TODAY’S READING: JUDGES 18-21

 

OVERVIEW:

The corruption of the Tribe of Dan; the wickedness of the Gibeonites; the division between the Tribe of Benjamin and the rest ofIsrael; the destruction of the Tribe of Benjamin.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we finish the Book of Judges today, it’s vital that we recall where we are in this point of Israel’s history. After several years of COMPLACENCY, summarized in chapters one and two,Israelentered into a long period of COMPROMISE, found in chapters three through sixteen. During that time, God’s people endured seven major cycles of oppression at the hands of those over whom the Lord had previously given victory. The final five chapters of the Book of Judges sadly describes for us the CORRUPTION that ultimately takes place when they forgot God and His Word! Some of the most bizarre stories in all of scripture appear in this final part of the Book of Judges. Remember, the key to understanding this whole book is found in the last verse of the final chapter… “In those days there was no king inIsrael: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

 

In chapter 18, the Tribe of Dan convinces Micah’s own personal priest whom he called “father” (see Jud.17:10) to leave with them to be the whole Tribe’s priest (Jud.18:19). This, of course, was appealing to the priest because he was getting a promotion, so to speak. He was so excited about this “promotion” that he stole Micah’s ephod (“priestly garment”), teraphim (“household idol”), and graven image (Jud.18:20) so he could perform his priestly duties for the Tribe of Dan. Micah was, of course, devastated by this, because they stole his religion and he had nothing left to live for (see his own words in Jud.18:24). Watch out for any religion or “faith” that can be stolen! It cannot resist the weapons of warfare (vs. 11, 16-17), its’ priest will not stand by you (vs. 18-20), its’ congregation can only cry out in despair with you (vs. 22-23), and its’ final end is heartache and loss (vs. 24-26). You can’t steal the “religion” of someone, who has been truly born again and trusted Christ for their salvation, because it’s not a “religion”, it’s an eternal “relationship” with the Creator as your Father!

 

In chapter 19, a Levite sets out on a long journey to recover his unfaithful concubine, who, consequently is abused all night long until the dawning of the day, at which time she is divided by the sword. Although this isn’t a perfect picture by any means, it still typifies for us that Jehovah God will come back in the morning to look for His unfaithful wife, the Nation of Israel, who is spiritually dead to Him. This just happens to be the book of Judges; at this point there is no king andIsraelis dead to God. But in the Book of Ruth, a Jewish kinsman redeemer takes a gentile bride to himself, then the Son of David (Solomon) will come back to give Israel life again.

 

Chapters 20 and 21 teach us the story of howIsraeldecides to deal with this despicable sin that happened within their borders (the abusing of the concubine by the men of Gibeah). There is a division between the men ofIsraeland the Tribe of Benjamin over this issue though. Benjamin takes the side of the Gibeonites and decides to fight againstIsrael. Isn’t it amazing, the depths that sin will take you! The Benjamites actually wanted to defend the wickedness of the Gibeonites! What does that tell you about the moral state of this tribe at this time? The Tribe of Benjamin was defeated byIsraelin the war and it appeared that the sin at Gibeah had been dealt with. The only problem is that history teaches us they never truly repented, because once again, they returned to their sinful ways.

 

All of chapter 21 is a counterfeit repentance that does nothing more than make them feel good about themselves for “dealing with the sin”. When you “deal with the sin in your life,” do you truly repent and turn from your sin? Or, do you go right back to doing that which you supposedly “repented” of?

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through THE HOUSE OF GOD – Judges 20:18; God’s dwelling place among His peopleIsrael.

Unfortunately, this corrupt time inIsraelis much like the Laodicean church period (Rev. 3:14-22), where God is on the outside looking in, while the people think He’s in their midst!

As the LEVITE – Judges 19:1 – see Highlights and Insights

 

 

TODAY’S READING: JUDGES 13-17

 

OVERVIEW:

The birth of Samson; the life of Samson; the death of Samson; Micah and his mother’s idolatrous religion.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Samson was born in a godly home to parents that prayed (Judges 13:8,12).  He was God’s special gift to them and the nation ofIsrael.  His parents brought offerings to God and dared to believe His wonderful promises (Judges13:15,21).  God gave Samson the power of His Spirit that made him strong and called him to be a Nazarite, one who is wholly surrendered to the Lord.  According to Numbers 6, a Nazarite was never to drink strong drink or touch a dead body; and the mark of his dedication would be his uncut hair.  This entire wonderful heritage Samson despised by the choices he made in his life.  Instead of putting himself in God’s hands to accomplish his God-given task, he chose to live to please himself.  What a tragedy it is to waste a life that was supposed to be set apart for God’s service.  Let Samson be a warning to each of us who name the name of Christ, so that we don’t repeat his sad mistakes.  For we, too, have been called by God and set apart (sanctified) for his use just as Samson (II Tim.2:21).  Hebrews 11:32 names Samson for his faith in God’s Word, but apart from this, little else can be said on his behalf. In January and February of 2009  we covered his life in the sermon series called “The tragedy of a wasted life”                                        

