Defeat at Ai (Part A)

Core armies deal with my flesh lives. One of the great lessons that comes out of this book of Joshua is not what their approach was. This is lightweight stuff. No invasion is lightweight and certainly dealing with the flesh is never lightweight in the instant we think I got this we don't redo managed to pull it off were set up for the next time because we've gotten a little cocky. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Joshua. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Joshua chapter 7, as he begins his message defeat at AI Joshua chapter 7 defeat at AI now in chapters 6 through nine, we have the three first battles of the Jews in the promised land. Jericho, as we discussed, represents and type aside from the historical event itself. In other lessons and applications that come from it, but it represents the world ready to resist God's people, and it has to be overcome more by faith than by fighting it was fighting in Jericho but it was the faith, trusting God, obeying God that really brought the victory.

It was a big Army in Jericho waiting for the Jews and God's plan is what allowed them to conquer that city, then AI, which we will be discussing this evening.

It represents the flesh. The word means ruin in Hebrew flesh is not easy to defeat as were going to find out with AI and is very easy to underestimate the lessons they found they just purchased off the pages when you see it this way is a kiss right there. The flash as with AI has to be overcome by big force not just a little bit of energy and attention and strength of big invasion needs to take place. We will get that to chapter 8 and all take time. Discuss.

Hopefully the merits of having big battalions big regiments big divisions cores and armies to get things done for the kingdom. The Gibeonites will get them in chapter 9. Then type represent the devil because they deceived Joshua. They sounded so believable, so convincing that all of the false proofs in front of them the real items. They just were false in their representation and they are overcome by dependence on God and so you take the three. This three the world the devil and in the flesh, and just an overview of very quickly has something I think to do with all of us.

The devil represents the unseen world that rejects God full out rejection the world represents the visible world that rejects God full out and of course the flash the flesh rep the flesh is me. It is not unseen is everything in me that rejects God full out and there is nothing going to change any of this until Christ returns. That is how it is and is good to learn these lessons as best we can, so verse one now, but the children of Israel committed trespass regarding the accursed things break in the son of Carmine, the son of Zap died, the son of zero of the tribe of Judah took the accursed things. So the anger of Yahweh burned against the children of Israel ominous word but all it is is at the disjunctive.

That is joined to the preceding verse of the preceding chapter Joshua chapter 6 of Yahweh was with Joshua. This is after they of course conquer Jericho's fame spread throughout all the country I incidentally that fame spreading throughout all of Canaan. That was the armies rallying, waiting for the Jews to come attack them so they could fight back. It wasn't they were putting up posters yeah Joshua, what a hero anyway.

Yahweh gave them the victory. Joshua now everybody knows he's a serious leader but that's how it goes. Joshua one Jericho, but you went to church but fill in the blank for the children of Israel committed trespass was a redistricting as it was the children of Israel, Lord, it was just one family, but this is significance to it all, so that almost ominous word offsets the victory at Jericho Jericho extremely well. Did the operation go to bring down that enemy, but there's always a spoiler.

It seems very seldom is it ever just clean cut. When as pastor I can I some Sundays ARG better than other Sundays, but there always seems to be one little thing that Jess Maybe it's somebody with a snarky remark, maybe it's all just somebody having a big problem in their life and it just stays on as sometimes it is so that's life. Though whether pastor knowledge is using me the same. We really have a stellar week than this one fly in the ointment. Well, there was one here. Jericho went extremely well, except but something else case of one man's sin grieving every body the entire nation.

One guy too often is one selfishly driven individual that upsets everybody else takes the wind out of everyone salad they would just not do that if you could just put them out of the picture. Every body would really be all right. I'm not talking to some just don't like me has to be something you can say this is wrong. And here's the evidence, not speculation. King Saul was such a man took all the wind out of Israel sale Simon Magnus is his great revival going on and that he is looking to profit from the Holy Spirit and then here it is taken and his pedigree is clearly marked out car my Zap die sera excellent children's names. Some of you that think they're all the good ones are taken go with one of those and, incidentally, almost none of these names are pronounced the way we pronounce in the Hebrew, and even a can is not were not even close. Like Colin or something like that. So you get a lot of hot and it be careful is father's grandfather.

His great-grandfathers drive all shame because of his cynicism of the tribe of Judah took the accursed thing levels because we discussed last session and all the precious metals belong to God.

This was the first victory, the first spoils went to him. So the anger of Yahweh burned against the children of Israel because it was not addressed to simple. Wait a minute, no one know about this except God in the family American. Why does everybody have to pay as leading up to the story, just the heading, the overview we get to the detail some of the details in a minute but he said why is God so's turn. Why didn't he just go after Aiken well knowing how difficult it was to hold the Jews together under God. As we look at their history from the days of Jacob all the way to Malachi into the life of Christ in the book of acts you you say look how difficult it was to hold them to God. What if God was less stern. It would've been worse. So God and he made an impression on enough people to contribute to the nation's faithfulness. This is not fair.

