Iron Chariots (Part A)

Great reminders great encouragements were not going to be absolutely Victrola victorious in this life. If we think that means were going to be perfect and possess every single place that we want for Christ. However, by fighting for what we can get. We do great damage to Satan. We inflict heavy casualties in the form of save souls from 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 in the book of Joshua chapter 16 with a brand-new message called iron chariots. Joshua chapter 16 iron chariots will stand out. Hopefully in the lesson that we get from this section.

Joshua 16 will get chapter 17 also anything fierce against us is an ion chariot tank mechanized warfare of the enemy against the righteous will close the 16th chapter with the theme that will find its way through the book of Judges, they did not drive them out. This section concerns itself with two tribes really the children of Joseph E from and Manasseh, and their borders. 11 times in this chapter of the word borders shows up as boundaries. We talked about in the last session we had markers locations for where one's territory begins in the other ends in the New Testament concerning personal territory. Paul writes to the Ephesians, he says, but to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. And so there still boundaries. There are still limitations placed on us by the Lord. Joseph had of good again to sense you from and Manasseh, and out of Egypt Manasseh number 32,000 men for war. Just to give us an idea of how they grew when they crossed Jordan. They had 52,000 men for war so that Manasseh was a sizable tribe me from those large also and that is going to factor into the story because as we get towards the end they are going to complain that they don't have enough land, Joshua was going to Satan you have a lot of hunting of land. You just need to go work it, you need to fight for develop it and that's going to be one of the highlights hopefully of this consideration.

I remember Manasseh's try was big enough to split in half and still remain strong. Half the tribe of Manasseh wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan River. The Transjordan side.

The other side entered into the promised land. And they got a large share of territory between these two.

Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. They had the most territory. Judah was given the rod to rule in the blessings of Jacob, but Joseph's sons were given a double blessing and it shows up in the allotment of their land and now we look at verse one. The lot fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan by Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to Bethel of the author considers them one tribe, sons of Joseph of course they felt distinct and really three tribes. If you consider Ephraim Manasseh Easton Manasseh West. But that's not really that important. This is interesting as of Bible student, they will complain about the process a little bit but Joshua shines and how he handles them such tact such firmness and in love and care that that comes through that old man of God and verse three now we won't get a lot out of her 16 of the mentions Beth Horan, geezer, and it ended at the sea. Now Horan Beth Horan the house or the temple of her Ron was a Canaanite God and just helps us stay on track of things haven't changed in all these centuries you know they're still the days of the week that we use in our language or after the fake gods of antiquity. But anyway geezer this city listed here did not come under Israelite control until the days of Solomon and it was Solomon's father-in-law and unnamed Pharaoh of Egypt who sent troops to geezer took it over and then gave it to Solomon in his and his daughter whom Solomon married as a wedding present for any dad, thanks. Thanks for the bloodied gift anyway. That's in first Kings chapter 9, which also tells us that there was editing going on of the documents of Joshua long into the reign of Solomon. Anyway, only Judah and Manasseh were given allotments that touched both the Mediterranean Sea and also of the Jordan River. So now we look at verse four, so the children of Joseph Manasseh and Ephraim took their inheritance. Some say Ephraim's Ephraim's territory was the most beautiful of all the inheritances and also an inheritance loaded with Canaanites, more bogeyman because the ham was so nice and furlough so rich will get to some of that in a little bit not much, but the gist of the point that the blessings that they were allotted also came with great responsibility in combat. Verse nine the separate cities of the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages of the separate cities of the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh. So what we have is tribes will overlapping woven together that creates a condition where they both have an interest in each other.

There is a brotherhood that is maintained or sustained I should say the cities that Ephraim received in their territory will they also receive some and Manasseh's territory and that would extend to Asher and Issachar also. And I think it's a it's a brilliant stroke of the Lord to sort of join them together like this. It would certainly help them in fighting the enemies of the land will get to some of that in judges will see the tribe still joining each other and trying to Rid of the flash and that's what the Canaanites become in type in the book of Joshua and through the book of Judges. This ongoing battle we have, to rid ourselves of those things that resist the purposes and the possessions that God has for us and it is going to be lifelong as it was with the Jews. Verse 10 and they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in geezer again. I mentioned the Egyptian king or Pharaoh that sent his troops to take geezer and awarded to Solomon and his bride. He says here in verse 10, they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in geezer but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites.

To this day and have become forced laborers.

So at this time, the original draft. They were still there. This is further explored in chapter 17. But again we read those words and they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt the richest tracts of the country. There they were, no intention of giving up what they had.

And of course the Ephraimites wanted that land was good land but that's how it turned out to be good land to fight over. Second Corinthians 7. Therefore, having these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh since Garrett, perfecting holiness in fear of God. It it wasn't that they couldn't purge them. That was not so much the problem. The problem was that they stop fighting that is where the greatest barrier was that eventually they entered into covenants with these people, the Jews were free to enter into covenants with Gentiles outside of the promised land.