 

One evidence of spiritual decline is in the way we submit to the authority in our lives (in Samson’s case – his parents).  In Judges 14:1 God says “Samson went down”.  This is true both spiritually and geographically.  Instead of staying within the borders ofIsrael, Samson went into enemy territory and fell in love with a heathen woman (II Cor.6:14).  He knew the laws of separation that God had given to His people, but he chose to ignore them.  Note that he “TOLD” his father, (he did not ask him), to “get her for me” (Jud. 14:2-3) because she pleased him well.  Not exactly what you would call a selfless desire.  It did not even bother Samson that his parents were displeased with this idea of his (Jud. 14:3).  This is just the beginning of Samson’s demise because of the poor and selfish choices he made in his life.  We must understand that God has placed into His creation certain principles and laws that are non-negotiable.  Whether or not we believe them is irrelevant.  They will affect our lives just the same.  The law of gravity is one such universal principle.  Regardless of what you believe about gravity, it still holds you to the ground and can kill you if you violate it.  One of the very basic principles of God’s creation is that of authority.  God has designed that the entire world, and every individual life, be governed by authorities (Rom.13:1-6; I Pet.2:13-18).  For this reason, God made it abundantly clear in His Law that rebellion must be substituted for honor in those that take His name.  This attitude of respect and honor was to be learned very early in life, in the way we respond to our first authorities…our parents (Ex.20:12, Eph. 6:1-4).  Note that there are no qualifying statements or exceptions given (i.e. the same goes for children with good parents as it does for those with bad parents).  If you honor your parents you will be blessed and if you don’t…consider the Bible’s warnings to you (see Ex.21:15; Deut. 21:18-21; 27:16; Prov. 20:20; 30:11-17).  We must let the tragic life of Samson be a fearful reminder to us of the high price to pay for disregarding God’s principle of authority.

 

The rest of Samson’s life (Judges 15-16) is an illustration of a man who has power to conquer others, but who cannot conquer himself.  He set the Philistine fields on fire, but would not control the fires of his own lust.  He killed a lion, but would not put to death the passions of his own flesh.  He could easily break the bonds that men put on him, but the shackles of sin gradually grew stronger on his soul.  Instead of leading the nation, he preferred to work independently; and as a result left no permanent victory behind.  He was remembered for what he destroyed, not for what he built up.  He failed to check the impulses that began to dominate early in his life, and twenty years later, they killed him.  It remained for Samuel and David in later years to finally defeat the Philistines.  Samuel, by one prayer, accomplished more than Samson did in twenty years with his great physical strength (see I Sam. 7:9-14).

 

In chapter 17 we have an incredible picture of a false religious system that has black-robed priests (see vs. 4; an ephod = a priestly garment) called “fathers” (vs. 10) who use idols (vs. 4, 5,10) as aides in worship in their house of gods.  Note that Micah calls a man younger than himself “father” (vs. 7, 10).  This happens to be the exact same false religious system still existing today…it is called the Roman Catholic Church.  Note in verse 13, Micah thought he was doing the right thing and that the Lord would be pleased (compare this with vs. 6).  The sad truth is that Satan has always found a way to devise some false religious system to put God’s name on, in order to give people a false sense of security, so he can damn their souls to Hell.  And the whole reason this happened was because Micah neglected to consult God’s Word on this matter!  This is the same reason why the Roman Catholic Church still deceives so many into thinking their okay with God…they neglect to ! ever consult God’s Word on the matter! Pray for them!  One billion of the world’s six billion people are Roman Catholic.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through SAMSON – Judges 13-16; the son of promise who was born to be set-apart for God in order to deliverIsraelfrom her enemies.

