers.  He is giving a warning to Christians against worldliness. 

The fact is, as Christians we can fall into the same traps as the ancient Israelites did.  We start to mimic the culture around us, instead of presenting a true picture of the holiness of our God.  We have a tendency to devote too much time and energy into acquiring the things of this world, while neglecting the work of the kingdom.

The good news is that God is calling us to return to fellowship with him, just as he called the Israelites:   

Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Again, this verse is not being spoken to unbelievers!  It is spoken to the church of Laodicea; it is directed at Christians.  In light of these verses, it is apparent that each one of us has room to enhance our relationship with God.  Each one of us has been personally invited by the Lord of Hosts to enter a deeper and more intimate relationship with him. 

But it will take repentance on our part – not only a confession of past mistakes, but a change of heart and a commitment to cleanse ourselves of the world and change our actions going forward. 

On the surface, that sounds simple enough.  But practically speaking, it can be very difficult!  If we are honest, all of us probably have some sins in our lives that we don't really want to admit, much less give up. 

Plus, the more we strive for personal holiness, the more different we become from the world and the more we open ourselves up to ridicule or abuse.  But the bottom line is that we must make a choice.

Remember, God's offer implies that he will give us the capacity to change if we desire it.  When we accept his offer to draw closer to him, Holy Spirit will be right beside us, helping to prune those dead spots from our lives, giving us boldness and making us more fruitful for his kingdom. 

Let's also look at this verse through a national lens. 

Just like Israel, America was founded on a covenant with God.  For many years, we kept him at the center of our nation, and we prospered.  But that is no longer the case – we have slipped into idolatry; we now worship money, sex and self gratification.  As a result, violence, corruption, chaos and financial ruin are now at our door.  In my opinion, it is only the grace of God that is keeping our nation from crumbling around us. 

But I believe that the Lord of Hosts is making the same offer to us that he made to Israel.  If we will return to him, he will return to us and heal our land:

II Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This task will be difficult.  It will involve prayer, drawing closer to God and establishing personal holiness.  We will need Holy Spirit to give us supernatural boldness to stand for Christ in a dark culture.

Zechariah 1:4 – "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the Lord of Hosts, return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.'"  But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.

Evil Ways – This phrase refers to all forms of idolatry and idolatrous worship.

Evil Deeds – This refers to all the immorality and other sins/transgressions of the law practiced by the Jews.

Your Fathers – This refers to former leaders and influential people of society who helped determine the course of the nation. This would include the kings, the elders of the nation and even some of the priests.

Zechariah tells us that these leaders were not righteous followers of God.  They had been warned on numerous occasions to turn from their evil ways and serve the Lord, but they refused:  

II Chronicles 36:15-16 – The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.  But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Although we have no way of identifying every idolatrous elder or wayward priest, we can certainly identify some of the kings who led the nation away from God.  These would include Ahab and Jezebel, Omri, Jeroboam son of Nebat, Manasseh, etc. 

Can you name more of the idolatrous leaders of Judah/Israel and give examples of how they sinned?

Former Prophets – Old Testament prophets served in multiple capacities. They predicted coming events, exhorted people to repentance, enforced God's laws, announced judgment for disobedience and served in pastoral roles.

Although Israel had prophets all throughout her history, Zechariah is referring specifically to the prophets who ministered between the time Israel entered the Promised Land and the time she went into captivity. 

This would include Isaiah, Jeremiah and many of the minor prophets such as Hosea, Haggai, and Zechariah.  It also includes prophets who did not have their works preserved in separate biblical books.  Notable Old Testament examples include Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, Azariah, Gad and Micaiah.

The bottom line is that when the leaders of Israel fell into sin and rebellion, God responded by warning them to repent.  It wasn't just a single warning; he sent multiple messages through multiple prophets:

Jeremiah 25:3-6 – "For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened.  You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets saying, 'Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds do not go after other goes to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands.  Then I will do you harm.'"

Despite the warnings of the prophets, the former leaders of Israel did not listen, and eventually they were sent into captivity (Psalms 78:54-61).  This is the point that Zechariah is now making to the current generation of Jews.  They were well aware of the judgment leveled against their ancestors.  Zechariah implores them not to make the same mistake.  They MUST repent and serve the Lord, or judgment will fall upon them too.

Zechariah 1:5 – "Your fathers, where are they?  And the prophets, do they live forever?

This verse has been interpreted in slightly different ways. 

One interpretation, which was favored by the ancient scholars, said that God asks the question 'Your fathers, where are they?' The implication is that the hopes, plans and desires of their ancestors remained unfulfilled because their lives were cut short by their rebellion against the Lord.

In response, the idolatrous Jews answered, 'Do the prophets live forever?'  They seem to push back by saying that the righteous prophets also died prematurely in many instances while leaving behind unfinished plans.  Therefore, there is no real difference between the righteous and the wicked.  

Another interpretation asserts that the prophets mentioned here are not righteous prophets, but false prophets. In this explanation, God is telling the Jews that their idolatrous ancestors and the false prophets they followed were both dead; nothing they did had any lasting value. In fact, their leadership took the nation into captivity. Therefore, if the current generation of the Jews wanted to re-establish the covenant and the nation of Israel, they should renew their commitment to God.

A third interpretation says that the question 'Your fathers where are they?' refers to the tombs of their ancestors.  The implication is that because of their idolatry, the Jews were sent into captivity, and thus they died in a foreign land, which was a great disgrace to the children of Israel.  They brought this fate upon themselves, through their disobedience and refusal to repent.

This theory maintains that the question 'do the prophets live forever?' refers to the fact that after the ministry of Zechariah and Malachi, there were no more prophets until the time of Christ. 

Regardless of which interpretation we choose, the overall meaning becomes clear when we look at verse six:

Zechariah 1:6 - But my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?  So they repented and said, 'As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.'"

 

All men, whether righteous or wicked, will die sooner rather than later and their memories will eventually disappear from the earth.  By contrast, the word of God is permanent and lasting.  It will never fade away or be extinguished and it always proves itself to be true (I Peter 1:24-25). 

In this verse, God is reasoning with his children.  He reminded them of the terrible judgment brought upon their ancestors as a result of rebelling against his laws and statutes.  In fact, after the promised judgments had come to pass and the people were in captivity, even their rebellious forefathers (the ones that were still alive) admitted that God had dealt justly with them.  They suffered, but that suffering was brought about by their own actions. 

And here is the really important part:  Since God does not change, the current generation could expect to experience the same (or worse) judgments if they too rebelled against God.  

Thus, Zechariah's message is really one of mercy, grace and encouragement.  The Jews are once again being given an invitation to repent and embrace the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength.  If they answer the call, God will bless them as his obedient children.  But if they refuse/rebel, they will not escape judgment any more than their ancestors did (Isaiah 1:16-20).

It was time for God's people to get moving again!

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God issued a personal invitation to the people of Israel to return to him.  He wasn't interested in vain religious exercises; he wanted a people who were devoted to having a relationship with him. 

God is making the same offer to us today.  He stands at the door of our heart and knocks, desiring to be admitted into a deeper place in our lives.  Opening the door to him is both simple and difficult, because it will require change in our lives.  But in the end a closer, deeper walk with Christ will be well worth the price! 

 

Let me offer you some relief:

As we noted in today's post, God gives us the capacity to draw closer to him.  As we do, Holy Spirit will actively help us to prune sin out of our lives. 

In the natural realm, you don't prune plants too much at one time, because it will shock and harm the plant.  The same is true in a spiritual sense.

If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of sin that needs pruned from your life, don't despair.  Ask Holy Spirit to help you pick a single thing/area that needs cleaned up and conquer that area before going any further.  Holiness is a process that takes place over time.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

God consistently refers to himself as 'The Lord of Hosts'.  As we mentioned, this implies his boundless resources and universal power. To put it another way, nothing is impossible for God!

God called Zechariah to a destiny that was impossible in his own strength.  But the prophet was successful because he trusted and followed the Lord of Hosts.

What is God calling you to do?  My guess is that it will be just as impossible as the task set before Zechariah.  But if you will surrender to the Lord of Hosts, he will cause you to succeed too!  

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Welcome back, readers! Two weeks ago, I decided that we would study the book of James. But the more I tried to make that happen, the more I realized Holy Spirit wanted to do something else.

At his prompting, we are going to switch gears and take a look at the Old Testament book of Zechariah.

When was the last time you read or studied the Old Testament book of Zechariah? If the answer is 'never' or 'a long time ago', then I think you will find our current study interesting.

Zechariah is considered one of the Minor prophets. What does that mean?

For our own ease, we classify the Old Testament prophets into two categories:  Major prophets and Minor prophets.  This designation has nothing to do with the importance or significance of their messages.  The difference between the two it is nothing more than the amount or volume of written work that is present in the scriptures.     

Thus, the longer books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel) are considered Major prophets, while the smaller works (the last 12 books of the Old Testament, including Zechariah) are considered Minor prophets.

Is it worthwhile to study the Minor Prophets?

Many people hesitate to study the Minor prophets. They either feel that the messages are not applicable to the current generation, or that the works are too difficult to understand. Let's briefly address those issues.

Like all prophetic words, Zechariah's messages will have multiple fulfillments. As we will see, the word he gave clearly had a significant fulfillment or meaning for the people of that day. But because of the astonishing greatness of Holy Spirit, that same message will also have multiple fulfillments in the generations after Zechariah's death.

So, is God speaking to this generation through Zechariah?  The only way to know for sure is to study his message!

Will we understand every single facet of this Old Testament book? No, we definitely will not. But I would argue that the same is true for any book of the Bible. Have you ever read a particular portion of scripture "a million times" only to find that Holy Spirit suddenly reveals something new to you through that passage? Did you subsequently wonder why you never saw that truth before?

We should not be surprised when this occurs; it is the work of Holy Spirit.  He searches the mind of the Father and reveals things to us so our understanding is increased.      

I Corinthians 2:10-12 – For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?  So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  

In other words, as we study and seek understanding from the word of God, Holy Spirit will reveal greater, deeper and more complex truths to us.  He will give us timely understanding of the kingdom principles that apply to our generation.  Thus, we will always benefit from studying scripture, even if we don't fully understand every single aspect of it.

When did Zechariah prophesy?

Zechariah, the author of the book bearing his name, includes a few dates within his work.  The first date corresponds to October/November of 520 BC.  A few months later (February of 519 BC), he gave a series of eight visions.  He gives yet another word from the Lord in December of 518 BC.  However, no dates are given in chapters 9-14. 

All we know for sure is that his ministry lasted at least two years, but probably more.  There may have been a gap of time after chapter 8 and before chapters 9-14.

Why did Zechariah prophesy?

God called Zechariah (and Haggai) to encourage the remnant of Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from captivity. God called these Jews for a special mission – to rebuild his temple and the walls of Jerusalem.

But due to opposition (see discussion below), the work had all but stopped. In fact, no progress had been made on the temple foundation for almost sixteen years! It was time for the people to lean into God and finish their task; God sent his prophets to encourage the people and get them moving once again.

Who was Zechariah speaking to when he delivered his messages/visions?

He spoke directly to Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest and the people who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

In a broader sense, we could say that Zechariah spoke to the civil/judicial authorities, the religious leaders and all the believers dedicated to doing the work of the Lord.

Historically speaking, what was happening with Israel when Zechariah gave his message?

Let's take a brief look at the history of Israel.  The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) gives us the details of how God formed the nation of Israel.  The book of Joshua shows us how God fulfilled his promises to Israel by helping them conquer the Promised Land. 

Once the land was subdued and Joshua died, the Israelites fell into a detestable pattern of serving idols, getting into trouble, repenting, and asking God to deliver them.  In his great mercy, God raised up a series of judges who delivered the nation from foreign oppression over and over again (see the book of Judges). 

Eventually, when Samuel was leading Israel (I and II Samuel), they begged God for a king.  God granted that request, even though it was not his perfect will for Israel. 

The era of the kings (I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles) began with King Saul.  Subsequently, the kingship passed to David, then to Solomon, then to Solomon's son Rehoboam.  Under his leadership (or lack of it) Israel split into two separate kingdoms – Israel and Judah (Jerusalem and the temple were located in Judah).

Both kingdoms eventually went into exile and captivity due to continued idolatry. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC.

After a 70-year period of exile/captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-12, Daniel 9:2, II Chronicles 36:31), God miraculously caused Cyrus king of Persia to release the Jews so they could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-11). 

Those who wished to return to their native land were allowed to leave.  Eventually, they returned to Jerusalem in three main waves and began to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem (Ezra, Nehemiah).

When the Jews first returned to Jerusalem, they experienced many difficulties. The area was governed by Gentiles who opposed the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. These Gentiles now had control of the region and they did not want to surrender it to God's people.

They attacked/opposed the Jews in three main ways:  

• The Gentiles publicly taunted, ridiculed and mocked the Jews in an attempt to discourage them from completing their mission (Nehemiah 4:1-3).

• The Gentiles physically threatened the Jews to the point where work on the walls was carried out with one man working while his partner literally guarded him with a sword.

Nehemiah 4:16 - And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants worked in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the armor.

• The Gentiles legally blocked the work of the Jews at every opportunity. Through false accusations and lawsuits, they halted/delayed work on the temple for years.

Eventually God' people grew disheartened and stopped work altogether.  The end result was that the Jews were financially poor, mentally burned out, spiritually discouraged and completely hopeless.  Even the Samaritans gave them trouble!  The Jews were outnumbered and overwhelmed; it didn't look like they would ever be victorious and accomplish the work God had set before them.

But, hallelujah, that was not the end of the story!

God began to move in their midst in powerful and miraculous ways:

• He raised up holy priests and teachers (like Joshua and Ezra) to lead the nation into repentance.
• He provided courageous leaders/governors and judges (like Zerubbabel) to establish the civil and judicial authority of the Jews.
• He moved upon the hearts of wealthy individuals to give money and supplies to the Jews.
• He gave the Jews legal victories in the lawsuits their enemies filed against them.
• He spoke through prophets like Haggai and Zechariah to give the Jews words of comfort, encouragement, and instruction.

With the help of God, the Jews did indeed accomplish all that God had given them to do.

What does this have to do with us?

Do you see any parallels between the situation of the Jews during the time of Zechariah and the situation of the American church today? 

In Zechariah's time, God called his faithful followers to build his temple/house in Jerusalem. Today, he is calling his faithful followers to build his church/house by bringing sinners to salvation. The harvest is plentiful; we must diligently work to bring it into God's storehouse, even in the midst of opposition.

In Zechariah's time, Gentiles opposed God's people by mocking/taunting them, legally blocking/harassing them and even physically harming them.  In our generation, non-believers regularly mock and taunt Christians in public and private forums.  We have many instances where our own government has blocked, penalized or harassed Christians because of their beliefs.  While Christians are not physically persecuted in America yet, there are those who would welcome that chance.      

In Zechariah's day, God called his people to repent and live lives of holiness before him.  What about today?  Is there a substantial difference between the world and the church?  Should we be concerned about repentance and holy living?

In Zechariah's day, victory over the forces of evil looked impossible.  But nothing is impossible with God!  He motivated, strengthened and blessed his people.  Because the Jews leaned upon God, they were victorious.  They built the house of God, despite the work of the enemy.  

What does the situation in America look like today? It may seem like evil is in control, but get ready – God is going to give his church victory in this generation!

If you feel like God may be speaking to our generation through the book of Zechariah, then I invite you to continue this study with me. Let's find out what wisdom, truth and spiritual strategies he wants to impart to us, so we can build the temple/church of God by winning the lost to Christ.

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Joshua 24:14 – Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.  Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord."

Chapter 24 contains the farewell address of Joshua to the children of Israel. In the first portion of the chapter, Joshua rehearses the history of Israel before the people.  He begins at the beginning – when God called Abraham out of idolatry and promised to establish a new nation through his offspring (Genesis 15:4-7).

He goes on to mention the patriarchs, the years of slavery in Egypt, the miraculous exodus and the astonishing conquest of the Promised Land.

The purpose behind this history lesson is to point out that it was Jehovah who had done all these things for Israel. Without him, they would not exist. Without him, the nation would never have survived. Without him, they would never have left Egypt. Without him they would not be standing before Joshua on that very day, while dwelling in the Promised Land.

