The Problem of Walking by Sight

Edited by Steve Fountain. Taken from a sermon preached on August 26, 2012.

We find the children of Israel faced with decision — they are given the opportunity to walk by faith, but instead stumble on their own common sense. It is a lesson for us today in how we make decisions.  

In Joshua 9:1-2, the remaining inhabitants of the region must come together or risk the same fate as Jericho and Ai at the hands of God's chosen people.

The Israelites were given clear instruction in the Law of Moses of how to deal with people who wanted to make peace with them. In Deuteronomy 20:10-18, the Jews were instructed to make peace, when asked for it, but not with the people of the land of Canaan.  In verse 17-18, they were told specifically not to spare these 6 nations: The Hittities, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.   

These 6 nations are the same 6 listed in Joshua 9.

The people of these nations are not noble savages. They are people given over to their sins and lacking any hope of repenting — hence God's clear instruction on destroying them. 

Yet, in verses 3-5, the elders of Gibeon gather and wisely choose cunning over a battle. 

Despite being only a three-day’s-march away, they make themselves look like they've been traveling for more than  a month. They use worn-out sacks,  torn and mended wineskins, patched sandals, and thread-bare clothes. Their food was dry and crumbly.  At the Israeli camp, they present themselves as travellers from a distant country and ask for a covenant — going as far as to label themselves as “your servants.”

The elders of Israel gather round Joshua to ponder the travelers. Moldy bread, worn-out shoes, clothes, sacks, wineskins — it all added up to a believable story. Verses 14-15 note: “So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.”

The Israelites had all these tangibles in front of them; can we fault them for making a decision?  We live in a world of making decisions based on what we perceive around us. In a moment of significant decision, the Israelites failed to consult with the Lord. It is an situation we often fine ourselves facing. Do we make decisions based on our knowledge or through seeking God's will. 

As Solomon wrote: “do not lean on your own understanding, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In just three days, the Israelites discover that they had been hoodwinked as they move forward to wipe from the land the very people they unwittingly just made peace with.

In verse 18, we read, “Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.”  The foolishness of leadership has been brought to light, and now there is widespread frustration.  I find it fascinating that the people, as concerned as they are, are now murmuring against their leaders, and it is completely justified — not as it was in the days of the wilderness wanderings.  Now the leaders are eating crow.

This is the very problem of walking by sight and not by faith — we reap unintended consequences.

There was no way the people could go back on the oath because they swore by the God of Israel. 

It was many years, when Saul killed the Gibeonites in violation of this oath, the Lord brought a famine upon the land (2 Sam. 21:1), and this would have been the kind of wrath the leaders feared would fall on them.

So, they made the best of it, and made them servants.  It is not as though God does condone their actions, because they reap the consequences of their deception by becoming slaves to the children of Israel forever, but their lives are spared.

Throughout the coming chapters of Joshua, the Gibeonites did not change allegiances, they remained loyal to Israel, fulfilled their duties and they prospered.  Nonetheless, the Israelites faced the consequences of their decision absent of God. 

Walking by faith means (1) taking time to pray.  It means recognizing not just the stories of the Bible, but (2) knowing the God of the Bible.  It also means respecting and (3) appreciating God's grace. 

A Mountain of Blessing and Curses

A Sermon Preached on August 19, 2012.  Edited by Steve Fountain.

In Joshua 8, we read about how God gave His people a victory over the city of Ai. The victory came on the heels of a loss to Ai due to the sin of Achan. But now, Ai's inhabitants have been killed and its valuables collected. The city is set on fire. As the smoke rises, a caravan of women, children, supplies and cattle travel along the ridge route toward the ancient town of Shechem. They moved from Ai about 25 miles to the north and a few miles west, to a valley situated between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.

These two mountains aren't random.

In Deuteronomy 27, Moses had commanded the people that once they reached the other side of the Jordan they were to make their way to Ebal and Gerizim.  On mount Gerizim, they were told to set up large stones and plaster them.  In the plaster they were to inscribe all the words of the law “very plainly” (27:8). 

The two mountains converge to form a valley with a natural amphitheater. It was between the two mountains that Moses ordered the Ark of the Covenant to be placed (27:11-14), with the tribes of Israel taking positions on the natural seating on the sides of each mountain.