TODAY’S READING: JUDGES 9-12

 

OVERVIEW:

Abimelech’s rise to power and his subsequent death; the oppression of the Ammonites; Jephthah’s deliverance ofIsraeland vow to God.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Although Gideon’s fame as a courageous judge of Israel is secured in biblical history as the story of his life comes to an end in chapter 8,  the seed of sin he sowed (Jud. 8:27-31) bore some awfully bad fruit in chapter 9.  In this chapter, God details for us the consequences of the “house of the proud” (Prov.15:25) in the life of Abimelech, the son of Gideon by his concubine. Abimelech’s whole motive and purpose in life was power!  He wanted to be King at any cost (vs. 1-4).  Do others see you in this same pursuit of prestige, power, and/or position? Take an honest look at the motive behind your service for Christ to determine whether it is really for Him, or for you.  Prior to coming to Christ, the Bible says we were all driven by our pride, and our pursuit of power and/or prestige.  Many have simply changed the arena from which they seek to exalt self.  Whereas it used to be the world, now it is the church.  God forbid!

 

Abimelech is also a warning to all parents…for whatever we do in moderation; our children will do in excess.  Abimelech ended up murdering all his siblings except one (Jotham) to get the position he so greatly desired.  But God always pays his debts and no sin goes unnoticed.  Abimelech was killed by a wise woman (Prov.1:20-33) who fled to a strong tower (Ps. 61:3) by a rock (I Cor. 10:4) that she dropped on his big head!  Note that Jotham, whose name means “Jehovah is perfect”, escaped being murdered by running to Beer (which means “the well”; a place where you can go to get water – Eph.5:26).   

 

Once again, in chapters 10-12, we findIsraelin one of their repeated cycles of sin.  The real issue is that they we willing to serve any god who would make them happy.  They wanted their own way, their desires fulfilled, and their ego boosted.  It is a collision course for disaster!  The choice to serve self is sin, and sin always leads to sorrow and death (James1:15). It becomes increasingly difficult to understand, much less to tolerate, the blatant foolishness and rebellion of God’s peopleIsrael.  How could they possibly experience all of His blessings, and repeatedly turn their backs on Him?  And yet, how can we, who likewise, have been overly blessed by God, and have even seen the consequences ofIsrael’s choices, do less than make a final end to our own flirting with the world, the flesh and the devil?  We must, once and for all, make the decision, “That it is ENOUGH! I am not my own, I have been bought by the blood of God’s dear Son, and sin will not control me any longer!”  When we cry out to God, broken by our sin, we can be sure that He will hear us, and deliver us from its dominion. (Rom.6:12-14).

 

In keeping with their pattern,Israelcried out to God once again (Jud.10:10), and once again, God sent them a deliverer.  This time it was Jephthah, another incredible picture of Jesus Christ.  Jephthah was a might man of valor who was the son of an harlot (Jud. 11:1).  He was rejected by his brethren (Jud. 11:2-3), and went away to live in thelandofTob(which means “blessing, joy, beautiful, and righteous”).  While he was in Tob, he gathered vain (or “empty”) men unto himself.  He was later called home byIsraelduring a time of tribulation to deliver them from their oppressors.  He then came back as the captain of their salvation (Jud. 11:6).  Likewise, Jesus was a mighty man of valor who was accused of being an illegitimate child (John8:41).  He was rejected by His brethren (Luke19:14), and went away to a place like Tob…a beautiful place of blessing, joy, and righteousness (Ps. 48:2).  While He is there, He continues to gather empty men and women to Himself as worshippers.  He will come back during the Great Tribulation to deliverIsrael, and to be the Captain of their Salvation (see Heb.2:10and Rev. 19)!

 

Though to this point, Jephthath was a beautiful type of Christ, he made a horrendous mistake by vowing a vow to God that resulted in him foolishly and sinfully burning his own daughter as a sacrifice, supposedly to God (Jud. 11:34-40)!  Jephthah’s mistake was in thinking that there is something that we DO to EARN the blessing and/or favor of God.  He thought that by vowing his vow, he could get God on his side.  The irony was, God was already on his side!  No human work can earn God’s graciously given favor (Eph. 2:8-9), or make you the recipient of more of His power (Acts 1:8).  He gives it all to us freely (I Cor.2:12).  Though this is an incredibly sad chapter in Jephthah’s life, and an incredibly sad chapter in the Bible, it is also a blessing in the fact that God has set His Book apart from all others because of His honesty regarding its heroes. Other examples include Noah, David, Solomon, Elijah, etcl!   In the end, Jephthah was faithful to a God he just didn’t understand.