Furthermore, God had entered into a covenant with Israel.  He bound himself to be their strength, their shield and their provider.  He would bless them in all things.  In return, Israel was to be faithful to him, and display the glory and mercy of God to all the heathen nations.  They would be the family line through which God would bring his Messiah into the world to redeem mankind (Genesis 12:1-3).

With this in mind, we circle back to the words of Joshua in verse 14: 'Therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth'.

Fear the Lord – In this case, 'fear' means to respect or revere. God's people should revere him as the sole object of their worship.

Serve him – Israel was to obey the commands of the Lord according to the covenant they made with him. They were never to serve or bind themselves to false idols.

In sincerity and in truth – Israel was not to just mechanically go through the motions of serving the Lord and adhering to religious rites. Rather, their whole hearts and minds should be actively engaged in worshiping God according to the covenant.

If they wanted to serve God in that fashion, they would have to forsake any and all traces of idolatry that had crept into their lives.  Let's consider that for a moment.

Israel had been faced with false idols for their entire existence. As we noted last week, God called Abraham out from a life of idol worship. These were the gods of the Chaldeans who worshiped fire, light and the sun.

Israel was also very familiar with the multiple gods of Egypt – Apis, Anubis, Ra, etc. Did you ever wonder why God used the 10 plagues to ensure the freedom of Israel, rather than just bringing them out instantly at his command?

It's because each of the plagues was essentially a showdown between Jehovah and one of the main Egyptian gods.  In each case, Israel witnessed in a dramatic (and memorable) fashion that their God, Jehovah, was more powerful than any of the idols Egypt served.  In fact, it proved that Egypt's idols were not gods at all; they could do nothing to help the Egyptians.

Israel was also acquainted with the gods of the Canaanites, Moabites, and other people groups inhabiting the Promised Land.  These included Astarte/Venous, Baal and others.   

Here we find a clear implication that while Joshua prevented all public displays of idolatry there were no doubt some Israelites who practiced idolatry privately in their homes and/or businesses.

What would make Israel look to these idols?  Perhaps it was their familiarity with them, or perhaps it was because each of these false gods had a tangible form or representation which they could see/imagine.  Perhaps they fell into the trap of believing in multiple gods.  But regardless of the reason, in light of all the astonishing miracles Israel had seen, there could be no excuse for idolatry.

Joshua 24:15 – "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

When Joshua exhorts the people to 'choose' who they will serve, this was a rhetorical statement which implies that the true worship of Jehovah was the only real choice in this matter.  The worship/service of idols was so absurd and useless that, given a choice, no one in their right mind would choose the idol. 

Nevertheless, the Israelites are not forcibly compelled to serve God; they can indeed choose to serve a false god. This actually makes perfect sense, because God has always given man a free will; his desire is that we serve him willingly because we love him, not because we are forced to do so. This is the kind of true relationship God desires to have with us.

Because of the liberty God has given to us, no one becomes a Christian by accident. It doesn't happen because your parents or grandparents serve the Lord. It doesn't happen because you attend church or live in a Christian home.  Salvation requires a conscious act of will by each person who desires to serve Christ.

Romans 10:9 – if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.  

Because salvation takes a conscious act of the will, indecision is essentially a decision to reject salvation.  If a person continually puts off making a decision for Christ, it's the same as making the absurd choice to reject God. 

While we don't understand every single principle or doctrine of Christ, we know enough to choose spiritual life over spiritual death.  Advanced spiritual understanding is a journey we embark upon after salvation, not before.  Lack of full understanding is not a reason to reject God, neither is it a good reason to delay making a commitment.

In fact, there is absolutely NO reason to delay.  Salvation is easy and simple to obtain.  Choosing to serve the Lord will bring eternal life and peace.  Choosing a false god (or choosing nothing) will lead to eternal death and despair. 

Critics and unbelievers have often condemned God for 'sending people to hell', when in reality he does no such thing – He made salvation available to all; it is up to each one of us to choose where we will spend eternity.  Those who have chosen to reject Jesus have chosen to go to hell themselves.

Joshua makes it very clear that he and his household/family have chosen to serve the living God, and he admonishes the rest of Israel to join him.

Joshua 24:16-18 – Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed.  And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land.  Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."

The Israelites affirm their decision to completely and whole-heartedly serve the Lord and reject false idols. They are obviously sincere in their commitment:

• They acknowledged the miracles God had performed on their behalf.
• They admit that his protection and guidance had delivered them from all their enemies.
• They know their victories were only achieved by his might and power.
• When presented with the choice, they willingly and freely acknowledge Jehovah as God and pledge to serve him.

As we will soon see, their commitment lasted all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived him.  However, the day would come when they fell into apostasy and tried to merge idolatry with the true service of God.  What would cause this to happen?  How could they fall from the position of sincerity into idolatry?

It has often been remarked that the real test of our faithfulness to God is not our ability to serve him in moments of trial and testing, but to steadfastly serve him during the ease and commonality of day-to-day life. 

For instance, it was not hard for Israel to cling to the Lord as they left Egypt or wandered in the wilderness or fought for the Promised Land.  They were close to God because the power of their foes plainly revealed that they had no hope except in Him; God alone ensured their very survival. 

In other words, it was easier for the current generation of Israelites to remain faithful the Lord, because these memories were fresh in their minds.  Plus, they realized there were still battles in their future.  They knew they were going to need God again very shortly as they continued to claim the land. 

But once that generation was gone and the next one found itself in comparative ease and prosperity, they began to mistakenly believe that they could rule, defend and expand the nation in their own strength. Foolishly, they thought they could provide for all their own needs. Essentially, they didn't need God so much anymore.

That was a very serious problem and here is why:  God created man with a built-in need/desire to worship and serve him.  As we already mentioned, man can choose not to worship God, however, man CANNOT simply remove his need to worship something.       

This opened the door for Israel to succumb to the temptations of idolatry, self-indulgence and lust.  Although they never rejected God outright, they corrupted and degraded his pure worship by adding elements of idolatry to it.  This was an abomination in God's sight and a direct violation of the covenant.   

Eventually, this led them into captivity, where they lost every blessing the Lord had given them.

What about our own lives?  Is there a lesson here for us?

I believe there is.  We all wish for lives of ease, comfort and peace; no one I know desires to experience hardships or trials.

Yet, God accomplishes A LOT of good in our lives during these times: 

• Trials cause us to realize we need the Lord.
• Trials cause us to draw closer to him and seek his guidance, provision and protection.
• Trials increase our faith.
• Trials result in testimonies that witness to the lost and encourage believers.

Colossians 4:2-3, 5 - Continue in prayer, and watch in it with thanksgiving; praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: walk in wisdom toward them that are outsiders, redeeming the time.

Trials also remind us that we need to redeem or make the best use of our time.  There are two kingdoms here on planet earth, and we need to be actively involved in the spiritual realm.

As soldiers of the cross, we must view each and every day here on earth as a day of 'active duty' in which we strive to further the kingdom of God by rescuing sinners from darkness. If trials and tribulations assist us in staying true to this mission, then they aid in our eternal good.

Joshua 24:19-20 – But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God.  He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."

Joshua's purpose in gathering the nation at Shechem was to get them to recommit themselves to their covenant with God. Since that is the case, it seems odd that he would openly declare that they were 'not able to serve the Lord'. It seems as though he is discouraging them from the very thing he called them together to do. However, that was not the case.

Picture the scene with me: Joshua looks at the Ark of the Covenant and recognizes that God's covenant is holy, just and good. At the same time, he also sees the mass of imperfect humanity before him, which is utterly unable to keep the stern morality and rigorous commands of the law.

It becomes clear to Joshua that faithful service to the Lord required commitment, courage and resolution.  In addition, the spiritually undisciplined people would have to conquer numerous temptations and evil tendencies in order to faithfully cleave to God.

Thus, we see that his statement is meant as a kind of challenge to stir zeal up within the hearts of the people to remain faithful to the Lord.  He wants them to recognize that it was impossible for them to keep the law with their own strength and ability; it could only be accomplished through divine assistance and mental determination.

Furthermore, Israel needs to be reminded that God is jealous.  He has no equal and he will not share his glory with another, especially false idols:

Isaiah 42:8 - I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

It was (and is) blasphemy to give idols the worship that only God deserves.  As Joshua just illustrated for the nation, it was God who formed them, God who multiplied them, God who  protected them, God who entered into a covenant with them, God who blessed them and God who brought them into the Promised Land.  To give or share the glory due to God with a false idol was to profane/blaspheme the name of God (Exodus 20:3).

Finally, Joshua warns the Israelites that if they committed themselves to the covenant but broke that promise by worshiping idols, God would surely bring disaster upon them:

Deuteronomy 8:19 - And it shall be, if you do at all forget the LORD your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

Israel needed to remember that God is always faithful to his promises, and he promised (numerous times) to remove them from the land and bring disaster upon them if they served idols (Deuteronomy 28:15-68, Deuteronomy 30:17-18, Jeremiah 1:14-16 etc). 

Joshua 24:21 – And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord." Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

In our day, people legally bind themselves to contracts by the use of their signature. If you sign your name to a legal document (even electronically), you are bound by the conditions of the contract.  If you fail to keep your part of the bargain, legal/punitive action can be taken against you.

In the same way, after a full explanation of their responsibilities, (especially that of forsaking idols), the people of Israel universally agree to serve God.  Their pronouncement was made of their own free will, on a solemn public occasion.  This declaration amounted to the same thing as a legal signature in our society.

Just to be clear, Joshua informs them once again that their words are legally binding – they agree to worship and serve no other god but Jehovah.  If they do not keep their word, God can take punitive action against them. 

Joshua 24:23-24 – He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel."  And the people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey."

Joshua's response to the people raises an interesting question – Is he commanding them to remove idols/foreign gods which they currently have in their homes or is he admonishing them to resist their temptations to embrace these idols in the future?

Truthfully, it could have been both.

It is no secret that at other times in Israel's history they publicly claimed to serve God, while at the same time some of them had common household gods which they secretly worshiped:

Genesis 35:4 – And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

(See also Genesis 31:19, etc). Obviously, the Israelites found many idols as they plundered the cities of Canaan, which they may have chosen to retain, rather than destroying them. Some scholars suggest that the Israelites may have still been in possession of idols which they took from Egypt. In either case, Israel certainly access to idols.

Commentators who hold this view (that Israel was currently worshiping actual idols) believe idolatry of this kind never really ceased in ancient Israel.  At times it would get worse, and at times the people would repent and distance themselves from these evil practices, but they believe idolatry pervasively continued at all times within the nation.

Other scholars believe that the phrase 'among you' should be translated 'within you' and therefore Joshua is referring to the inclination/desire of the people to worship these gods.   In their view, Joshua is not speaking about actual idols the people possessed, but he is referring to the thoughts and intents of their hearts. 

They point out that after the terrifying demise of Achan (Joshua 7), the people did not dare to harbor idols in their midst, as nothing could be hidden from the Lord who sees what is done in secret. 

Therefore, they believe that Joshua's statement simply means that the people were to renounce all idols, clear themselves of all defilement and worship God in purity and truth.  They key to doing so was to love God with all of their hearts.  If they truly loved God to that degree, it would be easy to reject idolatry and cling to the Lord.

Perhaps the real lesson here is that the spiritual and physical aspects of our lives cannot actually be separated, because whatever is in our hearts is what will manifest in our lives:

Matthew 12:34 -  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43, 45 – For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

In the case of Israel, the putting away of false idols/gods was to be the outward, visible sign that their hearts and minds fully belonged to the Lord. Likewise, the fruit we bear in our lives, whether evil or good, reflects whether or not we are serving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

However the people of Israel understood Joshua's words, they freely/willingly declared their allegiance to the Lord. They committed themselves to obeying his word and serving him only.

Joshua 24:25-26 – So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.  And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God.  And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

This is the outcome that Joshua was seeking when he called Israel to this gathering.  After delivering the word of the Lord to the nation (verses 1-13), he asked them to recommit/rededicate themselves to God.  This was done through a renewal of the covenant.

This was not the first time the covenant had been renewed.  The people had recommitted themselves to the Lord under Moses after the 40-year desert wandering (Deuteronomy 29).

Neither would this be the last time Israel renewed the covenant with God.  Subsequent renewals were made under the reigns of King Asa (II Chronicles 15:12-13), King Joash (II Chronicles 23:16), and King Josiah (II Chronicles 34:31-32).

The 'statutes and rules' mentioned here were nothing new; they were the requirements of the original covenant that the people were already familiar with. The decision of the people was officially recorded by Joshua in a sacred book and then signed by the elders of the people.

In the original language, it literally states that Joshua 'cut' a covenant. This indicates that sacrifices were included in the renewal of the covenant.

In addition, (probably because there was only one copy of the document), Joshua ordered a large stone or pillar to be set up on public land.  The stone/pillar was most likely covered with a thin coat of mortar, then engraved with language which declared that at such and such a time and place, the covenant was renewed between Israel and Jehovah; details could be found in the book of the law (Deuteronomy 31:26).

This stone/pillar was a powerful witness or testimony to what had taken place between Israel and the Lord. 

Joshua 24:27-28 – And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

It was not uncommon for the people of the ancient east to personify or assign character traits (such as hearing, seeing or speaking) to inanimate objects, as Joshua does here (the proper term is prosopopoeia). 

Another example of this is when Jacob and Laban made a pact with each other, and raised up a heap of stones as a witness to their agreement (Genesis 31:45).  See also Isaiah 1:2, Jeremiah 2:12, etc.

So, in this scenario, if the Israelites break their covenant with God or disobey the commands of the Lord which they promised to keep, the stone itself would serve as a witness against them.  It would testify to their unrighteousness, just as a witness testifies in a court of law.

Therefore, the stone was to be a memorial to both present and future generations; it would remind them of their covenant with God, and thus prevent them from falling into apostasy, idolatry, atheism or false worship.  

Once the ceremonies were complete, Joshua dismissed the people to return to their homes.  He had done everything within his power to keep Israel faithful to the Lord.  Now it was time for him to enter his eternal rest.

Joshua 24:29-30 – After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died being 110 years old. And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.

Joshua did a lot of amazing things in his life.  He could be described as a general, a vice president (aka Moses' assistant), an advisor, a giant slayer, and many other wonderful things.  But at his funeral, he is best remembered as 'the servant of the Lord'.  Wow!  What a testimony to the way Joshua lived his life!  I don't know about you, but I hope people can say that about me after I die!  

Having completed the work which God assigned to him, Joshua now enters into his eternal rest/reward.

Revelation 14:13 - And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on: Yea, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.

Interestingly, there is no record of any public mourning for this great leader, as there was for Aaron (Numbers 20:29) or Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8).  No one really knows why this was the case.  It may be attributed to the fact that he was buried on his own private land, or it may simply be that the author leaves this information out of the text.

Joshua 24:31 – Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.

As we mentioned previously, the generation that saw/experienced the miracles of God firsthand remained faithful to him.  However, the generation that grew up without much hardship was the generation that drifted away from the Lord.

Joshua 24:32 – As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of shechem for a hundred pieces of money.  It became an inheritance of the descendents of Joseph.

At the very end of this book, we have a couple pieces of information that seem to be added to the text by someone other than Joshua.  One of them deals with the bones of Joseph.

In Genesis 50:22-26, Joseph is about to die. He makes the children of Israel swear an oath that when they leave the land of Egypt, they will dig up his bones and take them into the Promised Land.  And sure enough, we find that the children of Israel honored this last wish of Joseph. They finally entombed his remains in the historic town of Shechem.

Joshua 24:33 – And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

For some reason, note is also made of the death of Eleazar the priest.  Perhaps he is mentioned because of the work he did in assisting Joshua to divide up the land.  He may also have been mentioned because the writer is showing that all of the famous leaders of the old generation were dying. 

Thus, the next generation is left with an amazing inheritance, a covenant with the Lord and the godly example of their ancestors. What they did (or did not do) with these advantages is a story for another day!