As the Levites read through 12 curses (27:15-26), the people stationed on Mount Ebal replied “Amen,” which means, “Surely, Verily, or Truthfully.”  It was a statement of affirmation, a statement of agreement. 

Then, as the Levites read through the blessings (28:1-8), the people station on Mount Gerizim would reply “Amen.”

Like acid etched in stone, the memorial and witness of the oath would never be lost, and even if it should fade, the burden of obligation of their vow would be theirs and their children’s forever.

And now, Joshua gathers God's people.

In Joshua 8:35 we read, “There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.”

Let’s stand for a moment with them between the two mountains.

As they are listening to the curses and the blessings, some begin to have within them the overwhelming anxiety that there is no possible way they can keep these commands on their own.  In fact, that is exactly the feeling they are supposed to have. 

As they hear cursing, they also see smoke rising, not from Ai, but from an altar. 

As they look at the Altar they notice that the Altar is located on Mount Ebal, not in the middle, and not on Gerizim.  It is located on the mountain of curses.  It is as if God said, “I know you can’t keep the law perfectly, that’s why I have made provision for you.”  As the thunder of “Thou shalt not…” echoes in their ears, an immediate “But I know you will, and so here is the way to escape condemnation.”

In other words, the altar was for those who acknowledge their sin and who come, not as the righteous, but as sinners, to the place of sacrifice.

Which mountain are you resting in? Are you living by faith, are you loving the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul?

If you cannot admit that you are a sinner, you cannot come to God, and God will not hear you until you admit that you need Him.  And this is true of people who have come to faith in Christ, too.  We continually need to come to Christ and admit our need for his righteousness. 

1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Valley of Trouble and the Door of Hope

Sermon Preached on August 12, 2012.  Edited by Steve Fountain.

Good stories involve conflict, which is a pleasant word for pain.

What would stories be like without conflict?  Would there be any story if Snow White said no to the wicked witch’s apple? Would there be any story if Dorothy had obeyed Auntie Em, and went down to the cellar, instead of going to find Toto?

On a more serious note, think of the Story of Anne Frank who could not finish her journal because her family was discovered in the attic, or the story of the Missionary Jim Elliot who’s life was shortened by the point of an Auca Indian’s spear.

Think through the story of your life.  Have you had a conflict-free life? Some problems occur because of us, and some because of others.  Yet, regardless of who you are this morning, you have a story, because you have conflict. 

Look at the early days of Joshua's leadership.  The crossing of the Jordan and the fall of Jericho happened with a seeming effortlessness.

Next up was a city of perhaps a thousand warriors — the little, walled fort of Ai. 

In verse 7:3, we hear the reconnaissance report, which also comes with a recommendation.  The spies recommend not sending all the people to take the city, and recommend taking the city with only 3,000 men because it is small. Really, it was a mercy of God to not allow the whole army to go, and risk the possibility of even greater casualties.  Of the 3,000 men who climbed the hill to attack Ai, there were only 36 killed (v. 5), just above 1% — a remarkable thing as it is. 

But what caused the loss?

God had stated that he owned everything in Jericho, and everything was to be burned, as an offering to Him. Yet, one man, Achan, opted to keep some items from Jericho, and went on to lie about it — breaking two of the Ten Commandments. His sin was made worse because it was directly against God, not man.  Achan says, “Truly, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: I saw, I coveted, I took (verses 20-21)” 

Even though there is the real possibility of repentance, Achan could not escape the consequences of his sin.  Sadly, he had to suffer for his sin, along with his family.  I cannot imagine the horror of the moment, as the stones were lifted and hurled upon him and his family, and all that he had—for the desires of his heart—all for 200 shekels of silver, a bar of gold, and a fashionable cloak from Babylon. 

Although this is a story of judgment, it is also a story of hope, and the blessing that comes when sin is repudiated.

Sin does bring judgment, but God is able through the judgment to bring hope to all who turn to Him in repentance.  We cannot possibly overcome the weight of sin that we bare, we need God to bare it for us.  And he did.

Yet it is not enough to theorize about Calvary’s love, you must come and ask God for forgiveness.  He does forgive you, if you will repent.  God is the same, yesterday, today, forever.  God is a holy God, God loves his people, and god deals with his people consistently.

