Israel troubled

 Christ in all the scriptures

The valley of Achor   Joshua chapter 7

This is one of the most heart wrenching bible stories in the bible, and is relevant for the present day.  Believers, churches, need to take note, that one of of their members sinned against the Lord and affected the whole congregation.  This led to abject defeat in battle, and the anger of the Lord being kindled against them.  All sin is hateful and hurtful to God, it is particularly so when it happens amongst His redeemed people.  It took place in the wake of the demonstration of the great power of God unleashed over Jericho.

The matter seemed harmless, the possession of a religious garment and a few shekels of silver and a wedge of gold, taken as the spoils of war.  But what seemed harmless was anathema to the Lord who specifically demanded the burning of all in Jericho, and the transfer of all silver and gold to the Divine treasury for the common good.  This is reminiscent of Eden, when the simple eating of the fruit of a tree was magnified, as it was in disobedience to the Lord.  The disobedience of Eve, then Adam, brought the judgment of God on the world, resulting in the present chaos.  So opposed to the idolatry of Jericho was the Lord, He wanted no trace of it left.  This sin, unknown to the congregation at large, was known to the Lord, and this led to abject defeat against AI, for the Lord withdrew His support.  AI means "heap of ruins", and so the might of Israel was embarrassed against an unruly and untrained people.  God's people fail when sin in the camp is unexposed.  The victory over fortified Jericho was quickly followed by defeat to the haphazard AI.  The strength of feeling was expressed by Joshua, "Oh, Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their back before their enemies"?

We must learn from this today, this is a solemn and sobering event.

1)  The sin of one member affects the whole company.      God will withhold His power from us because of it.  The New Testament equivalent is 1st Corinthians chapter 5.

2) The Lord demands action from the leaders rather than ritual posturing  refer Joshua 7v6-10, "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face"?  The modern way is to cover it up rather than expose it-is this the reason for our weakness?  God says, Don't hide from this, deal with it.

3)  The Lord associates the whole company with the sin  

"Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you"-Joshua 7v11-12.  The word dissembled, rarely used in scripture, seems to suggest that more in the camp knew about it but had covered it up.

4) In association with Himself, God will have His people to be holy    

"Up, sanctify the people and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee. O Israel, thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you"-Joshua 7v13.  Modern applications would be that if there exists a matter unacceptable to the Lord it must be investigated.

5)  The offending individual or party must be exposed before the whole congregation  Joshua 7v14-15.

6) Confession of the sin must be made in full by the person or persons concerned  Joshua 7v16-21.  This was done by Achan the son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, as to what he had done, and why he had done it.  Messengers were sent to recover the offending items.  They were taken, along with Achan and all his people and possessions to the remote valley of Achor, where they were stoned, and a memorial was raised to the folly of individuals or family who corrupt the congregation of the Lord.  Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 3v17, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are".

7) Judgment must take place for the offending sin  Joshua 7v22-25

The whole camp and the leaders are in agreement that the punishment of law must be enacted.  This affected Achan's family and all his possessions.  All perished in the fearsome judgment.

If we are part of a community of God's people, this sad episode should humble us today.  Instead of covering up, or excusing, behaviour that is offensive to the Lord, what is needed is exposure and judgment of sin in accordance with New Testament guidelines.  The Lord cannot work with communities which turn a blind eye to sin.  The entire company is affected, and powerlessness and loss of blessing will result.  Spiritual leaders today be warned, God's attitude to sin will never change.  The memorial stones at the valley of Achor serve as a testimony to the Lord's displeasure with His people.

This is mentioned centuries later by the prophet Hosea, in a time when Israel had gone astray yet again, by turning to idolatry.  Appeal is made for them to repent and return to the Lord, as the compassion of a sin-hating God rings out in endearing fashion, "Therefore, behold I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.  And I will give her vineyards from thence, AND THE VALLEY OF ACHOR FOR A DOOR OF HOPE: and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt"-Hosea 2v14/15.

The valley of Achor was a tragedy for Israel that they should never forget.  But a return there in humble repentance can open a door of hope for the future.  Failure amongst God's people is a common occurrence, but it need not be an end.  We can turn it to triumph, with the help of the Lord.  As scripture says:

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy"-Proverbs 28v13.

