Joshua 13 - 24
In these chapters of the book of Joshua the scripture is very specific about what clan inherits each portion of the promised land. The specifics go down to what group would inherit each portion of land and where the boundaries were for each group. Here is preserved a written verification of who gets what. This is important not only for that day, but even for today. There is nowhere in the world where land is fought over more than in this area. Even today there is controversy and war between Israel and the Arabs who live in the region. The Israeli people believe that they are entitled to this land as a part of their inheritance, but the Arab people believe that they were wrongly driven out of the land. The specifics of Joshua should be a help to the people of Israel, but because the disobeyed God and did not drive out everyone from the beginning there is still controversy about this land today.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
mid-life crisis?
Joshua 6-15
I've always had a little trouble with the way the people of God took over the Promised Land. Why did God want them to destroy everything and especially everyone? I've always understood the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, these cities were extremely wicked. So God brought fire down upon them. But was Jericho and Ai and Jerusalem filled with wickedness? Why were they not given a chance to repent? Why weren't they offered a treaty?
This directive given by God is very different than the God of the New Testament. God is Love. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Where is that God in the Old Testament?
I don't think I have it all figured out, but here is my take for now. God is God. He is in control. He did not have a mid-life crisis somewhere before the New Testament was written. He is still the same God. He is still the same today. He was and is still a holy God. He is incapable of sin. He must punish sin. One of the pillars of the Law is that you should have no other gods before God. I believe that God was compelled to destroy those cities because of their idolatry. In the Old Testament dispensation there was no other way. This sin must be punished. Now since Jesus has been in the world there is hope for everyone. God will allow us to live today so that we might choose to accept the gift of His grace. I don't see any other reason why He would be so harsh in the Old Testament time and why He would be so loving now in the New Testament era. Now there is an alternative. He is still the same God, but with more options.
May I ever be aware that God is a holy God. May I ever be aware that God is a loving God.
I've always had a little trouble with the way the people of God took over the Promised Land. Why did God want them to destroy everything and especially everyone? I've always understood the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, these cities were extremely wicked. So God brought fire down upon them. But was Jericho and Ai and Jerusalem filled with wickedness? Why were they not given a chance to repent? Why weren't they offered a treaty?
This directive given by God is very different than the God of the New Testament. God is Love. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Where is that God in the Old Testament?
I don't think I have it all figured out, but here is my take for now. God is God. He is in control. He did not have a mid-life crisis somewhere before the New Testament was written. He is still the same God. He is still the same today. He was and is still a holy God. He is incapable of sin. He must punish sin. One of the pillars of the Law is that you should have no other gods before God. I believe that God was compelled to destroy those cities because of their idolatry. In the Old Testament dispensation there was no other way. This sin must be punished. Now since Jesus has been in the world there is hope for everyone. God will allow us to live today so that we might choose to accept the gift of His grace. I don't see any other reason why He would be so harsh in the Old Testament time and why He would be so loving now in the New Testament era. Now there is an alternative. He is still the same God, but with more options.
May I ever be aware that God is a holy God. May I ever be aware that God is a loving God.
exposed
Joshua 6
Joshua chapter 6 describes how the Israelites took the city of Jericho. For six days the army of the Israelites marched around the city of Jericho in silence. I guess the people of Jericho were either scared to death or pretty smug while watching these unorthodox war tactics. If I had to choose I would say that they were smug. They were sitting behind a huge wall, just watching this army walk around their city. There were no acts of overt aggression. No taunts. Not even a pebble thrown toward their wall. Just once a day they would carry this golden box around the wall. Then on the seventh day they kept walking. Not just once around, but twice, then three times until they were on their seventh time around. Then it happened. The guys around the golden box blow their trumpets and the army shouts. And the precious wall that had been a protection began to crumble. I'll bet there were hundreds of men on the wall watching to get a good view of this odd war tactic. The army gave a shout and the wall began to fall. The people of Jericho were probably not feeling quite so smug as the wall came down. Now they are completely exposed.
There are lists and lists of things that we use to hide behind. For every person it is a little different. For some of us we think that we can stay behind our job, or family, or hobby, but those things don't define who we are to God. We can try to hide behind our intellect, our wit, or our personality, but God knows who we really are. There is no wall that can conceal us from the Living God. The bible speaks of another day when there will be a trumpet blast and a shout. On this day all of our walls will be stripped away. We will see God face to face. We will be fully exposed before him.
May we be honest with God now, not waiting until that day to be exposed. May we live in the open with our God so that we will not be ashamed or frightened to see God face to face on that day.
