back to the camp safely

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Joshua - 1

back to the camp safely

Joshua 10:16-21 (JDV)

Joshua 10:16 The five defeated kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
Joshua 10:17 It was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
Joshua 10:18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.
Joshua 10:19 But as for the rest of you, don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them enter their cities, because Yahveh your God has handed them over to you.”
Joshua 10:20 So Joshua and the Israelites finished inflicting a terrible slaughter on them until they were destroyed, although a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities.
Joshua 10:21 The people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. And no one dared to threaten the Israelites.

back to the camp safely

The enemy learned several things as a result of this battle with the Israelite army under Joshua. First, they learned that Joshua keeps his commitments. The Gibeonites could not be attacked without reprisal from Joshua’s army. Second, they learned that the Israelites have God on their side, so fighting them is fighting their God.

Whenever our Adversary, the devil seeks to attack us. We only need to stay true to our God and our commitments, and wait for the tide of battle to turn in our favor. We can confidently expect God to show up in some way, and make a difference. The battle will probably go on for a while, but we can expect to return safely to the camp in the end.

Lord, thank you for the fact that we need not fight our battles alone.

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Sun, stand still

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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Sun, stand still

Joshua 10:12-15 (JDV)

Joshua 10:12 On the day Yahveh gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to Yahveh in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day.
Joshua 10:14 There has been no day like it before or since, when Yahveh listened to a man, because Yahveh fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Sun, stand still

Pastor Steve Furtick says “If you’re not daring to believe God for the impossible, you may be sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian Life” in his book Sun Stand Still. He challenges Christians to dare to ask God for the outrageous, because that is what God wants to give those who follow the pattern of Joshua here.

Lord, give us this generation for your kingdom.

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a slew of Amorites

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Joshua - 1

a slew of Amorites

Joshua 10:6-11 (JDV)

Joshua 10:6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don’t give up on your servants. Come quickly and deliver us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.”
Joshua 10:7 So Joshua and all his troops, including all his best soldiers, came from Gilgal.
Joshua 10:8 Yahveh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”
Joshua 10:9 So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal.
Joshua 10:10 Yahveh threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
Joshua 10:11 As they fled before Israel, Yahveh dropped large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword.

a slew of Amorites

Joshua probably felt by now that his army could handle any one city that they came against — with God’s help of course. But then a messenger from Gibeon comes into his headquarters tent, and informs him that “all the Amorite kings” are attacking Gibeon. Just one, he probably felt he could handle. But, all of them?

That is often what happens to us. We have a few good experiences with God, and feel relatively confident we can handle any battle, but then we face a slew of Amorites. That is when we have to trust God to intervene.

Lord, we cannot handle everything that challenges us, today. Help!

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mistakes and miracles

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Joshua - 1

mistakes and miracles

Joshua 10:1-5 (JDV)

Joshua 10:1 King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem happened to hear that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made a peace treaty with Israel and were living among them.
Joshua 10:2 So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
Joshua 10:3 That is why King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon, saying,
Joshua 10:4 “Come up and assist me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelites.”
Joshua 10:5 So the five Amorite kings – the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon – joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.

mistakes and miracles

Sometimes we think God is punishing us because we made a mistake in judgment. In this situation, there was another factor at work. God in his sovereignty allowed Israel to make a treaty with the Gibeonites, knowing that it would incite the surrounding Amorite kings to attack them. God wanted to demonstrate his power by delivering the Gibeonites, through the army under Joshua’s command and through his direct intervention.

Thank you, God, for working your miracles for us, even when we make mistakes.

__________________________

Books by Jefferson Vann

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uninterrupted freedom

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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uninterrupted freedom

Joshua 9:21-27 (JDV)

Joshua 9:21 They also said, “Let them stay alive.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, like the leaders had promised them.
Joshua 9:22 Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?
Joshua 9:23 Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves – woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
Joshua 9:24 The Gibeonites answered him, “It was clearly reported to your servants that Yahveh your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
Joshua 9:25 Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right.”
Joshua 9:26 This is what Joshua did to them: he rescued them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them.
Joshua 9:27 On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers – as they are today – for the community and for Yahveh’s altar at the place he would choose.

uninterrupted freedom

The Gibeonites chose to be servants of Israel, rather than die at the hands of the Israelite army, empowered by Israel’s God. Their present freedom would not last, so they sought uninterrupted freedom by becoming attached to Israel as their servants. It is better to serve in the kingdom of God than to face the consequence of the other choice.

