Much War (Part A)

The Holy Spirit is bringing something to our attention because what we notice today is that there are many universities in churches and and believers who are quick to tolerate lies, mistruths, blasphemous ideas, even about the Lord or the Scripture and tautly tolerate the city look to salvage something that comes out a hell and then mix it into the church and this is why I'm so many churches and almost all of the seminaries, a compromise 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 here. 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, but for now let's join Pastor Rick and Joshua chapter 10 as he begins a brand-new message called watch war. Joshua chapter 10 and two words stand out in this chapter at least one phrase and another word and the word sword will stand out as well is utterly destroyed and that's what this is all about. This conquest of the promised land.

That's about war and finishing what has been started though the Jews never did finish and again. Life is much that way when it comes to fighting the flesh and fighting the lies that are out there we come along with the truth and it's just never ending.

We don't we don't have the right be sick and tired of it to the point where we are no longer part of the solution because that's why God has us here.

Well, this chapter covers infantry war in particular and the engagements include combat field support night ops a forced march to the battlefield.

And if you've never been on a forced march, you're missing out. You'll be in shape after one of those close combat engagement with the enemy target rich environments illumination rounds antipersonnel rounds through close air support and the oak counteroffensive and frontal assaults are also part of the warfare that is going to take place in this one chapter. Chapter 10 and so we are were not considering so much love and morality, but rather our role in this world.

As believers, it's more of a fight against those things that damned souls thin it is anything else for we who believe and we are confronted with these serious forces against us in Ephesians 6 we know it we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. That's the spiritual war that we are engaged so we come to this book of Joshua we say well were not just reading a manual or a hit again account history. It is more of a manual for us on much war and engaging the enemy fighting for truth by knowing the truth and telling it and trying. Of course our best to live it. The enemies in this book Joshua was book they do represent lies about God.

If we want to. Of course, a habit go parallel to what we are living and cities of those who today murder the unborn, for instance, and now the newborn who teach children to not be what they were born as male or female. Those who hate the only true God and Savior.

The lies that have gotten hold of these people. That's the enemy that's what we are to engage when dispatched by the Lord, and the longer I serve as a Christian, more I'm convinced that it's mainly against false views and that's why Paul says in the end, this is how it's going to be with all unrighteous deception among those who perished because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. So those who oppose the will of God and the people of God are the belligerents the combatants and each of these have to be dealt with with the sword. God's word and the support that we need to do this the logistics that go along with it. They are given by God.

Ephesians 617 and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Remember who was Harry, Ironside, or Alan Redpath. That said, Joshua was a parallel book to Ephesians and for you. Decades I pondered that didn't see it yet. I have quite a few quotes from Ephesians 2 drive the point home that Joshua is making so I agree now after all these years. Maybe you got it earlier still not better than me because of it, but it is the fees the Ephesian letter. It is a book of war as his Joshua Revelation 2127 we read, but there shall by no means enter in it. Anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life and what I'm getting out of this verse in Revelation 21 verse 27 is that those things that cause abominations or ally are blocked out, because that's the enemy. So if you would come away from this consideration much war against the lies that Satan has injected into humanity and continues to push. That's why we're here.

They don't believe in creation.

They don't believe in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. They don't believe in the virgin birth, they don't believe in the Bible.

These allies have gotten hold of them and we are saved because God dispatched Christians into our lives to fight against these untruths and so now we look at verse one is a long chapter it says now it came to pass, when Adeline see that King of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken AI and had utterly destroyed it as he had done so to Jericho and its king, so he had done to AI and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them. Well Jerusalem where I don't eyes the deck is King. That's just 5 miles from Gibeon. We met last chapter, the Gibeonites deceived the people of God because they wanted peace and can't fault them for that. But Joshua was deceived. Nonetheless, he did not seek the Lord told right out. They trusted what they were looking at what they did not do is look up to the Lord on this matter and they were full. This, incidentally, is the first mention of Jerusalem in the Bible and that of course causes us to believe that the final draft of the book of Joshua was done in the days after King Saul because Jerusalem did not get its name until David led the conquest of JBoss which is Jerusalem. Remember when he chopped off the Giants head and he carried around for three days. One of the places he took that head to the city of JBoss David is there to say you know what you see what I did to this guy, this city is ours. Well anyway he ends up because many years later becoming king and Joab ruthless chainsaw Joab made his way up well in Jerusalem than Jabez open the gates. The Jews came in and took the city and it became the city of David, and so that that their naming it calling it Jerusalem here in Joshua 10 centuries before David was even born, indicates that there the final draft was produced in David's time and is nothing of course are wrong with any of that. Well, Joshua killed the king, he will.