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

In this chapter, Joshua reiterates the fact that each of us has a choice to make.  He chose to serve the Lord, and his choice was reflected in the way he lived his life.  Once his life was finished, he entered into an eternal state of rest and reward.

What about you?  Have you made a commitment to follow Christ?  Have you accepted him as Lord and Savior of your life?   If you died today, would you enter eternal rest and reward or eternal torment?

You can make a conscious decision to follow Christ by praying a prayer of salvation right now:

Dear Jesus,

I confess to you that I am a sinner.  I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done and I ask you to forgive me.  I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross and rose again, and that your blood paid the price for my sin.  I invite you to come into my heart and life and to be my Lord and Savior.  I commit myself to you right now.  Thank you for saving me from death and giving me the gift of eternal life.  Amen.

If you prayed this prayer and sincerely meant it, then you have received the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ! 

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Joshua 24:1 – Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel.  And they presented themselves before God.

In our last post, we examined a speech that Joshua gave before the elders, leaders and judges of Israel. That meeting was held in Shiloh during one of the occasions where the men of Israel were already gathered there to appear before the Lord (Exodus 23:17).

The gathering described in chapter 24 is clearly a distinct event. This time the entire population is summoned to witness the final address of Joshua. For reasons we will shortly discuss, it was important for the entire nation to present themselves before the Lord one last time before Joshua died.

This great gathering was held in Shechem (also spelled 'Schechem' or 'Sichem').  This location was chosen for a number of reasons.

First, it was close to Joshua's hometown of Timnath-serah.  By this time, Joshua is over 100 years old and traveling to Shiloh may have been difficult for him.  It was not unreasonable to have the meeting in a place that was convenient for him.   

Second, Shechem was a place full of the history of Israel.  It was one of the places Abraham settled in as he wandered throughout the Promised Land (Genesis 12:6).  It was also the place of his burial (Acts 7:16). 

Although the temple was never stationed there, this city had religious significance as well.  The very first altar built to the Lord in the Promised Land was erected by Abraham in what would later become Shechem.  It was in this same location that the Lord appeared to Abraham and gave him a divine promise regarding the land (Genesis 12:6-7).

Later on, the patriarch Jacob would also settle in this region when he bought a parcel of land directly from Shechem himself. He too, built an altar there to worship the Lord (Genesis 33:18-20).

Yet another altar was built in Shechem by Joshua. This occurred after the children of Israel had crossed the Jordan and defeated Jericho and Ai. At that time, Joshua had the people of Israel travel from their camp at Gilgal to the valley between the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim.  Sacrifices and peace offerings were made to the Lord on that altar.

On that occasion, half of the nation of Israel stood in front of Mount Ebal and half in front of Mount Gerizim, with the priests and the Ark of the Covenant in the middle.  There, Joshua read the entire law, both blessings and curses, before the people and they committed themselves to following the covenant.  He also erected stones and wrote the law upon them.  For full details, see our post on Joshua 8:30-35.

Once the land was divided among the tribes of Israel, Shechem became a Levitical city as well as one of the six cities or refuge.

Thus, Shechem truly had national, historical and religious significance for the people of Israel. This made it a fitting/proper venue for Joshua's final address to the nation. It was also an appropriate place for the covenant to once again be renewed by the children of Israel.

Scripture goes on to tell us that in the course of Joshua's address, the people presented themselves before God.  Let's consider that statement for a minute.

We know that the presence of God could be found on the mercy seat, between the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant: 

Exodus 25:21-22 - And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark; and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will commune with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment unto the children of Israel.

But the ark itself was not stationed in Shechem; it was at the temple in Shiloh.  So how was it possible for the people to present themselves before the Lord at this assembly?  There are three widely accepted answers to this question. 

One, the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant to Shechem for this meeting.  Obviously, there is a precedent for this, because that is what was done when the people stood between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim after the victory at Ai. 

Two, some scholars believe that once Joshua's speech was concluded, the people traveled to Shiloh and presented themselves to the Lord at that location. As Shiloh is about 10 miles from Shechem, this was also possible.

A third explanation says that since the people were gathered together in a sacred assembly to honor the Lord, he was automatically present with them:

Exodus 20:24 – An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen.  In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 

(See also Psalms 82:1).   Does this concept seem familiar to you?  It should – Jesus promises his followers that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he will be in their midst (Matthew 18:20). 

This is an extremely important concept. It means that no matter where Christians gather together (a private home, a restaurant, a park, etc), God honors us with his presence. What a wonderful and comforting thought!

Joshua 24:2 – And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.'"

Joshua begins his address by saying, 'thus says the Lord, the God of Israel'.  In other words, the address he is about to give does not come from his own heart or mind; he is prophetically speaking the words of the Lord to the nation of Israel.

This means that the commands and warnings given in this address are a direct word from the Lord to his people and they should be taken very seriously.

This address can be broken down into three distinct sections.  In section one (verses 2-4), God reminds Israel how he had formed/birthed their nation and increased their numbers.

Joshua starts his speech at the very beginning - the formation of the nation through the patriarch Abraham.  Abraham was an excellent example to his offspring.  He exhibited a high degree of loyalty and trust in God - the very characteristics Joshua is trying to impress upon the current generation.   

He reminds the people that when God first called Abraham out from among his people, he was living beyond the Euphrates River (your translation may say 'on the other side of the flood' or 'on the other side of the river') and serving false idols or gods, just like everyone else in his family and nation.

The point Joshua is making here is that the Israelites were no better/no different than other 'heathen' people like the Canaanites. God did not select them as his chosen people based on their own merits or goodness. He chose them in order to display his great mercy and love through them, in spite of their flaws and sins.

Therefore, they had no reason to boast or to think they were better than the nations God had removed before them.  The existence of their nation, along with all of their privileges and blessings were due solely to the grace of God and nothing else.

Joshua 24:3-4 – "Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt."

Notice that in this verse God says 'I took your father Abraham from beyond the river'. What does he mean by that?

God wants the Israelites to understand that Abraham did not leave his family and country because he was enlightened enough to seek the true God. In fact, the opposite was true - there was nothing in his heart or mind that was searching for God. In other words, Abraham was nothing more than a common sinner/idol worshiper and he would have remained so, if God had not chosen to reveal himself.

I don't know about you, but I feel a real connection to Abraham right now! 

If you are a Christian, it is important to understand that God did not choose you as his child because you were morally superior or more holy than other sinners.  He didn't save you because your sins were 'smaller' or less significant than the sin of others.   

Scripture tells us that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  No matter how righteous we thought we were, our righteousness was nothing but a filthy rag in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). 

We need to keep this in mind as we walk through life.  We should never judge someone else, because our sin is just as horrible as their sin. Instead, we should take the time to share the life changing gospel of Christ with them, just as someone did for us. Every sinner can be saved by the blood of Christ, no matter what they have done. Hallelujah!

Furthermore, it was God's omnipotent power and protection which miraculously preserved Abraham as he wandered around Canaan. There were numerous occasions when Abraham and Sara could easily have been slain by the people of Canaan. They were preserved only because God had his hand upon them.

God's divine choices/actions are further revealed as the covenant promises are passed down from generation to generation. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac; it was God who chose Isaac as the next heir of the covenant. Likewise, Isaac had twin sons (Jacob and Esau) but it was God who chose to continue his covenant through the lineage of Jacob.

God made both of Abraham's sons into great and vast nations.In his great wisdom he gave Esau the country of Mount Seir, and reserved the land of Canaan for the descendants of Jacob.

However, Jacob's offspring were not yet ready to occupy the land.  God sent them into Egypt to prepare and preserve them until the divinely appointed time:

Genesis 15:13 - And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that your descendants shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

When the time of deliverance finally arrived, God sent Moses and Aaron to lead the people out of Egypt:

Joshua 24:5-7 – "And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.  Then, I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea.  And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red sea.  And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt.  And you lived in the wilderness a long time."

The second section of Joshua's address is found in verses 5-7.  It focuses on the miraculous exile from Egypt which God performed on behalf of his people.

When we consider Israel's deliverance from Egypt, there can be no doubt that God showed his power and omnipotence time after time. Not only were the plagues themselves miraculous, the timing was too. God announced the plagues in advance. He then manifested and removed them at the exact time he declared that he would. This was an astonishing feat that no false god or idol could possibly duplicate.

By the same infinite power, he led Israel out of Egypt. When Pharaoh pursued them, God once again demonstrated his mighty power by parting the waters of the Red Sea, allowing Israel to cross over on dry land, and then drowning the Egyptians.

Let's stop and ask ourselves this question: What is the significance of this history lesson?

It is a reminder to the people of Israel that they owe everything to God.  All that they were, all that they possessed, and all they had accomplished was the direct result of God's mercy and goodness on their behalf.  Therefore, it is their reasonable service to faithfully and earnestly serve the Lord at all times and in all things.  

This is also true of the New Testament church.  The apostle Paul clearly states that in light of the redemption and blessings Christ purchased for us on the cross, it is our reasonable service to present ourselves before God as a living sacrifice: 

Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

In other words, we should forsake the idols of this present age (money, sex, entertainment, etc) and live holy lives in the service of our King.  We too should faithfully and earnestly serve the Lord at all times and in all things.

Israel's history also demonstrated the utter folly and futility of idolatry.  There is no idol or false god that can compete with the Lord Almighty; only the Lord is worthy to be served and worshiped.  

It is clear that Israel's history is of the utmost importance!  If the Israelites were careful to remember the history of their nation, they would never be tempted to worship the gods of the Canaanites. 

Joshua 24:8-10 – "Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan.  They fought with you, and I gave them into  your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.  Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel.  And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you but I would not listen to Balaam.  Indeed, he blessed you.  So I delivered you out of his hand."

The third section of Joshua's speech is found in verses 8-12. Verses 8-10 cover the period of history when Israel was marching through the land of the trans-Jordan, on their way to Jericho. This portion of their history includes their battles against Og, Sihon and Balak.

Time does not permit us to review the circumstances of these victories, but if you read them for yourself, you will once again find God's miraculous intervention on behalf of his people.

Joshua 24:11-12 – "And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  And I gave them into your hand.  And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow."

Verses 11-12 described the victories that God granted Israel as the Promised Land was conquered.  These were victories that had been witnessed by many of the people present at the speech.  The miraculous ways in which God had given them victory testified to his presence during these battles; he was the one who gave them the land.  This was evident as we studied the book of Joshua.    

Psalm 44:3 - For they [Israel] got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, because you had favor unto them.

What does Joshua mean when he says that God sent hornets to drive Israel's enemies out before them?

Some commentators believe this should be interpreted literally.  In this case, wasps or other stinging insects were sent by God to swarm over the Amorites and render them unable to fight.  Either they could not fight because the insects swarmed their eyes, or they were distracted by the stings and could not fight (Exodus23:28, Deuteronomy 7:20). 

Other commentators believe the reference to hornets is symbolic.  They believe it refers to an uncontrollable terror which God put upon Israel's enemies.  Due to this intense terror, they were unable to fight against Israel (Joshua 2:9).

Once again, we must ask this question: Why does the Lord command Joshua to give Israel this history lesson?

The answer is that God wants his people to recognize that their victories did not happen by chance or by the will of man.  God was in control; he shaped and molded their nation into what it was as they stood in the valley of Shechem that day. 

This was important for them to remember, lest they forsake the Lord and relapse into the same sin (idolatry) which God had delivered Abraham from. 

Joshua 24:13 – "I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant."

As we noted in our prior posts, God gave his people blessings that they did not work for.

The farm land was one such blessing. Israel had not plowed, fertilized, sowed or weeded these vast fields, yet they harvested crops from them.

The cities and houses were another enormous blessing from the Lord.  Israel inherited fully furnished homes and cities with walls and fortifications already built.  The people of Israel lived in safety and at ease, enjoying the fine homes which had been given to them by God.

Ditto for the vineyards and olive groves.  Israel did not plant, water, fertilize or prune these vines/trees, however, God allowed them to reap a harvest from them.

These blessings are but a fraction of the good things that God gave to Israel. 

Now that Joshua has reviewed all of the good things God had done for the nation, he is going to offer them a choice – would they serve the Lord, or one of the other false gods they were familiar with? 

We will examine this choice in our next post.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Israel's history was important.  As the people reviewed it, it became clear that God had been by their side since the nation was formed.  He had guaranteed their safety and given them victory over their enemies.  He had completely fulfilled all of the promises he made to his people. His grace and mercy were evident in every aspect of their lives.

Why not take a few minutes right now and examine your own history? How old were you when you accepted Christ as your savior? What miraculous things has he done in your life since that time? What prayers has he answered? What has he delivered you from? How has he blessed you?

As you examine your past, it will become clear that God has been by your side, fighting on your behalf all along – and he isn't going anywhere! His love, grace, mercy and miraculous power will be with you all the days of your life.

Let me offer you some relief:

The people of Israel had a wonderful heritage.  Their forefathers (and mothers) had served God for hundreds of years and God had blessed them mightily.

What is your family heritage?  Do you come from generations of Christians who worshiped and served the Lord?  Can you see how God blessed your family mightily?

If so, you can rejoice. You should share your family heritage with your children and grandchildren. Testify to them about the goodness and faithfulness of God to your family.

If you don't have such a heritage, that's okay too. Be honest with your children and grandchildren; tell them about the bondage/sin that Christ delivered you from. Let them know that a new pattern has been established in the family, and it started with you! Pray that God will continue that heritage in the generations to come.

Let me offer you some strength:

If you are in the midst of a battle today, don't despair. The same God who delivered Israel from her enemies also fights on your behalf. God has promised that no weapon of the enemy will prosper against us (Isaiah 54:17).

So remain steadfast during your trial. Continue to worship the Lord, quote his word over your situation and fight off the devil with your shield of faith. The victory will soon be yours, and you will have another testimony of God's faithfulness and goodness to share with future generations.

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Joshua 23:1-2 – A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years."

In our last post we looked at a misunderstanding which occurred between the Israelites living west of the river and their brothers inhabiting the eastern lands.  Fortunately, the Lord assisted them in resolving the situation before it got out of hand.

After that incident, the nation went on about its business – homes and cities were built/refurbished, businesses were established, crops were planted, flocks and herds were pastured, marriages took place and future generations of Israelites were born. And, presumably, the nation followed the law and served the Lord with all their hearts.

Eventually, Joshua summons all the elders, leaders, and judges of the nation to an important meeting, where he gives them a farewell address.  His speech (or at least a portion of it) has been recorded for us here in chapter 23.

No mention is made of the location of this meeting/speech. Some commentators feel that, due to Joshua's advanced age, the meeting was held in his hometown of Timnath-serah. However, a more plausible theory is that the speech took place at the temple in Shiloh since all males were to appear before the Lord three times per year at that location.

One thing is certain – Joshua is getting old! The Lord kept him alive long enough after the conquest to watch the nation develop politically, economically, and spiritually.  He must have had some degree of satisfaction in completing the monumental task that God had assigned to him.  Nevertheless, he knows his time is short. 

In fact, he uses his advanced age as one of the reasons for his speech. The implication is that he would soon be taken away from them (just as Moses was) and he had only a limited amount of time left to give them some final advice and instruction.

I'm sure the elders and leaders took his words seriously, because he was not only the leader who brought them into the Promised Land, he was one of the two oldest men in the nation. As such, he had a wealth of wisdom and experience to share with them. He also had (has) one of the most amazing testimonies in all of scripture. We are still benefiting from it today!

Joshua 23:3 – "And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you."

The overall purpose of his address is to advise the current generation to persevere in the true faith and worship of God. 

If the current generation will remain faithful to the Lord, they will be a witness to their children, who will then continue in the ways of the Lord.  In this way, each generation will teach/show those who follow how to trust in the Lord, obey his commands and benefit from his goodness.  Thus, the nation will continue to remain faithful to the Lord.

Joshua proceeds to testify to the current generation of elders, judges, and leaders about all the astonishing things that God had done for Israel during Joshua's lifetime.  There can be no doubt that God blessed them physically by keeping them in good health, economically by giving them houses, vineyards and wells which they did not work for (Deuteronomy 6:10-12), and politically by giving them strong, courageous leaders. 