Achan confessed, but was stoned, because he was under Divine law.  In the present day of grace there is no such punishment.  Sin, amongst His people, remains hurtful to God, and alternative punishments are given, and there should be no compromise with it.  The coming of Christ into the world has made such a difference, for we are no longer under law but under grace.  We should not, however, relax our view of sin, nor fail to apply Divine standards as revealed in this chapter.  God has many ways of sanctioning His people in the case of severe sin.  We need strong leaders, loyal to the Lord, to maintain sanctity in His service.

The battle of Jericho

 Christ in all the scriptures

Jericho   Joshua chapter 6

There is no doubt the narrative of the destruction of Jericho has much wider, prophetic implications.  Jericho is Yarikh in Hebrew, the name of a lunar deity who was worshipped by most in the city.  Jericho, therefore was a city of gross idolatry, and the immorality and debauchery involved in that.  900years before God had cursed Canaan, and 400 years before, He declared a time of restraint.  That time was now fulfilled, in the language of scripture-"the iniquity of the Amorite was now full"-refer Genesis 15v16-21.  The tribes included in the title Amorites were stated as "The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites".  All these were under the judgment of God, and Jericho stood at their entrance.  It was a strongly fortified city, idolatrous, immoral, and hostile to Israel.  The gates and doors were closed, there was no comings and goings between the two.  Jericho stands as an illustration of the world without the true God.  The present world is a fortified system, hostile to God, and fearful of the people of God who threaten their lifestyle.  The present world is "kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men"-2nd Peter 3v7.  God is "longsuffering, not willing that any should perish", and He has demonstrated that He is "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation"-Exodus 34v6/7.   He is slow to anger, He is merciful to all, but when people continue in rejection of Him, He must, and will act.  He was merciful to the Amorites for 400 years; He has been merciful to the present age for nigh on 2000 years.  For Jericho the time was now past; for the present world that time is almost upon us.  The destruction of Jericho was total, apart from faithful Rahab and her family; the destruction of the entire world will be total, apart from the faithful in Christ Jesus.

The six days in the story take us back to creation, and the seventh day to the new creation.  The six days are the days of our lives here on earth; the seventh day is the day of eternal rest.  The "New Testament Joshua" will lead the armies of the Lord against the rebellion of man.  Just as there was no battle in Jericho, there will be no battle in the end times, when heaven opens to reveal the Commander of the armies of heaven (Revelation 19).  The day of God will come, in which there is "a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness"-2nd Peter 3v13.  A world without sin, transgression, or rebellion; a world in harmony with the Lord God, and with each other.  

Jericho, and its idolatrous and immoral ways will be no more.  The trumpet blasts of the priesthood on the seventh day alongside the Ark of the Covenant (symbolic of Christ in His death), and the victorious shout of the people of God in victory, collapsed the fortified walls of Jericho and the armies walked in and took control.  The victory shout of the people of God is repeated in the New Testament (Romans 8v37 and 1st Corinthians 15v54-57.

For six days they marched in silence around the walls of Jericho, no attack was made, just a testimony to their faith in the living God.  This is the role of the Church today, make the hostile world aware of our stand.  On the seventh day the walls fell-scholars tell us that this meant that the walls fell into the ground as in an earth tremor, and they entered Jericho on the flat.  This miraculous invasion of Jericho will be repeated on a global scale when Christ comes; then every building on earth that had been used to promote anti-God truths will be ground to powder (Isaiah 28v17; Revelation 16v18-21).  There will be an earth tremor under every city on earth.

The chapter ends with the delightful story of Rahab and her family.  Picture the scene.  Israel, with the help of the Lord, overrun Jericho, finishing the idolatrous worship of the moon, and its inhabitants perish.  However the Gentile Rahab and all her family were saved, and theirs were the only part of the wall which did not fall.  This was not the convenience of the moment, it was a lifelong and beyond commitment: 

"And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho"-Joshua 6v25.

She is a picture of the Gentile Church which was grafted in to the good olive tree of Israel (Romans 11v17) to be part of the people of God forever.  Centuries later Rahab appears in the genealogy leading to Christ (Matthew 1v5).  We Gentiles today are very much part of the new creation, as it says in Romans 11v16, "If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy, and if the root be holy, so are the branches".  We are both (Jew and Gentile) in unbreakable union with Christ (Romans 11v25-32). 

It is a story of tragedy and triumph, and so is the story of the world.