This king denies the deck. He will perish in and in this campaign and the Israelites will destroy the city, but there they won't hold the city. It appears that the Jebusites come back into it after Joshua does the damage were read this I'm reading this from Judges chapter 1 of the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it. They struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. Judges 1 verse 21, but the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem so the Jebusites did well with the children of Benjamin and Jerusalem. To this day reading from Judges in the way that language reads to us and tells us that the final draft of judges was done before king David Rossi would've added David took the city and it's no longer in their hands. But he says to this day. At the time of the publication of the book of Judges, the Jebusites were there now as I'm reading this and speaking of cinemas of I think I've lost everyone except the side of the sanctuary. So let me just rather go back and just say here, Joshua is going to what will be Jerusalem. It's then called JBoss and he is this king agonize. The deck is from that city.

He will perish in this campaign Joshua will take the city but the Jebusites will again come back in a little another note about it as originally was given to the tribe of Benjamin, but David of course wins it.

Now the name at an IC deck.

It's a nice sounding name and another give to a kid, but it means the Lord is righteous of the Lord, my righteousness of the Lord is my justice and is a little tricky thing about this one is, of course, and that's what it means in the Hebrew, and there was nothing righteous about this man he was under the judgments was a false righteousness. If you translate his name. The Hebrew for instance, Leviticus 2023 God says to the Jews and you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you, for they commit all these things.

Therefore, I up for them so we know this man is not righteous. According to the standards of God. However, in the language of the peoples that lived in the land.

See deck not mean righteous. It was one of their gods and so you can do with that whatever you like, you know what I know about, but I can add that this unrighteousness that the Jews were casting out of the promised land is still with us. All you have to do is read Romans chapter 1, or newspaper and you find out the same iniquity is present with us was still dealing with this we will until the rapture comes in. The Lord returns it says in verse one that he utterly destroyed all dimensions of utterly destroyed going back up to the verse. Now it came to pass at an IC that King of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken AI and utterly destroyed it will that's what's going to happen to everybody else too. But there's that dominant word and that we should pay attention to dominant words when they show up in her chapter or passage of Scripture. The Holy Spirit is bringing something to our attention because what we notice today is that there are many universities in churches and and believers who are quick to tolerate lies, mistruths, blasphemous ideas, even about the Lord or the Scripture. They tautly tolerate the city look to salvage something that comes out a hell and then mix it into the church and this is why I'm so many churches and almost all of the seminaries are compromised. This doesn't help anyone. It hurts everyone.

And so, remember the next time that someone wants you to tolerate some blasphemous idea some false idea about Christ and looking at the essentials.

Remember that the people of God when the entered into Canaan, the utterly destroyed those who were opposed to God.

And so in the on the battlefield of thoughts and ideas in the battle for the mind will not tolerant of people who just give Jesus a pat on the back and want to say he was a good man and a prophet and that's it. That is not what we believe we believe. Of course he is God the son, Creator of the heavens and earth, the Lord, our Savior, and a whole lot more.

Verse two and they feared greatly because, give me on was a great city, one like the Royal cities and because it was greater than AI and all his men were mighty and so at an IC deck and the other kings that he's calling with him to come fight against Gibeon on four making a treaty with Joshua there pretty upset if give beyond that big city with all his warriors over there bookmark that thought all those warriors there if they gave into Israel very good for us we better nip this in the bud and go with them or else.

When I point we going to perish, that's there. The reasoning for this fear that they have.

God prophesied of this through Moses. Deuteronomy to this day I will begin to put the dread the fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you, but they won't repent.

That is the key feature that we cannot throw out of this section. They will bring their fingers and they will met maybe have much human regret, but they won't repent. They won't acknowledge the Lord for who he is and surrender to him and the people in this land of Canaan are a type of the people in the great tribulation. Who going to the judgments and they refused to repent or come to a verse in a moment to support that. But here in verse two it says Gibeon was a great city being civilized and I know I mentioned this in earlier chapters is not grounds enough to have God withhold judgment.

You can be as civilizing of all the technology you want, you can be as interested in humans. Humanity's needs as you want.

If you're not right with God. You are against him. So again in the great tribulation. Which is coming. There will be many sophisticated people and cities, and the technological advancements that will exist more than ever, and yet they will still send it will still die in the still will choose to blaspheme. And so as we look at this judgment coming in or on the cities of Canaan. We say so what they were big cities. They were also big blasphemers. Verse three.

Therefore, I don't IC deck King of Jerusalem sent to harm King of heaven. Ron Pyron am King of Jarmusch, Joffe, King of Lachish and deeper King of egg lawn saying come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon give beyond, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel, and so at an IC deck. He puts together this Confederation of kings to come attack Gibeon on for siding with Joshua. The Gibeonites had overcome the threat of Israel just to fall victim to another threat stuck in the middle again such as life. These things happen. Where were you land relent on your feet are on your head when life tosses you out the window of the piece that maybe you have been enjoying for so long.