Joshua chapter 6 describes how the Israelites took the city of Jericho. For six days the army of the Israelites marched around the city of Jericho in silence. I guess the people of Jericho were either scared to death or pretty smug while watching these unorthodox war tactics. If I had to choose I would say that they were smug. They were sitting behind a huge wall, just watching this army walk around their city. There were no acts of overt aggression. No taunts. Not even a pebble thrown toward their wall. Just once a day they would carry this golden box around the wall. Then on the seventh day they kept walking. Not just once around, but twice, then three times until they were on their seventh time around. Then it happened. The guys around the golden box blow their trumpets and the army shouts. And the precious wall that had been a protection began to crumble. I'll bet there were hundreds of men on the wall watching to get a good view of this odd war tactic. The army gave a shout and the wall began to fall. The people of Jericho were probably not feeling quite so smug as the wall came down. Now they are completely exposed.
There are lists and lists of things that we use to hide behind. For every person it is a little different. For some of us we think that we can stay behind our job, or family, or hobby, but those things don't define who we are to God. We can try to hide behind our intellect, our wit, or our personality, but God knows who we really are. There is no wall that can conceal us from the Living God. The bible speaks of another day when there will be a trumpet blast and a shout. On this day all of our walls will be stripped away. We will see God face to face. We will be fully exposed before him.
May we be honest with God now, not waiting until that day to be exposed. May we live in the open with our God so that we will not be ashamed or frightened to see God face to face on that day.
Monday, September 22, 2008
just passing through
Deuteronomy 29
As Moses winds down his address to the people of Israel chapter 29 talks a lot about the covenants. Several times in verses 9-14 Moses references "entering into a covenant" with God. For a Jewish person this imagery was literal. This was the method of those who made covenants: they would set up a demarcation on one side and a demarcation on the other side and those entering into the covenant would "pass through" between the partitions. Jeremiah 34:18 references this "passing through" in connection with a broken covenant in which the leaders of Judah, the priests, officials and people of the land passed between the parts of a slaughtered calf. Moses addresses the people of Israel standing before him and warned them about the covenant that they were about to enter into with God.
You see in just a few days God would part the Jordan river and the Israelites would pass through the Jordan in the same way that they had passed through the Red Sea as they had escaped Egypt. God had kept his promise that he established when they "passed through" the Red Sea and he would keep this covenant which he would establish when they "passed through" the Jordan River.
Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Corinthians 11)
The new covenant is established with Jesus sacrifice. Jesus sacrifice is validated at the resurrection. Romans 6 says that at baptism we are united with Christ's death, burial and resurrection. When you split the water and "pass through" you are entering into a covenant with God. One established by Jesus death, burial and resurrection. An agreement, a new covenant entered into by faith.
Back to Deuteronomy chapter 29. Verses 23 and following describe what happens to those who abandon the covenant; "The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur - nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Adman and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger."
Sounds like another place that is described as one of torture, one of burning sulfur, a lake of fire. And who will experience this place? Those who abandon the new covenant.
May we be faithful and not abandon the new covenant which was established by God through Jesus death, burial and resurrection and into which we enter into when we pass through the waters of baptism.
As Moses winds down his address to the people of Israel chapter 29 talks a lot about the covenants. Several times in verses 9-14 Moses references "entering into a covenant" with God. For a Jewish person this imagery was literal. This was the method of those who made covenants: they would set up a demarcation on one side and a demarcation on the other side and those entering into the covenant would "pass through" between the partitions. Jeremiah 34:18 references this "passing through" in connection with a broken covenant in which the leaders of Judah, the priests, officials and people of the land passed between the parts of a slaughtered calf. Moses addresses the people of Israel standing before him and warned them about the covenant that they were about to enter into with God.
You see in just a few days God would part the Jordan river and the Israelites would pass through the Jordan in the same way that they had passed through the Red Sea as they had escaped Egypt. God had kept his promise that he established when they "passed through" the Red Sea and he would keep this covenant which he would establish when they "passed through" the Jordan River.
Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Corinthians 11)
The new covenant is established with Jesus sacrifice. Jesus sacrifice is validated at the resurrection. Romans 6 says that at baptism we are united with Christ's death, burial and resurrection. When you split the water and "pass through" you are entering into a covenant with God. One established by Jesus death, burial and resurrection. An agreement, a new covenant entered into by faith.
Back to Deuteronomy chapter 29. Verses 23 and following describe what happens to those who abandon the covenant; "The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur - nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Adman and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger."
Sounds like another place that is described as one of torture, one of burning sulfur, a lake of fire. And who will experience this place? Those who abandon the new covenant.
May we be faithful and not abandon the new covenant which was established by God through Jesus death, burial and resurrection and into which we enter into when we pass through the waters of baptism.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
don't go back
Deuteronomy 17
Continuing in the directions that Moses is giving the people of Israel before they take possession of the promised land, Moses gives this instruction in chapter 17.
Moses instructions about having a king rule over Israel is interesting to me. First of all, it would be many generations before Samuel would anoint Saul as the first king to rule God's chosen people. But God knew what His people would want. He knew that they would want to be like the other nations around them. There is something about our nature that compels us to want to be like others. To fit in. To want to look like everyone else. That is still true today.
