Joshua. Preparing the Officers Chapter 1:10-18; Numbers 32

Transcription

1 Joshua Preparing the Officers Chapter 1:10-18; Numbers 32 A S BELIEVERS WE ARE IN DANGER OF LIVING DEFEATED LIVES. We don t experience the power and peace God promises us as His children. And this is because we continue to live in the world, not crossing the Jordan and taking the inheritance God has promised us. There is always a price to pay when we don t take heed of the call to be strong and courageous. This morning we ll see an example of two and a half tribes who weren t interested in the inheritance promised to them. Dr. McGee asks Is it so essential to cross over the river? Is not the east bank of the Jordan River part of the Promised Land? Such questions are pertinent and require that we look at the passage of Scripture in which lies the account of the crossing of the Jordan River, which we will do shortly. Crossing the Jordan River was symbolic of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Under no condition, however, does it set forth our physical death. We often sing the old song, On Jordan s Stormy Banks I Stand. To begin with, that is not a stormy stream; neither do you and I stand on the stormy banks. Christ alone was nailed to that cross and, hanging there, bore all the storms of the judgment of sin. When the storms of judgment fell on Him, they fell on us. The River Jordan speaks of sanctification, and the death of Christ was for our sanctification. In the Book of Judges we find out that the two and one half tribes made a big mistake staying on the wrong side of Jordan. Also, when Christ crossed the Sea of Galilee and came to the country of the Gadarenes, He found the Jews in the pig business. They started off wrong on the wrong side of the Jordan River. 1 When He [Christ] was here on earth, one time He was trying to get away from the crowd, And they came over unto the other side of the sear, into the country of the Gadarenes (Mark 5:1). Now who are the Gadarenes They are the tribe of God, living on the wrong side of the Jordan River. And when Jesus came to them, He found them in the pig business, you remember. And when He healed the demon-possessed man, the Gadarenes asked the Lord Jesus to leave their country. They had gotten into a sad condition. This always happens to the child of God who fails to cross Jordan and get into the Land of Promise. 2 Many Christians are in the pig business today and are frustrated. They ought to enter into the rest He has provided in His death and resurrection. 3 Y hoshua instructed the officials of the people to go through the camp and order the people, Prepare provisions, because in three days you will cross this Yarden to go in and take possession of the land ADONAI your God is giving you. To the Re uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M nasheh Y hoshua said, Remember what Moshe the servant of ADONAI ordered you: ADONAI your God has let you rest and will give you this land. Your wives, your little ones and your live- 1 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 2, Joshua - Psalms, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN, McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 1, Genesis - Deuteronomy, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN, McGee, Vol. 2, Joshua - Psalms,

2 stock will stay in the land Moshe gave you on the east side of the Yarden; but you are to cross over armed as a fighting force ahead of your brothers, to help them; until ADONAI allows your brothers to rest, as he has allowed you; and they too have taken possession of the land ADONAI your God is giving them. At that point, you will return to the land which is yours and possess it, the land Moshe the servant of ADONAI gave you in Ever-HaYarden to the east, toward the sunrise. They answered Y hoshua, We will do everything you have ordered us to do, and we will go wherever you send us. Just as we listened to everything Moshe said, so will we listen to you. Only may ADONAI your God be with you as he was with Moshe. If anyone rebels against your order and doesn t heed what you say in every detail of your order, he will be put to death. Just be strong, be bold! (Joshua 1:10 18 CJB) II The Book C. Preparing to Enter the Land 2. Officers Prepared Verses a. A Back Story Numbers 32 b. Joshua s Command Verses c. The Officers Response Verses Introduction: God called Joshua, encouraging, challenging and commanding him. And the theme of all this was Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9 ESV). The specific task Joshua was called to was, to lead the nation across the Jordan and to take the land God has promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To take their inheritance. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, (Genesis 15:18 ESV). So now it is time for Joshua to call together the officers of the people instructing, commanding and encouraging them. But before that we need to step back in time and see some history in order to understand some of Joshua s actions here. a. A Back Story: So before moving into the land we run into some tribes who don t seem all that hot to cross the river and move on into Canaan. Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, And they said, If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan. (Numbers 32:1 2, 5 ESV) ) 52 (

