Defeat at Ai (Part B)

There is a time when God says to man stop praying and get to work. This is the time.first-time inscriptions of the last direct step team, the Jews are crossing the Red Sea, Yahweh said to Moses, what you try to may tell the children of Israel go forward. Some people are just constantly asking God what to do is I can't tell you anymore boy told you what to do.

You won't do that one my support while The use of gold what I told you last time. 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 today. Pastor Rick continues his study, called to be at a as he goes through Joshua chapter 7 is sought alike. 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 and 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 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'm having the first person I went to when I bang my truck bumper was God.

Why, why did you let me hit that I don't have a drivers license.

You do this just as voluntary, 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, it just would not been human.

Even David when of course he was off fighting and thick lagan in this. 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 that usually the initial responses complete break down our 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 than taking Jericho AI 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 in any just devastated, but is not by himself there others that are with Joshua and they're not saying how could you do this you what 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 will pause it 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. What 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. It just there's just outpouring from this great man of God when he drew us when Jeremiah will do the same thing every not the only one in the Bible that 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 just heard a sermon on how you you know what the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no you traveling here. Well, alas, exclamatory expresses pain. How could this be. This is solving that word. Alas, the great regret. A lot of emotions are just all over the place by what God had allowed to happen to them. Joshua's is what we do is going to find out and he doesn't say when he finds out as I would've said when she tells the modified why did you hold 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 spilled 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. hurt the pathos in that if I knew then what I know now I never would've trusted 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 going to 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. So he's going to get God's going to let him just let it out. God lets Joshua just run with it. Get 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 and be the way because, on the other side of the river there would've been struggles.

There is also so this extremely discouraged. Just a breath away from faithlessness and not wanting to go any go forward anymore and that's what his words are saying we could've stayed on the other side genuine case of discouragement.

It's enough to blind us to God's will, his plan, his character's presence as our commander.

God doesn't say to him, and I'm sure Joshua was an outside somewhere in his head. It was there would come up that eventually the guidance of the way the midgut you remember me standing with the sword out and take off the sandal in your you and you bowing down you remember that yeah I remember that all right with you are supposed to use that sort of AI to verse 80 Lord, what shall I say when Israel turned his back before its enemies. What a valid question.

What uses faith if it can't be trusted.

If this is the philosophy what uses it. If it brings it into bringing shame were supposed to be God's people, God's instruments of judgment and yet were defeated and always unaware of the and judge sin. Verse nine says for the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it and surround us and cut off our name from the earth, then what will you do for your great name, so is that not so true to how we can thank the what-ifs the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land were here then is valid. All of it is valid you can say Joshua where you get a notion like that AI that's what I cut a notion like that is only 36 not to Joshua. These are precious lives. This was a big deal Allen Redpath in this section he suggests that there were three reasons for the defeated AI, paralysis, self-confidence and disobedience was much as I admire Allen Redpath and learn a lot have learned a lot and still do from him. I disagree with to the three. The paralysis that was sort of encapsulated in the mission. They were in the will of God and self-confidence. I don't detect that the disobedience will that was there in Aiken's part and it you know it's okay to disagree with Allen Redpath Nokia discrete but it's okay to do it is and that's youeasy to learn that many Christians think that the pastor and them have to agree on every single thing from what can a Dixie cup you drink out of who's on the throne of God. Will God that's was God. But anyway verse 10 so Yahweh said to Joshua, get up, why do you live us on your face again. This is probably why don't you got asked me these kind of questions is enough to smack me upside my head that I would plan to be rude but I would say something like when he says, why do you line your face because you just get defeated. That's why we just went over this. Let me say again that would be it for me so there is a time when God says the man stop praying and get to work and this is the time in Joshua's life the first time the Scriptures of the last time Exodus chapter 14 when the Jews are crossing the Red Sea, Yahweh said to Moses, why do you try to may tell the children of Israel go forward. Some people are just constantly asking God what to do this. I can't tell you anymore boy told you what to do. You won't do that. Well, I suppose To use on the go do what I told you last time you have some folks have maybe an application for the children's ministry sitting on the counter for year two essay the application in right that was a recruitment note mouse with though the ushers into anyway. Prayer is always good in its place, but this is not now the time for prayer. He had to say and God abruptly ends the prayer session is not rude, just abrupt ending.

He can do that.

It's time to deal in on sparingly with the judgment that has to fall in house and so again if you just a prayer warrior and that's all you are and you can be more somethings not right if sometimes are those that all they can be. There may be, you know the physical health. This is poor and they really can't do much else. Prayer is very much needed by such characters is that well anyway, we got to get up and face face the music face whatever we have to deal with the comes a time. You gotta face it and and that's where what it where it is come for Joshua and why should God speak to those who refuse to stand. Incidentally, he says to Joshua, stand up, get up one of Joshua's getting half decent well that doesn't happen well with us. It does kind of happen member Jacob wrestled on will let you go to you blessed me. I love that God does not ask us to be robots, but sometimes I wish he gave me enough strength to be like a robot.

Ezekiel chapter 2 he said to me, Son of Man standing your feet and I will speak to you so there he does it with Ezekiel and Peter. He says that Peter says therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest are hopefully on the grace that is brought you to the revelation of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul when he was saved. So he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what you want me to do. Then the Lord said to him, arise get and go into the city and you will be told what to what you must do then asked 22 Paul again telling the story about his convergences, God speaking to him now. Why are you waiting arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord, then Psalm 25 verse two. Oh my God I trust in you.

Let me not be ashamed, but not my enemies triumph over me. Okay, God says, but you going to have to get up. Part of this to verse 11. This is these of these were going verse by verse expository verse by verse. These are topical verses.

