Sounds of Silence

Back in the 1960's Simon and Garfunkel produced an album called Sounds of Silence. Sometimes silence speaks much louder than words. A person who sits in their car across the street from your house day after day just watching your house will make you uneasy even though that person may never say or do anything.
I am sure that the people of Jericho heard the silence as the Israelites marched around their city every day for a week. The only sound other than the crunch of the shoes on the ground was the lone blast from the seven rams horn trumpets.
Not only did the people of Jericho find it strange I imagine that the Israelites found it difficult to keep silent day after day. Finally on the seventh trip around the city on the seventh day the command came to shout. The walls did not come down before they shouted but the first shouted the victory shout then the walls came down. I think that tomorrow I will talk about the role of faith in the lives of the Isrealites.

Chain of Command

When Joshua received the instructions from the Lord he then told them to the priests. After he had told the priests then he told the people. Joshua's instructions to the priest were the instructions that the Lord had given him. If a person is to be a spiritual leader then they must first acknowledge the true leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He then shares the leadership with the spiritual leaders. If the proper chain of command is followed then the people will obey. The people must know that their leaders are following the instructions from the Lord.

And the Floor Came Tumbling Down

The Canadian Christian band was performing a concert at a church in Abbotsford, B.C. when the floor gave way in front of the stage where a number of young fans were jumping up and down. Someone once said that you couldn't fall off the floor but I did it twice when were were putting on an addition to our house in Thunder Bay.
When Joshua led the Israelites on their march around Jericho it was nothing but a miracle that the walls came down. Some have tried to explain away the miracle by saying that an earthquake occurred at that time or others have explained it by the vibrations of the marches both outside and on the walls. But it is more than a coincidence that the walls fall at that precise moment that the people shouted and that one part of the wall did not fall. Why do some people think that it is important that we explain a miracle? Are they embarrassed that they believe in an almighty powerful God? If God wanted to He could put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Stand and See

Joshua had met the Commander of the Lord's army at the wall of Jericho. I imagine that Joshua was there looking over the city for any weak spots so he could plan his attack. When he met the Commander of the Lord's army all of his plans went out the window. It was not his battle any more. The Commander told him that He had (past tense) delivered Jericho into His hands.
Some times we see the battle before us and we are busy making plans when the Commander comes and says to us, "forget your plans, the victory is sure". Are we ready to give up any plans that we have?

One Hundred

This is the 100th posting on this blog. When I started I just wanted to share some of my thoughts about the Ten Commandments but I have found this to be a wonderful way of disciplining myself to daily study the Word of God. Like Joshua I find that I meditate upon the Word, especially the passage that we will be dealing with on the Sunday following. Joshua knew that the Word of God was essential to his leadership. Today the Word is under attack even by its friends. We must make sure that we understand salvation, redemption, justification, etc. by the Word. Like Joshua are we willing to be instructed by the Book?

Annual Celebrations

The Passover was to be an annual celebration in which the Israelites remembered that God had redeemed them and that He was sending the Messiah. Though they hadn't celebrated the Passover for 39 years it was time to renew that celebration.
As Christians we have annual celebrations. Christmas and Easter are two of these celebrations.
Families also have celebrations and one is the yearly remembrance of our birth, our birthday. Today is our daughter's birthday, the fourth birthday we celebrate in April and the fifth we celebrate in a month. I am glad that we can celebrate their birthday but I am also glad that my children have two birthdays. There is that time when they were born into this world and the time when they were born again.

"Be" before "Do"

When the Isrealites had crossed the Jordan River they were ready to fight but God had other plans for them. None of the fighting men that were born in the wilderness, those forty years old and younger, had been circumcised. Before they could do anything for God they had to have the mark of the covenant upon them. Also they had only celebrated the Passover once since leaving Egypt and that was 39 years earlier at Mount Sinai. They need to know that they were a redeemed people and the Passover reminded them of their redemption. We too need to know that we are covenant people and that we have been redeemed.

Prayer Walk

Tonight we went on a prayer walk. We prayed for the neighbourhood of our church as we walked the streets. We prayed for the people in the houses and apartments. When I walk in the mornings I pray for the family, the church, our friends and ministries. I wonder if Joshua was on a prayer walk when he encountered the Lord by the walls of Jericho? What went through his mind when he saw the man with the drawn sword? If this was for our enemies I will have to kill him, if he for us then I will have to command him. What he learned was that he was not on one side or the other, He was the Lord of Hosts.

Encouragement

I listened to a sermon today on Joshua 5 and the speaker (my son's pastor) spoke of God encouraging His people. This is not a feel good sermon but rather a Biblically based sermon. He reminded us that God encourages His people with His covenant (Circumcision in Joshua's day), remembrance (the Passover) and His holy presence.
God encourages us today and we need to remember that baptism speaks of His covenant with us, communion speaks of remembering and finally we need to know that His presence is with us.