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As THESTRONGTOWER– Judges9:51(Psalm 18:2, 61:3)       

 

Through JEPHTHAH – Judges 11-12 (see Highlights and Insights)

TODAY’S READING: JUDGES 5-8

 

OVERVIEW:

Deborah’s song to the Lord; Gideon’s call and deliverance ofIsraelfrom the oppression of the Midianites.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Deborah’s song is really a prophecy of a song that the redeemed will sing when the true King (the Lord Jesus Christ) takes His rightful throne, and the ultimate king of evil (Satan) is destroyed (see Rev. 5:9; 14:3).  At the conclusion of the song (Jud.5:31), the Sun goes forth to reign in His might with those He loves, and then there was rest in the land.  That is exactly what Malachi 4:2 and Rev. 19:14 says will happen in the very near future!

 

Chapters 6-8 deal with one of the most well known heroes in the Book of Judges, Gideon.  He is called by God to be the deliverer ofIsraelfrom the Midianites.  Midian means “strife,” or “contention”.  Proverbs13:10teaches us that “only by pride cometh contention”.  The root of strife and contention is carnality (I Cor.1:10-11, 3:1-3).  If Satan can get us to focus on ourselves, rather than on God and others, he wins.  He knows that we cannot be used by God if we are focused on self. 

 

Notice what the Midianites did toIsrael.  They destroyed the fruit in thelandofIsrael, and left them with nothing to eat (Jud. 6:4).  How incredibly ironic…Israelwas starving in the midst of a land flowing with milk and honey!  Midian’s (or strife’s) ultimate target is the harvest!  Are you starving, and struggling to be fruitful because of the selfish and contentious attitude of your heart?  If so, pay close attention to what Gideon did to defeat the Midianites so you can employ the same principles to your life.

 

Hebrews11:32puts Gideon at the head of the list of judges.  Though he often wavered in doubt, he was still a “man of faith” who dared to trust the Word of God.  When you realize that he was a farmer (Jud.6:11), not a trained warrior, you can see how wonderful his faith actually was!  When you read this story and see how God chose to defeat this enemy, it emphasizes the truth we learn in I Corinthians 1:27-29… “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…that no flesh should glory in his presence”.  God used 300 men armed with nothing more than pitchers, lamps, and trumpets to defeat a much larger and better equipped enemy,  so that He would get the glory for the victory (Jud. 7:2).  The battle plan was simple: shatter your pitcher, blow your trumpet, shine your lamp, and stand fast in your place while God defeats the enemy (Jud.7:19-21).  This is the only way Midian (pride, strife, contention) can be defeated in our lives as well.  We must be clean, broken vessels (or pitchers) for God to use (II Tim. 2:21); we must let our lights shine (Mt. 5:16); we must use our mouths as a trumpet to proclaim the gospel to the world; and finally, we must stand and watch God defeat the enemy with the sword (three times God commands us to “stand” in Eph. 6:10-14). 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As THE ANGEL OF THE LORD – Judges6:12-21

 

Through BARAK, the son of Abinoam – Judges 5:12; His name means “Glittering Sword” (John 1:1, 14).  Abinoam means “beautiful father”.  Barak, the glittering sword, was the son of a beautiful Father!

 

Through GIDEON – Judges 6-8; The deliverer who leadsIsraelto a most improbable victory.

 

TODAY’S READING: JUDGES 1-4

 

OVERVIEW:

Early victories and incomplete possession of the land byIsrael; the forsaking of God to serve Baal and Ashtaroth; God raises up Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak as judges to deliverIsraelfrom the oppression of their enemies four different times.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

To understand the Book of Judges, you must understand the last sentence in the entire Book: “In those days there was no king inIsrael: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  Mark those words!  They are the key, not only to this Book, but to human nature as well.  Notice that every man did that which was RIGHT in his own eyes, not that which was wrong.  The tragedy is that man’s idea of what is right is often the exact opposite of what God says is right (Prov.14:12).  This will become evident as we read the Book of Judges and find the following recurring expression: “And the children ofIsraeldid EVIL in the sight of the Lord.”     

 

We find that whenIsraelwas strong, they put their enemies to tribute and did not utterly drive them out as the Lord had commanded (Jud.1:28).  First, they became COMPLACENT, which led to INCOMPLETE OBEDIENCE (chapters 1-3).  Then, they COMPROMISED, which led to DISOBEDIENCE (chapters 3-16).  Then finally, they fell to complete CORRUPTION, which led to REBELLION and DEPRAVITY (chapters 17-21).  Keep in mind, that the nation ofIsraelis a picture of an individual N.T. believer.  We must avoid this deadly cycle that spirals downward, away from God and His Word!  It is interesting to note that the Book of Joshua starts with an exhortation to meditate in God’s Book day and night (Josh. 1:8).  While in the Book of Judges, the words “book”, “law”, or “commandments” do not appear even once.  This downward spiral of complacency, compromise, and corruption is clearly linked to neglecting God’s Word, and the refusal of His people to obey it.