But the blessings that Joshua stresses in his address are the military victories that God gave Israel in subduing the Promised Land.  Why was that?  I think there are two answers. 

But first, let's establish that God did, indeed, fight on Israel's behalf. He was the cause of their many victories and the reason they were able to conquer the land:

• God protected the spies from the king of Jericho (Joshua chapter 2).
• God caused the waters of the Jordan to part, so Israel could cross the flooded river on dry ground (Joshua chapter 3-4).
• God caused the walls of Jericho to fall before the children of Israel, who did nothing other than march around the city, as instructed (chapter 6).
• God gave Joshua plans for a successful ambush against the city of Ai (chapter 8).
• God causes the sun to stand still while Israel was fighting against the alliance of five kings (chapter 10).
• God gave Israel victory over the 31 kings of the north (chapter 11-12).

Clearly, Joshua is correct in saying that God fought for Israel.

One of the reasons he focuses on these military victories in his final speech is to testify/prove that God kept the promise that he made to Joshua - because of his help, no man or nation was able to stand before the armies of Israel:

Joshua 1:1-5 – After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land I am giving to them every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

Joshua 23:4 – "Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west."

God's intervention on their behalf was a clear and strong lesson that the elders/leaders of the nation needed to keep at the forefront of their minds, especially since there were still more Canaanites to be subdued. 

As you recall from our study, once the major rulers/armies of the Canaanites had been defeated and their territories conquered, God instructed Joshua to divide up the land. Each tribe received an allotment of land that was best suited to their needs. These lots were determined by the Lord, while a committee of chosen men determined the boundaries of each tribe (chapters 13-21).

Within these allotments, there were still groups of Canaanites to be defeated. These groups had been spared for the short term, but once the tribes increased in numbers, they were to wage war against them. Israel was to take their cities, livestock and goods while destroying the people and anything related to idol worship (Exodus 34:11-14).

The bad news was that war was clearly in the future of each tribe.  But the good news was that God had not changed – he would still be fighting for them in the future, just as he had in the past.

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

This is the second reason Joshua stresses these military victories - because there were still more Canaanites to be subdued, and Joshua himself would not be there to lead them to victory. He wants to remind Israel that victory was assured by the Lord, not by he himself. After he died, the remaining leaders of the nation had no reason to fear. All they had to do was seek the Lord who would give them victory in their future battles.

Joshua 23:5 – "The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight.  And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you."

It's not difficult to see where Joshua is going with this speech:

The other nations of the world (like the Canaanites) went to war under the leadership of their kings or rulers.  Their success depended on the wisdom/cunning of the leader as well as the military strength and resources of the army.

This was not the case with Israel.  Although they had a physical leader such as Joshua or Moses, God was the true supreme commander of the army.  Therefore, Israel's success was not tied to the limited wisdom, ability, or resources of man; their success was guaranteed by the Lord.  He would continue to deliver on his promises to give Israel the land. 

However, as we noted in our earlier studies, Israel still had a part to play.  She had two major responsibilities.  One, to remain spiritually faithful to the Lord and two, to take up arms and do the physical fighting that God had called them to do.

The same is true in the church age.  The church has limited wisdom, strength, influence and resources.  However, when we partner with God to do his business, we are assured of victory because he provides all that we need for victory.  

Joshua 23:6 – "Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left."

With these future wars/victories in mind, Joshua encourages the men of Israel to be strong in their faith.

Obviously, as Joshua just pointed out, Israel's victories did not come through their own strength; they came as a blessing of the Lord.  Therefore, it was of paramount importance that Israel remain faithful to the Lord. 

They were to strictly keep all the laws given to them by the Lord through Moses.  Let's examine that more closely. 

• In order for a person to keep the law, they had to know or be familiar with it.

Deuteronomy 11:18 – You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

The people of Israel were to familiarize themselves with the law.  They were expected to read it, study it, and know it.  Because of God's great wisdom in scattering the Levites throughout the nation, every person had reasonable access to those who knew the law best – the priests and Levites.  So, if there ever was a question regarding the law, the people had a resource they could turn to. 

They had no excuse for being ignorant of the law.

• According to the command of the Lord, the law was to be read, studied and discussed in the home; the parents were to teach it to their children.

Deuteronomy 11:19 - You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

The children of Israel didn't have to get a college degree to know and understand the law.  They learned it little by little as they grew up because it was constantly at the forefront of what happened at home. 

Parents not only verbally taught their children the law, they also lived it out by example.  For instance, there are seven main feasts that were to be kept by the Israelites:

• Passover.
• The feast of Unleavened Bread.
• The feast of First Fruits.
• The feast of Harvest.
• The feast of Trumpets.
• The Day of Atonement.
• The feast of Tabernacles.

For example, parents no doubt verbally instructed their children about the feast of Passover. But they also would have demonstrated it to their children by having the children help pick out the lamb, gather and wash the bitter herbs, paint the blood on the door posts, etc.

The law was not just something they memorized; it was something they lived.

• The law was not something that was compartmentalized or sectioned off from daily life. It was supposed to influence everything the Israelites did.

There was no 'separation of church and state' for God's people.  God was involved in every aspect of their lives – home, business, leisure activities, government, etc.  They didn't just worship and serve him for a couple hours on the Sabbath; the law influenced everything they did, and how they did it.    

The actions, attitudes, and decisions of God's people were to be governed by God's laws and commands at all times.

• There were no 'gray areas' or optional commands in the law; the Lord required strict adherence to all he commanded.

Deuteronomy 5:32 -You shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God has commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

The phrase 'do not turn to the right or left' was a common saying in Israel.  It referred to the practice of keeping the law exactly as God had prescribed.  We often interpret this to mean that Israel should do all that God commanded (which is true), but it also means that nothing is to be added to the law without God's permission.

Obedience to God's laws is better than sacrifice.

You have no doubt noticed the parallels in the present day Christian realm. 

• We should be familiar with the laws and commands of the kingdom of heaven.

Now, more than ever, the word of God is available to anyone who will take the time to find it. We have paper bibles, electronic bibles and audio bibles. They are available in a multitude of different languages and they can often be obtained without cost.

We also have almost unlimited access to teaching and instruction regarding the word. 

We have no excuse for being ignorant of God's word and commands.

• God's word should be read, studied and discussed in our homes.

We should not only instruct our children and grandchildren in the Christian life, we should actively show them how to live out their faith in the world.

Remember, scripture tells us that if we are diligent to teach our children about salvation and the Christian faith, they will not depart from it when they are older (Proverbs 22:6). 

The law is not just something we should memorize or read; it is something we must live out in our lives.

• The laws of God cannot be 'compartmentalized' or sectioned off from our daily lives any more than they could be for the children of Israel.

In our case, God's laws are written on our hearts and therefore they should be a part of everything we do, every day.

Our actions, attitudes, and decisions should be governed by God's laws and commands at all times.

• There are no 'gray areas' in the commands of God.

We should be diligent to avoid actions that are outside of his decrees. By the same token, the apostle James tells us that if we know we should be doing something good and yet we fail to do so, that too, is sin (James 4:17).

Obedience is better than sacrifice.

Joshua 23:7-8 – "... that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day."

Joshua's main concern for the nation is that the Canaanites remaining in the land will entice the Israelites to engage in idolatry.  It's a valid concern, since they had already fallen into that trap once (Baal-Peor – see the last post for details).  Therefore, he strongly admonishes them to avoid anything and everything that pertains to these heathens and their gods.

First off, Joshua instructs them not to 'mix' (your translation may say 'mingle') with the Canaanites.  The root word for 'mix' means 'yoked'.  In other words, they were not to form relationships with the remaining Canaanites.  They were not to engage in business with them, befriend them, marry them, or adopt their civil, judicial or religious practices.

If the people of Israel did form relationships or bonds with these heathens, it wouldn't be long before the heathen would invite Israel to attend their feasts, worship their idols, marry their children, and live in their cities.

Once those bonds were formed, it would be virtually impossible for Israel to turn around and attack/destroy them.  Instead, the ungodly practices of the Canaanites would certainly corrupt the Israelites and their true worship of God.   The Israelites could be yoked to the Lord or yoked to the Canaanites, but they couldn't do both.  They had to choose between the two.

Interestingly, Christians are also warned against being 'yoked' together with the unbelievers of our day:

II Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

You see the parallel, right?  When we form close relationships with unbelievers, our goals (and the way we reach them) are diametrically opposed and it becomes almost impossible for us to be successful, because we can't establish unity.  We are existing in a 'divided house' (Mark 3:25).

For example, if a Christian man marries an unbelieving woman, he will expect to live his life according to the word of God.  He will want to attend church, pay tithes, be faithful to his wife and be honest in all his business dealings. 

His wife, on the other hand, will likely refuse to attend church and argue about paying tithes. She won't have any concerns about marital infidelity and honesty won't necessarily be one of her attributes.

Can you imagine what that marriage would be like? Let's just say if the marriage survives, it probably wouldn't be the happy, peaceful, fulfilling relationship that God intended.

If you are in a relationship that is unequally yoked (marriage, business, etc), I suggest you pray about that situation and ask Holy Spirit's advice on what to do - if anything. 

If you are not unequally yoked to anyone right now, please consider the scriptures carefully before entering into such an arrangement.

Joshua 23:9 –"For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations.  And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day."

This was a statement of fact regarding Israel's past victories.  Those who attacked them were either soundly defeated or fled before them and became tributaries.  Again, this was the result of God's assistance in their battles.   

Joshua 23:10-11 –"One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. �Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God."

This verse speaks of the future battles the nation was sure to face (sooner rather than later). 

Now that each tribe was responsible for going to war against the Canaanites living in their own territory, some fear may have risen in their hearts due to the much smaller numbers of soldiers in their armies. 

But Joshua puts that fear to rest in his address.  Though the people of God are few and weak compared to their enemies, they are not fighting in their own strength.  When the Lord fights for them, one man can defeat a thousand (Deuteronomy 32:30). 

Therefore, as long as Israel continues to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, it will be easy for them to stay faithful to him.   And if they remain faithful to him, victory is assured.

What is the status of our love for the Lord?  Do we love him with all of our hearts and minds?  Or has our love grown cold?    

Joshua 23:12-13 – "For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you."

As you read through the Old Testament, you may have noticed that it was a common thing for the Law to use two different means to motivate men in doing the right thing – reward and punishment.

For instance, in Deuteronomy 28, verses 1-14 give clear blessings and rewards for the people of Israel, as long as they obey the commands of God.  Verses 15-68  give a list of curses/punishments that will fall upon the people if they fail to obey. 

Joshua uses that same literary formula here; the first part of chapter 23 assures the people that if they are faithful to God he will reward them with victory while verses 12-13 list the punishments that await those who do not.

Both methods are effective; some folks will turn to the Lord because of his great love, while others only repent after hearing a 'hell fire and brimstone' sermon.  Which method motivates you more?   

Joshua 23:14 – "And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you.  All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed."

Joshua recognizes that his race is almost finished.  Soon, God will call him home to his heavenly reward.  There is no doubt that the nation will miss him greatly.  Because they respect and trust him, his departure would leave them with a great sense of loss.

And now, in some of his last public words to the nation, he testifies yet again that God has been faithful to every one of the promises that he made to Israel. If the men present before him are honest, they will agree – they cannot deny the truth of this testimony.

Joshua 23:15-16 – "But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them.  Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given you."

One of the overall truths in this passage is that God is faithful to his promises.  Israel liked to think of this in the context of the nation acting righteously and God blessing them for it, just as he did in the conquest of the land. 

While that is true, the opposite is equally true - if the nation decided to mix with idolaters and embrace sin, God would still be faithful to his promises and bring punishment upon them. 

Either way, God is faithful. Thus, the end result was up to the people of Israel.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The overall purpose of Joshua's speech is to advise the current generation to persevere in the true faith and worship of God.

One of the ways they did this was to have God's laws at work in their homes.  They were to teach the law to their children; they probably helped them memorize parts of it as well.  In addition, they taught their children the laws of God by living their faith out on a daily basis.  The law was an integral part of who they were. 

This is an excellent example for us to follow.

The laws of God should define who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Let's make every effort to be an example to our children and grandchildren by honestly living out our faith in front of them, and encouraging them in their own spiritual walk.

Let me offer you some relief:

Joshua was going to die shortly after his final addresses to the nation.  His death no doubt caused a lot of sorrow to the rest of the people in the nation. 

Likewise, we also suffer great sorrow when someone we love dies.  But scriptures tell us that our sorrow is not the same as those who do not know Christ. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.   

Physical death is the gateway into the eternal realm. For those who have trusted in Christ, it leads to a reunion with the Father, Son and Spirit. Therefore when a Christian that we love dies, our sorrow can be tempered with the fact that they are now in eternal bliss. They are receiving the rewards of their spiritual labors, just as Israel finally received possession of their land. And, perhaps most importantly, we will see them again one day!

Let me offer you some strength:

The Israelites were not to 'mix' or associate with the Canaanites in any way.  Period.  No exceptions. 

But under the covenant of grace, things are a bit different.  We are not to cut ourselves off from the sinners around us.  Rather, we need to fellowship with them and/or have some kind of relationship with them, so that we can introduce them to the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the same time, we must use wisdom and understanding as we do so. We cannot take part in the sins of those we are in fellowship with; we must stand strong for righteousness. We must love them while hating and standing firm against their evil practices. As we remain faithful to God and interact with the heathen, God will give us opportunities to witness to them about his love and grace.

One final note: Be sure that you diligently think, pray and seek godly counsel before being yoked with an unbeliever in marriage, business or other critical relationships.

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Joshua 22:10 – And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.

In our last post, we saw that Joshua summoned the soldiers of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh to Shiloh. There, he commended them for their military service to the nation. They had been faithful and obedient to their pledge to cross the Jordan and assist the remaining tribes in conquering the Promised Land.

Now that the land was subdued and distributed to the remaining tribes, Joshua discharged them from active duty.  They had made many sacrifices in assisting their brothers; now it was time for them to go home and enjoy their own inheritance.

Apparently, at some point on the march homeward, the trans-Jordan tribes got an idea – they were going to build an altar. 

The first question to be addressed is where were they building it?  This verse simply says it was in the 'region of the Jordan'. 

Common sense tells us it must have been on the eastern side of the river because the trans-Jordan tribes would not have built a structure on someone else's property. (This assumption will be further confirmed as we discover the purpose of this altar.)

Many scholars believe the structure was built parallel to the city of Jericho, because there was a river crossing near that point which was routinely used by all the Israelites. Anyone using that crossing would have no difficulty seeing the altar.

The altar would also have been plainly visible due to its 'imposing' or remarkably large size.  It was clearly not the work of a single individual, but of hundreds or even thousands of men working together for a common purpose. 

In keeping with the law, the altar was made of earth and uncut stones; it was a giant replica of the altar at Shiloh.

Joshua 22:11-12 – And the people of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel."  And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

Apparently, it isn't long before the altar is noticed and word of it spreads throughout the land.  As a result, tribal leaders gathered at the temple in Shiloh where they decided to take up arms and wage war on their own brothers. 

Does that seem a bit extreme to you? Were they really going to destroy their brothers over a pile of stones and dirt? Are they over reacting, or are their actions justified?

In order to fully understand the situation, we must remember that God had been very specific about the rites and practices of worship. No variations or substitutions were permitted; everything must be done strictly according to the laws given by God. For example:

• There was to be only one tabernacle and God was the one to determine where it would be located.
• Those serving as priests came exclusively from the family of Aaron.
• There was a precise formula for the incense offered before the Lord.
• The daily sacrifices and offerings were clearly delineated in the law; there could be no substitutions or changes.
• The sacrifices were processed in the same way every time, etc.

We could go on and on, but my point is that God had given very specific directions for worship/religious rites and these directions could not be changed.  This is significant because the law specifically stated that there was to be one (and only one) altar for sacrifices and it was to be located in the tabernacle:

Deuteronomy 12:13-14 - Take heed to yourself that you offer not your burnt offerings in every place that you see:  But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

(See also Leviticus 17:8-9).  So, if the trans-Jordan tribes were erecting a second altar to offer sacrifices to the Lord, that was a serious problem.  It was an unlawful practice that would essentially pollute/blaspheme the true worship of God.

