May 25-29, 2009

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James Monroe
Born in Westmoreland County 28 “April 1758.
Died in the city of New York 4” July 1831.
By order of the General Assembly
His Remains were removed to this Cemetery 5” July 1858.
As an evidence of the affection of Virginia
For Her Good and Honored Son.

Unlike George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, few people worldwide would know much about this presidential leader. But it was important to the people of Virginia to honor him as their own. And so, seven years after his death, his remains were exhumed and brought from New York to Virginia. This week we are reminded of another great leader whose remains were important to his people and his nation. You may recall when we were traversing through the pages of Genesis that Joseph made his brothers promise that when they left Egypt and returned to the land of Canaan, they were to take his remains with them. Now over 500 years later, we stand in a place called Shechem and watch as Joseph’s bones are placed in the grave of his father Jacob.

Much has happened in these years. Israel has gone from being a family, to being a nation. We have been walking with them these past couple weeks as they left Egypt, regrouped for a couple of years at Mount Sinai, traveled to Canaan, failed to enter the land, wandered for forty years, and finally began to take occupancy of their God-given inheritance. We have followed their journey from their first camp in Gilgal to the battle of Jericho and the campaign that followed. This week we witness the completion of the dispersion of territories to the remaining tribes and the towns given to the Levites.

We will watch the warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the ½ tribe of Manasseh cross the river and return to their lands and rejoin their families on east of the Jordan. We see that their lack of communication nearly started the first civil war! Why didn’t these men express their concerns before they left Joshua and the elders of Israel? They obviously talked about it amongst themselves. Wouldn’t it have been more meaningful if the whole nation would have all witnessed the building of the monument, the altar called “The Witness,” and understood its significance? We can only surmise their reasons. Perhaps, if we examine our own excuses for failing to communicate, we will more clearly understand them.

This is also the week we say a fond farewell to Joshua. We have the privilege of attending the last two assemblies of the Israelites during his lifetime. We are not told where the first gathering took place. Joshua has two concerns that are directly related. His first concern is that the people remain true to YHWH after his death, that they love the Him first and foremost. His second concern is that they don’t become complacent with the measure of success they have had to date. Although they had taken much of the land, there were still cities and towns where they had not driven out the inhabitants. The danger was that they would be satisfied with what they had and settle for less than God intended. The sad part is that Joshua knew the residue of idolatrous nations in the land would eventually filter into their lives. I hope we are listening to Joshua’s message with open ears and open hearts. Apathy and complacency are still two of the greatest enemies we face today. Limited success is often the bed of ease people rest in when their hearts are set on comfort, rather than complete victory. Joshua reminds them that God has been faithful to do as He said, but the completion of His promise requires their faithfulness to Him. He admonishes them to keep fighting the good fight of faith, until the day they have total triumph over their foes.

The last assemblage before Joshua’s death is even more forceful. He calls the people to come to Shechem. Why at Shechem? I’m going to give you the opportunity to find Shechem on your map and see if you can ascertain its significance. When you do, you will discover that there is not a better place for this event to have taken place. At this meeting, Joshua rehearses all that God has done. God has been faithful to do all that He promised. The question was, would they? It is here that Joshua calls the people to verbally and collectively commit their allegiance to YHWH and His decrees and regulations. Once again, a stone is used to serve as a witness to testify of the people’s promise. This time the stone is placed under the Terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle. Do you think there might be some significance to that? Ahhh, so much to glean, so much to learn!

As we step into the pages of the Judges, we are quickly reminded that each tribe’s failure to subdue all their territory. Unfortunately, they were satisfied with making their enemies their slaves, rather than annihilate them. How often are we guilty of the same? Rather than rid ourselves completely of the things God wants out of our lives, we are content if we feel we can merely keeping them under control. And so we find the Israelites snared by the ones they have allowed to remain and, with that, we enter into the time of the Judges. How exciting!!!

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TRAIL STOPS

Tuesday –
1. Find Joshua’s hometown
2. Find the five cities of refuge

Wednesday
1. Find Shiloh. What was significant about this city?

Thursday
1. Find Shechem. What was significant about this city?
2. Find Dibir, formerly called Kirath-sepher
3. Find the town where the some of the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law settled.
4. Find Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron

Friday
1. Find Hazor
2. Find Kedesh
3. Find the Kishon River
4. Find Mount Tabor

May 18-22

For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Joshua 8:26



“The only one you hurt is yourself!” How many times have you heard those words? This week we learn that it’s not always true. Last week we ended our journey with an amazing victory at Jericho. Who could question that God was with them? The Israelite warrior surely believed nothing could stand in their way!!! Ai? No big deal. A handful of warriors and we will have this battle sown up in nothing flat. Unfortunately, the wounds they suffered as a result went beyond their egos. How could things have gone so wrong?