The unnamed warrior

 Christ in all the scriptures

Are you with us??   Joshua 5v13-15

Joshua chapter 6 is the historical drama of the battle of Jericho.  We shall see that no other conflict is like it in the annals of military history.  Little wonder, then, it is prefaced by a pre-incarnate Divine appearance.  There is no doubt that the unnamed man with the drawn sword is none other than Christ Himself.  We know that for He accepted worship from Joshua (v14/15), and no angel accepts worship (refer Revelation 22v8/9-all in heaven know that God alone is worshipped).  The Lord appeared in person to Joshua before his greatest battle.

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our enemies?  And He said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.  And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my lord (the word is adon meaning sovereign lord and master) unto His servant?  And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from of thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.  And Joshua did so". 

Joshua knew this was the Lord in human form.  This is one of many such appearances of our Lord before He came as the babe of Bethlehem, and the Man of Calvary.  He came with sword drawn, and this places the narrative beyond the historical into the eschatological, for the bible ends with Him coming in battle mode (Revelation 19).  Brothers and sisters, this catapults the battle of Jericho into the last days when Christ will come to take the world for God.  We will find comparisons and contrasts, and the story applies way beyond the taking of Jericho.  There are a number of pre-incarnate appearances, which run from Genesis to the prophecy of Zechariah, which we can now consider.  They are called Christophanies, and are temporary manifestations of Christ before He came in flesh.

1) To Hagar as the Angel of the Lord to comfort her in her exile from the family, and to predict the future for her and her seed- Genesis 16v7-16.  Her understanding of it was in the proclamation, "Thou God seest me"

2) To Abram and Sarah in human form, with two angels also in human form, at the plain of Mamre.  He revealed the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which the two angels would enact-Genesis 18/19.  It was the Lord who appeared but seen as a man.  No less than 12 times in chapter 18, the title Lord occurs.

3) To Jacob at Peniel, when an unidentified man wrestled with him after separating from Esau.  Jacob's take on this was "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved"-Genesis 32v24-30.

4) To Moses at the burning bush, as the Angel of the Lord--"Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God"-Exodus 3.  He revealed Himself as the great "I AM" who would deliver Israel.

5) To Joshua on the borders of Jericho, as he was preparing for battle.  He appeared as an unnamed man, later identified as "Captain of the host of the Lord"-Joshua 5v13/15.

6) To Gideon as the Angel of the Lord, immediately prior to the conflict with the Midianites, over whom they were assured of victory-Judges 6v7-40.

7) To Manoah's wife as the angel of the Lord to predict the birth of Samson who would free Israel from Philistine bondage-Judges 13.

8) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego as the fourth man in the burning fiery furnace, where the flames did not touch them.  This was at a crucial time for exiled Israel, and the fourth man was said to be "like unto the Son of God"-Daniel 3v13-30.

9) To Daniel as the Angel of God to preserve him from certain death in the lion's den-Daniel 6v10-28.

10) To Joshua the high priest as the Angel of the Lord confronting and rebuking Satan in the temple of worship-Zechariah 3.

Over approx. 1,400 years, the Lord appeared in person to many people in difficult circumstances, spanning the course of Israel's history.  The particular appearance to Joshua, the military commander, on the verge of the battle of Jericho, makes fascinating reading.  Not knowing who the man was, Joshua asked, Are you with us or with our enemies?  The answer, "Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come".  This turned the dialogue full circle.  It was as if to say, if you knew who I was, I should be asking you Are you with me?  On the cusp of a major battle Joshua is learning that without the Lord's presence, all actions will fail.  He would learn that in a short time when they moved without the Lord they were defeated (chapter 7v1-6).  The reason was there was sin in the camp and the Lord will not work with them.  He is holy and requires the same from His people.  

We know, today, that God is with us: the real question is, Are we with Him?  He is the captain of the host of the Lord and He requires humility and holiness if we are to be overcomers in a corrupt world.  He is Lord, and must be seen to be Lord.  We do well to ask if our practises conform to the Lordship of Christ, or if in reality He is Lord in name only.

Preparation for conquest

 Christ in all the scriptures

Gilgal   Joshua chapter 5

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you.  Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day"-Joshua 5v8.