There was also great danger in having an unattended altar in the middle of nowhere, because it could be used to offer sacrifices to the heathen gods/idols of the Canaanites.

Keep in mind that God had also already given strict instructions on how to deal with overt acts of apostasy/idolatry within the nation.  According to the Lord's instructions in Deuteronomy 13, if the Israelites heard one of their fellow citizens so much as suggest that they should worship/serve other gods, they were to immediately investigate the matter.  If the rumor turned out to be true, the punishment was immediate death:

Deuteronomy 13:15 - You shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is in it, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

Not only were all living things in the city to be destroyed, the spoil was to be piled in the street and burned:

Deuteronomy 13:16 -And you shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof, unto the LORD your God: and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again.

As a lasting witness to their idolatry, the city was to remain a ruin; it could never be rebuilt (see Deuteronomy 13:12-18 for full details).

Obviously, in light of these instructions from the Lord, the western tribes were very concerned about this enormous, rather strange altar built by the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. 

Joshua 22:13-14 – Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel.

According to the law, it was the responsibility of the western tribes to investigate this matter.  If the accusation of idolatry turned out to be true, they would need to slaughter the people and animals of the trans-Jordan tribes, burn their goods and destroy their cities.  Therefore, we can conclude that they did not simply overreact; their readiness to fight their brothers was a fulfillment of their duty to the Lord.

So again, in keeping with their duty, leaders of the western tribes gathered at the tabernacle in Shiloh to consult with the priests.  They formed a committee made up of a priest (Phinehas) and one elder from each of the western tribes (10 in total) and sent them to investigate the matter face-to-face.

This is a lesson that we can learn from.

None of us can read the mind of another person; we do not know the true intentions or motivations which drive their actions. Since that is the case, we should always confirm a person's intention/motivation before we judge them or lash out against them.  This is best done face-to-face, without stopping to gossip, accuse, or speculate about what the alleged lawbreaker is doing. 

Let me repeat that one more time: If we suspect one of our brothers or sisters in Christ is breaking one of the laws of God, we should meet them face-to-face to ask them about the situation. We should NOT gossip about them, accuse them without facts or presume that we know their intentions.

When we approach them in love, sincerely asking about their actions/decisions instead of attacking them, we may find out that we misinterpreted their deeds. If that turns out to be the case, we can 'clear the air' and quickly resolve the misunderstanding.  This will retain unity within the body of Christ.   

However, if our brother/sister really was in gross violation of one of God's laws, we should seek to discuss the matter with them, and show them the truth of God's word.  It is our responsibility to help restore them to fellowship.

Galatians 6:1 – Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.  But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Joshua 22:15-16 – And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, "Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord?'"

The committee members that were sent on this mission were all men of great rank and honor. Their presence was a mark of respect toward the men of the trans-Jordan. But make no mistake - they were also men of authority. They had the ability to assess this situation and the power to declare war against the eastern tribes if needed.

It is unclear whether the committee sent a messenger in advance to set up a meeting with the heads of the 2  tribes, or whether their arrival was unexpected, and a meeting was convened when they arrived. 

In either case, the meeting was convened and for reasons we will shortly discuss, Phinehas is almost certainly the speaker for the committee. 

He begins by proclaiming that the committee has come on behalf of the 'whole congregation of the Lord'. He does not use the term 'congregation of Israel' because this was not a mere civil complaint, it was a religious matter of great importance. They had not come to plead the cause of their fellow citizens; they were there out of concern for the glory and honor of God.

We can't help but notice that Phinehas doesn't approach the elders of the trans-Jordan tribes with an open mind. His opening statement is a harsh accusation, given in a rough manner. The committee obviously assumed that the 2  tribes had built the enormous altar with the intention of using it to make sacrifices to the Lord (or possibly idols), which was a direct violation of the law (Leviticus 17:8-9).

In their opinion, this showed that the eastern tribes had already begun to fall away from the true worship of God. In their eyes, this offense was all the more grievous because of all the good things/favors God had recently done on their behalf, and because Joshua had just admonished them to stay true to the Lord. It seems like the committee was already looking to declare war on their brothers.

Although they should be commended for their zeal in righteousness, they could have handled the situation in a different way.  As it is, they assumed that the eastern tribes were guilty, and it was now up to them to prove they were innocent!

Joshua 22:17-18 – "Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord?  And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel."

Phinehas proceeds to reference an incident which he calls the 'sin at Peor'. What sin is he alluding to?

If you dig back into your memory, you will remember the story of Balaam and his talking donkey (Numbers 22). In case it's been a while since you read that narrative, let me give you a quick summary.

As the children of Israel traveled to the Promised Land, they defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan.  (These kingdoms were located east of the Jordan River and their territory eventually became the inheritance of the trans-Jordan tribes.) 

These two kingdoms were extremely powerful. In a natural match between Israel and Bashan or Israel and the Amorites, Israel was sure to lose every time. But they didn't lose – they won. Because of this, the nations around them recognized that Jehovah was fighting for Israel, and they were terrified.

There was yet one more mighty king in that area – Balak king of Moab. Based on what had happened to Sihon and Og, he too was extremely fearful of Israel.� Since mere military might was not enough to subdue Israel, he took another approach. He hired Balaam to come and put a curse on Israel, so they could be defeated by Moab.

To make a long story short, Balaam tried three separate times to curse Israel, but God took a hold of him, and he blessed Israel instead:

Numbers 24:10 - And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.

At this point, it becomes apparent that God is with his people. His unyielding desire to bless Israel cannot be overcome by any of her enemies, nor can it be thwarted by a curse.

Balaam, however, was an evil and crafty man.  He knew that he could not stop God from blessing Israel.  But he also recognized that there WAS someone who could rob Israel of her blessings – Israel herself.

So upon the advice of Balaam, the Midianite women of Peor began to make friends with the people of Israel, particularly the men.

They invited Israel to their sacrifices and worship services for Baal. These services were enormous feasts which encouraged unbridled self-gratification. Gluttony, idol worship and all types of sexual immorality (including orgies) were common at these celebrations.

The end result was that the scheme of Balaam (carried out by the women of Midian) was a huge success.  Israel bound herself to Baal of Peor and as a result she forfeited many of the blessings of God.

To put it mildly, God was extremely angry with Israel for worshipping Baal.  He called the entire nation to assemble before him at the entrance to the tabernacle. 

There, God instructed Moses to call forth the judges of Israel who were told to kill any of their men who had worshiped Baal.  The bodies of these men were to be impaled upon poles before the Lord, so that his anger would be appeased.  All the people of the nation were weeping and groaning because of the great sin they had committed and because of the punishment/plague that was ravaging the nation. 

As these events were taking place, an Israelite man named Zimri, son of Salu of the tribe of Simeon had the nerve to come to the entrance of the tabernacle with a Midianite woman! Can you imagine the audacity? To bring one of the very women who caused Israel to sin to the temple where repentance/punishment was taking place was to show utter contempt for God. It was like spitting in God's face!

There was one man among the Israelites who wasn't going to allow Zimri and Cozbi (the Midianite woman) to get away with such a vile and outrageous mockery of the Lord.  When he saw the two come to the temple together, he took action:

Numbers 25:7-9 – When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man and the woman through her belly.  Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.  Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Did you notice the name of the priest who was zealous for the glory of the Lord during the incident of Baal-Peor?  That's right – it was Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the same priest who was head of the committee that was sent to confront the trans-Jordan tribes about their alleged apostasy.  Because of his background, he was the logical choice as a priestly representative. 

As Phinehas addresses the elders of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, he mentions the events of Baal-Peor to remind them of the serious/deadly consequences of rebelling against the commands of the Lord. He also reminds them that their sin would not just affect them; it would reach out and touch the whole nation of Israel, just as the sin of Baal-Peor did.

Therefore, their actions were of interest to all; the western tribes had a right/obligation to confront the eastern tribes.

Joshua 22:19-20 – "But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord's land where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us.  Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.  Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel?  And he did not perish alone for his iniquity."

The point Phinehas is making is that any kind of rebellion against the Lord would call down destruction upon the entire nation.

As a further example, he points to a very recent incident in the history of Israel.  During the destruction of Jericho, Achan son of Zerah rebelled against the Lord and took some things that were devoted to the Lord. 

Even though he acted alone and in secret, destruction came upon the whole nation as they attempted to conquer the city of Ai (see Joshua chapter 7).  If the anger of God burned against the entire nation because of the sin of one man, how much more destruction would come upon the nation if the 2 tribes decided to rebel and/or commit idolatry?

At this point, Phinehas finally gives his brothers a very small benefit of the doubt.  He does this by asking them if they considered their land polluted, defiled or 'unclean'.  In his mind, this was the one and only reason they could have for erecting this altar.  

What did he mean by that?

Essentially, he wonders if the trans-Jordan tribes considered their land unholy because the tabernacle was not in it.

In other words, perhaps the trans-Jordan tribes felt that they were in a sense 'cut off' from the Lord because their land was east of the river.  If that was the case, they may have considered their land unholy/not consecrated to God and thus not under his protection and blessing.

Phinehas further supposes that his brothers constructed the altar as a token of God's presence in their land; by performing sacrifices and bringing offerings to this altar, their land would be holy.

He goes on to tell his brothers that if this was indeed the case, he had a different solution for their problem.  The 2 tribes were welcome to cross the river once again and receive an inheritance west of the river, where the tabernacle (and God's presence) dwelt.

This meant that the elders of the other tribes had already agreed to suffer personal loss and expense in order to give some of their land and inheritance to help their brothers. It was a remarkable display of their love, and it demonstrated a true concern for their brothers' spiritual good. It also showed Israel's great desire for the glory and honor of God, which they valued far above their own personal blessing.

Joshua 22:21-23 – Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, "The Mighty One, God, the Lord!  The Mighty One, God, the Lord!  He knows; and let Israel itself know!  If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord.  Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance."

Finally!  The men of the eastern tribes get a chance to speak!

The eastern tribes, who are utterly amazed at the suspicions/accusations of their brothers, flatly deny that they intended to offer sacrifices to the Lord (or idols) on their enormous altar.  Furthermore, they are in no way unhappy with their land or inheritance; they do not consider themselves 'cut off' from God. 

Let's take a closer look at their defense.

The men of the east begin by exclaiming 'The Mighty One, God, the Lord'. In the original Hebrew, they are saying God-El (the Strong One), Elohim (Creator God and Supreme Being) and Jehovah (the covenant God). In so doing, they are appealing to the One True God as the judge of their case, because He alone knew their true reason for constructing the altar.

The phrase 'he knows' is an emphatic declaration that God heard their words and was a witness that they were speaking the truth about their reasons for building the altar.  The implication is that if they are guilty, the God of the universe can judge/pour out his wrath on them.

This phrase was later used by the Psalmist Asaph in the same manner - to express the supremacy of the Lord:

Psalms 50:1 – The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

By saying the phrase twice, it adds an emphatic tone as well as an added level of sincerity to their argument. Through it, they seek to show their deep concern for the honor of God and to wipe away this awful reproach/accusation which the western tribes placed on them.

Calling upon the name of the Lord is also proof of their faithfulness - they worshiped no gods/idols other than Jehovah, the One True God of Israel, who was also worshiped by their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are basically saying that they are completely committed to the Law; it would be ridiculous to think that they had abandoned the God of their fathers in order to worship false idols.

As further proof of their innocence, they willingly place themselves in harm's way – if they are guilty of the charges brought against them, then their western brothers were welcome to attack and destroy them.  Nothing but true innocence could have prompted them to make this statement.

Joshua 22:24-25 - "No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?'  For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad.  You have no portion in the Lord.'"

At last we come to the true reason why the altar was built.

The promises made to Abraham and his descendants were specifically related to the land of Canaan – the land west of the Jordan River. However, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh had willingly chosen to remain in the trans-Jordan lands conquered by Moses. The men of these tribes were concerned that future generations of Israelites would therefore consider them as being outside the blessings and privileges of the Mosaic covenant.

If that were to happen, their future offspring would be cut off from the temple at Shiloh.  They would be unable to offer sacrifices, serve the Lord, and fellowship with their brothers.  They would be 'kicked out' of the nation of Israel and cheated out of the blessings of being a member of God's chosen people.

This was the last thing the trans-Jordan tribes wanted to happen!    

Joshua 22:26-27 – Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the Lord.'"

So they built an enormous alter as a memorial or a monument that would stand as a witness to all future generations that the people living in the trans-Jordan were just as much a part of the nation of Israel as the people living west of the river. 

As such, they were entitled to all the rights and privileges of the covenant and they were fully obligated to obey the law:

• They would have full access to the tabernacle.
• They would bring burnt offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings to the Lord.
• They would participate in all national festivals and feasts.
• Their males would appear before the Lord three times each year, etc.

In other words, they were true brothers of the western tribes and no one could claim otherwise.   

Joshua 22:28 – And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.'

The men of the eastern tribes recognized that as time marched on, the generation who knew that Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had valiantly fought with their brothers in the wars of Canaan would eventually die. Future generations might call their service into question and seek to cut them off from the nation.

In order to prevent that from happening, the eastern tribes would point to the witness of the monumental altar.  It was an exact replica of the Mosaic altar, which proved that the people of the east had both seen the altar at Shiloh and sacrificed upon it.  Since that was the case, they were clearly true descendants of Israel. 

Joshua 22:29 – Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!"

The men of the eastern tribes concluded their defense in the same way it began – by protesting before God, in the most emphatic and sacred manner, that they were not in any way, shape or form rebelling against the Lord.

In fact, the opposite was true.  They were doing their best to ensure that the unity of the nation was preserved both politically and religiously.   

Joshua 22:30 – When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes.

The committee fully accepts the explanation of the eastern tribes; they gladly admit that no offence had been committed.  What's more, they were delighted with what the trans-Jordan tribes had done to preserve the common faith and fellowship of Israel.

This reveals that the zeal of the western tribes was rooted in genuine concern for the glory of God.  Had they been motivated by religious jealousy, they would have found fault with the explanation and looked for other reasons to find fault with their brothers.       

Joshua 22:31 – And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord."

As previously mentioned, Phinehas and the rest of the elders rejoice to find their brothers innocent. They acknowledge that it was the presence of the Lord himself who preserved their brothers from sinning in this manner.

Because they had been faithful to God and not rebelled against his commands, the entire nation was delivered from the judgment/wrath of God.  Furthermore, the western tribes were spared from engaging their own brothers in bloody warfare.     

They rejoiced mightily, because they could continue to expect God to be in their midst, to save, deliver, protect and provide for the entire nation.

Joshua 22:32-33 – Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled.

 

The committee had been sent by the entire nation to investigate the alleged rebellion/apostasy of the trans-Jordan tribes.  After their investigation, they returned to Shiloh with the good news that all was well; there was no need to wage war on their brothers because they were not in rebellion against the Lord.

In fact, the trans-Jordan tribes were to be commended for seeking the glory of God and the political/religious unity of the nation. 

This report caused unbounded joy and thankfulness to rise up within the entire nation.  They gave credit to the Lord and his goodness for preventing a dreadful civil war within Israel.

Joshua 22:34 – The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, ''For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the Lord is God."

'Witness' was a very appropriate name for this altar.  It is very likely that after this meeting, an inscription was placed on this altar, which established the purpose for which it was built – to confirm that the trans-Jordan Israelites were one in worship, one in faith and one in fellowship with their brothers on the western side of the Jordan.

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

Phinehas acknowledges that it was God's presence among his people that prevented a civil war from taking place.  That is because when we dwell in his presence, we experience joy, peace, provision, wisdom and other blessings as well.  If we are in close communion with the Lord, rebellion against him will be the furthest thing from our minds.  Unity among the people of God is a natural outcome of dwelling in his presence.

We know by the nature of the world that God is present everywhere (Psalms 139:7-10).  Yet, not everyone experiences a close, intimate relationship with him.  The difference is our desire to commune with him. 

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me.

When we ask Christ into our lives, we have the capacity to enjoy spiritual communion with him. But like any relationship, it only thrives and grows as we interact with him, learn more of him, spend time with him, and follow his ways. God is always standing at our heart's door knocking and waiting for us to open the door and fellowship with him. Sadly, we often leave him outside while we go on with our lives.