It is amazing the havoc one person can wreak when he not only chooses to be disobedient, but thinks he can hide his sin from everyone else. Take careful notice of the steps God takes to eradicate the wrong. When Joshua and the leaders come crying to Him, God tells them to, “Get up, stop your crying, and deal with it! I’ll guide you, but you’ve got to expose it. There will be no victory until you do!”

Dealing with sin in the camp can be difficult. When does “love cover a multitude of sin,” and when is it time to expose it publicly? Like last week, we can think that some things are only relegated to the Old Covenant, but a quick look at Paul’s words to Timothy (I Timothy 5:20) will show us differently.

The battle of Ai is fought a second time. This time there is no thoughts that it’s going to be an easy battle. You talk about humility! God’s instructions required that they take on the appearance of humiliation. Basically they had to go back to where they left off, running in defeat. But thank God, the outcome was not the same. And in this battle, victory did not come from Moses holding the rod, but with Joshua pointing the javelin. And this time they would not use the strategy of man, but the wisdom of God. When sin is dealt with, we walk in humility, and follow God’s wisdom, we will find that we don’t have to fight the same battles quite so frequently!

The victory at Ai was followed by the fulfillment of God’s command instructing them to go to Mount Ebal and Gerizim at their first opportunity. There, they were to read the words of the covenant and declaring all the blessings and cursings that would result from their corresponding actions. The mountains themselves, now stood as a witness that Israel knew what God had said and promised to love Him and abide by His Laws. The people could never say, “Oh, but we didn’t know!”

Tuesday we meet the Gibeonites. Their story is remarkable! Now there’s some real strategy for you. Once again, Joshua and the leaders fall prey to hidden information. It just goes to show that even the best leaders will make mistakes now and then. It also shows that Joshua understood the power of a covenant. Once the peace treaty had been made, it could not be annulled just because of their ignorance. The key to the whole story is found in the statement:

So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. (Joshua 9:14)

It may seem strange to our western minds that the Gibeonites call to Joshua to come and save them when they are about to be attacked, but that was a major part of a “salt covenant,” also called “a covenant of peace.” The covenant bound them to be there for provision and protection. Joshua knew he had no choice but to respond. We see Joshua’s integrity. He wastes no time in fulfilling what is required of him. Wait until you see God’s amazing response to this battle! Mark it in your memory. It will be important later on!!!!!!

With these battles behind us, we now begin to march face a major conquest. For some of you, it will be to get through the next few chapters! Reading through the division of the land can be difficult, especially if you’ve never been to Israel. For those who have, it tends to be a bit more exciting, because you can envision places that you have seen and get excited all over again.

When I was a child, my dad used to love to take us on short trips and long vacations. He did things like pile us all in the car and drive all night so we could see Niagara Falls when it was completely frozen, and drive from Cleveland, Ohio to California on Route 66 (cause there was no Interstate Highway) and stop at every major site he could manage in 2 weeks time. When I think about them, two things stand out vividly in my mind. 1. He used to buys us Coke out of the vending machine. Soda was a luxury in those days and 2. He would get us each a map to follow. Maps were free back then. You could get them at any gas station. (I’m beginning to feel very old) As a result, both my sisters and I were good map-readers, even as children. Dad knew that the maps would help us cope with the long journey. (It also kept us from constantly asking, “Are we there yet?”) To help you along this lengthy stretch, I am including a map showing the territories of each tribe. Our TRAIL STOPS below will help you to get oriented. Keep this map close because we will be using it for the next couple of weeks. I think you will find it quite useful. And for those serious students who really want to experience the journey, you’re welcome to come with us on the teaching tour in November. It doesn’t get any better than that!!!

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TRAIL STOPS

Find the following places on the map.

Monday
1. Find Gilgal, Israel’s first camp in the Promised Land.
2. Find Jericho
3. Find Ai
4. Find Mount Ebal and Gerizim

Tuesday
1. Find Gibeon
2. Find the cities of the Amorite kings that attacked Gibeon

Wednesday
1. Find Hazor
2. Find Mount Hermon
3. Find the three cities where the descendants of Anak remained
4. 4. Find the five cities of the Philistines

Thursday
1. Find Caleb’s city and area
2. Find the city of the Jebusites

Friday
1. Find Endor – Who remained in this town? (This will be important later on)
2. Find Shiloh

May 11-15

So write down the words of this song,
and teach it to the people of Israel.
Help them learn it,
so that it may serve
as a witness for Me against them.
Deuteronomy 31:19

When was the last time you went to a conference or concert and came home with a new song? You were sure the church you attend needed to add it to its repertoire. Great melody! Great words! Well, this week we learn a song that was on Heaven’s Top Ten. God taught it to Moses and instructed him to teach it to the Israelites. I wonder if Israel used the song like we used the hymnals “in the olden days!” “Let’s stand and sing the first, second, and last verses of page 365.” The last thing you wanted to be in the churches I grew up in, was the third and fourth verse of a five-verse song. Often the song leader would find the verses with the best words, while leaving the rest unsung. God’s instruction to Moses was, teach them the whole song!