So they called to God's people. The Gibeonites do trusting God's people rather than their neighbors. That's how we wanted we would like unbelievers to trust us more than fellow unbelievers.

We would like one thing things get serious about their own mortality about God. We would like for the unbeliever to feel comfortable enough to come to us and not go to the world. Dimensions have Ron here in verse three will get a lot of that we get to chapter 14 when Caleb says let me take him wrong. The land of the Giants you know it just the tasters never got out of the Caleb's mouth that hold thing about the Giants. There were like grasshoppers just never he never let that get away from him and when he gets in the promised land. I want the land where the Giants are made years old and still able to take these guys out and he does it just you gotta love the Mankato that's why so many parents I think.

Name it gets Caleb.

I hope that's the motive more than the name sounds good, that's fine, but I hope you understand the man verse five is a gentle man to incident his daughter will come to him give me the springs and him and he does just love that character anyway.

Read verse five. Therefore, the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the King of Habre on the king of Jarmusch, the King of Lachish and the King of egg lawn gathered together and went up there and all their armies camp before Gibeon and made war with it. So the southern campaign is beginning ahead of schedule Joshua to see this coming.

He's got this at his own pace.

He's working at Jericho AI Bethel RA Gibeon and is working it is based God is saying we need to push this up some, so here they are going to find themselves where in the territory were 40 years ago. Their ancestors were afraid to touch.

Now they going to go in now. We today of course where we face conjoined enemies of truth. So I have to say this, we don't again to see those just the book of Joshua in his talk about the Congress of the Jews, the conquest is still on its internal and its external will, for example, we have the you know the fruit of the spirit will it doesn't just fall into our lap and how many of you, you're just I'm just a gentle person when you may get that one right, but you might not get the long-suffering right or the or one of the others discernment. Whatever we have to fight for but the external threats that we face militant atheism. I mean atheism is to be.

I don't believe in God leave me alone. Now it's becoming I don't believe in God, I'm in a make sure no one else believes in God and will do whatever I can to stop anybody from believing God. We also have to deal with militant homosexuals who are determined not only to get others to accept homosexuality, but applauded to blessed to celebrate the prorated and beyond militant liberals who just lost their minds. They think they're smarter and better than everybody else and they have no proof and they know it doesn't stop. Then of course militant Islam. Nothing new there, but she's got the kids now and then there is the militant media notice I did not see mainstream I can say that there are some pockets of media that are not against righteousness and truth, but it's expanded and so it's not only your major news networks.

It is then mio and YouTube and Tweeter and all the rest of them is just such a age. At this at this generation is so unfortunate I mean is it when I was born things remain liking of the Tiger. You know the hawk and now it's face back anybody got a tweeter for me.

I'm sorry I don't know if you catching it. I am catching it, so you should receive simulated name is Courtney spineless.

I mean how would you like to be a you know an athlete and they called you the two lip becomes a two lip everybody the skies for horses. Okay I forgot I'm here just gonna have a molar rent because I go do these things anyway. Going back to this this can Federation of conjoined enemies that I've listed then is our own flesh will gotta love that we hate the flesh our own flesh.

Our own tendency to do wrong to when we know we're wrong you know you know this is not honest in doing it any Romans 724 wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death, much more. That's what the New Testament tells as you read the epistles you walk away feeling good about yourself. You boys I got work to do and got no time to feel sorry for my sinful state I got work to do. Verse six and the men of Gibeon center Joshua at the camp at Gill gal saying do not forsake your servants come up to us quickly save us and help us for all the kings of the Amorites, who dwell in the mountains of gathered against us, Joshua, here's your chance to let the Gibeonites parish for pulling that move on you don't go delay you know I gotta make some butter or something but he's too noble a man to do any such thing.

He gave his word to the Lord to men in the presence of the Lord.

Remember, David. David wouldn't kill Saul, the feast of men killed that guy and David. I will not touch the Lord's anointed. He had these convictions from the Lord, and he did not move away from them as he got older, of course, into the palace.

The temptation was so intense for that man that the we we learn we learn is not enough to know it's not enough to want Solomon knew more than anybody in his day and it wasn't enough, Solomon wrote. Can a man take fire to his bosom and not set himself on fire and that's exactly what he did.

Also Gibeon 16 miles away uphill. Incidentally, the language will tell us that in verse seven. But before we get to look the look we get there.

This could be a trap. Joshua for coming, that the thick of the Confederation is coming to attack us.

That would put Joshua right in the middle of the Gibeonites and these kings, Joshua, what is the solution, because I'm sure his general said if we go there were going to be what it is. Gibeonites break the treaty that will serve the Lord Joshua select a solution for that big battalions of God.

It will take all the men with him all the forces he has.

He will put his rearguard there on Gideon and he would deal with the king verse seven so Joshua ascended from Gill gal. He and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor.

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