This is a divine prerogative and those come with great meaning all the time whether we discover the meanings are not like the life of Job. Why pick on Job Job's righteous in God knew what he was doing when he allowed what he did and over the ages.

So many people have benefited and been strengthened because of a man like Job and have served the kingdom and have not given up the fight. Go now to verse two, not Joshua sent men from Jericho to AI beside Beth Avon on the east side of Bethel and spoke to them saying go up and spy out the countries of the men went up and spied out AI apparently wasting no time, characteristic of Joshua gets right to it. Susie can and is brought out it says in Joshua sent men from Jericho to AI, giving the Canaanites less and less time to rally their forces to come to help AI, he says, which is beside Beth Avon on the east side of Bethel will Bethel means house of God at significant factors into the history of the Jews Abraham.

We are told in Genesis seek built an altar between Bethel and a AI sacrifice there twice that we know of in his lifetime, but Beth Avon is the house of nothing on the house of idols the house of vanity, likely a place where they sacrificed to idols.

That was what was going on there.

Verse three and they returned to Joshua and said to him, do not let all the people go up, but that about two or 3000 men go up and attack a I do not weary all the people there. The people of AI are few good intelligence batted vice. It was not their assignment to advise they were to come back with the information. This was a reconnaissance or recon team goes out says week.

This is what we found.

They should've left it right there and Joshua should've stopped them. In hindsight, of course, but if you're a modern-day military commander. This is an excellent math section. A manual of sorts that you can look at the here's not how to do it. What the spies are saying true production. What commanders don't want to reduce troops. This is an unjustified concern because of their position noticed the lessons in this tube because as we go about our business as Christians we have to be careful that were taking the information and not unnecessarily or reducing our strength in an unjustified way.

Also they are underestimating the enemy.

This is an invasion. It is not two armies meeting on the battlefield of a room with the word I want relative equal size. This is a fortress of fortunes of a fortified city and invasion forces need to be big and again I will come out and in next session they meant well, of course, but militarily speaking and which I'm interested in is a Christian because my life is a military event where we are soldiers in Christ, we even say where prayer warriors we use this disease metaphor to describe what were supposed to be doing, whether we live up to those metaphor not mindful enough of them is another matter but so Joshua has the information when he gets to that place of hindsight is going to say I should not listen and he's going to the ascending. He's going to send in a regimen to regiments about 3000 men they going to get beaten when he got he's going to then sent 10 times that when he takes AI, which would be a core size of two divisions and that to me is a mall over that.

I say that's my flesh. If I'm going to fight my flesh I better not send in a platoon or battalion order regimen.

I better send in a core armies of men to deal with my flesh. There is one of the great lessons that comes out of this book of Joshua is not what their approach was. This is lightweight stuff.

It is not know invasion is lightweight and certainly dealing with the flesh is never lightweight in the instant we think I got this we don't, and if we do manage to pull it off were set up for the next time because we've gotten a little cocky. Now a lot of the commentators say that the Jews were little cocky here, but I don't find that they think they just meant well. Why bring in all the truths we can take this place.

I don't think there's any pride here is my take. Verse four. So about 3000 men went up there from the people but they fled before the men of AI, so they underestimated the resistance as we do again do with the flesh, but they fled before the men of ruin retreat is always demoralizing. You can never say look on the bright side we made it. You can say that I guess with that distilled water fighter just retreat got a regroup or you suffer complete breakdown failure captured or killed or worse, both though in this case, sin was the cause of defeat and and retreat and the mistakes they did contribute to poor judgment date they did contribute to it, but overall it was the sin. Verse five and the men of AI struck down about 36 men before they chase them from before the gates. As far as Chevron several rim barred me and struck them down on the dissent. Therefore, the hearts of the people melted and became like water. You know there's a rule that there is a right way to retreat and is a wrong way to retreat the wrong way to retreat us to turn your back on the enemy and run as fast as you can. You're very likely going to be shot in the back the right way is to continue facing the enemy while you'll moving away from them shooting back and this is an example of doing it the wrong way and it says they were struck down on the dissent. Therefore, hearts of the people, etc. this battlefield created conditions that may been the little sketchy because when I read this essay. Why does Joshua say about 3680 with Pharaoh certainly going to be a body count when Army families going to be grieving while out 36 while some may have been wounded and not likely going to recover from their wounds, but yet not succumb to the wound so that would account for that. And then on the other hand, as we read in other battles in the Scripture, the terrain itself may have taken out a few guy running from the enemy actually runs off a cliff scope panic stricken and they don't want to talk that one up to the enemies military prowess of that.

I love the Mina bother you, but it bothers me when I supply about 36. This is the only defeat of the invading forces of the Jews recorded in the book of Joshua. Now there are others implied, but this is the only one recorded and it is the only report of Jews actually dying in combat and that Ed Stu the power of God's will and the battle at hand.