But what made this song so important? Was it its catchy melody? Or were the words so rich and encouraging that you just had to sing them all? God said that the words were to “serve as a witness for Me against them.” A witness against them! What kind of song is that?!?!?!

Quite a number of years ago, I was asked to speak in a church. I felt I had God’s message for the people and I felt I had prepared myself to deliver it. But as I began to speak, I sensed that my words were falling to the ground and not on hearing ears. When the meeting was over, I left and found a quiet place to be alone with God and asked, “God, why did You send me there? They obviously didn’t want to hear what I felt you sent me there to say!” I was quite startled at His response when He said, “I sent you to be a witness against them.” It certainly wasn’t the answer I was expecting. We often fail to understand the power of the spoken word. Israel was taught to sing this song and pass it on to generation after generation. When things went wrong, they would be reminded of what God had told them and the covenant they had made with Him.

The song has several verses. The first stanza (vs 1-4) is all about God’s faithfulness to His people. Second stanza (vs 5-8) contrasts their constant unfaithfulness. The third stanza (vs 9-14) speaks of God’s heart of protection and provision. The fourth (vs 15-18) tells of a people who gobbled up those provisions, gave Him no thanks or acknowledgement and became an obese generation. Stanza number six (vs 19-27) would definitely be left out of most song services. After all, who wants to sing about God abandoning His children? What pleasure or encouragement is there in singing about God’s arrows, anger, jealousy, famine, disease and instigation of terror? Stanza seven (28-33) would sound much better if we just pull out all the good bits and forget the part where God calls them a senseless nation, foolish people without understanding. We would like to think that stanza eight (vs 34-35) is only found in the Old Covenant Hymnal, but compare these two passages and see what you think.

Deuteronomy 32:34-35
The LORD says, “Am I not storing up these things, sealing them away in my treasury
I will take revenge; I will pay them back,
In due time their feet will slip.
Their day of disaster will arrive,
And their destiny will overtake them.”

Romans 2:5-8
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment for God, who will render to every man according to his deeds; to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

No need to file any law suits for plagiarizing. The same Author wrote them both!!!

There are still three more stanzas to this God-given song and Moses made sure they learned every word! Unfortunately, we don’t have the tune that accompanied the words, but I can assure you, the mood of it was unforgettable!

On Tuesday we hear Moses pronounce God’s blessing over each tribe – well, nearly each tribe. These were not merely words of well wishes; they were the prophetic declarations of God. To know ourselves and see ourselves as God sees us is to truly be blessed!

Wednesday we say goodbye to Moses. God tells us that there never was another prophet like him. We’ve walked with Moses through a lot of pages and he has shared God’s word with us on many levels. Although we say farewell for now, we know that we will encounter his message through the rest of our journey through the pages of the Book.

“Moses, My servant is dead!” God’s words to Joshua set us on a new path on our journey. Joshua is no longer a young man. We know he was over 20 years of age when the Israelites came out of Egypt. They had spent two years at Mt. Sinai. Joshua wandered through the wilderness for forty years while the disobedient, unbelieving generation passed away. God through Moses groomed him for this day. Now it is time for him to fulfill his call.

Forty years earlier, Moses sent 12 spies into the land. Only two came back with a good report, Joshua being one of them. This time, Joshua only sends two spies. Obviously, he knew a double witness was enough. This time he was not sending them to investigate the truth of God’s word that it was a land flowing with milk and honey; that had already been established. There would be no evidence brought back that the land was all that God said it would be. While the spies were sent out as military scouts, the rest of the people were told to prepare provisions. The day of everything being given to them was about to end. It was time to fight the good fight of faith and obtain God’s promises!

Thursday the Israelites cross the Jordan and enter the land. What a day!!!!! I can’t even imagine what Joshua and Caleb must have felt on that day. You talk about a dream come true!!!!! God made a way for the people to enter His promises and take what He desired to give them. Not only do they set up a memorial of the event, they receive the sign of the covenant in their flesh and are circumcised. And then they top off the whole experience by celebrating Passover. Remember! Remember! Remember!

Joshua’s experience of meeting the man with the drawn sword says more than meets the western eye. When Joshua asks, “Are you for us or against us,” the answer is powerful! “Neither! I’m the Commander of God’s army!!!” In other words He was saying, “I’m the one leading this army. On which side are you?!?!?” Joshua’s basic answer is, “Joshua reporting for duty, Sir. What would You like me to do?” It is the Commander of Hosts’ answer that is so powerful. Although in our translations it reads “remove your sandals,” it actually reads “remove your sandal,” in the Hebrew text. Why is that so important? Because the removal of one sandal was a sign of ownership! The land was about to become theirs!!!