 

In chapter 1, the house of Joseph makes a deal with the enemy (Jud.1:24).  “Deals” were not in God’s plan for “dealing” with the enemy!  They were to utterly drive them out of the land.  This enemy eventually became a snare to them (Jud. 2:3).  We, too, have a tendency to make deals with our enemy the flesh.  Instead of destroying it (I Cor.15:31), we keep the so called, “good flesh” alive.  We attempt to spiritualize it, instead of killing it.  For instance, what the Bible calls “self-will,” we now call “determination.”  What the Bible calls being a “busy-body,” we now call “ministering.”  What the Bible calls “pride,” we now call “self-confidence.”  If we don’t choose to die daily (II Cor.15:31), our “good flesh” will ultimately lead to our own personal corruption.

 

In chapter 3, we find a great picture of what happens when we come to church for the sole purpose of being fed.  Eglon is a very fat man who was the King of Moab.  He oppressedIsraelfor 18 years.  We, too, become very fat spiritually when we come to church to be fed and never feed others through the personal investment of the Word of God through discipleship.  Philippians 3:18-19 teaches us that one of the ways to identify those who are enemies of the cross of Christ is the fact that their God is their BELLY!  God sent Ehud to deliverIsraelfrom Eglon and the Moabites.  The way he overcame this very fat man was with a dagger that had two edges (Jud.3:16-17).  He thrust it into Eglon’s belly and the passage says that the dirt came out (Jud.3:21-22).  In dealing with the self-consumption of our flesh, we must hide the two-edged sword (the Word of God) on our right side, and thrust it into the belly of the problem to get the dirt out!  This is how we become clean vessels that God can use to teach others His truth (II Tim. 2:2). 

 

In chapter 4 God used a woman named Jael to defeat a man named Sisera who was an oppressor ofIsrael.  Jael was initially aligned with Sisera againstIsrael.  But God changed her heart.  She got some milk (I Pet. 2:2), took a hammer (Jer.23:29), and killed Sisera while he was sleeping by putting a nail through his temple.  If we let the milk and hammer of the Word of God change our heart, we, too, can defeat our enemies and live changed lives!       

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

The ANGEL OF THE LORD – Judges 2:1-4

 

Through OTHNIEL – Judges 3:1-11; His name means “Lion from the Tribe of Judah”. He deliveredIsraelfrom an oppressive enemy.

 

Through EHUD – Judges 3:15-16 – The Judge with a two-edged sword. (Heb. 4:12; Rev. 2:12)

 

TODAY’S READING: JOSHUA 22-24

 

OVERVIEW:

The two and a half tribes who chose their inheritance on the other side ofJordanbuild an altar and call it Ed; Joshua exhortsIsrael’s leaders; Joshua exhorts all the people ofIsraeland brings them to a point of decision.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Joshua 22 is a great lesson that teaches all of us to never choose less than God’s best!  The two and a half tribes chose to live on this side of theJordan Riverbefore they ever saw what God had in store for them on the other side.  They settled for less than the best.  In this chapter, Joshua allows them to leaveShilohthe place of “rest”, and go back to their chosen inheritance inGilead, which means “stony place”.  They chose to live in a place where it was difficult to farm and “bear fruit” (Matt. 13:1-5).  God, in His patience and grace, allowed them to go because He never forces anyone to “live close to Him”.  On their way back to their inheritance, they built an altar called Ed to remind their children that they worshipped the God of Israel, too.  These two and a half tribes were trying to give the appearance of spirituality by building this altar, while living far from the presence of God (the Ark of the Covenant stayed with the other ten tribes in the Promised Land).  The lesson we all need to learn here is that you can’t fool anybody, especially your children, into believing that you live closer to God than you actually do.  Are you doing what is “allowed” by God, building altars like “Ed” in your life to give the appearance of a Spirit-filled life, or are you seeking to do only those things that please the Lord?  Either way, do realize that God and your family (i.e. your spouse and children) know the truthful answer!