Baptism

Last night was a baptismal service at church. As each person was baptized I remembered what my son's pastor in Minneapolis had taught us in a sermon. Though I have heard many good sermons I don't remember many of them but this one stayed with me. He said that baptism was the initiation into the family of God. Communion was the privilege of the the family. He went on to talk about teaching in the family and then the responsibility of the family to go out and advance the kingdom. He said the order was important. First baptism, then communion, teaching and finally going and making disciples.
In Joshua's day it was circumcision as the initiation into the family, then the passover as the privilege of the family, followed by instruction then finally battle. The first thing the Israelites did after crossing into enemy territory was to incapacitate the entire army by circumcision, then take time to celebrate the passover before they even thought about preparing to advance the kingdom.

I'm loving it!

This morning in class we were studying Joshua 3 and 4 and the crossing of the Jordan River. When I asked about why the Israelites were commanded to stay about 1 km from the ark some said that it was so that all could see the ark while others said so that no one could really see the ark. Both made good points. We then talked about the pile of stones that were for a memorial. Some thought that the stones were large and the miracle was that even a small pile of stones would attract the attention of the children. Others thought that they were large stones that it took a miracle to carry them from the river bed. What I loved is how the people got into the discussion. They discovered that there are great nuggets of truth that can be found when they start digging into Scripture. Meanwhile, I the teacher am learning more and more and I am loving it.

Ortigas Ave Manila

When we lived in Manila five years ago we joined with other staff members from Faith Academy and handed out tracks on Ortigas Ave just out side our subdivision gate on Maundy Thursday. Many Filipinos would make the 15 km trek from the shrine in downtown Manila to the old church in Antipolo and to make the trek they would take one side of Ortigas Ave. I estimated that 10000 people per hour went by our gate and over 100000 during the night.
It seemed like a mass of people so then I got to thinking about the people crossing the Jordan River. If they cross quickly and orderly it would have taken them over 4 hours and the line of people would have been 5 km wide. It is hard to imagine the population of Toronto crossing the Jordan River at one time. That in itself is a miracle.
In Manila these people were walking trying to earn favour with God while the Israelites marched in obedience to God.

12, 24 and 29

When the Israelites had finished crossing the river Joshua instructed the leaders to take 12 stones for a memorial on the west side of the river, then 12 more in the river. Memorials are important as they are times when we stop and evaluate or stop and teach. Our second son turns 29 today. Birthdays are a time to stop not only to celebrate but to look back at God's leading in our life. I am so glad that God has led our children in the choices they have made. Happy birthday son.

Two piles of stones

When Israelites had finished crossing the Jordan River Joshua commanded the leaders to bring one stone for each tribe from the river bed and make a pile of stones on the east side of the river. These were to be a remembrance for the people of what God had done for them. They were to remember that God had done the impossible. He also commanded them to make a pile of stone in the midst of the river and when the waters returned to the normal flow of the river that pile would not be seen.
I got to thinking about that and I have a couple of questions. If any of you reading this have any ideas I would love to hear from you. The first question is why did they make a pile of stones in the river bed which no one would see? The second question is why did they make a memorial this time but when they had crossed the Red Sea there was no such memorial?

Faith is the Victory?

When I was growing up we sang a hymn which had the line "Faith is the victory that over comes the world." I think we all knew what we meant by that but I am not sure that anyone would know what we mean today. After all we refer to people of different faiths. Is this the faith that over comes the world? We talk about having faith so that something will happen as if faith was what caused the miracle. Is this the faith that over comes the world? We make it sound as if it is up to us. If we have faith then "A" will happen. Lately I have preferred to use the word trust which gives to me more of the idea that we are resting in our God.
Did Joshua have faith? Absolutely. Was that faith the force that made the waters stand up in a heap? No. It was the God who did it and Joshua had faith that God would do it. Would it have happened if Joshua didn't have faith? I don't think so. However, it was still all about God and not Joshua.

Bob the Builder

Bob the builder
Can we fix it?
Bob the builder
Yes we can!

Can we dig it? Yes
Can we build it? Yes
Can we fix it? Yes

Joshua came to the Jordon River and it was flood season. How were they going to cross, especially with three million people including children. Where was Bob the Builder when they needed him? They didn't need Bob as they had Someone far greater. They had the Lord. He would do the impossible. Bob the Builder can only do the possible, God can do the impossible.

Why is it that we take the Bob the Builder approach to living the Christian life? Instead of coming to the cross we sing "Can we fix it? Yes we can." No we can't. We need the cross.

