JOSHUA (WEEK 1/9:...GOD S FAITHFULNESS)

Transcription

1 JOSHUA (WEEK 1/9:...GOD S FAITHFULNESS) SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS CONNECT (from last week): What difference does Jesus resurrection make to your everyday life? How revel more in the amazing news of Jesus triumph over sin and death? WARM-UP Questions 1. In what ways have you experienced the faithfulness of God s promises in your life? How do you see God s faithfulness at work in the world? READ Joshua 1: As Joshua begins, what has the story of God s people been up to this point? How is God commanding them to go into the promised land a major climatic event in their history so far? 3. Who is the cause of them being ready to go into the promised land? How is this evident in the text? 4. Why is it absolutely fundamental to recognise that it is God who is behind the fulfilment of the promise? 5. When led by God, what happens if we try to rely on our own faith or own agenda? How was this evident the first time around (some 40 years prior) when they almost entered the promised land? 6. God s command to take the people into the promised land was followed by two promises. What were these promises? How do they change things for Joshua if he trusts in God? In what way are God s promises to us greater than a land of rest? How is Jesus the greater Joshua? What are some of the challenges that Joshua would face in leading the people into the promised land? What was to be the source of his courage and strength? 9. In what way has God s presence in your life been a source of courage and strength? 10. What does it look like to meditate on God s Word? How has this been a source of courage and strength in your life? 11. How is our obedience an appropriate response to God s faithfulness? Is there any area of your life in which you find it most challenging to obey God? 12. What was so remarkable about all 12 tribes serving together to realise God s promise? 13. How is serving more than just the things we do? How do you see your acts of serving as playing a bigger part in the unfolding of God s Kingdom in the world? How does your serving demonstrate to the world what it looks when God is in charge? 14. How might God be calling you to serve today? What is his promise to you in that? APPLY (to this week): How can you grow more confident in the certainty of God s promises? How practically could you explore any barriers and/or grow in your understanding of God s faithfulness? PRAY: Thank you Lord for your faithfulness! Please help us to recognise your presence more and take delight in the nourishment of your Word. Please help us to grow in obedience, that all of our strength and courage may be from you and for you. In Jesus name, Amen. For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU

2 JOSHUA (WEEK 1/9:...GOD S FAITHFULNESS) GOING DEEPER RESOURCES & SUGGESTIONS Each week we provide additional resources that help to go deeper with whatever series we re currently focusing on as a church. Resources could include recommended books, articles, online sermons, courses, or videos. These are optional extras! Please don t feel under pressure to look at every resource, but consider what could be useful to. Video VIDEO: This overview by the Bible Project is an excellent summary of the major themes in the book of Joshua: CHILDREN S VIDEO: Joshua becomes leader : CHILDREN S VIDEO: Joshua leads by Saddleback Kids: Talks & Other Audio AUDIO: An excellent trio of sermons by Dick Lucas on the merciful purposes of God: Articles and Other Reading BOOK: Joshua, Judges and Ruth for Everyone by Professor John Goldingay. Available at Koorong (by order), or: Goldingay/ ?ref=grid-view&qid= &sr=1-1 EXCERPT: An excerpt from the above book is available at: POSTER: A poster overview of the book of Joshua: BOOK: Joshua: No Falling Words by Dale Ralph Davis. Available at: For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU

3 Talk 1/9 (Following Jesus): 23/04/17 God s Faithfulness by the Rev d Adam Lowe Bible Passage: Joshua 1:1-18 INTRODUCTION \\ SERIES OVERIVEW Today we start a new nine-week series on the book of Joshua. In the entire story of the Old Testament, as God works out his merciful purposes in the world, Joshua represents a major turning point as the people of God transition from landless wanderers to the landed people of Israel. having come out of Egypt, having been promised a land, having been led by Moses, having had more than one false start along the way, now is the time when God s promise will be fulfilled. That s a clue: that the big headline in the book of Joshua is: that God is faithful to his promises // Sometimes, in a modern Christian way, we can mistakingly reduce God s purposes to that of fulfilling our own needs, like how my career is going, or being comfortable, or the daily challenges we face, but we re going to be vividly reminded in Joshua, 2