Our girls are headed out today for their first day of pre-school. So we stand on the cusp of a new chapter in their lives which includes education, socialization, personal growth, expanding their world, etc. It also includes the possibility of conformity. We don't know what kids will be in their class or what influence these kids will have on them, maybe not this year in pre-school, but soon. Sooner than we want to admit. Who will they choose as king? Will they want to be like other nations or will they choose Christ to be king in their lives?
I also like the admonition that the king should not return to Egypt, for the Lord says "You are not to go back that way again." How many of us, having been brought out of Egypt want to return. We don't remember the slavery. We don't remember the oppression. What we remember is the security and the things that the Egyptians have that we want. We have freedom but we want slavery. We have a new leader, we want to go back to that familiar Pharaoh.
May we all live as free men. May we not go back that way again.
Continuing in the directions that Moses is giving the people of Israel before they take possession of the promised land, Moses gives this instruction in chapter 17.
14 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," 15 be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again."
Moses instructions about having a king rule over Israel is interesting to me. First of all, it would be many generations before Samuel would anoint Saul as the first king to rule God's chosen people. But God knew what His people would want. He knew that they would want to be like the other nations around them. There is something about our nature that compels us to want to be like others. To fit in. To want to look like everyone else. That is still true today.
Our girls are headed out today for their first day of pre-school. So we stand on the cusp of a new chapter in their lives which includes education, socialization, personal growth, expanding their world, etc. It also includes the possibility of conformity. We don't know what kids will be in their class or what influence these kids will have on them, maybe not this year in pre-school, but soon. Sooner than we want to admit. Who will they choose as king? Will they want to be like other nations or will they choose Christ to be king in their lives?
I also like the admonition that the king should not return to Egypt, for the Lord says "You are not to go back that way again." How many of us, having been brought out of Egypt want to return. We don't remember the slavery. We don't remember the oppression. What we remember is the security and the things that the Egyptians have that we want. We have freedom but we want slavery. We have a new leader, we want to go back to that familiar Pharaoh.
May we all live as free men. May we not go back that way again.
Friday, August 15, 2008
de-clutter
Deuteronomy 10
Why do we get so caught up in stuff? Most of our lives are consumed with gathering and acquiring stuff. You learn this acutely when you move. We thought we could just put our stuff in a truck and move it down to NC. Who knew we had so much stuff? We just kept bringing things out of that house. And then we got to the attic. I'm surprised our house didn't fall over with the amount of stuff we had in there.
When we were trying to get our house on the market HGTV told us we needed to de-clutter. So we took a bunch of our furniture and clothes and stuff and put it in storage. What we found is that we liked it better that way. There was more room. We didn't feel as closed in. And we never missed the stuff we had put into storage. At our new house in NC we are trying to stay clutter free. That is easier said than done. Since we moved in we have come up with a list of stuff we really "need." Why? We still have some of our junk in storage and our garage is full.
There is a passage in Deuteronomy that gives a new perspective to the stuff we accumulate. Moses is giving his final instructions before he dies and turns the leadership of Israel over to Joshua. In Chapter 10 Moses is recounting the giving of the tablets and the instructions for the ark of the covenant and the duties of the Levites. Verses 8 & 9 indicate that the Levites were to be in charge of the ark and the duties associated with ministering before the Lord and because of this they would not receive a portion of land as an inheritance when the Israelites went into the promised land. Verse 9 explains the reason, "the Lord is their inheritance." Here is the nation of Israel standing on the edge of the promised land and those who have been dedicated to the service of the Lord are given this encouragement, "You won't get an inheritance, the act of serving God will be your inheritance." Better than houses or lands or cattle or herds or servants or stuff is the fact that you have been chosen to minister before the Lord.
(Does everyone know where I am headed?)
1 Peter chapter 2 says that we are "a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Verse nine says that we have been chosen by God to serve as priests. Old Testament priests' inheritance was the honor of serving the living God. New Testament priests' inheritance is the honor of serving the living God. What stuff gets in the way of us living out our inheritance? Whatever it is... de-clutter. Rest in the all-sufficient God who led the Israelites into the promised land. De-clutter. You will like your spiritual house better that way.
Why do we get so caught up in stuff? Most of our lives are consumed with gathering and acquiring stuff. You learn this acutely when you move. We thought we could just put our stuff in a truck and move it down to NC. Who knew we had so much stuff? We just kept bringing things out of that house. And then we got to the attic. I'm surprised our house didn't fall over with the amount of stuff we had in there.
When we were trying to get our house on the market HGTV told us we needed to de-clutter. So we took a bunch of our furniture and clothes and stuff and put it in storage. What we found is that we liked it better that way. There was more room. We didn't feel as closed in. And we never missed the stuff we had put into storage. At our new house in NC we are trying to stay clutter free. That is easier said than done. Since we moved in we have come up with a list of stuff we really "need." Why? We still have some of our junk in storage and our garage is full.