What are you holding on to? Are you holding on to a piece of cloth, some silver or gold? Or are you holding on to the One who made you, the One who loves you, the One who died for you, and the One who lives for you? 

John 3:16 “For God so Loved the World that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Who Fought the Battle of Jericho?

Sermon Preached on July 22, 2012, edited by Steve Fountain.  

When we read the accounts of battles in the Bible, it is easy for us to laud the person God is using instead of understanding that God provided the victory.

It was David's faith in God, not his ability to sling a stone, that slayed Goliath.  Joshua didn't bring down the walls of Jericho. It was God.  Our victories in spiritual and physical battles are only won by the Lord to accomplish his good will and pleasure. Yet, it is a truth that is easily forgotten in our hectic lives — and one we dare not forget.

Put yourselves in the place of  Joshua. He's fresh off God stopping the Jordan River to allow the Israelites to cross.

And now God tells him in Joshua 6:2: “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.” 

The word “see” is startling. What was Joshua supposed to see? Before him was the double-walled city of Jericho that human hands couldn't topple. It is in siege mentality. No one goes in, no one goes out.

But God is telling Joshua to walk by faith, not by sight. So, God's people follow His instruction and circle the city in silence once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. Then, amid the sounding horns and the shouts of the previously silent people, God brings down the walls of Jericho and clears the way for the Israelites to destroy its people.

The faith that brought down the walls of Jericho is no different than the faith God expects us to live our lives with today.

That faith will sustain us today as we await our Lord Jesus Christ coming in clouds.

This faith was:

1)         Silent (Joshua 6:10): Joshua commanded them to be silent.  When we are physically silent, there are a million mental distractions. Each  is seeks to overcome our resolve to wait upon the Lord.  How many nights have we lain awake, solving the problems of the world? Silence before God is the lesson we all need to learn.  It is easier to quote Psalm 46:10, than to live by it: “Be still and know that I am God.” 

2)         Obedient (Joshua 6:12-14): It was not enough for the children of Israel to say they believed God. They had to demonstrate it by circling the city. Today, lots of people say they have faith, yet refuse to take the steps of obedience that give evidence to saving faith. James wrote: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

3)          Persevering (Joshua 6:15-21): It is not enough to have faith and obedience. We must also have perseverance.  What if the Israelites had gotten bored and stopped marching on Day 5? We must realize that obedience that is not total is not real obedience; it is disobedience. Saving faith will cause you to persevere to the end — if your faith is resting in the finished work of Christ. The promise of God is real and lasting: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). 

We do not know the day or the hour, but in the not too distant future, the hectic pace of this world is going to come to a crashing halt.  If we will not be still, and continue to refuse to acknowledge that God is the King of kings, and Lord of Lords, the trumpets will blow just as the book of Revelation tells us.  The first trumpet will sound for the collection of his saints before the great tribulation, but as the trumpets blow, this house of cards will collapse just like the walls of Jericho.

Look Into My Eyes

Based on a sermon preached on July 15, 2012, edited by Steve Fountain.  Here is a link to the sermon.

Every now and then, we will hear our youngest son, Seth, say these words: “Dad, Mom, Dad, Mom! Look at me!” And if we don’t look at him, he will repeat those words again and again until we do look at him.  Seth is parroting what we say to him, when we want his attention — “Seth, look in my eyes.” That way we know that he is listening to us.  God uses diverse means to get us to look into His eyes. They may come in financial, health or family challenges. But sometimes God simply makes us stop.

We see in Joshua 5 such a case. The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land thanks to God stopping the river. God's miraculous feat not only provided His people a safe, fast crossing, but also broke the spirit of the reigning kings in the land.

But, with Israel primed to take over the land, God runs counter to man's logic by having Israel wait. To be sure God has their undivided attention, He literally incapacitates the fighting force by ordering the circumcision of all the men. God is most concerned about the heart of His people.