Liar

Many people read Joshua 2 and miss the amazing story of redemption because they cannot see past the fact that Rahab lied. However, the story of Rahab is a story about redemption and about faith. Rahab is compared to both Sarah (Hebrews 11:31) and Abraham (James 2:25) as an example of faith. Abraham is often looked upon as a giant of faith but he too lied when it came to protecting himself.

An email from my son

I had an email from my son about the tenth commandment so I thought I would post it here.

He wrote:
Dad,

I'm reading through my professor's yet to be released New Testament Theology. It is really good. While reading on the problem of sin, Dr Schreiner says this:

"Refusing to honor God as God and to give him glory, to worship and adore him constitutes sin according to Paul. Therefore, he identifies coveting as idolatry (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5). The prohibition against coveting is the tenth commandment in the decalogue, and we see from Paul's commentary that the tenth and first commandment address the same reality. Whatever a person covets has become an idol, and hence coveting places the object of desire above God himself."

Thomas Schreiner, Magnifying God in Christ: New Testament Theology; ch 14 - "The Problem of Sin" (Forthcoming).

Dr. Schreiner rightly has argued that the first and last commandment really form an inclusio so that the rest of the commandments are interpreted as an explanation of the first and last (not his exact words, but mine!). Therefore, all sin is idolatry and is a failure to glorify God.

As for me and my house

At the end of Joshua's life he made a powerful committment to his God in front of the people. Since that day many have used this as a motto for their family. Though it is not a promise that our children will follow the Lord there is a great possiblity that they will if their parents say as Joshua did, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."
I am so glad that my children have chosen to follow God and have made their parent's. grandparent's and greatgrandparent's God their God. Today is our youngest son's birthday and today he is a quarter of a century old. We are proud of the choices he has made in his life, education, place to live, the one he wishes to spend his life with and mostly his choice to follow God. He is a blessing to us. My God bless him on his birthday and our prayer is that he and his house will serve the Lord.

The Scarlet Cord

The gates to the city were shut and there was no way out of the city except by going over the wall. Rahab let the spies down from her house, which was built on a wall, by a scarlet rope or cord. That cord was to be the sign that Rahab and all that were in her house would be protected when God gave the city into the hands of the Israelites. The spies told her that she was to tie the cord from her window. She did not hesitate to make sure that the cord was in place even though distruction did not come for at least another week. She wanted to make sure she was safe as well as her family.
Some people have seen the scarlet cord as a picture of the blood of Christ. We cannot say that for sure as the Bible does not make that connection. To the spies and the other Israelites they saw the parallel with the passover. It was the blood on the door posts that showed that the people inside were protected from the distruction that was to come.

Get Ready and Wait

Joshua told the leaders that they were to tell the people to get ready to cross the Jordan River but that wouldn't be for three days. Why did they have to wait three days? They had to wait because there was a person to be saved. God had waited four hundred years for the people of Canaan to repent and then judgment was to come. They could wait three more days while one person repents.
Some people wonder why God has not returned for His people and brought judgment upon the world. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Just imagine if you were that last person to be saved before our Lord returns.

Rahab

The story of Rahab is a redemption story, a salvation story. She was a condemned person living in a condemned city. Like Rahab we are also condemned and living in a condemned world. Our only hope is in being redeemed. Without Christ we are under the wrath of God, we are part of the problem just as Rahab was under the wrath of God and as a citizen of Jericho she was part of the problem.
God redeemed Rahab and saved her from the destruction that was to come upon her city. He then gave her a sign that she asked for, the sign of the scarlet cord. He saved her from the wrath to come and gave her a place in the Kingdom of God. She married a prince of Judah and became an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ. She is one of five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus as given by Matthew. She also was a role model for every Christian. We read about her in Hebrews 11 among the heroes of faith. She is one of two women mentioned, Sarah and Rahab. Two women who were so different but both showed remarkable faith.

Two Spies

Before Joshua crossed over the Jordon River he sent two spies to Jericho to spy out the land. He sent two spies and not twelve as before. I wondered why he sent two. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that when the twelve spies went only two said that they should go up immediately and take the land? He also sent two instead of one because the truth of a testimony is based upon two or more witnesses. Also two spies can hold each other accountable.
Why did the spies go to a prostitutes home? It certainly wasn't for immoral reasons but by going to a prostitutes house they would not arouse suspicion about why they were there.
But why did Joshua send two spies in the first place? Hadn't God promised them the land? I see a parallel in the life of Gideon when God gave him a sign that he didn't ask for. Gideon had asked for two signs but God gave him the testimony of the Midianites. Similarly the spies were given the testimony of a citizen of Jericho.