However, when we are one with him through daily or hourly communion, his real, tangible presence is with us and upon us.  It is through this communion that we receive blessings from him. 

God does not simply send blessings from a far away distance or through the mail slot in the closed door of our heart; he breathes them upon us while we are close to him.  That is why our bodies are his temple – so we can closely commune with him at all times. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 - What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own?

How much quality time are you spending with the Lord?  Remember, you enter into his presence with praise and worship. Why not set aside some time today to fellowship with him?

Let me offer you some strength:

In today's post, we noted that God has an unyielding desire to bless his people.  Nothing our enemies do can stop him from blessing us. 

However, it is possible for us to rob ourselves of the blessings of God intends to shower upon us.  Most often we do this by disobeying his commands. 

For example, in 1 Samuel chapter 2, we find that God had promised the descendants of Aaron that his family would have the honor of being his priests forever.  This was an amazing blessing that no one could ever take away.

But sadly, the house of Levi was unfaithful to the Lord. They were disobedient and they dishonored the sacrifices of the Lord. The culmination of their unfaithfulness occurred in the family of Eli (Samuel 2:27-34).  As a result, God cast them from their office and gave that blessing to another.

Are you walking in disobedience in some area of your life? If so, now is the time to submit yourself to the Lord and repent. Then ask the Lord to renew his blessings upon your life.

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Joshua 22:1-2 – At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you."

The 22^nd chapter of Joshua continues with the 'wrapping up' of the conquest of the land. 

Before Israel ever crossed the Jordan, the Lord had promised Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh the territory that formerly belonged to Sihon and Og.  They received land and cities without being involved in the lot (Deuteronomy 3:1-22). 

But there was a stipulation connected to their inheritance – the military personnel of these tribes had to cross the Jordan and assist the remaining tribes until the land was subdued by Israel.

Deuteronomy 3:18, 20 - The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel until the Lord gives rest to your brothers and they also occupy the land that the Lord your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession.

(See also Numbers 32, Joshua 1:12-18). Consequently, a combined total of about 40,000 soldiers crossed the Jordan to assist their brothers in the war. They faithfully fought alongside the other tribes until the conquest of the land was complete.

The conquest of the land was estimated to have taken 5-7 years.  However, it should be noted that while the 2 tribes maintained a continual presence of about 40,000 soldiers that whole time, they were not necessarily the same men.  It has been speculated that the men rotated home on occasion, in order to take care of business and to see their families.

It is also possible that at various times of rest or breaks in the wars of Canaan that all or part of these 40,000 men were able to travel home for brief periods.  Whatever the case may have been, the soldiers of the trans-Jordan tribes were faithful to keep their word; they actively served in the national army along with the other tribes as long as the war lasted.

At this point in the history of Israel, it is clear that the land as a whole had rest - it had been conquered to the point where the Canaanites were no longer in power; they were no longer able to amass an army that could fight against the people of God.  There were still pockets of Canaanites to be subdued, but it was now the responsibility of each individual tribe to remove these enemies from their inheritance. 

Therefore, it was now time for the fighting men of the 2 tribes to be discharged from their duty to the nation. To this end, Joshua assembles these warriors at Shiloh, says a few remarks, and sends them home.

Joshua 22:3-4 – "You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God.  And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them.  Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan."

In his closing remarks, Joshua gives strong words of praise to these 40K men. He publicly acknowledges that they have kept their part of the bargain; they willingly and whole-heartedly gave their military assistance to the remainder of the nation. They followed all the orders Joshua gave them, no matter how difficult or dangerous.

Notice that their service was not just a command of Joshua, it was a charge or duty given to them by the Lord himself. This means that these soldiers had been obedient and faithful to a divine law/command. In so doing, they exhibited several key Christian traits – faithfulness, obedience and sacrifice. Let's take a more in depth look at these traits.

OBEDIENCE: Obedience is defined as compliance with an order, request or law; it requires submission to the authority of another.

Everyone is required to submit to some kind of authority.  Scripture tells us that even Jesus was obedient to the will of the Father:

John 6:38 – For I [Jesus] have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Philippians 2:6-8 – [Jesus] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

If Jesus was obedient to the Father's will and authority, we should expect to do the same.  Scripture teaches that obedience is one of the key elements in our spiritual walk.

Children are to be obedient to parents (Colossians 3:20), servants are to be obedient to masters (Ephesians 6:5-7), citizens are to be obedient to those in civil authority, as long as that authority is in harmony with divine commands (I Peter 2:13-16), and believers are to be obedient to spiritual authority in the church (Hebrews 13:17). Christians are to submit to the authority of Jesus as head of the church.

In fact, even our salvation is dependent upon obedience, because in order to obtain it, we must follow the requirements set by the Father – we must confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).

The soldiers of the trans-Jordan tribes had their obedience rewarded with possession of the land east of the Jordan as well as 'very much' livestock, money, clothing, gold, etc.  This blessing was in accordance with God's kingdom principles/laws:  

Isaiah 1:19-20 – If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat of the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

We too can expect good things to happen when we obey the laws and commands of the Lord, because his laws bring life and peace to us while simultaneously keeping trouble out of our lives:

Proverbs 22:4 – The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Psalms 25:12-13 – Who is the man who fears the Lord? He shall instruct him in the way he should choose.  His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.

For example, God's law says that the person who borrows money is a slave to the one who lends to them (Proverbs 22:7).  The person who chooses to ignore or live in rebellion against this law will go out and live beyond their means.  Instead of exercising self-control and budgeting to go on that dream vacation (and/or buy a house/furniture/car, etc), they simply borrow money so they can have whatever they want the moment they want it. 

But later, when they want to switch to a lower paying job, or they want to support a missionary, or they have an opportunity to make a good investment, they can't – because they have trapped themselves with their debt. 

Factors outside their control (like inflation or a job lay-off) can also increase their financial burden to the point of bankruptcy, foreclosure, or total financial ruin. This, in turn, would be devastating to every other area of their lives as that kind of stress can wreak havoc on a marriage (and other relationships) and ruin your health.

By contrast, the person who chooses to obey the law of God and live within their means, can expect to be blessed as they generously give to the poor, support the gospel, and wisely plan for the future. They will be able to take full advantage of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Money will not cause stress in their marriage or keep them awake at night.

So let me just say it again: Obedience to God's laws brings life and peace to us while simultaneously keeping trouble out of our lives.  You should definitely consider being obedient!

SACRIFICE: To sacrifice is to give up, renounce or suffer the loss of something, especially for an ideal or belief.

Did the fighting men of the trans-Jordan tribes sacrifice anything?

I believe they did. They gave up time with their families. They gave up opportunities to plant vineyards or establish businesses. They gave up the chance to be safe from harm (some of them no doubt perished in the wars of Canaan). They gave up the freedom to travel and study and other things too.

They sacrificed these things in order to serve God by furthering the kingdom of Israel and God blessed them because of it. 

We too are blessed by making sacrifices for the kingdom of God.  In Matthew 19, Jesus has a conversation with his disciples about giving up things for the kingdom of heaven.  This is what he said:

Matthew 19:28-29 – Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

Don't ever think that the sacrifices you make for God go unnoticed.  He sees everything you offer to him – even when the world does not – and he will reward you for it (Matthew 6:1-7, 16-18), even when your sacrifice is a mere cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42)!

Consider this as well:  What is the most valuable commodity we all have?

I believe it is time. Each of us has been granted a specific amount of time on earth, and we can't manufacture any more for ourselves. So our time is very precious. Whatever amount of time we spend doing kingdom work is essentially a sacrifice, because we could have used that time to satisfy our own desires.

FAITHFUL: Firm adherence in observance of duty; steadfast in affection or allegiance; loyal.

The highest and most profound example of faithfulness is God's faithfulness to us.  Even though we fail and continue to sin over and over again, he is always faithful to forgive our sin and cleanse us from unrighteousness (I John 1:9).  His steadfast love and care for us never ceases (Psalms 100:5). 

The armies of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh are also a good example of faithfulness. They made a solemn vow to aid their brothers in their war to subdue the Canaanites; they were faithful to keep that promise.

All throughout that 5-7 year period, they steadfastly continued to encounter the enemy in battle after battle. They were present in the battle for Jericho. They marched against the five-king alliance. Even when things became really frightening (in the battle against the northern confederacy), they continued to show up and actively fight.

Their loyalty must have been a real encouragement to the nine other tribes mentally as well as physically.  Their faithfulness certainly played a part in the victory of Israel.

We too need to be faithful stewards in the house/kingdom of God.  God has a master plan for this planet and for the race of mankind.  As we look around today, it may seem as though the enemy is winning the war, but don't believe that.  God is in control.  At the exact right moment, he will change the tide of this war; there will be an end time revival where millions of people come to Christ. 

So be faithful to the Lord and continue to stand on his promises!

Joshua 22:5-6 – "Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."  So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

Joshua's closing advice to the men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh is interesting. He does not advise them to diligently farm their land, increase their herds, fortify their cities or enlarge their own territory now that they are seasoned warriors.

Rather, he admonishes them to continue to carefully follow all the commands of the law. He particularly admonishes them to love the Lord with all their hearts and souls and to earnestly cling to him.

It was vital that the men of the 2 tribes follow this command closely. They were about to leave their brothers behind and go to the other side of the Jordan. Even though some of the Levites lived among them, they would be quite a distance from the tabernacle, the altar, and the service of God. This disconnection may have increased their temptation to serve the false idols that still persisted in the land.

When you cling to something, you are very unwilling to let it go. The implication is that the thing you are clinging to is vitally important to you; you treasure it and/or understand the value of it.

Joshua was giving these men very sound advice.  They were about to go home where they would now be reunited with their loved ones and they would be able to enjoy all their blessings – new homes, fields, vineyards, clothes, possessions, and wealth. 

While all these material things were blessings given to them by the Lord, they had to be kept in proper perspective.  In the New Testament parable of the sower, Jesus tells us that some of the seed grew among the thorns or weeds, which choked the plants and rendered them unfruitful.  As he explains the parable, Jesus tells us that these thorns represent the riches, cares and pleasures of this life:

Luke 8:14 – And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

These thorns/weeds can render us unfruitful in the kingdom of heaven, if we allow them to choke out the word of God (good seed) in our lives.

How do weeds choke out good plants?  They compete with the plants for water, sunlight and the nutrients of the soil.  If given the chance, they will take everything and cause the good plant to die.  Short of that, they will only leave the good plant just enough to survive, so that bearing fruit is impossible.  

If you've ever had a backyard vegetable garden, you understand this completely!

Now might be a good time for us to examine ourselves. Do we have riches or pleasures in our lives that are not inherently sinful, yet they are preventing us from bearing fruit in God's kingdom by stealing all of our time, attention and resources from spiritual matters? If so, how can we limit or remove these things in our lives?

Joshua also stresses our love and devotion to God for another reason – the best proof of our love for someone is our conduct towards them.  In other words, if our love for God is genuine, then we are rooted and grounded in him and it will produce practical proof in our lives.  If we truly love God, we will be devoted to his service, diligent to repel false beliefs and eager to abide by his laws. 

In a way, we could say that the trans-Jordan tribes were isolated or separated from the rest of the Israelites. The danger was that this separation would cause their love/service to God to grow cold, so Joshua warns them to cling to the Lord and serve him only.

Joshua 22:7-8 – Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan.  And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, he said to them, "Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing.  Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

Let's discuss at the division of the spoil.  Notice that Joshua did not give the men any commands about exactly how the plunder should be divided.  That's because God had already addressed that issue much earlier – when Moses led Israel to victory over Midian. 

Numbers 31:26-24 – Take the count of the plunder that was taken, both of man and of beast and divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.

The men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh could be divided into two groups. The fighting men who crossed the Jordan made up one group. The other group consisted of the men who stayed east of the river, tending the flocks, sowing the land, protecting the women/children and building the cities. Both jobs (protecting the home front and serving in the army) were equally important and therefore every man/family received an equal share of the spoil.

This is reflective of the way in which the New Testament church operates.  Paul likens the church to the body of Christ.  In order for the body to be fully functional, it needs all the different parts – eyes, fingers, back bones, kidneys, knees, ankles, glands, etc.  It should be apparent that we cannot compare ourselves to other Christians, because God has uniquely created each person and assigned each one of us different goals to accomplish.

It also means that every Christian – EVERY CHRISTIAN - is an essential part of the body. So I can say with all confidence that the body of Christ needs YOU! You bring essential talents, skills and ministry to the church. Please don't cripple the body of Christ by not showing up to church or by not using your talents and skills!

Joshua 22:9 – So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by the command of the Lord through Moses.

Many bible scholars find this scripture to be a picture or parallel of our lives on earth and our subsequent rewards in heaven.

The job of the 2 tribes was to assist their brothers by fighting in Israel's army.  They delayed the enjoyment of their own inheritance while they helped others obtain theirs.

The moment we receive Christ as our Savior, are co-heirs with Christ.  The inheritance that awaits us in eternity is so amazing we can't even conceive the extent of it.  But like the trans-Jordan tribes, God tasks us with remaining on 'this side of the Jordan' (on earth), so that we can assist others to obtain their own inheritance (salvation). 

For now, we must remain here on earth, putting on the full armor of God and fighting against our common enemy.  Just like the trans-Jordan men, we must go wherever our commander (Jesus) sends us, and do whatever he orders us to do.  We must never fear, complain, or grow weary in our work, because we know that God himself will give us victory.

We can take comfort in knowing that as we are faithful, as we obey and as we make sacrifices in this seemingly endless war, Jesus will notice and he will reward us in heaven, just as the men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh were rewarded with 'very much' wealth for their service.

And then one day, our fight will be over; God will discharge us from earthly duty to go home to heaven (sometimes referred to as crossing the Jordan), where we can enjoy our everlasting reward. 

It should be noted that when we cling to God – loving him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength – it becomes easy to enter the battle and stay until the victory is won.  That is why Joshua admonished the trans-Jordan men to keep their eyes on God and obey the covenant.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Joshua admonished the men of the trans-Jordan tribes to keep their focus on the Lord and not let their love for him grow cold.

When Jesus walked on earth, he gave the disciples (and all New Testament believers) the exact same warning - to be on guard, lest we also lose our focus and grow cold:

Matthew 24:12 - And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.

As we read this scripture, it's easy for us to dismiss it – we are sure that our love for Christ would NEVER grow cold.  While I hope that is true, we can't just dismiss the possibility of it, because Jesus is the one who said it was true!

Therefore, we need to constantly guard against growing cold in our faith, especially when we look around and see wickedness everywhere.  When times get tough, we must be obedient and faithful to Jesus our commander, because victory is found in him.    

Let me offer you some relief:

God has never lost a war and he isn't going to lose the one for planet earth either!

God is in control of what happens on this planet and in your individual life.  He promises that if we remain faithful and obedient to him, he will welcome us into his eternal kingdom.

Matthew 24:13 – But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

The simplest way to 'endure unto the end' is to take life one day at a time.

• Read your bible – today.
• Spend time in prayer – today.
• Witness to a sinner – today.
• Give to the poor – today.
• Stand for righteousness – today.
• Worship – today.

I think you get the point! A faithful and obedient life to God is built one day at a time.  Don't worry about tomorrow; just serve the Lord TODAY.

Let me offer you some strength:

Are you concerned that you won't be able to remain faithful and obedient to the Lord and accomplish the tasks he has assigned to you?  Are you worried about making sacrifices for the kingdom?  If so, let me assure you that God has paved the way for you to be victorious over your flesh!

Do you remember who Zerubabbel was?  He was the man who led the first group of Jews back to the Promised Land after the Babylonian captivity.  The task God assigned to him was absolutely monumental.  It was fraught with peril and Israel's enemies undermined his work every chance they got. 

In the second year after they returned to the land, Zerubbabel was given another task – to construct an altar to the Lord and lay the foundation for the replacement temple (the temple of Solomon had been destroyed when Israel was exiled). 