There is a passage in Deuteronomy that gives a new perspective to the stuff we accumulate. Moses is giving his final instructions before he dies and turns the leadership of Israel over to Joshua. In Chapter 10 Moses is recounting the giving of the tablets and the instructions for the ark of the covenant and the duties of the Levites. Verses 8 & 9 indicate that the Levites were to be in charge of the ark and the duties associated with ministering before the Lord and because of this they would not receive a portion of land as an inheritance when the Israelites went into the promised land. Verse 9 explains the reason, "the Lord is their inheritance." Here is the nation of Israel standing on the edge of the promised land and those who have been dedicated to the service of the Lord are given this encouragement, "You won't get an inheritance, the act of serving God will be your inheritance." Better than houses or lands or cattle or herds or servants or stuff is the fact that you have been chosen to minister before the Lord.
(Does everyone know where I am headed?)
1 Peter chapter 2 says that we are "a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Verse nine says that we have been chosen by God to serve as priests. Old Testament priests' inheritance was the honor of serving the living God. New Testament priests' inheritance is the honor of serving the living God. What stuff gets in the way of us living out our inheritance? Whatever it is... de-clutter. Rest in the all-sufficient God who led the Israelites into the promised land. De-clutter. You will like your spiritual house better that way.
Friday, July 18, 2008
God is good and moving sucks
After three days of packing, cleaning, walk-throughs, home inspections, loading, unloading, driving, & dealing with buyers, sellers, realtors, storage people, uhaul folks, banks, etc. we now have four storage units in two different states and are living out of our suitcases for the next three weeks - two of which I will be in camp. Dave Willis and I used to use the word bumfuzzeled. I guess that's how we feel right now. I really thought I was going to punch a realtor in the neck yesterday while trying to close on our house in Newport News and I'm pretty sure my neighbors heard me cuss in the back yard, ("sorry" - an old Alan Woodward reference that only he, Dave Willis and I would understand)
And at the end of the day the one redeeming thing that helped us get though it all were our friends and family. Wayne played Tetris with our stuff and the back of a UHAUL, Aaron giggled everything onto the truck, Phil Murdock even showed up. (We will never get that futon back together that he took apart) My parents were great. Our neighbors were wonderful even though we were leaving. (we are really gonna miss them) And then Bonnie's folks kept the girls the whole time with a lot going on. Jason Kirkman never acted like I was losing my mind when I changed the plan 25 times on Wednesday and Thursday. Then showed up with Richard on Friday and helped us move into storage. Levi almost got divorced trying to figure a way to help us out and then Chuck Holton showed up.
One story and I might try to sleep. We have been really nervous about our girls leaving everything they know and moving. We have been breaking the news to them slowly and this week started talking about our "new" house. We took them this morning with us to the home inspection to let them see it and maybe get excited about where we are going so that when they realize that we are not going back to our "old" house things will seem better in some way. So I am outside with the inspector and the girls are running around the yard when Mary Catherine (our new neighbor) walks over and asks the girls if they would like to come over and swing with her 5 year old daughter. It was a really nice gesture and something for our girls to look forward to. I'm sure that we have a few tears ahead of us and the next few weeks will be hard living out of a suitcase, but I believe God worked out those details so that Ella and Jane would have a smoother transition.
God is good and moving sucks.
And at the end of the day the one redeeming thing that helped us get though it all were our friends and family. Wayne played Tetris with our stuff and the back of a UHAUL, Aaron giggled everything onto the truck, Phil Murdock even showed up. (We will never get that futon back together that he took apart) My parents were great. Our neighbors were wonderful even though we were leaving. (we are really gonna miss them) And then Bonnie's folks kept the girls the whole time with a lot going on. Jason Kirkman never acted like I was losing my mind when I changed the plan 25 times on Wednesday and Thursday. Then showed up with Richard on Friday and helped us move into storage. Levi almost got divorced trying to figure a way to help us out and then Chuck Holton showed up.
One story and I might try to sleep. We have been really nervous about our girls leaving everything they know and moving. We have been breaking the news to them slowly and this week started talking about our "new" house. We took them this morning with us to the home inspection to let them see it and maybe get excited about where we are going so that when they realize that we are not going back to our "old" house things will seem better in some way. So I am outside with the inspector and the girls are running around the yard when Mary Catherine (our new neighbor) walks over and asks the girls if they would like to come over and swing with her 5 year old daughter. It was a really nice gesture and something for our girls to look forward to. I'm sure that we have a few tears ahead of us and the next few weeks will be hard living out of a suitcase, but I believe God worked out those details so that Ella and Jane would have a smoother transition.
God is good and moving sucks.
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