What an exciting week lies ahead. I pray that we stay alert. There is so much to see, hear, and learn. I’m sure we want to take in as much as we can as we embark on this amazing journey!!!

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TRAIL STOPS

Monday - What gauge did God use to divide the human race?

Tuesday
1. What must we know if we are to grow in wisdom?
2. Moses blessed the tribes of Israel before he went into the mountain to die. Which tribe does not receive a prophetic word of blessing?

Wednesday
1. What did Joshua have to do to be successful?
2. What did Joshua have to do to be obedient?

Thursday
1. What day did they cross the Jordan River and what is so significiant about that day?
2. What does Gilgal mean? (The answer to this question is not in the text. You will have to look it up in a Bible dictionary or word study book to obtain it. It's time for some of you to be stretched a bit!)

May 4-8

I am making this covenant
both with you who stand here today
in the presence of the Lord our God,
and also with the future generations
who are not standing here today.
Deuteronomy 29:15

I just got off the phone with a customer service representative regarding a five-year extended warranty plan we purchased four years ago on our furniture. Of course the salesman back then didn’t bother mentioning the fine print stating what wouldn’t be covered. Unlike the contracts of today, God made sure His people knew all the details of the covenant they were entering into. Death, property rights, war, murder, slavery, divorce, security for loans, and much more was detailed in the terms of the covenant.

Knowing the points of the Law was mandatory if the people of Israel wanted to walk in the blessings of God. Breaking the Law brought guilt, guilt demanded punishment. But you can’t obey something if you don’t know the boundaries. Ignorance of the speed limit doesn’t give us the right to do whatever feel is right. The police officer that pulls you over isn’t going to say, “Oh, I didn’t know you were ignorant of the speed limit. Sorry to waste your time. You have a nice day!” You can be sure he will make you aware that it is your responsibility to know the speed limit and also to know how fast you were driving. This is basically what Moses was saying when he told them

The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

There was no excuse for ignorance! This week we hear God tell them that every seventh year, the sabbatical year when they were to let the earth rest and sow no crops, they were to come before the Lord. Men, women and children alike, were to gather to hear the reading of the Book of Instruction. Since they would not be working in the fields, planting crops and harvesting, they would have the time to set apart to hear this Law read in its entirety. No child over the age of seven would be ignorant of its content since it was to be read every seven years. No one could say they were too poor to own a copy of the Law, or that they were illiterate. The Word was read for them. Today we can obtain Bibles for less than the cost of a Big Mac combo! If we can’t read it for one reason or the other, there is nearly every version available on audio media. We Christians have far fewer excuses for our ignorance than did the Israelites.
God not only spoke His instructions to them before they entered the land, God commanded that they rehearse His words once they were in the land. This week we learn of His command to build an altar on Mount Ebal. On this mountain, six of the tribes would stand to represent the curses that would come upon them if they failed to heed God’s laws. Directly opposite them was Mount Gerizim with the other 6 tribes, representing the blessings. The Levites with a copy of the covenant Law was to stand between them. With each curse spoken, the people responded, “Amen.” Unfortunately, we Christians have watered down the word “amen.” Many people use it today as a substitute for “I agree.” The word holds a stronger implication. It could more accurately be stated by saying, “God said it, and therefore it is fact. So be it!” The strength of the word is found in the authority of the person who speaks it. It is also inclusive of my willingness to embrace what is said and to be bound to it. A Book of Jewish Concepts says it this way, “By pronouncing Amen the listener associates himself with what has been uttered; he makes it his own and is ready to conform to it.” Today preachers will often finish a statement by saying, “Amen?” We would be wise to use our “Amen” cautiously, making sure we believe what is spoken is truly the word of God and not a person’s opinion. “Amen” is a binding word and not to be taken lightly!

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden; one promoted the blessings of God, the other brought cursing. There were two mountains in the land God had promised; one symbolized the blessings of God, the other stood for the curses. In both cases, the blessings of God would only be achieved through obedience to His instructions. Obviously, God is speaking the concept of obedience and blessings in every way He can. The sad part is that some will still choose the path that will bring curse on their lives. God’s word is still going out to us today, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD, your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20a)

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Trail Stop

Tuesday - There are other places in Scripture that refer to the removing of a sandal? Can you find some of them?

Wednesday
1. Every 3rd year a special tithe was collected. Who was it designate for?
2. Below is a drawing of two mountains, Ebal and Gerizim. Write the respective tribes that were to stand one each one. This may be a good thing to refer to in the future.












Thursday
1. What are the two things God says He will take pleasure in?
2. Who was to gather for the ratification of the covenant?

Friday - How many "ifs" can you find in Chapter 30?