In Joshua 23 and 24, Joshua pulls the leaders and people ofIsraeltogether to exhort, challenge, warn and call them into remembrance.  Joshua’s main concern was thatIsraelremain a separated people, and not mingle with the heathen nations and worship their gods (23:7).  How foolish it is to worship the gods of a defeated enemy!  Yet, that is somehow what eventually happened!  If they meditated on and obeyed God’s Word, then God would continue to bless them.  If not, those blessings would be removed and in their place would be traps, snares and thorns.  Be sure that you realize the sins we allow to remain in our lives will become just that…traps, snares and thorns (Num. 32:23 – “be sure your sin will find you out”).                                  

Joshua brings the people to point of decision (Josh. 24:14-15).  The decision was essentially this: Whom will you choose to fear, and whom will you choose to serve?  The basic lesson is, whomever we fear (i.e. hold in awe), is whom we will serve.  The principle includes both positive and negative aspects.  When we fear God (i.e. when we hold Him in absolute awe and reverence), we will be what He wants us to be, and do what He wants us to do.  In other words, we will serve Him.  On the other hand, when we fear people (i.e. when we revere them and think they’re awesome), we will be what they want us to be, and do what they want us to do.  We will serve them.  But don’t miss the message, everybody serves somebody!  Not to choose God, is to choose Satan by default.  When we hold ourselves in awe, choosing our own way, we fall into the snare of the devil, and actually become like Satan himself (See Isa.14:12-14).

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through JOSHUA (the prophet), ELEAZAR (the priest), and JOSEPH (the King) – Joshua 24:29-33; The book of Joshua ends with three funerals (for Joshua, Eleazar and Joseph).  A prophet, priest and king were buried right there in the middle of the inheritance.  It is only through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Prophet, Priest and King, that we have access to our inheritance in Him.

 

 

TODAY’S READING: JOSHUA 19-21

 

OVERVIEW:

The remaining lots are divided among the tribes ofIsrael; the cities of refuge are designated; the 48 cities given to the Levites from among the other tribe’s inheritance.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In chapter 19, Simeon is given his inheritance from within the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Josh. 19:1, 9).  This was the consequence of Simeon and Levi’s own sin when they killed many men in anger because of what they had done to their sister (Gen. 34; 49:5-7).  It is a graphic illustration of the law of reaping and sowing (Gal. 6:6-8).  There are consequences to sin regardless of forgiveness.  Now, Simeon and Levi were without their own inheritance withinIsrael.  The lesson we must learn is to beware of the power of uncontrolled passions such as anger, wrath, and sexual sin!  There is a high price to pay for sin!

 

In chapter 20, God appoints six cities to be a place of refuge for those who innocently killed somebody (i.e. it was by accident or unintentional; not premeditated) as long as they fled there immediately.  They were protected by the elders of that city from the “avenger of blood” until the death of the high priest.  This is truly an amazing picture in God’s art gallery of the Old Testament!  If you still need proof as to whether or not God wrote this Book, let’s compare the cities of refuge with our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

 

 

The Cities of Refuge          

1. They were appointed for those who shed blood innocently.
2. They were appointed to protect from the avenger of blood.
3. You were safe as long as you stayed in the city (vs. 4, 6).
4. Only the death of the high priest set you free (vs. 4, 6).
5. They were always readily accessible to anyone (vs. 9).
6. Knowing they existed wasn’t enough to protect you.  You had to flee to them.
7. You had to leave everything to come to the city of refuge (family, friends, possessions, etc., see vs. 6).
8. These cities were the responsibility of the Levites (Num. 35:6).

           

The Lord Jesus Christ

1. We all are responsible for shedding His innocent blood (I Pet.2:24; Isa. 53:4-12)
2. If we have trusted Christ, then we are protected from the true avenger of blood (God the Father, see Deut. 32:35, 43).
3. If we are “in Christ”, then we are safe and secure (Rom.8:31-39).
4. It is only through Jesus’ death (our High Priest, Heb.6:20), that we are able to be free indeed from the penalty of our sin (John8:36).
5. Jesus is accessible to anyone, at anytime (Rom.10:13; I Tim.2:5).
6. Just knowing what Jesus did and who He is, doesn’t save you. You have to run to Him and trust Him with your life (Eph.1:12- 13)!
7. You may have to forsake your family, friends, and possessions in order to come to Jesus (Matt. 10:34-39, Luke 18:22). 
8. It is now our responsibility as N.T. priests (Rev. 1:6), to lead others to the City ofRefuge(i.e. Jesus Christ, Matt. 28:19-20).

           

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the CITES OF REFUGE – Joshua 20 (see Ps. 46:1).