Ultimately his people prevail, and that is what is held up before us is sorta like in the New Testament we don't read about all of the shortcomings of the apostles. Not like we read about the shortcomings of the prophets and kings in the book in the Old Testament and you know even the great powerful prophet Elijah running for his life, not just kill me. The Bible records listing become the New Testament and in the only person that really kept messing up as Peter as far as the apostles go how many lessons come out of that talk about why God records this and that why he does it the way he does it will the records there.

It's for him to know and for us to find out is is therefore the hearts of the people in verse five melted and became like water well how quickly how quickly we do crumble and poorly we handle setbacks. I mean imagine just backing your truck up into a pole, something hitting well in the parking lot. I remember the first person I went to when I banged my truck bumper was God. Why, why did you let me hit that I don't have a drivers license. You do this just was involuntary because you know the people of God were always talking to him and he's just a part of everything that goes wrong somewhere.

Another so we show our faith by the way we bear undesirable things and you would like to see in this case that they strengthen themselves in the Lord that would've been the ideal first response at this would not been human. Even David when of course he was off fighting in sick lagan and is the camp was raided by the Amalekites.

They come back they wept alone was no strength they wanted to stone David and then David strengthened himself in the Lord. He recovered and they're going to recover.

But then again more lessons for us for when we take hits the usually the initial responses complete breakdown hearts become melted like water and then we regroup. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of Yahweh until evening.

He and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads. This is leadership's response is proper response. They go to the Lord instead of saying what we need are more troops let's go at it again. We can do this boys know they go to God in their very serious they get to God and they are just talk about my soul follows hard after after use. It says in the Psalms. They are it says until evening. We are not sure the starting point with the implication is they were there a long time. Joshua is devastated by this coming off the great victory all the concerns he had about how to take Jericho the taking Jericho AI group trusting his field in all his intelligence reports, we can take this place and he's all of this is going as is 36 families now without a father or brother or whatever the case may be, and in is just devastated, but is not by himself there others that are with Joshua and they're not saying how could you do this show as you listen to them what what you know they're right there with him before the Lord. This just makes. I guess it's so shameful when we as Christians don't behave this way the lessons are here.

I love that these men were not turning on Joshua that they said okay let's just go to the Lord together verse seven and Joshua said were positive, just like they said anybody's against you. Just remember chapter 1 Ruben Eidson never had to have tried anybody that messes with you go to mess with us we going to deal with them or hear their living up to the promise as a people.

Verse seven and Joshua said alas, Lord Yahweh, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us all that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan. So this devastation that I mentioned that is evident in verse six itches. There is a just outpouring from this great man of God when he drove us the only one, Jeremiah will do the same thing every not the only one in the Bible that this is God what is happening here and is not the only one you're not the only one in the church that has messed up things in your life from time to time and you going to Gaza what is going on. What about all the promises I heard a sermon on how you you know what the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no you trembling year. Well alas exclamatory expresses pain. How could this be is is sobbing that word alas the great regret a lot of emotions just all over the place by what God had allowed to happen to them. Joshua, this is what we do is going to find out he doesn't say when he finds out as I would've said when she tells the modified why did you hold that back.

Joshua will not talk back to God. That way he wanted no part of the defeat. If the Lord was with him just couldn't. He could make heads or tails out of this whole thing and he felt no no doubt there's any leader would feel a parent would feel responsible. Somehow this is my fault and that's not always true. Sometimes it is and sometimes as you forward. So what we got still resolve this thing will sensing crying over spilt chocolate milk right this first. 21 of the night I'm allowed one pastor zero anyway.

Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of Jordan, again you can. Mr. heard the pathos in that if I knew then what I know now I never would've crosses Jordan yes you would Joshua because you got that kind of man with the Lord. You can tell yourself whatever you want, you would've crossed over. You can say I'm gonna retire. I'm done with all of this to you not going to do just what God tells you to do is you that kind of man that kind of woman in the Lord and so is going to get God's going to let him just let it out. God lets Joshua just run with it kitted out kid that's right get it out you get it out. Get up. That's where this is going and he doesn't know you know it was going to happen.

On the other side of the river. The past was certain he knew what he had done, but on the side. He doesn't know what's coming.

It's not true either way. Because, on the other side of the river there would've been struggles there also. So this extremely discouraged. Just a breath away from faithlessness, not wanting to go anywhere, go forward anymore and that's what his words saying we could've stayed on the other side genuine case of discouragement. It's enough to blind us. Thanks for tuning into cross reference radio for this study in the book of Joshua cross reference is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, please visit our website cross reference radio.com find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified each new edition of cross reference radio. Just search for cross reference radio in iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast. You could also follow the links and cross reference radio.com. Glad we were able to spend time with you today to do next time to continue learning from the book of Joshua right here on cross reference radio