Charlton Heston and the Ten Commandments

Charlton Heston died this past Saturday at his home in California. As I read the blogs about him many of them were about his role with the National Rifle Association so much was said about gun control. As an actor he will be remembered for a number of roles including John the Baptist in The Greatest Story Ever Told, Ben Hur for which he won an Oscar in 1959 and Moses in The Ten Commandments. I think most people will be able to name more of his movies than they can commandments. The movie was only a movie but the Ten Commandments are the Words of a Living God.

What Makes a Spiritual Leader

The Word of God is central in producing spiritual leaders whether in a church or a home or in any organization. There are three things that relate to the Word of God.
1. Leaders must be men and/or women of the Word.
2. Leaders must have confidence in the Word.
3. Leaders must proclaim the Word.

Ironic

The people made the following pledge to Joshua: "Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses." Joshua 1:17. I am sure that they were sincere in their commitment but the people had not fully obeyed Moses. Often they complained and challenged his leadership. I wonder how much comfort Joshua received from their pledge?

Neither Right nor Left

The Lord tells Joshua in Joshua 1:7 to obey the word and not stray from it to the right or to the left. I have included a copy of a letter I wrote to a friend.

One Sunday afternoon when I was growing up in Saskatchewan my two older brothers and myself decided that we would visit Ranger Lake Bible Camp. My brother Bob had a ’30 Chev roadster so we headed west of town through the bush country on a dirt road. We had only gone a few miles when it started to rain. If you have ever walked a dirt trail in Saskatchewan in the rain you soon learned how slippery gumbo can be. It was so slippery that my brother could not keep the car on the road even when he drove right down the centre so my oldest brother walked on one side holding the fender and I walked on the other side holding the opposite fender while my brother Bob drove. We walked mile after mile keeping the car in the middle of the road and out of the ditches one each side.

In a similar way each mile of theological road we travel has two miles of ditches, one mile on the left and one mile on the right. For most of us we have a terrible time staying out of one of the ditches. On the left there is the danger of slipping off into open theism, reductionism, process theology, the emergent church, etc. The good intentions of people who wish to see their community won for Christ can easily move them from a concern to seeker sensitive to one of the above mentioned heresies. On the right there is the danger of hyper Calvinism, pride, etc. Some times I am so afraid of the left that I am in danger of slipping into the right ditch.

I thank God for those on the left that warn us against falling into the right ditch and I am also grateful for those on the right that keep us from falling into the left ditch. People on the right like John Piper who warns his denomination against open theism and process theology, people like Albert Mohler who have kept his denomination from slipping into liberalism and many others. You many not agree with them but they are doing a great service for the church just as there are those on the left who are also doing a similar service. We may not agree but we must stay out of the ditches.

Two men who exemplify this for me served together at First Baptist Church. Terry Janke was on the right and Brian Dunn was on the left. Both of them served the church well and helped each other to have a balance in their walk. They both trusted the authority of Scripture and used it as their guide. Who was more right (correct)? That was not the real issue, the issue was that they were both right and both had a ministry that kept the church focused on the truth of God’s Word.

I may find myself more often on the right and needing those on the left to remind me that there is a dangerous ditch there. You may find yourself more on the left but remember that there is a dangerous ditch there as well. We may not always agree but we need each other.

Most of us fool ourselves. We think we are staying in the centre and there is no danger but every one of us has a tendency to stray either to the right or to the left. Though God has sent us servants who faithfully warn us it is the Word of God that will protect us. We need to test all teaching by the Word of God.

Joshua and the People

After Joshua heard from the Lord then he repeated the Lord's words to the people. After that the people then repeated Joshua's words back to him. The call for spiritual leaders is to speak God's Word to the people. The call to God's people is to speak God's Word back to the leaders.

Joshua and the Power of God

The power of God was real to Joshua. He was there when the Red Sea parted for the Israelites to pass through. He was there when God gave victory while Moses prayed. Now Moses was dead and he was the leader. Would the poser of the living God be with him as it had been with Moses? As he tood on the shores of the Jordon River he knew that he had to step out in faith believing that the God that showed His power through Moses was the unchanging God and He would show His power through him.
The God of Elijah was the God of Elisha and He is our God. Do we believe in the power of God or in the power of advertising, of political influence, of financial influence?

Joshua and the Word of God

I recently read a commentary on Genesis and the author who is suppose to be a Biblical scholar used the JEPD theory which attributes much of the authorship of the first five books to someone other than Moses. Maybe this author is wiser and more informed than either Joshua or Jesus. Jesus always refered to the Moses authorship and Joshua was told by God that he was to keep the Word of God always before him. Joshua knew that the Word was what was written by Moses. In Exodus 17:14 we read, "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it."
Joshua knew that Moses' words were scripture and didn't need a meeting of Biblical scholars to take a vote or to drop coloured beads in a jar. At the end of Joshua's life we find him adding to the canon of Scripture. "And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God." Joshua 24:26