This is a pivotal time in Israel's history.  Gilgal became synonymous with repentance, refreshment, and revival.   The name means "rolling" or "rolling away", possibly a reference to the circle of stones from the Jordan, representing all the tribes of Israel, set as a monument to the power and presence of God among them.  This marks Gilgal as a new beginning for the nation as they entered the promised land.  The reproach of Egypt, having been slaves for four centuries, followed by aimless wandering for forty years, must have weighed very heavily on the people, but now it is in the past, and their future is the promised land. 

They had the fear factor to their credit, because the sight of several million over their border, particularly after the demonstrations of Divine power, instilled the fear of God in the inhabitants.  However they did not proceed. immediately,  with the invasion for they were not quite ready.  The chapter is all about preparation of heart before they proceed.  Three whole days they were made to wait, while there were flaws in the camp that needed correction.  A modern day comparison would be that before engaging a gospel campaign, for which Divine power is indispensable, we should deal with internal problems that exist.  There is no point in going forward when the Lord is not with us us in the exercise, for He is holy, and requires His warriors to be also.

The chapter divides readily into three sections, dealing with the deficiencies in their midst.

1)  The covenant of circumcision Joshua 5v2-9

2)  The celebration of the Passover  Joshua 5v10-12

4)  The commander of the Lord's armies  Joshua 5v13-15

The covenant of circumcision   5v2-9   The generation which came out of Egypt had all passed on in the wilderness, except for Joshua and Caleb.  It seems clear that the rite of circumcision had been abandoned in the wilderness, whether because of living conditions, or of rebellion, or both.  The second generation were uncircumcised, and according to the covenant with Abraham was a necessary part of their relationship with God (Genesis 17v9-12.  For forty years this had not been done, and must now be rectified if the Lord would go with them.  It seems absurd that an army facing the challenges of war would be asked to be so incapacitated, but they had to learn dependence on the Lord and not in their own power. Many struggle, today with the spiritual meaning of circumcision, but it is simply the cutting off of the flesh, symbolising the casting off of the works of sinful flesh as defined in Galatians 5v19-21.  It is important we understand that our faith in God demands a removal of these tendencies if we are to serve Him.  A study of each facet of what we are in the flesh, and a removal of those features that apply to us, would answer to biblical circumcision.

The celebration of the Passover  5v10-12   This was the first celebration of the Passover in the promised land.  It took place before they engaged in warfare, thus prioritising worship as the primary function of their existence.  Every tear, on the 14th day of the month Nisan they were to keep the memorial feast, recalling the slaying of the Lamb, and the application of the blood to avoid the vengeance of God against human sin.  This was followed by the eating of unleavened cakes, made from the old corn of the land, thus uniting Israel with the land in fellowship with the Lord.  The Manna, which had been their staple desert food for 40 years was now ceased and they fed on the good corn of the land.  Associated with the Passover was the eating of unleavened bread, in this case unleavened cakes.  In modern language, Christ did not die for our sins on the cross to enable us to continue in sin.  The application is made in 1st Corinthians 5v7/8 

"For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth".

Observance of our memorial occasions should have a moral effect on us.

The commander of the Lord of hosts  5v13-15    This pre-incarnate appearance of Christ to the commander of Israel's armies was crucial to their success.  Great military commander that he was (and Joshua had proved his military prowess against Amalek when Moses appointed him as commander-Exodus 17v8/16), yet he had to learn who it was who controlled the Divine conquests, without whom every one would fail.  Not knowing who He was, Joshua asked the wrong question, but he quickly realised he was in the presence of Divine majesty.  With a drawn sword in His hand, the Divine visitor revealed that He was "the captain of the host of the Lord".  Only one person could claim to be that and He controlled the armies of heaven.

When Jesus was on earth, He proclaimed that He had at His disposal "12 legions of angels"-(Matthew 26v53).  These were myriads of angels ready for war in the cause of God.  In Revelation 19v11-15, when He returns to earth, He commands the armies of heaven and appears with a drawn sword, He is ready for war in a time yet to come.  Joshua had to learn, as we have to learn, that all conquest is futile without the Captain of the army being present.  Joshua bowed his head and his heart in reverent worship, as we should do, acknowledging that any victory is because of Him!  Hr has already stripped the demonic powers at Calvary (Colossians 2v15);  He is the "captain of our salvation leading us to glory".  It was necessary for Joshua to understand His Lordship in principle and practice.  It is also necessary for us to know who is Lord if we are to be overcomers for Him.