 

TODAY’S READING: JOSHUA 15-18

 

OVERVIEW:

ThelandofCanaanis divided among the tribes ofIsrael.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In Joshua 15, Caleb, the eternally strong warrior (Josh.14:11; a picture of God the Father), decides to reward the man who conquers and takes the city ofKirjathsepher(“city of the Book”) with his daughter, Achsah, to wife.  Othniel (meaning “lion”), who happens to be from the tribe ofJudah, conquers and takes “the city of the Book” in order to obtain his bride.  Achsah, which means “anklet”, was given to Othniel as a reward for his accomplishments in battle.  Her “anklet” distinguished her from other women when she walked.  During this time period, women were covered from head to toe with clothing, making it hard to tell one from the other.  The picture is that we, the church, were given to Christ, the Lion from the tribe ofJudah, to be His bride because of His accomplishments in battle (He rose from the dead and fulfilled every prophecy in “the Book” of God).  We, too, should now be known for our walk in this world, just like Achsah (Rom.6:4; Eph. 4:1). I preached on this passages last summer when we were going through the series “Claim your field”  

 

Also in chapter15:18-20, Achsah (the Bride of Christ, who is known by her walk), makes a request from her father Caleb (God the Father).  She begs her father for a field (Matt.13:38- “the field is the world”) with springs of water (Eph.5:26– water pictures the Word of God).  Caleb gives her what she wants so that she can produce much “fruit”.  We, as God’s children, are commissioned to take His Word to the world in order to produce much fruit (John15:16)!  But beware of Satan, who is more “subtle” than any beast of “the field” (Gen. 3:1; II Cor. 11:3-4).   

 

There are several observations we must make from this portion of Scripture to understand some of the key issues we face as we, like Israel, seek to possess our inheritance (Acts 20:32; Eph. 1:15-23):

1. Some chose to dwell on this side ofJordan(Num. 32).  They were the first to fall to the enemy because they settled for less than God intended for them (II Kings 10).

 

2. Some were partial possessors (Josh.16:10).  They could have driven the enemies out, but chose to put them under tribute instead.  In the same way learn to “spiritualize” our flesh, and use it for “ministry”, instead of utterly destroying our flesh on a daily basis. This is exalty what we are currently studying in the book of Esther

 

3. Some were conquerors and possessed all of their inheritance (Josh.8:26;19:47).

 

4. One wanted more (Caleb in Josh. 15). 

 

In terms of dealing with your flesh and allowing God to totally possess you, which of the four observations listed above best describes you?

 

This portion of Scripture also provides us with several action steps for beginning the process of possessing our inheritance (I Thess. 4:4):

 

1. “Arise” (Josh. 18:8) – Get up out of your “safe” place.  Sometimes we have to get uncomfortable in order to deal with our flesh.

 

2. Go for a walk (Josh. 18:8) – “Walk” through your life and see what you still haven’t allowed God to possess.

 

3. Tell Joshua (Jesus) what you see (Josh. 18:8-9) – Take it to the Lord in prayer and allow Him to change you and to possess all of you today.                            

           

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through OTHNIEL – Joshua 15:17; His name means “lion” and he is from the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5).

 

AsSHILOH– Joshua 18:1;Shilohmeans “rest”…from war (see Gen. 49:10; Matt.11:28and Col. 3:15-16).

TODAY’S READING: JOSHUA 11-14

 

OVERVIEW:

Joshua conquers kings and cities forIsrael; the land is divided by lot among the tribes; Caleb requests and obtains themountainofHebronfrom Joshua.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

From the chapters we read today, we are reminded that there are many battles to fight, many cities to destroy, and many kings to conquer in our lives.  When we have no battles to fight, we are in trouble! (See Rev. 3:17.) It is the battles we fight that keep us dependent upon the Lord.  What “king” does Jesus need to conquer in your life?  What “walled cities” need to be destroyed so that God can possess all of you, instead of just part of you (I Cor.6:19-20)?

 

In chapter 12:1-6, we are reminded of the kings conquered byIsraelbefore crossing theJordan River.  Two and a half tribes thought it “couldn’t get any better than this”, so they asked that their inheritance be given to them on this side of theJordan River.  They got satisfied with less than what God had for them.  Don’t ever allow yourself to settle for being a good spouse and a good parent who attends church and reads his/her Bible! We must possess all that God has for us so that we can bear fruit and fulfill the mission God left us to accomplish!