Say whatever you will about your personal freedom, would you trade it for your life? What about permanent life?

The irony is, there is no freedom without life, and no permanent freedom without permanent life. God offers you both.

God of freedom, we surrender to your will, because only you offer uninterrupted freedom.

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victims of indiscretion

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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victims of indiscretion

Joshua 9:14-20 (JDV)

Joshua 9:14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek Yahveh’s decision.
Joshua 9:15 So Joshua established a relationship with them and made a treaty to allow them stay alive, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.
Joshua 9:16 Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them.
Joshua 9:17 So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
Joshua 9:18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by Yahveh, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
Joshua 9:19 All the leaders answered them, “We have sworn an oath to them by Yahveh, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
Joshua 9:20 This is how we will treat them: we will let them stay alive, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”

victims of indiscretion

Joshua and the Israelites had made a mistake by not consulting God when they made a treaty with the Gibeonites. Now, even though it would hinder their mission, they had to abide by that treaty. They had to stay true to their word. Why, because God’s wrath would fall on them if they didn’t.

Lord, make us people of integrity who stand by our commitments, but help us to seek your will in our decisions, so that we are not victims of our own indiscretion.

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caution and compromise

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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caution and compromise

Joshua 9:7-13 (JDV)

Joshua 9:7 The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, “What if you actually live among us. How could we make a treaty with you?”
Joshua 9:8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
Joshua 9:9 They replied to him, “Your servants have come from a far away land because of the reputation of Yahveh your God. You see, we have heard news about him, and all that he did in Egypt,
Joshua 9:10 and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth.
Joshua 9:11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, “We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.”‘
Joshua 9:12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly.
Joshua 9:13 These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey.”

caution and compromise

The Gibeonites keep up the deception, even skirting around the very issue that Joshua brings up. They know that the Israelites are determined to eliminate the competition and inhabit the promised land without the temptation of outsiders. Yet they seek the alliance that would prevent that.

This story should help believers to be cautious about compromise.

Lord, give us insight into those who would pretend to join us, but have ulterior motives.

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Gibeonites among us

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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Gibeonites among us

Joshua 9:3-6 (JDV)

Joshua 9:3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
Joshua 9:4 they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
Joshua 9:5 They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly.
Joshua 9:6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a far away land. Please make a treaty with us.”

Gibeonites among us

The Gibeonites were wiser than the kings who had formed an alliance against Israel. They realized the truth to that old saying “If you can’t beat them , join them.” But they did not join Israel in integrity. They chose to deceive them into thinking that they had traveled from far away.

I think there are Gibeonites among us. Some appear to be in an alliance with Bible believers, but have really just sought our protection through deception. Like the Gibeonites, they will be found out.

Lord, give us insight into the real status of our “friends.”

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a united alliance

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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a united alliance

Joshua 9:1-2 (JDV)

Joshua 9:1 When all the kings heard about Jericho and Ai, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon – the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites –
Joshua 9:2 they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.

a united alliance

Not one of the pagan kings imagined any kind of treaty or cooperative agreement with Israel, but they were willing to put aside their petty rivalries and unify with all the other pagan kings against Joshua and Israel. They understood they were in danger. This advance had to be stopped.

When we are seeking to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and make kingdom changes in this world, we should expect a unified alliance against us. In fact, we should be concerned if we do not have opposition and persecution.

Lord, make us a threat to the powers of this age, as we advance your gospel and your kingdom.

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Ebal’s altar

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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Ebal’s altar

Joshua 8:30-35 (JDV)

Joshua 8:30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to Yahveh, the God of Israel,
Joshua 8:31 just like Moses Yahveh’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to Yahveh and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it.
Joshua 8:32 There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.
Joshua 8:33 All Israel – resident alien and citizen alike – with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of Yahveh’s covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses Yahveh’s servant had commanded earlier concerning blessing the people of Israel.
Joshua 8:34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the instruction – the blessings as well as the curses – according to all that is written in the book of instruction.
Joshua 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the dependents, and the resident aliens who lived among them.

Ebal’s altar

Immediately after the destruction of Ai, Joshua built an altar and recommitted the people to obeying the law. But do not overlook the fact that Joshua also offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The renewal included more that a recommitment. The sacrifice was a celebration of God’s forgiveness by his grace.

Likewise, on that day, when our universe is once and for all cleansed of its defilement, it will not be the destruction of evil that we will celebrate. It will be the survival of life, brought about by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

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