3 Now considering the land was, and still is, Israel s earthly hope, it seems very strange these people want to bail out. And after forty years in the wilderness, as a result of the nation s fears, it seems even more problematical that these people would want to forgo Canaan. But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. And the Lord s anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, and behold, you have risen in your fathers place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel! For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people (Numbers 32:6 11, ESV). Whatever the problem was here it wasn t fear. These people simply felt they knew what was best for them, better than God did. So they wanted to stay on the wrong side of the Jordan but they would help the rest of the nation move into the land. Then they came near to him [Moses] and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east. (Numbers 32:16 19 ESV). These people wanted what they wanted. They like what they now saw so why gamble on some unclear future. And this all goes to explain what we will see in a few minutes. b. Joshua s Command: Now to the passage. Joshua sent for the officers, those who commanded the people. We see an organizational structure exists. Joshua is going to instruct these individuals who in turn will direct the individual tribes. Moses had given them what was to be their job description in the land and now they were to exercise these responsibilities. You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment (Deuteronomy 16:18 ESV). Joshua s specific instructions were to gather provisions. The were to have enough food to last until manna began to fall again. Though God s sending Manna had not yet ceased it is apparent that during this time of transition they wouldn t have had the opportunity to gather it. Parenthetically, there is no mention of weapons. ) 53 (

4 But unlike when Israel hurriedly fled Egypt, this time their movements are more planned out and prepared for. They knew specifically they would be headed out in three days. They were going to see the beginnings of the fulfillment of a promise made to Abraham hundreds of years earlier. the Lord said to Abram, Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. (Genesis 15:13, 16 ESV). Verses 12-15: Now we see the reason for the back story. Joshua had specific directions to the two and a half tribes, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He reminded them of the commitment they made to Moses. They had promised to go with the rest of the nation to help them go into the land. Joshua makes an interesting point here. He says that it is God who is giving them the land they wanted, the land on the east side of the Jordan. Even though they had been disobedient in not wanting to move into the Promised Land, what they had still came from God. Our salvation is the gift God gives through Christ. And just because a believer doesn t cross over the Jordan, that is live a victorious Christian life the loss of salvation is never the issue. These tribes had been given a rest by God. This was a concession to their lack of faith. But God s provision of that rest was dependent on their keeping their commitment to the promise they had made to assist the rest of the nation in claiming what God had promised them. And, as we ve already seen, while God may allow His children to settle for second best it doesn t always work out so well. Lot chose the best land and ended up living next to Sodom and Gomorrah. This lead to all sorts of problems including the loss of everything because of his wife and his daughters sins. Moses didn t want to be God s primary mouthpiece, so God allowed Aaron to speak for him. That didn t work out so well, as Aaron chose to get entangled with the nation s idolatry. And we ve already discussed how things will later work out for Gad. Settling for second best means while we are saved, which is wonderful, we still can end up leading a defeated Christian life and having nothing to offer up to the Lord when we do come into His presence. no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw each one s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:11 15 ESV). So Joshua informs the men that they must leave their families safely in the land God has provided. They are to go into the land and fight for their brothers. In fact, here we are specifical- ) 54 (

5 ly told these men are not only to go but they are to be armed and to actually be the front men in the move. I guess these would have been the most valiant fighters among the two and a half tribes, because later in Joshua we re told as Keil and Delitzsch point out According to Josh. 4:13, there were only about 40,000 men belonging to the two tribes and a half who crossed the Jordan to take part in the war; whereas, according to Num. 26:7, 18, 34, there were 110,000 men in these tribes who were capable of bearing arms, so that 70,000 must have remained behind for the protection of the women and children and of the flocks and herds, and to defend the land of which they had taken possession. 4 These tribes are to be committed to staying with the nation as a whole, fighting with them, until they have taken the land. Only then would they be able to return to their families. Joshua is holding them to the promise they had given to Moses. They were to support the western tribes in their military activities until Canaan was completely subjugated and until God gave them rest within their new territorial borders. 5 c. The Officers Response: First let us be clear. The response here is directly from the leaders of the two and a half tribes. Nevertheless, I think it is probably safe to say that it was a reflection of the position of all of the officers, not just these men. First, the response was an acknowledgement of Joshua s acceptance as the leader of the nation. He was the one who took over from Moses. They saw him as the representative of God. Is it just me? Am I being somewhat cynical here What is your reaction to what these men are committing to? I think though we should take these statements at face value, not reading too much into them. You ll see why in a few moments. Second, these leaders say they will follow all Joshua s commands, specifically wherever he sends them they will go. Now this may have been intended to be referring to leaving their families and being in the very front line of the forces moving into Canaan. Verse 17: Next, just as they obeyed Moses they ll obey Joshua. Keep in mind were they obeying Moses (God) when they decided to separate from the nation and stay on the east side of the Jordan? So I m not sure how reassuring this promise actually was. But contextually the men s words are be understood as an oath, a formal commitment to the transition of power from Moses to Joshua. This is emphasized by the three statements, We will do, We will go, and We will obey. And let s face it what people commit to, with the best of intent, is often significantly different than what they actually do. Be subject for the Lord s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people (1 Peter 2:13 15 ESV). 4 Keil, C. F. and Delitzsch F., Commentary on the Old Testament, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, Dallaire Hélène, The Expositor s Bible Commentary, vol. 2, Numbers-Ruth, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 2012, p ) 55 (