Again, this seemed like an impossible task – and it would have been if Zerubbabel relied on his own strength and power.  But he didn't.  God sent an angel to remind him that through the power of Holy Spirit, he could do what seems impossible:

Zechariah 4:6 - Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Likewise, you and I don't need to worry or fret about staying faithful and obedient to all that God has called us to do, because God has given us Holy Spirit to assist us. If we listen to his voice and do has he instructs, we will find wisdom, protection, resources and victory as we walk here on earth.

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Joshua 21:1-2 – Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel.  And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock."

Finally, we come to the portion of scripture dealing with the inheritance of the tribe of Levi. 

After all the other tribes had received an allotment, the Levites came to Joshua, Eleazar and the elders of the nation to request their own inheritance.  This may seem somewhat familiar, because earlier we noted that Caleb did the same thing – he came to the leadership of the nation to request that which had been promised to him. 

In both cases (Caleb and the tribe of Levi), God had promised them a gift/inheritance, but that inheritance didn't just jump into their hands – they had to pursue it.

What was involved in the pursuit? 

First, there was an assurance that the promise belonged to them. The Levites had heard the Lord promise to give them 48 cities in the Promised Land, and they didn't forget it (Numbers 35:7). Day-in and day-out, during all those years of wandering in the desert, they kept that promise in their hearts and passed it down to their children. They both valued and desired the gift God set aside for them.

Second, they had the faith to believe that God keeps his promises – without exception. If he promised them 48 cities, the Levites firmly believed they would be given that exact amount.

Furthermore, they understood that God only gives gifts that are good. Therefore, they knew these 48 cities would not be run-down, demolished slums. They would be vital, fully functional living spaces which would be a blessing to their families.

Third, they finally arrived at a point where they knew/sensed they needed their gift immediately. In order to move ahead and fulfill the duties God had given to them in the nation (studying the scripture, teaching, running the tabernacle, etc), they had to have their gift – they had to be able to settle their families in permanent homes and provide for their livestock. It was time to finally unpack their bags and settle down for good.

How did the Levites claim their gift/inheritance?  They simply came to the highest authority in the kingdom and asked to have possession of that which (technically speaking) already belonged to them.  It was that simple. 

We know this to be true, because the remainder of this chapter outlines the inheritance they received. It is very clear that the Levites did not have to beg/plead for what they needed, nor were they required to strike any bargains or jump through any hoops.  They simply received what they asked for.

This reflects a spiritual truth.  Just as God promised a gift/inheritance to the Levites, so he has promised spiritual gifts to Christians.  Yet, these things won't automatically drop into our hands.  Three things are required for us to obtain them – the same three things required of the Levites.

First, we must know/be assured that God has promised us gifts, just as he did the Levites.  These gifts already belong to us; we don't need to beg and plead for him to give them to us.  God has already provided all we need through the death and resurrection of Christ:

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

The apostle Peter also tells us this:

II Peter 1:3-4 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises.

Notice that both of these passages of scripture are in the past tense.  In other words, God has ALREADY provided these spiritual gifts to us.  In fact, he has granted us EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING as well as ALL THINGS that we need for this life. 

In order to claim these gifts/promises Christians MUST have the faith to believe that God keeps his promises.  Do you believe God is faithful to his word?  Do you also believe that every gift God gives to you is good and/or perfect (James 1:17)? 

If so, then let me ask you this: do you recognize a need in your life? Have you arrived at the point where you know or sense that you need a gift from God right now?

As we spiritually take land for the kingdom of heaven, we will experience the need for new and/or greater spiritual and temporal gifts.  As we continue the work God has given us, we will develop a sense of urgency about obtaining these gifts because our need will be increasingly evident. 

Do you feel a need for words of wisdom or the ability to discern spirits?  Do you have a need for a personal, heavenly prayer language?  Do you have a need for a ministry partner, further education or increased resources? Perhaps a new church or office building?  What needs do you sense in your own spiritual walk/ministry/church right now? 

Once you know what has been promised, you have the faith to believe God will give it to you and you sense the time is right, move ahead - approach Father God through his Son Jesus and ask for what you have been promised! 

Let me just reiterate once again (because we sometimes struggle with this concept), God has already promised to give us all things that pertain to life and godliness.  You do not need to beg, plead or make deals with God in order to receive these blessings; they are already ours through Christ Jesus.  Once we recognize our need, all we have to do is ask for what is already ours:

Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Once you have asked for what you need, simply receive it the same way you received your salvation – by faith in God. Just ask and receive in faith!

Joshua 21:3 – So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.

When we examine the scriptures, it turns out that God was very specific about the 'borders' of the Levites, just as he was specific about the borders of the other allotments.  The Levites were to receive not only the city but the suburbs or pasture lands surrounding it.    

The borders of the Levite cities were determined by measuring a distance of two thousand cubits (3000 feet or 1000 yards) outward from the outside edge of the city wall in all four directions (north, south, east and west). The resulting line was the border of the territory of the Levites:

Numbers 35:5 – And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle.  This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.

It is interesting to note that God specified that the city was to be in the center of the allotment.  This meant that the tribes who gave the cities couldn't 'fudge' the borders by giving the Levites more land in one direction in order to save a choice piece of land for themselves. 

This may have been plenty of land for tending sheep and goats but what about crops?  Were the Levites given any farmland?

The answer is no.  God didn't want the Levites spending all their time growing food.  He wanted them to spend their time attending to his temple, studying his law, and teaching his people.  For this reason, he gave the Levites the grain and first fruit offerings that were brought into the tabernacle.  In other words, the tithes and offerings of the people provided the needs of the clergy, allowing them the time they needed to minister to the nation. 

This still occurs in most churches today.  Christians should be attending a local church, and they should be paying tithes and giving offerings to that church.  As they do, all the needs of the church are provided for – the salary of the pastor/leaders, as well as the utility bills and other outreach ministries. 

Now, let's switch gears for a minute. Before we move on to look at the specific details of the inheritance of Levi, let's do a very brief review of their family lines.

Levi had three sons – Gershon, Kohath and Merari (I Chronicles 6:1).  These became the three branches of the Levites. 

Kohath's firstborn son was Amram, and he had three children whose names you will recognize: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. 

Talk about a talented family! Moses spoke to God face to face (Exodus 33:11) and led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Miriam led Israel in worship and God appointed Aaron as the first high priest in the nation. The position of high priest was then passed down from father to son. All other males in Aaron's family line became 'ordinary' priests in the temple.

Accordingly, we would assume that Aaron's oldest son Nadab would become the next high priest.  Unfortunately, Nadab and his brother Abihu were killed by the Lord for rebelling against his commands (Leviticus 10:1-2).  This meant that the next high priest after Aaron should be his son Eleazar.  And sure enough, Eleazar is the priest who assisted Joshua in the casting of the lots for each tribe's inheritance. 

It was a blessing and a privilege to be a member of the priestly family.  It was also a lot of work!  In fact, the Lord knew that the service of the temple would be way too much work for a single family line to manage.  So, while Israel was camped out at Mount Sinai, the Lord instructed Moses to dedicate the entire tribe of Levi to helping the priesthood (Aaron and his sons) with these responsibilities (Numbers 3:9).

Thus, we find that during the wilderness wandering, each of the family lines – Gershon, Kohath and Merari – were assigned specific duties/tasks associated with the temple. 

That might not sound like much work until you consider that the tabernacle was a large and somewhat complex structure, which was taken down, carried through the wilderness and then reassembled every time Israel stopped to camp. We can't fully discuss the details here, but I want to mention the basics, so you get an understanding of what was involved in moving this structure from place to place. 

The tabernacle had silver bases which held up vertical support beams.  There were also horizontal beams for stabilizing the structure.  The tabernacle area was subdivided into the outer court, the holy place and the most holy place, which were all separated by beams and curtains. 

There were also three layers of 'coverings' which were draped over the framework of the Holy Place and Most Holy Place to create the tent.

The first layer consisted of 10 curtains of fine twined linen interwoven of blue and purple with figures of cherubim.  The 10 curtains were jointed together in sets of 5 to form two large curtains, which were fastened together with loops and gold rings to form the first layer of covering on the temple framework (Exodus 26:1-6).

The second layer (sometimes called the tent covering), was made with 11 curtains of goat hair.  One set of 5 was sown together, while the second set of 6 was also sown together.  These two curtains of goat hair were also joined together with loops and clasps (this time of bronze), and the entire curtain was placed on top of the linen curtain (Exodus 26:7-13).

Finally, a covering of seal/porpoise or badger skins was placed on the top as a waterproof cover.

Don't forget there were also several pieces of furniture in the temple.  There was the brazen (bronze) altar, the laver, the candlestick, the table of showbread, the altar of incense and the Ark of the Covenant.  All these pieces of furniture (other than the ark) also had numerous utensils associated with them such as forks, shovels, plates, bowls, knives, pans, etc.  Temple services also required wood, oil, water, incense, etc.

During the wilderness wandering, the Kohathites were responsible for moving and guarding the furniture of the temple (after it was prepared by the priests).  The Gershonites were responsible for all the curtains and screens and the Merarites were responsible for all of the bases, frames, bars, pillars and anything else associated with the framework of the structure. 

The care/maintenance of the tabernacle and its priestly duties were clearly a full-time job which required an entire tribe just to keep up with it!

Joshua 21:4-5 – The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

The inheritance of the Levites was determined in the same place (Shiloh) and in the same manner (by lot) as the other tribes had received their inheritance. Most scholars believe that each tribe had already designated certain cities for the Levites when they received their initial allotments of land.  This makes sense, because they wouldn't have wanted to move their families into some of these cities only to have to move them again when the city was given to the Levites.

The first lot that was drawn went to the Kohathites.  Remember, the priestly families of Aaron and his descendants came from the family branch of Kohath. 

Scripture tells us that the descendants of Aaron (the actual priesthood) received a total of 13 cities, while the remainder of the Kohathite families received an additional 10 cities for their inheritance (see verse 26). This made the total allotment of the Kohathites 23 cities.

Joshua 21:6 – The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

The second lot was drawn for the Gershonites.  They received a total of 13 cities.

Joshua 21:7 – The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben,the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

The Merarites were the last to receive an allotment.  The received a total of 12 cities.

Altogether, 48 cities (including the cities of refuge) were allotted to the Levites, just as God had promised them.

Joshua 21:8 – These cities and their pasture lands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

As the 48 cities are divided among the Levites, we are again put in remembrance of the prophetic words that Jacob spoke over his son Levi (and Simeon) – 'I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel' (Genesis 49:7).

What a blessing this prophesy turned out to be for the nation of Israel! By disbursing them throughout the land, every family in Israel could have reasonable access to the men who were best acquainted with the law. They could receive instruction, have questions answered and see an example of the holy lives they were to aspire to live (Malachi 2:7).

We can compare the role of the Levites in their society to the role of Christians in ours.  Christians are scattered among the heathen.  There are definitely some sinners who will never even consider entering a church to receive the gospel, so the Lord has seen fit to place us among them so we can carry the gospel to them.  We provide a testimony for Christ by living holy, compassionate lives in our communities.

Christians are not to live apart from the world to ensure our own sanctification; we are to live in the world to promote the world's redemption.� We are to be shining examples of the love of God to all men.

Joshua 21:9-26 – The following cities mentioned by name, which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first.  They gave them Kiriath-arba, Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands. The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands.

Verse 9-26 give a detailed list of the cities assigned to the priestly line and to the rest of the Kohathites.  Since we are not examining the significance of each individual city, I have abbreviated the list in today's post.  If you have an interest in seeing the names of all 23 cities, please look in your bible.

Joshua 21:27-33 – And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands. The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.

Joshua 21:34-40 – And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands. As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.

Verses 27-33 give a detailed list of the cities assigned to the line of Gershon while verses 34-40 list the cities assigned to the line of Merari.  Again, I have abbreviated the list in this post; in order to see the entire list you will need to consult your copy of the scriptures.

By the way, you might really enjoy taking a closer look at these lists of cities. Many of them became key places later in Old Testament history.  How many names of cities do you recognize? Can you remember what occurred there? If not, it might be fun to find out!

 

Joshua 21:41-42 – The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands.  These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.

Again, we want to note that the priests and Levites were scattered throughout the Promised Land for the benefit of the nation.  As the people most familiar with the law, they were there to council, teach and instruct the people, while modeling a life of holiness in their conduct. 

God had amply provided them with numerous choice cities, so they could be wholly dedicated to the service of the Lord and not be distracted by claiming and working the land.  For this reason, it would be utterly inexcusable for them to neglect their ministry. 

Joshua 21:43 – Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there.

At first, there seems to be an inconsistency with this verse and the fact that Israel had not yet fully possessed the land and defeated all the Canaanites. However, it should be noted that God had completely fulfilled his part of the covenant.

In God's eyes, the Canaanites had already been delivered into the hands of his people. They were discouraged, fearful, broken in strength, void of major military leaders and holding only spotty positions throughout the territory. Essentially, they were surrounded by God's people and they could have easily been defeated.

All Israel needed to do was seek divine guidance on how to claim the victory, then step out in faith and get the job done.  But alas!  They never fully possessed all the land God had given them (Numbers 34:1-12).

However, it should never be said that God failed to keep his promises - it was man who failed to reach out and grasp the victories God had given!

Likewise, the New Testament speaks of the triumph of each individual Christian and the victory of the church as already being accomplished in God's eyes. While God has made victory possible through Jesus Christ, and it is his will that we be victorious, we still must fight to subdue/conquer our enemies and claim/live out the victory his grace assures us.

Fun Fact: While studying this topic, I ran across a bible commentator who described the Israelites as being 'pusillanimous.' I don't know about you, but this word isn't in my daily vocabulary, so I looked it up.

Turns out it means, 'timid; exhibiting a contemptible lack of courage or determination'.  Apparently, the emphasis is on the word 'contemptible', meaning that there was absolutely no reason why Israel should have feared to take the land.  Their refusal to do so was base and deserving of scorn.

Let us strive to live boldly for Christ, so the church can never be referred to in this manner!

Joshua 21:44 – And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands.

This is a general closing statement to the history of Israel's conquest of the Promised Land which began in chapter 13.

God had given Israel the deed to the entire parcel of the Promised Land (a deed, incidentally, which they still hold today), actual possession of much of it, and the power to possess the rest of it as soon as their numbers increased, and they had need of it (Exodus 23:29-30).  God had also given them absolute dominion over all the remaining Canaanites.

At this point in time, the Promised Land was now considered conquered – it was divided by lot among the tribes and the Canaanites were so completely routed that there was not a single army willing to attack Israel.  Those left in the land were either paying tribute or quietly trying to avoid the gaze of the Israelites. 

The bottom line is that GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD. This is a promise that ancient Israel stood upon and which the church stands upon too.

Nevertheless, we need to remind ourselves of several key aspects of God's faithfulness.

God fulfills his promises on his own time schedule.  Much to our annoyance, God does not always do things instantaneously or immediately.  Often, he does not fulfill his promises when we expect him to.  Because of this we can sometimes be tempted to become discouraged or to doubt his word. 

During those times of waiting, satan will often attack by accusing God of breaking his promises.  When that happens, resist him so he must flee!  Reassure yourself that God is perfect; he will fulfill his promises in the 'fullness of time' or at the exact right moment!  Many times we cannot see his perfect timing until after the situation is over, but when it is, his wisdom becomes apparent. 

God fulfills his promises in the way/manner of his own choosing.  We may be tempted to grumble about how he answers our prayers, because we would like things done differently.  But in these instances, we must remember that God's ways are not our ways – his ways are much, much better than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9)!  While we are usually looking for the easy way out, God's ways usually help us to stretch our faith, grow closer to him, build a testimony, and otherwise mature in grace. 

For example, let's suppose you were diagnosed with cancer. As a Christian, you certainly prayed (in faith, no doubt) for God to instantly heal you. When that didn't happen, and you had to move forward with treatment, you may have been tempted to grumble. But later, you may find that God chose to cure you through modern medicine because it drew you closer to him, created a testimony and matured your faith.

So no matter what the circumstance, know that God hears your prayers and that he WILL be faithful to his word – but in his own perfect way!

