Defeat at Ai (Part C)

Helpful which Yahweh takes shall come, man by man processing revolvers 15 minutes shall be that he was taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire. He already has because he has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh because he is done a disgraceful thing in Israel, as the judgment is very severe.

Seems like the way it's written in this whole chapter is painful. Joshua writing leaves out details is to pour out. 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.

The title of Pastor Rick's message today is to be at a high he'll be teaching in Joshua chapter 72 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 you 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 him a lot solo more as a walk was very hard to make up the baby right here finally got cute. 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 it's it's 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 and 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 is 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. All 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 are not dealing with it and you have to deal with it out you can't stand before the adversary for us adversary state and 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 ready a heart is saying to Joshua, get your heart ready get it ready in right and this is probably one of the things you 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 on the pilot of these forgotten often.

Fortunately, God knows how to retrieve the moment and he gives us flashbacks and so as were 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 love the one you'll hate they're going to 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 rail 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 someone I still can remember being in the lobby. Years ago, and seeing a couple pull-up and they were going at it. Many were swinging at each other yet and today, and this you know she gets up and it's like all 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 and all that he has because he has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh because he is done a disgraceful thing in Israel, as the judgment is very severe.

It seems like the way it's written in this whole chapter is painful for Joshua to write it.

He leaves out details leaves Tagore out this is he was there he saw it all and could touch it and smell it and feel it is no escaping, and he could hear it. Verse 16 Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was taken, there is again up early to carry out his orders. No dragging of the feet.

Verse 17 he brought the plan of Judah and took the family of the Czar Heights and he brought the family of the size man by man, that guy was taken. Now you're aching in this group. Your sweating arrows of the didn't have bullets yet, or you're just you don't know I have a clue what was going on. Verse 18. Then he brought his household man by man in Aiken, the son of Carmine, the son of Zabb died, the son of Z0 the tribe of Judah was taken in here is Joshua obeying orders dealing with Aiken's disobedience. What was King Saul's excuse because these things were in writing, in his day, why was Saul so disobedient when he had a template of obedience for leaders before him and Moses and Joshua are recorded for us to to learn. Verse 19. So Joshua said taken my son, I beg you give glory to Yahweh, God of Israel and make confession to him and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me is a very tender section and a very ugly tenderness. I gave you guessing Joshua has to do with God is told he is the judge buddies is humane is respectable in his treatment of this doom center, he refrained when Jesus is is not a term so much. Of endearment, but it is a term of of gentleness, humanity, obesity, son would want to be done is he saying to Aiken. I don't hate the sinner, your sin will be dealt with. The sin is hateful to cause death, but I don't hate you and that's what comes comes out of this in this inquisition is as a kindness that belongs to its own so many lessons again abound. They flout the pages in mind that way when somebody is broken something special to me like my feelings, I beg you.

He says he's urging him to do the right thing and there's a reason he's saying you do not have to go are you going out but you do not have to go out to son is saying for this sin, you will be judged but you have an opportunity here to go right and be right before God when you leave this life you can have. You can clean this mess up in the presence of the Lord. Right now, so that it doesn't follow you into eternity.

That's why I stand by my statement there men like Aiken and loser who touched the ark and obstruct that. What if they go to hell wasn't for that act.

I don't believe they did a cannot of noise, the gray zone of use. I relatively relative to human sight, no doubt about it was a man of God love the Lord he messed up one time and he paid for with his life, but not as eternal life, and I like if I'm going to error. I rather err on the side of grace than judgment than legalism and self-righteousness. Well, he says he's giving him this chance Kane refused to confess his sin came was given this opportunity was your brother. Am I my brother's keeper that was his response.

God dismisses that I will his boy doesn't dismiss it, but he plows already says the blood of Abel calls out to me is dead I'm God, I happen to know these things, I'm giving you a chance is a God passes judgment.

What is what is can do is too hard for me people to bother me. He never owns a sin will Aiken is being given this chance.

That's why Joshua say I'm begging you son tell us to make this get any more ugly than what it already is again a chance to die right and go out with less shame and less judgment on you, the pulpit commentary. One of the first commentary is the first commentary set I got dental while God call me to the ministries you try to give me all these books and the pulpit commentary and its 26 volumes 22,000 contributions to it and it was written or published in 1890 and some of this outdated, of course, is theology evolved much of it when it comes to the human side is very rich and this is what LLI is to commentary on Joshua is what he says about this moment because a lot of the modern commentators were reluctant to ring in on this. My son part. He says Joshua feels for the criminal expression seems almost to imply a belief that though Aiken must undergo the extreme penalty of the law in this world.

Joshua entertained a whole that he might be forgiven in the next. It certainly proves that Stern is the law of Moses was. It was felt, at least in those days to be rather against the sin than the center that its severity was directed to ASIS back in 1890 and just like today.

They have they understood the humanity of the situation. A God not hate Aiken and neither did Joshua and neither should we.

Verse 20 and Aiken answer Joshua and said indeed, I have sinned against Yahweh, God of Israel and this is what I have done. This is more than remorse.

This is repentance. I didn't and I didn't against God I send confession will reduce the sentence in this case. Remorse does not always halt the consequences with Judas Iscariot.

Maybe it does with men but not with God. Judas had remorse.

He did not repent and make this confession if he had a no think he'd be the son of perdition. God knew all that in advance and called out Peter on the other hand, of course, we definitely repented eight of himself and just was just awful. Matthew chapter 23 then Judas is betrayer seeing that he had been condensing the Christ was condemned was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders in a sense of humanity without deity, that's no good. There moralist people that that will not offend other people as best they can. They still offend God by saying he's not who he says he is well verse 21 when I saw the spoils of spoiled a beautiful Babylonian garment two shekels of silver, a wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels, I coveted them and took them there. They are hidden in the earth in the mists of my tent, with the silver under it says it was a prize find it is alluring. I saw a God.