6 The next phrase, at first glance, is a bit off putting as well. The men pray that Joshua s God would be with him as he was with Moses. This seems problematical in that first, God had already promised to be with him. And second, it is even more concerning in that they describe God, the God of Israel, as Joshua s God not theirs. But again keep in mind this reflects the formality of their oath and was actually a confession of and prayer for Joshua s abiding relationship with God just as Moses experienced. Verse 18: This verse reinforces that this is an oath in that it presents the consequences of violating the oath. The penalty for oath breaking was to be death. The violation of the oath was a capital crime. Oh, and, what a coincidence, the men end their oath with an echo of God s earlier words to Joshua. be strong and courageous. Conclusion: The first thing to note here is just how blessed Israel was at this point. Here was a people who were about to become part of the process by which the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were to be fulfilled. After hundred of years this was the generation that was finally going into the land. The day is soon coming when believers, the body of Christ, will be the ones to see the promise of His return for them fulfilled. They too will be uniquely blessed. And, Lord willing, we may be the ones to be so blessed. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Th. 4:16 18 ESV). But with the two and a half tribes we see another principle and that is, until the Lord returns how are we going to live? Are we going to fully move into the inheritance, the peace that is available to us know? Are we going to live a victorious or a defeated Christian life? Warren Wiersbe speaking of the two and a half tribes notes It was a concession on Moses part to allow the two and a half tribes to live outside the Promised Land. The tribes liked the land there because it was a place for cattle (Num. 32:1, 4, 16). Apparently their first concern was making a living, not making a life. They would rather have big flocks and herds than dwell with their brothers and sisters in the inheritance God had given them. They were far from the place of worship and had to erect a special monument to remind their children that they were citizens of Israel (Josh. 22:10ff.). They represent the many borderline believers in the church today who get close to the inheritance but never quite claim it, no matter how successful they may seem to be. They are willing to serve the Lord and help their brethren for a time, but when their appointed job is finished, they head for home to do what they want to do. 6 6 Wiersbe, Warren W., BE Series Commentary, Be Strong, David C. Cook Publishers, Colorado Springs, CO, 2010, ) 56 (

7 Too often believers are Sunday Christians. They re saved. They are in services on Sunday and maybe even Wednesdays. But they don t live out the reality of their calling the rest of the week. And as a consequence they don t experience the rest that is available to us now. The word rest (shaqat) has spiritual and theological significance for the believer. When a person trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior, God gives that person rest... the rest of salvation and deliverance the rest of peace of heart and mind the rest of assurance and confidence the rest of purpose, meaning, and significance the rest of fulfillment and satisfaction The genuine believer experiences a deep-seated rest, a rest of peace, assurance, and confidence within the deepest recesses of his heart. He knows where he has come from, why he is here, and where he is going. God floods his soul with the rest of His presence. When the genuine believer yields his life totally to Christ and claims the wonderful promises of God, God floods him with spiritual rest 7 Clearly we can and should be experiencing the rest God intends for us now. What can keep us from experiencing this truth in our own lives? The author of Hebrews reminds of the importance of rest, of, as we re seeing it here, a victorious rather than defeated Christian life. Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, As I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter my rest, although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: And God rested on the seventh day from all his works And again in this passage he said, They shall not enter my rest. Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, Today, saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience (Hebrews 4:1 11 ESV). 7 The Preacher s Outline and Sermon Bible, The Book of Joshua, Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Chattanooga, TN, ) 57 (

8 It is as we obey, in dependency on the Spirit, that we can experience a rest and peace in our hearts in the midst of the battle. And one day we too, like Israel, will experience the full rest that God desires for us. Meanwhile like Israel we have to move into the land, talking it for Christ, facing the challenges the victorious Christian life is filled with. So Soldiers of Christ, arise, And put your armor on, Strong in the strength which God supplies Though His eternal Son. ~ Charles Wesley 8 8 Wiersbe ) 58 (

9 Joshua Preparing the Officers Chapter 1:10-18; Numbers 32 II The Book C. Preparing to Enter the Land 2. Officers Prepared Verses a. A Back Story Numbers 32 b. Joshua s Command Verses c. The Officers Response Verses Introduction: (Joshua 1:9; Genesis 15:18) a. A Back Story: (Numbers 32:1 2, 5, 32:6 11, 14-15, 16 19) b. Joshua s Command: (Deuteronomy 16:18; Genesis 15:13, 16) Verses 12-15: (1 Corinthians 3:11 15)

10 c. The Officers Response: Verse 17: (1 Peter 2:13 15) Verse 18: Conclusion: (1 Thessalonians 4:16 18; Hebrews 4:1 11) Personal Application: With the Spirit s leading ask Him to show you if there are any areas where you still are on the east side of the Jordan. Prayer for the Week: Lord give me the desire and the wisdom to move to the west across the Jordan. Amen.