God's promises are often connected to our faith and conduct.  His covenant is iron-clad as long as we keep our side of the agreement.  For instance, God promised Israel that he would remove the Canaanites from the land, but since Israel refused to step up and do as God directed, their enemies remained.

If you are looking for God to fulfill a promise for you, make sure you have done your part.

Joshua 21:45 – Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Hallelujah and amen!  God's promises to Israel never failed and they won't let us down either!  As individuals and as the church, we can be assured that though heaven and earth may pass away, the word of God shall stand forever (Isaiah 40:8)!

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

God's word never returns to him void (Isaiah 55), because it is endued with his power and anointing:

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

For example, God spoke light/darkness, sea/dry land, plants/vegetation etc into existence from nothing, with the power of his words (Genesis 1). 

You can rest assured that every single word of prophesy in our world either has been fulfilled, or it will be because God's promises are not hollow empty words – they are full of power; they bring life to our situation by manifesting God's will into our lives.

For this reason, I strongly encourage you to speak the word of God over your situation when you pray. For instance, if you are struggling with fear or anxiety, verbally quote II Timothy 1:7 every time you feel anxious. These words are God's words, so they carry an anointing to break the bondage of fear and anxiety. They can help you attain a calm and sound mind. By quoting them, you are resisting the will of the devil and he will be forced to flee from you!

Let me offer you some strength:

Have you ever gone through a spiritual or physical battle that left you weary, drained and tired? 

I'm sure the children of Israel felt that way for quite some time.  However, God had promised them a period of rest, and by the time the Levitical cities were assigned, they had entered it. 

They rested from the fatigue of marching for years on end, from the wars in Canaan and from the insults which their enemies had heaped upon them.

Scripture tells us that God has also set aside a day of rest for the New Testament saints.

Hebrews 4:9-10 – So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

 

God has a day of rest set aside for the church just as he did for the nation of Israel. When the time is right, we will enter heaven with Christ and lay aside the endless toil of this sinful life, our war against the devil and the insults of the heathen.

 

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Joshua 20:1-2 – Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses'"

Welcome back, dear readers! 

The official distribution of the Promised Land began back in Joshua chapter 15 with the first lot drawn for the tribe of Judah.  The distribution continued through the end of chapter 19, with the tribe of Dan drawing the final lot. 

Once the inheritance was divided, God commanded the children of Israel to give Joshua a special gift – he was permitted to choose one city within the Promised Land as his own personal inheritance.  This was probably a promise/blessing that he received for being faithful to the word of the Lord during Israel's first opportunity to enter the Promised Land.  He chose the city of Timnath-serah in the tribe of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.

At this point the official distribution of the land is almost complete.  The only remaining business is to assign cities to the Levites (chapter 21) and to establish the cities of refuge. 

God's command to institute the cities of refuge can be found in Deuteronomy 19 and Numbers 35.  You might want to take a few minutes and read those portions of scripture.

Joshua 20:3 – "' that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there.  They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.'"

What was a city of refuge?

In order to fully understand the concept of a city of refuge, we must first acknowledge that every nation, including ancient Israel, experiences a certain amount of crime.  Sadly, as a result of our sinful nature, theft/larceny, rape and murder occur anytime people live in close proximity to each other.

Secondly, we must understand that God places a very high value on each and every human life. Each person was created by him, in his image (Genesis 1:26) and he assigns a life-span to each individual he creates (Psalms 139:16).

The life we live here on earth is the time in which we secure the salvation of our immortal souls and prepare ourselves for the eternal world.  Therefore, it is infinitely important that each of us has the full amount of time God has assigned to us in order to work out our salvation, grow in grace, and complete all the good works God has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

If we murder someone, we are cutting short his/her time on earth.  Taking a man's life away before his time could result in the murder of his soul as well as his body.  For this reason, God forbids us to commit murder:

Exodus 20:13 - You shall not kill.   

But as we know, people can die by accident as well as by murder.  This brings us to the purpose of the cities of refuge - to protect the person who was responsible for the accidental death of another.

Just to be clear, I want to emphasize that in the scripture, God makes a definite distinction between murder and accidental death. 

Murder is defined as killing with premeditated malice; to willfully, deliberately or unlawfully destroy or put an end to someone's life; to intentionally kill.

God defines/describes murder this way:

Numbers 35:20-21 – And if he pushed him, out of hatred or hurled something at him lying in wait, so that he died, or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, the he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer.

Notice that God's example of murder contains the classic elements of premeditation, hatred and intentionality.

God further mandates that anyone convicted of murder (this would require two or more witnesses), receives the death penalty (Exodus 21:12-14, Numbers 35:30-31). 

God also gives us this example of an accidental death:

Deuteronomy 19:4-5 -  If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past – as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies – he may flee to one of these cities and live.

In other words, an accident occurs when a person is unintentionally killed by another and there is no contention or hatred between the two.    

A person who causes the death of another can flee to a city of refuge to receive what we would call a 'fair trial'.  Based on the outcome of the trial, he will receive a proper sentence.

Joshua 20:4 – "He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city.  Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them."

Back in the day, it was common for the elders and judges of the city to sit (hang out) just inside the city gates where they were accessible to the common people.  There they would conduct business, strike bargains, share news, read/discuss the law, and administer justice (Deuteronomy 16:18, Ruth 4:1, Proverbs 22:22). 

Let's suppose that two men – Herman and Maynard – were working together building a house and Maynard winds up dead. At that point, Herman had to immediately flee to one of the cities of refuge.

Once there, he was to enter the gates, find the elders and explain what happened in the death of Maynard. He was to tell them the whole matter – the circumstances that led to Maynard's death, the errors or innocent mistakes that were made and exactly how Maynard's death resulted from the accident.

After hearing his story, the elders of that city were to ask questions and examine the matter more fully.  If they determined that Maynard's death could have been an accident, they would give Herman a place to stay and likely some form of employment.  Herman was to remain in the city of refuge until his accuser (the avenger of blood) came to town and an official trial could be conducted to determine his guilt or innocence.   

Joshua 20:5 – "And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past."

Who is the avenger of blood, and what role does he play in this situation?

All the members of an extended family are counted as being of one blood; a wrong done to one is a wrong done to all.  In the case of murder, the wrong could only be redressed by the nearest relative of the victim, who was consequently referred to as the avenger of blood. 

In our example, we will assume that the dead man (Maynard) had a brother named Quincy.  As the closest male relative to Maynard, Quincy was considered the avenger of blood.

The avenger of blood had the responsibility/obligation of executing the murderer of his kin:

Numbers 35:19 – The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.

He was the only person who had the right to carry out the mandated death sentence.  This rule allowed justice to be served, while at the same time preventing entire families from completely destroying one another in senseless acts of retribution (similar to the mob families).   

Joshua 20:6 – "And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time.  Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled."

Now let's pull all of these facts together:

Herman and Maynard are working together building a house when Maynard winds up dead.  Herman immediately runs home, talks to his wife, throws together a suitcase, kisses his kids goodbye, and rushes off to the nearest city of refuge. 

Once at the gates of the city, he approaches the elders and explains that Maynard's death was an accident – as they were laying brick for the walls, Herman accidentally knocked a brick off the wall and it fell, hitting Maynard on the head.

The elders of the city would then give Herman a place to stay within the city and provide him with some kind of temporary employment.

In the meantime, Maynard's closest male relative (Quincy) finds out that Maynard is dead. After the funeral, he too travels to the city of refuge and finds the elders of the city. At that point, an official trial is held (Numbers 35:12) in front of an assembly of adult citizens (commentators estimate the assembly to be around 200-300 men).

It would be almost impossible for all of these citizens to be bribed or unfairly biased against the defendant. Thus, a calm impartial trial by a fair 'jury of his peers' was provided for Herman.

Quincy can now give any evidence pertinent to the case, such as the relationship between the two men and whether or not grudges, hatred or contention existed between the two.

Based on the evidence, the elders would either convict or absolve Herman.

If Herman was found guilty of murder, he would be immediately handed over to Quincy, who had the responsibility of executing him.  At that point, the case was closed.

If he was found innocent of murder, Herman was then sentenced to remain within the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest.  Once the high priest died, he could then return to his hometown (Numbers 35:28). 

Jewish tradition says that if Herman died before the high priest in the city of his refuge/exile, he was to be buried there and only after the death of the high priest could his bones be removed and placed into his family sepulcher.  

In the meantime, no one was assigned to monitor Herman.  If he chose to leave the safety of the city of refuge, he could do so - no one would prevent him from going.  But if the avenger of blood spotted him outside the safety zone, he could kill him on the spot without penalty (Numbers 35:26-28). 

To leave the city of refuge was to take your life into your own hands. It is hard to imagine anything that would be important enough for a man like Herman to leave the safety of the city of refuge, but apparently, it must have happened on occasion!

We can't help but notice the wisdom of God in this arrangement. Each accused person received a fair trial, under the purview of the people who knew the law best (the Levites). The trial cost nothing and occurred with little or no delay. This system provided for justice while at the same time restraining revenge and preventing blood feuds. At the conclusion of the matter, no one had a right to complain about the outcome, so there were no appeals. Remarkable!

Joshua 20:7-8 – So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.  And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Beer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramah in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.

There were a total of six cities of refuge, three east of the Jordan River and three west of the river.  These cities were strategically placed. 

On either side of the river, there was one city of refuge in the northern portion of the land, one city in the middle and one city in the southern region.  This allowed easy (and somewhat close) access to all of the population of Israel (Deuteronomy 19:3).  

Joshua 20:9 – These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

Every city of refuge was a Levitical city.  That may not seem significant on the surface, so let's take a closer look.

Put yourself in the position of someone who accidentally caused the death of your neighbor, friend or child. You are already in a state of shock, fear and remorse. In the midst of that, you must abruptly leave your family and hope that you get to a refuge city before the avenger of blood finds you. You are experiencing your worst nightmare, desperately hoping you will find mercy for your situation.

If that were you, wouldn't it be comforting to know that the elders you met at the city gates were priests – men who were sanctified to be mediators between God and man?  Wouldn't you be glad that these men were very familiar with the law, and that they were there to impartially consider your case and protect you from death?  

Furthermore, being a refugee in one of the six cities meant that you could no longer travel to the temple in Shiloh.  In that case, wouldn't it be a comfort to be among the priesthood of the nation, who could pray for you at the temple and give you instruction from the scriptures?

The fact that the cities of refuge were also the cities of the Levites is one more example of the mercy of God to his people.

Let's ask ourselves one more question – why did the manslayer have to reside in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest?

Because the high priest is a picture of the mercy we find in Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 2:17 - Therefore in all things it behoved him [Jesus] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Obviously, the parallel isn't perfect; we know there is no person who is innocent of sin. All of us are guilty and we deserve to be turned over to the avenger (the righteous wrath of God) and experience eternal death.

Nevertheless, many aspects of the cities of refuge have a counterpart in the gospel message:

• For example, a man guilty of premeditated murder represents a sinner who is bound by guilt and shame, living under the wrath of God and facing a sentence of death. In such a case, it was impossible for the murderer to purchase a pardon with money (Numbers 35:31-32). Likewise, no person could ever purchase his own pardon from sin with money (or anything else, for that matter).

• The person guilty of sin has only one path open to him that leads to mercy – he must flee to the refuge of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by him (John 14:6).

• When a man fled to the city of refuge, he had to observe a definite set of rules in order to remain in the refuge. Those saved by grace must also observe a set of rules in order to remain under the mercy of Christ. We must surrender all, turn our back on evil, and wholly follow our Savior.

• The cities of refuge were not limited to the native Israelites. The 'stranger' and the 'sojourner' who lived among them would also be accepted if he sought safety in the city of refuge (Numbers 35:15, Joshua 20:9). This is another Old Testament picture of the Gentiles being welcomed into the kingdom of God.

• The man who was granted the right to live in the city of refuge was restricted; he could no longer dwell in his old house, sow his old fields or continue on with his old ways. This is a picture of the separation of the Christian from the things of this world. We must forsake our old ways once we have found freedom in Christ.

• There was a very real danger to the person who delayed in going to a city of refuge – they could be killed by the avenger of blood at any time. There is also a very real danger to the sinner who plays around with the grace of God and refuses to submit to the call of Holy Spirit to repentance. None of us know when our last moment on earth will be. The person who delays in accepting salvation risks being lost for eternity.

 

• At the death of the high priest, the manslayer was set free. After the death of Jesus, our High Priest, we were set free from spiritual death.

We know that those who were found guilty of murder were sentenced to death and in truth, this was the sentence we all received, because the wages of sin is death.  Yet, God in his great mercy, pardons us because Christ has paid the price of our redemption.  Though our sin is as red as scarlet, the blood of Christ washes it what as snow:

Isaiah 1:18 - Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Even the names of the six cities of refuge reflect the grace of the gospel:

Kedesh means 'holy'. Our refuge is the Lord Jesus, who is holy (I Peter 1:16).

Shechem means 'a shoulder'. The government (and judgment) of mankind rests upon the shoulders of Christ (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Hebron means 'fellowship'. All believers (Jew and Gentile) are admitted into the kingdom/fellowship of Jesus our Lord and King.

Bezer means 'fortification'. Jesus is our strong tower and fortification; he is a very present help in the day of trouble (Psalms 46:1-3).

Ramoth means 'high' or 'exalted'. God has exalted Jesus above every other being; at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Philipians2:9-11).

Golan means 'joy/exultation' – Jesus is our eternal joy and exultation for through him we are justified.

These are just some of the comparisons between the cities of refuge and Jesus Christ as our savior. What other similarities can you find?

There are also some distinct differences between the city of refuge and the gospel as well:

• The cities of refuge afforded a temporary protection for the physical body of a man. The gospel, however, is protection for both the physical and spiritual man and it lasts forever.

• The cities of refuge provided protection only to the innocent while the gospel is a refuge for the guilty (THANK THE LORD!).

• The protection of a city of refuge involved the sacrificing of certain privileges, but the gift of the gospel ensures/provides every privilege and every good thing to the believer in Christ.

• Those who received the blessing/protection of the city of refuge would still have a desire to return to their old ways and old life. Not so with the redeemed! We will never desire to return to the bondage of sin!

Aren't you thankful for the refuge of Christ?

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In our study of the cities of refuge, we noted that God provided a place of safety for anyone who needed it.  But it was up to each individual to travel to the city of refuge with all due haste!  Any delay could potentially result in death by the avenger of blood.

So it is with us in the spiritual realm.

Have you accepted Christ as your Savior and given your heart to him?  If not, I strongly urge you to do so immediately, because you don't know when your life will end.  To die outside the refuge of Christ is to be eternally subject to the wrath of God.  That isn't a place you want to be!    

For those who have accepted Christ, are you heeding the call he has placed on your life?  Are you going where he sends you, sowing your resources at his command, and spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth?  Are you investing your talents in the kingdom as he opens up doors of opportunity for you? 

If not, what are you waiting for? Anytime we hesitate to follow the leading of God, we place ourselves on dangerous ground indeed! Let's not profane the opportunities God has given to us – let's resolve to listen to him and walk where he leads.

Let me offer you some relief:

In today's post we noted that God places a very, very high value on every human life, including yours.  In fact, he still has value for your life, even if you have taken the life of another.   

Perhaps you find yourself in that place today – perhaps you have murdered another human being through accident, premeditation, abuse or abortion.  If so, do not despair.

The Old Testament law required people to be executed for the taking of life.  But under the new covenant of grace, God offers spiritual relief through the blood of Jesus Christ.  This means that every sin, including that of taking a life, can be forgiven if you repent and seek refuge in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

So don't wait – invite Christ into your heart and life today!

Let me offer you some strength:

If you were a person who was forced to flee to a city of refuge, my guess is that you would look at each new day as a blessing and/or a valuable gift.  At the same time, you would need to leave the past behind you, and move forward with life.

That is a good example for us as Christians.  In fact, the apostle Paul advises us to do exactly that:

Philippians 3:13-14 – Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Do you have things in your past that you need to leave behind?  If so, I strongly recommend that you go to Jesus in prayer, give them to him once and for all, and then banish those things from your mind forever!

Yesterday is gone and today is a new day; look ahead to the plans and purposes God still has in store for you!