It he says a beautiful Babylonian garment literally a beautiful garment. Of Shinar is rare in China's problem of course about 6 pounds of silver that a pound of gold. He says I coveted them and I took them just like David coveted Bathsheba and took her that was mutual Ahab. He coveted Naboth's vineyards sought took it he killed Naboth in the process course Jezebel the brains of the outfit and Ahab the brainless.

One of the outfit outfit Hayes I he saw the garments and all that may name and wanted to give to Eliza Lodge that I can't take that to anything to Hector headaches. I said I see it I dictated and of course he conspired he coveted he conspired concealed, and then he was revealed.

He says in verse 21 also. And there they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent. The silver under it so he he comes to God, he acknowledges his guilt and how delivery was but that is as it was with Jonah. You know John went down to Joppa.

He went down to the docks down into the ship is Going down down down Philip is a person going to running from God.

Here Aiken the dog dug a hole for the treasures. He dug a hole that was a grave 36 soldiers and he dug a hole for his family's doom in the process.

Also, he says I saw I wanted. I took I hid in others suffered so the New Testament, of course, scares us, what you should do, but each one is tempted. James writes when he is drawn away by his own desires and it entice them when desire has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, it brings forth death. And that's what were seeing in life of Aiken first John chapter 2. I'm not going to read this because we know it and were running low on time, but the nicest all of the world, the lust of the eyes, left must the flesh, the pride of the life don't stay away from those things. Verse 22 so Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent and there it was hidden in his tent with the silver under it so I guess the proven confirmation you was to validate these is confession, verse 23 and he took them from the mists of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel and says and laid them out before Yahweh careful wording is not well we this is a lot there we we can tell I'm not touching it this evening. Verse 24 then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Aiken the son of zero silver the garment the wedge of gold. His sons his daughters as oxen is dark is a sheep's tent and all that he had and they brought them to the valley of a core law.

The strict it knows no mercy is absolute were not under the law but were not lawless.

Either the this this kind of law. Now of course the picture in our head as little children near his sons, and God is not little children. They're old enough to tell and destroy the good, the law was also very careful about that that the sons do not get punished for the sins of the father in the blood and vice versa. They were in cahoots. Colossians 3.

New Testament says BU does wrong will be repaid for what he does what he has done. There is no partiality so is very clear. The family is implicated, indicted for their evil deeds. Their contribution and the conclusion is that Barry didn't he buried it in the tent they knew about it. They said nothing and again it's Sapphire Ananias in complexion. Verse 25 Joshua said why are you troubled us.

Yahweh will trouble you. This day is actually being poetic get to that in a minute.

So all Israel stone him with stones.

They burn them with the fire with fire. After they had stone them with stones. This why have you troubled with the name Aiken means trouble or so he just is there. He says it, you know, when you write something that's creative it's it's is usually an inspiration at some moment as you do a lot of writing to do better at it you start using better words, instead of the same word in a just, you know process gets a little bit more flavor and it can't stand what you what you're feeling is what I'm trying to say and and this is a moment in Joshua's life where we says you've troubled Israel because Joshua hates to have to do this.

This is not what will we getting rid of the bad guy. This is disgusting for him, but it has to be done and he knows that this is a managed been in God's presence, long back in the days of Moses he knows the deal and is following through with how unpleasant it is and is tough when a pastor has to excommunicate someone from the church, not from Christ. Not that that's not right word right word is disfellowshipped.

We have this you know what you can't come back until this gets done and that's that's not easy. But this this comparatively okay. Let's all do it next time. He reassured what levity actors considering something like this. So Joshua makes upon on the name of Aiken you have troubled us. God troubles you, and first Chronicles chapter 7 looks back at this event mentions a car which is a variation of Aiken the traveler of Israel. It says in first Chronicles to seven who transgressed in the accursed thing he says here in verse 25 and towards the bottom so all Israel stone and wood stones and they burn them with fire. Rahab her entire household was saved because of faith they submitted. Aiken loses his whole family because they did not submit the tried to pull this off.

Joshua 22 verse 20.

Looking back at these events did not Aiken, the son of Xerox commit a trespass in the accursed thing and wrath fell on the congregation of Israel and that man did not perish alone in his iniquity didn't die alone. They went with them. So this whole chapter is to take a believer and say what you think about this and, leaving the hair because it you do do not have to go to seminary to draw conclusions is right there on the surface. Verse 26 and they raised over him, a great heap of stones still there to this day.

So Yahweh turn from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore, the name of the place has been called the Valley of a core to this day, place of judgment became a monument for the people of Israel but there is no Valley of trouble before God that does not have a door of hope and we get to Hosea, we come across in Hosea 2, the Valley of hope in the midst of the valley of a core and that's how God is so what is all this about to summarize Deuteronomy chapter 20 tells us that this is about souls going to hell and souls going to heaven. But the cities of these peoples which our your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breeds remain alive, but you surely destroy them. The Hittite Amorite Canaanite has arrived here by the Jebusite just as Yahweh your God has commanded you last. They teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods and you sin against Yahweh your God, so God told Moses when you come to the promised land is going to be a spiritual war, but they going to use physical things to corruption your Israel survey I boils war god of horses in order they can just had waited, taking care wellness history of Aiken the defeated AI next session we will sitter the victim.

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.

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