They were not free to enter into these arrangements within the promised land. They were to totally wipe them out and they did not.

That is the greatest lesson I think for us.

The students of life in Christ is that we must continue the fight we never give up. We must never stop. We get setbacks, we suffered defeats as such as AIE and hope of Joshua suffered a great defeat, but then they regrouped and they came at it again. Can we get the judges will see that will see that the Jews were defeated guys. But God raised up deliverers called judges and then they fought back and they would prevail, but then they'd stop fighting back when they stop fighting back the influences of the indigenous people. The Canaanites and and others would begin to out influence the Jews and they would enter into idolatry.

Now you have spiritual warfare that the people of God were losing because of the present influence under the Canaanites. Great lessons for us great reminders great encouragements were not going to be absolutely victory victorious in this life. If we think that means were going to be perfect and possess every single place that we want for Christ. However, by fighting for what we can get. We do great damage to Satan.

We inflict heavy casualties in the form of save souls, strengthen souls, we do great damage.

Our labor is not in vain.

And that's why Paul suffered and not only Paul the apostle John, Peter, all of them suffered because they knew the truth, and though they did not see the victories that they envisioned many times they saw victory enough to keep going forward and what is the result of countless multitudes saved from a fiery judgment of God. It is worth it laborers we put into the faith. So Satan comes, of course, he amplifies every sin you can be driving out of the parking lot and someone irritates you, and you lose your cool. You may not do anything that's out of bounds really, but just enough to remind you that you're still in the flesh, and you disappointed with yourself. You feel that you can do better in the next time you get in your car you going to try to do better.

I can't wait till I get an automatic driving the car, cottages, chauffeurs me around the flesh will be dead in that area right now it won't know it will not there be something else anyway. Again the Israelites gave in and that created enormous problems. Now we come to chapter 17. There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph namely of make her the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead because he was a man of war. Therefore, he was given Gilead and Bashar now make her the firstborn of Manasseh died before the exodus of the Jews before the Jews is what so the historian is going back to Egypt and East thing. The roots of Manasseh, they arc they come from Manasseh, but he had a son make her and he was a man of war, and it sort of became a badge of honor for those of this tribe. They were associated with such a distinguished man of military prowess and use these noted for it here and his tribe is sort of given that name the tribunal. The nickname is that they are may car her. They are the ones that are distinguishing themselves and so they take the territory on the west side of the Jordan for the Jews entered the promised land and this old patriarch who distinguished himself in the battlefield for Egypt before the Egyptians turned on the Jews. The Jews were very plugged in because of Joseph and Moses that he learned so much shunned in the universities of Egypt needed likely distinguished himself also on the battlefield how to Joshua learn his military strategies be able to fight the Amalekites. While there was an Egyptian influence. There will this man also likely fought all in the interest of Egypt long before the Jews were pulled out, and the people were very proud of this and this warlike spirit continued into his process. Prosperity is descendents and they are assigned Gilead ambush on his large tracts that are to the north and Gad and Ruben are to the south. Now the major enemies of the Jews almost always come from the north remainder was Egypt to the south and Ethiopia which was a long trek for them. But throughout their history. The North was the gate by which the enemies would roll into the promised land. And so God places Manasseh who has this link to military power to the north. Sort of a buffer, but both or all three of the tribes that settled to the west of Jordan.

They were the first to fall to the Assyrian. Centuries later, so the Gilead mention here in verse one, Gilead ambush on both on the east side of Jordan and not the promised land itself that he was a man of war, a man of organize struggle and suffering. That's what war really is not a man of battles, but a man of war, long drawn out and awful verse two. Now we we speak of it. He speaks of for the children of Ebenezer that is the hometown of Gideon any of you looking to go to the homecoming of Gideon. Good luck with that.

That flopped first three but Philadelphia adds a loaf he had the son of he.

Further, son of Gilead, the son of make her the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters verse four now and they came before Eleazar the priest for Joshua the son of nun, and before the ruler saying Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers. Therefore, according to the commandment of Yahweh. He gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers is a civil matter but it is a civil matter in God's kingdom. Everything is a spiritual matter is so that it's a civil matter yet. Eleazar the priest is there to oversee it because it's no way to separate if you're in God's kingdom.