4 that whilst God is of course concerned with our individual lives, there is a much bigger plan of salvation unfolding that we happen to be part of. God s salvation history doesn t revolve around us, yet in his grace, he involves us as his merciful purposes unfold. God is faithful in fulfilling his promises, and in response to that certainty, invites us to be faithful to him. That theme will come up over and over again in this book, as they enter the promised land (c.1-5), are victorious over the Canaanites (c.5-12), and divide up the territories (c.13-24). And so it s very natural right up front to think about two questions: What, if anything, causes you to doubt the certainty of God s promises?, and How is God leading you to faithfully serve him for his purposes in the world?. Two critical questions, but it also comes with a warning There will be parts of this book, especially some of the violence, that will find confronting at times. We ll explore those more as we get to them. 3 But, from a bigger perspective, it s very important to note right up front: that this is not God prescriptively setting a pattern for Israel s future practice, but that this is a specific event of God bringing about his judgment, and using the people of Israel as his agents to achieve his goal. What we will note and explore is that there are two themes coming together. God is both fulfilling his promises, and bringing about the judgment of evil. So that s setting the scene a little, but today, we re in chapter one. The Israelites are camped along the east-bank of the Jordan River, poised on the edge of the promised land, Moses has died, Joshua has been appointed by God as their new leader, they re about to grasp something they ve been waiting for for centuries, and now God says, now is the time to go. And what we see, is that: GOD is Faithful to his Promises (vv.1-4); JOSHUA is to be Strong and Courageous (vv.5-9); and ISRAEL are to be United in Service (vv.10-18). 4

5 #1 GOD: FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES \\ VERSES 1-4 So first, God is faithful to his promises. Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. (vv.2-3) This is of God s doing. It s not even the great leader, Moses, Moses is dead This is God speaking: I will give every place where you set your foot, as who promised Moses? As I promised Of course, this is a promise that does not just go back to Moses, but much further than that, when the Lord appeared to Abram and said: To your offspring I will give this land. (Genesis 12:7b) It s absolutely fundamental to recognise that it is God behind the promise and subsequent action, else the people will be either: 5 completely overwhelmed at the thought of invading the Canaanites, or, perhaps worse: let their action be driven by their own agenda instead of God s. The verb to cross, referring to the crossing of the Jordan and all of that which it entails, is repeated over 20 times in the first five chapters alone. But here s a news flash: there s no amount of positive thinking or focused determination that will bring such a monumental task to completion! You might be thinking that this is all obvious, but let me just ask: If we know that it is only God who ultimately brings about his purposes, why do we keep trying to do things on our own?; and keep seeking to wrestle God for the agenda of our lives? As the Israelites have learnt, and will continue to learn: when they act in response to God s faithfulness, they will know victory, but when they stray from God, they will only experience defeat. Around forty years before this episode, the people of Israel experienced this first-hand. After a year at Mt Sinai receiving God s Law, the Israelites had an opportunity to enter the promised land, but they failed to trust God would lead them to victory, so they ended up wandering the desert for forty years. 6

6 You might think it s bad when you ignore a direction given by your GPS and get lost, well the Israelites learnt that as a consequence of ignoring God s direction, their punishment would be that none of that generation, who had escaped Egypt, would enter the promised land. Forty years ago, Israel had sent 12 spies into what was the promised land, but when they returned, only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, said that they should trust God and go into the land. Joshua and Caleb were confident that God was faithful to his promises, the other 10 were overwhelmed and so rebelled against God s command. So God had pressed the pause button on the inheritance, but now it was the time to hit play again, and if they trust in him, the outcome is certain. That certainty is why in the text we get a sense that the Lord is: both giving them the land, and that they have already been given the land. There is both a now and not yet to this promise. It s like they already have the legal title, now they just need to take possession. They had for generations and generations been without a home, but finally, as per verse 13, God was going to give them rest by giving them the land. 7 They must have felt exhausted, they must have felt hopeless at times, but incredibly now, if they act in response to God s faithfulness, they will receive rest. I m not sure if you ve ever had a time in your life, in which you just couldn t see clearly, you just couldn t see a way forward. Perhaps there are times when you just can t recognise God s purposes unfolding. Please take hold of this encouragement: because whilst Israel had a promise for a place of rest and so went on to trust God, we have an even greater promise of rest that we to can be certain of, not just of a place to call home, but a home for all eternity. And just as there was a now and not yet to the promises to Israel, there is a now and not yet to the promises we grasp too. We are saved, but await the fulfilment of that salvation, We are called children of God, but await our inheritance, We are free from the bonds of sin and death, but await sin and death to be destroyed. But we can be certain that we will receive that rest, not because of our efforts, but because that God is faithful to his promises. 8