These verses you like to take spending more time on verse 11. Israel has sins God speaking to Joshua. This is news to Joshua and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them they have even taken some of the accursed things and have both stolen and deceived. They have also put it among their own stuff while God again commanded Israel not to take any of the spoil from Jericho and they will be allowed to loot AI and other places but not again. The firstfruits belonged to God and this hidden unconfessed on judge sin.

Of course we can them when and it will weaken us to. If we have unconfessed on judge done dealt with sin. We can assume comes time to cross swords with the enemy. We have that profound part of this lesson. I'm not emphasizing that too much because I am of the mind that most of this congregation gets that week we get that and I don't need to go. I clobber us with maybe in another environment you have to drive that point home that I thought I'd say that's a good thing. The best you can say that about his congregation. Hopefully they say that about him anyway.

For they have. I'm still in verse 11, for they have both stolen and to see they have also put it among their own stuff.

Now he's speaking poorly, they rose can was his family to ache in his hands. They laid all of the items that belong to God, but his family became accomplice in the deal Aikins going to say. I buried this in my tent. Will the whole family knew that no one spoke up and God is very serious about this reminds us of sapphire Ananias in the New Testament and he says among their own stuff. Well, what belongs to God does not belong amongst our stuff not in this case semis kind enough. My office is his but he lets me put my stuff in here but there are other places where it's just for him. And this is the case, Israel has send and they have also transgressed my covenant.

Bottom of verse 11 against sin mean that you disobey what God said what commandment of God transgressed across the God set boundary you where you don't belong and to sins committed here of named by God stealing and deception. It's also ties into putting family before God.

That is what the accomplices were doing. We know what God said, we know you did this a lot of money. We want to have a going to be doing pretty good in the promised land that we get through these wars. Luke chapter 14 is a very uncomfortable if you love your family and you hear this verse is a wake-up call to love them a lot so love more is a one was very hard to me at the baby right here from acute they are innocent. As I understand what you do to. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be my type.

Comparatively, our love for God is to be so strong compared to everything else. Hatred is it's it's hyperbole, it's exaggeration as it makes its point and when you read that verse, I think it's one of the verses in the Bible.

You never forget. That's how powerful the hyperbole is and were not supposed to, and so how many parents have said to the Lord. This is your child is much as I love them but they are yours and that is very doable. I've seen it I've seen in hospitals in sick beds by parents and maybe you have to verse 12 therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies because they have become doomed to destruction.

Neither will I be with you anymore unless you destroy the accursed from among you is pretty powerful. This they were supposed to be the Jews, God's instrument of judgment on those who were judged while God could not reward his instruments of judgment. If they themselves needed to be judged. That's the point I'm giving you this land, God is used other people on other people's for judgment but not rewarding and telling everybody. I'm rewarding them. But the Jews are unique. God is saying to them the Canaanites so bad I'm using you to drive them out.

You don't be like them and so here we have one the seed we have this. This seed planted in the nation.

God says I will stomach it not for one moment I cannot justify using the disobedient to cast out the disobedient and reward them for the disobedience at the same time. That's the message. Verse 13 so he says again when he repeats himself as very serious and doesn't mean it's terrifying. Just no-nonsense, get up, sanctify the people.

Verse 13 and say sanctify yourself for tomorrow because the says Yahweh God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in your midst. Oh Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies into you take away the accursed thing from among you is nothing about that verse that is confusing. There's nothing in the advertisement sends me to the Hebrew I can get it all, right out of the English get up and set yourself apart.

There is an accursed thing in your midst, and you're not dealing with it and you have to deal with it out you can't stand before the adversary for us adversary state how he uses the world and the flesh against us, we will not be able to stand so he says don't lie there. The sanctify radio heart is saying to Joshua, get your heart ready get it ready in right and this is probably one of the things yeah I don't know how you can fix this. You say you go to a service and you have the pastor speak and it's an anointed message and everybody can feel it and then five minutes later everybody's got a bright light of these forgotten often. Fortunately, God knows how to retrieve the moment and he gives us flashbacks and so as we doing something during the week, the Holy Spirit, bring something back out with those of the things that are building blocks also. That's what contributes to us being stronger and better at being Christians, and it is often a fight because we have other passions, you know, one of the rookie mistakes and didn't get to can't serve two masters. You can have two passions and expect to passionately serve either one of them.

You'll love the one you'll hate they're going to do is going to be a conflict of interest of devotion of energy of time you can't do it. And God demands that really only got the only God that he we have is him to have no other gods before me. Unlike Rehoboam who did not prepare his heart, and we know his life.

One of the dumbest men in the Bible, Israel second Chronicles 1214 and he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek Yahweh. So we are blessed at this time we have music and a company of music on a Sunday morning and we try to reduce noise around the environment and folks coming to the sanctuary and seems to me that they are preparing your heart does not mean everybody is not in there is not preparing.

There are, it just makes the point that this is something we still do. It is good it is. Some of I still can remember being in the lobby. Years ago, and seeing a couple pull-up and they were going at it many more swing at each other yet and today and it's you know she gets that can it's like oh man, it just hurts you to see that you go to church or go from church. We are always trying to be perfect in the midst of imperfect circumstances, events, all the other junk that we can flesh can throw at us. And yet God just keep saying get up work to be done. This is a sanctify yourself tomorrow because the says Yahweh God of Israel. Verse 14 in the morning, therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes, and it shall be that the tribe which Yahweh takes shall come according to families in the family which Yahweh takes shall come by household in the household which Yahweh takes shall come, man by man, is the process involved. Verse 15 then it shall be that he was taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire. He all that he has transgressed the covenant Yahweh is done a disgraceful thing in his judgment is very severe. Seems like the way it's written in this whole chapter is painful.

Joshua light leaves out details.

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.

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