You really can't separate the two. The just helps channel who's going to handle it in one of the codes, laws and ordinances are surrounding the matter and so Eleazar the priest is there and course and Joshua and so the story goes back to the book of numbers, the inheritance went to the men and the daughters of this is a loaf he had come along and say, well that doesn't have any sons so do we miss out. This does his name so just evaporate from the history books. He gets no land and Moses said, you know, that's a good point takes it to the Lord. The Lords is know that those girls get the land and so here they are in out in the promised land because the course in the wilderness was nothing to inherit and they come and they make their claim. If they did not speak up. They would've gotten nothing. God makes provision for the daughters he takes care of things the right way intentions filter Manasseh. Verse five the size land of Gilead ambush on which were on the other side of Jordan because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons and the rest of Manasseh sons had the land of Gilead and so there's just that note doesn't mean a lot to us, but you go to the Bible we we we tend to want to know what every single thing means. What's that space being between the R and the E. Jessica's rabbis rabbis are known to say that when Messiah comes, he will interpret not only the sentences with the lines between them and that's just a course of glorious hyperbole. Another, or if to say, this way God will just tell us everything we need to know. Verse eight Manasseh had the land of tempura, but to pool on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim, I just don't get to say to poor and I figured I'd say twice at least I think will get it again but verse nine and the border descended to the brook cane on a southward to the brook, the cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. Now we pause there. So there we go again, Manasseh, sagacity, i.e., from his cities in Manasseh that there woven together continues in verse nine the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and it ended at the sea.

Verse 10 Manasseh's territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east verse 11 and Issachar Nasher. Manasseh had Beth CN and its towns of Liam and its towns, the inhabitants of door and its towns, inhabitants of Endor and its towns, the inhabitants of Tamarac and its towns in the inhabitants of Megiddo and of course its towns, three hilly regions so we had a lot of cities here in towns I should say that are worth commenting on in this territory allotted to Manasseh, where do we begin well. Always start with Beth Sheehan, Beth CN, the Jews said if the garden of Eden was in Israel. It was in Beth Sheehan. It was such a lush and beautiful place, which means that the Canaanites felt the same way about what not that the Eaton partner that there's a place worth fighting for.

And not only that was it. Does such such a prolific land producing. Of course the harvest of fruits and vegetables and whatever other things you could grow on the side of the were useful include trade routes. To this day. You can go to Beth CN and you.

There's the Gentile of the Gentiles. Of course, put a city there accomplice. I think it is there any way the day that the ruins of the Gentile city is there, you can see how they heated up the water for the baths in the in all the streets of the Aaron this they had places where you could charge up your iPhone and just off well okay that's a bit much but anyway it's the ruins of there's very impressed wealth is impressive. For about 10 minutes and become bored. So at least I was so Beth CN that it's a big deal. IBM also now there's a movie the kingdom of heaven which is about the Crusaders there and the landlord or the star of the movie was given IBM on another trade route and that's the Crusaders would of course be very interested in the trade routes as anybody else would be Endor of the widget Endor was solver the full king. The man with no redeeming feature.

Not only was the head and shoulders taller than everyone else's head and shoulders dumber than anybody else spiritually just again a character you read will be going to Samuel.

I look forward to talking about Saul and the like him so much. It's like a chance to gossip legally. No, it's okay.

It's in the Bible. Go ahead rag on Cadillac and is a murderer, not anyhow, I'm sorry I always do that certain things set me of Carmen Saul Alam obtain this. There's a few of them and you should have some to ward what you just know I'm just happy that none of these things get me emotional. Will they get me emotional, what I read about them well. Megiddo of course the Valium get Armageddon will be for their I mentioned that she now verse 12 and yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land where the flesh is determined to dwell in us and it just makes it is one of the types in the Bible that you don't have to work for it since handed to you see up there that's I can see the type Mattos a perfect match. So the Canaanite presence always sought to keep the promises of God from being fulfilled. Just like our carnal nature were born with.

It was saddled with this nature and of the righteous fight it to the death. They did cause a struggle just as it did here in in Israel.

It interferes with righteous living. So the lesson of again. The book of Joshua is not purging the land of the Canaanite.

It is making sure we don't abandon the fight. That's where the victory is otherwise none of us could come to the community.

None of us to be good for anything this the perseverance that means very much and John in and of course his third letter is that magnificent verse in first John five verse 13 where he says these things I have written you written to you that you may believe in the name of the son of God, and that you may know that you have eternal life.

And here it comes in that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of God. Why would he put that there was a just because there are these spiritual influences in the Gnostics. That's why he put it there was part of it. But that's not all of it. Paul said Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. So there are other influences than just doctrinal or heretics or heretical teachings are there other things that well as you did get fatigued just battle fatigue and or we don't have the right when Paul writes to Timothy's. He was a good soldier continue to fight get entangled in the world so easy to become entangled the citizens in a country where we can be involved in politics from votes and other activities portion moves over our head. Don't get so involved in these things, first love ever since Ephesus got so into Christian work left Christ out. 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 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 due to next time to continue learning from the book of Joshua right here on cross reference radio