7 #2 JOSHUA: STRONG & COURAGEOUS \\ VERSES 5-9 So whilst God is faithful to his promises, Joshua, is to be strong and courageous. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. (vv.5b-7a) Repeated over and over again, so we know this is pretty important! And whilst we are quick to immediately apply this command to ourselves, we should be careful to note, that when God uses the command here, it is the singular: this is not, at this point, a general instruction for Israel, but a specific instruction for Joshua! After all, the commission before Joshua seemed completely implausible! Take two million people, into fierce enemy territory, and take the land! But the strength and courage that God desires for Joshua, couldn t be any more different from our cultural, human, idea of strength and courage. 9 I regularly hear people say, you need to be tough, or strong, or take courage. Which often means either trying to be certain about an outcome that isn t really certain, OR looking deep down, and then with steely-faced determination seeing it through! That s not what God is requiring of Joshua, in fact that would almost be the opposite. Because the outcome of what God is asking is not only certain, but God provides both the source and expression of the needed strength and courage. So note first, the two sources of strength and courage: First, Joshua can be strong and courageous, because of God s presence: v.5b: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you v.9b: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. In English when we hear it we think that we might have a sense that God is with us, but the Bible suggests that actually this something objective, not merely subjective. Means God will work it out, he s with us! Second, Joshua can be strong and courageous, because of God s precepts: v.8: Keep this Book of the Law, always on your lips Not keep it in your mind, but keep it in your mouth! That is, Joshua is to actively recite it! In a sense, God is saying to Joshua is, the best thing for your leadership is not only to recognise my presence, but keep coming back to my will as recorded in my Word. 10

8 When young children learn to read, they almost always will say it out loud. God is saying this to Joshua, because his, are so important, that in order for them to be driven down deep, to be a source of courage and strength, requires us to embrace them with our whole body. Speak them (v.8a), meditate on them (v.8b), practice them (v.8b). Can you hear what God is saying to Joshua? You can only have the sort of strength and courage that you need from me: I m the source. If you recognise that I m with you, if you keep saturating your life with my words. And the best possible expression of that strength and courage, is to obey. God s presence and Word are not for our own indulgence, but to empower us to obey him for his mission to the world. Any attempt to obey without relying on the source is perilous, but obedience out of God s strength opens a way for his faithfulness to be at work through you. As Joshua was about to lead 2 million people into a task of monumental proportion, as he was about to face a battle of a humanly implausible commission, it would only be possible with the strength and courage of God. 11 Centuries later there would be another Joshua, a greater and truer Joshua, who would lead his people into freedom, only he would be known by the Greek version of the name, Jesus. He too would set an humanly implausible task for his people, to go into the world to make disciples of all nations! Teaching to obey all that he commanded. (cf. Matthew 28:19) But because Jesus faced every battle for us, because he conquered sin and death itself, we need not muster up strength and courage ourselves, but simply cling to him, in the knowledge that he is the source of all strength and courage. 12

9 #3 ISRAEL: UNITED IN SERVICE \\ OUR FAITHFUL RESPONSE God is faithful to his promises, Joshua is to be strong and courageous, and finally Israel were to be united in service. Then they answered Joshua, Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you (v.16-17) In verses 1 through to 11, there is a movement from the commissioning of Joshua as the leader, to the people getting behind the reality! And the fact that everyone gets behind Joshua is quite phenomenal. 2.5 out of the 12 tribes had already received their inheritance, so they actually had very little incentive, little personal gain, from following Joshua across the river, risking their lives. In the previous year, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh, had asked Moses if they could settle east of the promised land. Moses had agreed, as long as they would help their fellow tribes enter the promised land. 13 However when the time comes, you could imagine them having a convenient memory lapse and no longer being willing to follow through on the deal. But that s not what happens. The people are unified in following Joshua, because they are unified in serving the Lord. That s one of the key themes in Joshua. Right at the end of the book, as Joshua makes speeches to the people, he implores them to be faithful to the Lord God who has been faithful to him. And as he reminds them of all that God has done, as he reminds them that God is the source of their freedom, he challenges them to put aside all other gods and serve the Lord alone. In fact, he s more forward than that! He says, don t be flippant, if you don t want to serve the Lord, choose who you will serve! But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Often when we think of serving God, we might think of individual jobs that we do. And of course, they are all parts of serving the Lord, but they re just components of a bigger reality. 14

10 God is faithful in fulfilling his promises, and in response to that certainty, we must choose this day who we will serve. God invites us to be faithful to him, by serving the one who is with us, by serving the one who has given us his Word, by serving the one who is the source of all strength and courage, by serving the one who has gone through the biggest battle so that we don't have to, by serving the one who has gone ahead of us, by serving the one who will bring us into the ultimate promised land. God is faithful to his promises, God is the source of all strength and courage, God is inviting to serve him together, in the greatest enterprise the world has known: the salvation plan for the world. 15