Joshua 5 uses three mini-episodes to demonstrate God's greatest concern:

1.  God wants our intentional consecration (Joshua 5:2-9): In Old Testament times, the ritual of cutting and casting away a man's foreskin left the rest of the person intact and, thus, consecrated. The timing of this order forced the Israelites to trust God—not just in the circumcision, but in being protected during their recovery from attacks from nearby Jericho and Ai. Outward demonstrations of faith are important to God, God is supremely interested in what happens inside of us. God wants our hearts. He knows if we have genuine faith.

2. God wants our thankful contentment (Joshua 5:10-12): We observe that on the 14^th day of the month, they celebrate the Passover. Just when they are beginning to heal, they sacrifice the lamb, and eat Passover. However, the emphasis is not so much on the Passover, as it is on the change in God’s provision for His people as the sustaining manna ceases and the people were able to eat from the land's bounty.  It was also a symbol of Israel taking possession of the land, and now enjoying the firstfruits of God's promise and the knowledge that their wilderness exile was over!

3. God wants our humble commitment (Joshua 5:13-15): This last scene occurs just outside the gates of Jericho. Joshua had decided to do some reconnaissance of his own, and had crept down to city to get a view of the enemies fortifications. As the story continues, Joshua rounds a corner, and is taken aback by whom he sees standing before him — a man with his sword drawn.

Joshua asks the warrior: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And, to his shock, he hears this response: The warrior belongs to neither side. Rather, his allegiance is to the garrison of the Lord’s army.

God wanted Joshua to know clearly whom Joshua was serving. God was not serving Joshua as such; rather, Joshua was going to be serving God. This is a significant moment, as Joshua is on the verge of certain victory in Canaan. The possible heart response of Joshua would be pride and presumption.

God wants our humble commitment to serve Him and God wants our undivided loyalties, as seen in holiness. Sadly, we have turned the word Holy into a word that is often associated with the attitude of legalism.

Conclusion: When I say to my son, look at me in my eyes; it is with the purpose of securing his undivided attention. I do not consider it legalism, but love, when he responses with a quiet submissiveness. Why should we think less of God?

Perhaps God is speaking to you today, saying "Look at me in the Eyes." Will you give him your undivided attention?

What Do These Stones Mean?

Based on a sermon preached on July 8, 2012 by Steve Fountain. 

Monuments serve as a reminder to people of significant events in human history. For Americans, such monuments — from  historical markers that dot our highways and back roads to the grandest structures in our nation's capital, each serve as an opportunity to teach our children about the path our ancestors blazed.

If you think about it, each of us leaves behind our own little monuments — things that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will ask about — books, photographs, collectibles, unpaid bills, etc. 

While these things won't likely be as grand as the Lincoln Memorial, they will nonetheless require an answer to the question “What does this mean to you?”

In the Bible, we read in Joshua that after the death of Moses, God appoints Joshua leader of the Israelites. He leads God's people over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The people were witness to yet another of God's miraculous acts as the river is stopped to allow crossing on dry riverbed. 

In Joshua 4, we read that Joshua orders one man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to pick up a stone from the river where the crossing was made and carry each to the location of their first camp in the Promised Land for use as a memorial.

“...That this may be a sign among you when you children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7).

Clearly, these stones weren't meant for the Israelites to boast of their own accomplishments. They were meant to glorify God by recounting His supernatural actions and for His people to express their gratitude and praise.

By this Biblical lesson, will the things we are collecting now glorify God or be a convicting testimony of our own pursuits? When our children see us value these things today — and when our grandchildren pick up these things tomorrow and ask “why,” what will be revealed?

Is our movie collection full of pornography, gratuitous violence and stories heralding people acting out of their own selfish desires? Were we known for speaking wisely or for busting off dirty jokes and being a good cusser? Will our children see that we value Facebook, texting and vegging in front of the TV more than we do talking to them or teaching them about the Bible?  Were we a slave to fashion, cars and technology, or a cheerful giver to ministries and charities?  How about our Ipod or MP3 player? What is on our book shelf or e-reader? There are no 50 shades of gray when it comes to what God teaches us is sin and what is good. 

Did our personal example show a reliance and trust in God, or a ill-placed focus on ourselves?  Indeed, the Christian walk is not an easy one as it runs counter to everything the world teaches us is important. Christians will stumble and sin. But their sincere repentance and seeking of God's forgiveness in and of itself serves as a great example for children.