 

In chapter 14, Caleb asks Joshua for themountainofHebron.  This is the same mountain that the ten other spies saw and feared because of the giants that lived there in the “great and fenced” cities (Josh.14:12).  Caleb received permission to go and conquer this mountain and the giants that lived there.  Caleb, even in his old age (85 years old – see Josh.14:10), was anxious to claim his inheritance that God had promised him (Josh. 14:6-9).  It is interesting to note thatHebronmeans “fellowship”.  This is the very thing that God desires from each of us.  God has promised fellowship to us, but we must be like Caleb, and claim the promise of God that we are “more than conquerors” (Rom.8:37), even in our old age!        

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

Through JOSHUA – Joshua 11-14; as the one who deals with the “kings” in our lives, and as the one who gives us our inheritance.

 

TODAY’S READING: JOSHUA 6-10

OVERVIEW:

The conquest and destruction ofJericho; the sin of Achan; the destruction of Ai; the deception of the Gibeonites and their subsequent covenant withIsrael; Joshua leadsIsraelin victory after victory.

 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As Christians, we face many “Jerichos” in our lives.  All too often, we want to give up at the sight of insurmountable odds, just as the spies at Kadesh (Num.13:28-33).  But no wall is too high and no sin is so great that our Lord Jesus Christ cannot give us the victory.  Just note that the soldier who fights the best and experiences the victories is the one who bows the lowest before battle (see Joshua 5:13-15)!  We win our battles on our knees and on our faces before the Lord (Phil. 4:6-7).

 

No man can take a city by himself.  Joshua had the loyal cooperation of the priests and the people, and together they overcame the enemy.  The Book of Hebrews commands us to not forsake assembling ourselves together, as many people do (“i.e. you don’t have to go to church to be spiritual”), but to exhort one another, especially as we get closer to Christ’s return (Heb. 10:25).  We all need the accountability and help that a local church provides, in order to keep our enemies defeated.  It is the only way we can live in victory. Why? Because God said so! (See Matthew 16:18).

 

In chapter 7, God reveals to us the consequences of secret sin.  Achan had taken some of the spoils fromJerichoin direct disobedience to God’s command (Josh.6:18-19). Israelsuffered their first defeat at the hands of Ai because of this sin in the camp.  Ever since Adam, man has thought it was possible to hide his sin from God (Gen. 3:8 – Adam and Eve “hid themselves from…God”).  Even Achan hid (Josh.7:21-22) that which he coveted and took for himself, thinking God would never know!  We may look at Achan and think, “how absurd he was to think that God wouldn’t know or find out about his sin”.  But, what sin are you presently harboring that you think you will get by with?  II Corinthians 7:1 says, “Deal with it now!” (“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”) Take heed to God’s warning in His Word… “be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23)!

 

Note that in Joshua 8:2, God said that the people ofIsraelwere to take the loot from Ai unto themselves (unlikeJerichowhere all the loot was supposed to go to God alone).  Had Achan just waited a few days, he would have had all the wealth he could have carried (Matt.6:33). 

 

Once again, Ai represents the flesh and the daily battle we have against it.  In chapter 8, “Joshua arose” (verse 3) to leadIsraelto victory against Ai.  This is another awesome picture God is painting for us. It is through the power of Jesus’ resurrection that we can conquer and defeat the flesh and sin in our lives.  In verse 6, we are told that “they will come out after us,” picturing the fact that our flesh will never quit…it always wakes up ready to come out and fight the Spirit each morning.  Notice that the end of verse 9 says, “Joshua lodged that night among the people”.  We have this same promise from our Joshua (Jesus) in scripture; Jesus is always with us to help us conquer the flesh (Rom.7:24-25,8:35-39; Matt. 28:20).

 

Gibeonwas the next city to be taken after the victories byIsraelatJerichoand Ai.  The Gibeonites used deceit as their tool to avoid destruction.  In chapter 9, they posed themselves as ambassadors from a far country who wanted to be the servants ofIsrael.  They succeeded in getting this agreement (or covenant) from the leaders ofIsraeland then the truth was revealed (they were actually the Gibeonites themselves).  Beware! The flesh will make deals with you before it will allow you to kill it.  Note that it is often after great victories that Satan will launch his subtle attacks from the “back door”.  We must never let our guard down, allowing ourselves to become complacent in our relationship with God.  We must do as the apostle Paul did when he said, “I die daily” (I Cor.15:31).  

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

In theARKOF THE COVENANT – Joshua 6; God dwelling withinIsrael(God lives in us – I Cor.6:19).

Through JOSHUA – Joshua 8 and 10; He is the only one who can lead us to daily victory over our flesh.