Farewell to Israel’s People (Part B)

Again the word Sir being brought to us 15 times. This address Joshua Texas get its dominant point he wants to get across to this generation and it does make to the next. He says serve him in sincerity and truth.

Sincerity is no guarantee of accuracy. You can be very sincere and be sincerely wrong. The classic example of sincerity without truth of the profits of the how 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 cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick continues his message called farewell to Israel's people she teaches through Joshua chapter 24 God calls out from his family to the land of Canaan and made promises to Abraham and Abraham acted on those promises.

Says here, and gave him Isaac. No mention of Israel. Abraham's first son, because Isaac is the son of promise through him messiahs line would be developed and where it says gave him Isaac. We think of a course that God gave us Jesus son when I think that God, his son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in that on the cross, my burden bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin, then sings my soul, my savior God to thee how great thou art I don't know if there's a better song in existence. There may be as good songs but is not better than how great thou art not in the form icing night into the way icing it lyrics I use all love has its source in God. Love flows down. That's the ideal.

It flows downward. It is supposed to flow from the parents to the children and then from the children to their children and from their children to their children because we get it from God.

Verse 42 Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau to Esau I gave the mountains of Sierra to possess. But Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. That's a twist, why not send Esau and his children down to Egypt to be slaves because they wanted to God. God of course used the Jews to save Egypt to fill his plan. When we get to Malachi in the first chapter we hear the prophet say Jacob I have loved Esau I have hated is not talking about the individual men, not themselves.

Because right here tells us that God did not hate Esau because he blessed him.

He gave him Sierra and he told the Jews that's not for you, that's Esau's descendents get that he never would've blessed and protected Esau. Eddie hated him. When Malachi speaks of this hatred is the spirit that Esau exhibited when given a choice between the spiritual and the natural Esau chose the natural and God says I'm not about that. You know it was for the food I'd rather have a meal than a blessing. Very practical. Just another spiritual and God says I uphold, I uphold my position and I want you to know that I have not forgotten that Esau made the wrong choice and I don't want you to make it but at the time of Malachi.

The Jews were totally living like Esau and Jacob's name God to correct that said you got it wrong you can have all the name you want, which got the wrong spirit. That's why those who worship God to worship him in spirit and in truth all talked about those whose God was there belly verse five now also I I sent Moses and Aaron and played Egypt, according to what I did. Among them afterward. I brought you out God not willing to send a man who's not willing to go but he may influence that two men that come to mind right away did not want to go. Moses. Moses flat-out said to God, get someone else right just like that and the other was Jonah Jones that you do is you want to do I'm going to do what I want to do. You be God, I'll be Jonah and God influence Jonah to make the right decision and Jonah was so struck by the fact he has such a difficult time I'm in God miraculously influence Jonah and he still grows with a grudge on him and then he waits for God to skill. He is so much hatred and racism in him. He waited for God to slaughter everyone. And God tried reasoning with Jonah.

Anyone have it. God put more pressure on Jonah let them feel it finally Jonah writes the story so that we get, he wrote the whole story down, let me tell you what a fool I was in my flesh in the name of my religion profound story. The story of Jonah. He says God does here in verse five, I played Egypt.

God made it clear I did the judging that that was me you don't like it I did it do something a pocket. The humanist, the blind humanist would cry out cruelty and bypass that Farrell was saying kill all the newborn boys just like they do today. Humanist is so sensitive as they donate to murder clinics for the unborn. Get out of my face with your mock sensitivity that you're more merciful than God. Anyway, they ignore the cruelty of stubborn Farrell and just rail against God because it makes them feel good. Verse six, but with the help important before we get the verse six witness was supposed to help them with that by pointing things out if God would give us the chance but some people are just irretrievable. As far as we're concerned until God says otherwise. Verse six. Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you came to the sea and the Egyptians pursued your fathers were chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea, so he says I brought you out of Egypt. Don't forget I saved you as a people as individuals.

It's a serious thing. We take our salvation for granted.

Take it lightly. Verse seven so they cried out to Yahweh and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians brought the sea upon them, cover them in your eyes saw saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time, so God says you, this generation did see it more leaders for sure the elders for sure, some of the young was of course not, but many of them saw this Joshua was there. He sought Satan tries to get us to not believe what we believe in you, young Christians, he is coming your way when he knocks on your door. Simple responses, Lord, could you get that for me because he's gonna tell you when your tank is full that your tank is empty and you should panic and when your tank is empty. He's going to say is full and don't worry about whatever the truth is he's going to spin it against you. And if you are gullible enough force enough lazy enough he will have you. You will be Junior flambé for Satan. So God will say to you, what did I tell you that's what this Joshua, saying he said they cried out to the Lord. There were the Egyptians coming behind them, and God put darkness of the couldn't see you and he put lights you can see where you are going he delivered you from this.

Don't take it for granted. Do you remember you sought okay. If you do remember them going forward understand that God is with you and you're going to have to exercise faith in times of Tara, especially, you can object all you want will not change the realities surrounding us.

So Joshua writes God's words to them. Your eyes saw love that loving God gets personal with me in a very me when he's chasing me which I try to reduce it is nice when the Lord encourages he says. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time until that old unbelieving generation died off because they saw what God did and did not value it only believe that that that they saw the sea rollback but they did not go any further with their belief and associate that with God and this person and his promises. Jude writes about in the fifth chapter. Sorry for verse but I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe he said I want to lose sight of these Bible lessons from the Old Testament because they have everything to do with the New Testament which is your life now. God destroyed them because they marked him turned against him. They devalued his work in verse eight.

Now, and I brought you into the land of the Amorites who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan and they fought with you but I gave them into your hand that you might possess the land and I destroyed them from before you is a victories on the east side of Jordan believers victories with God instead of God. Just wiping out the enemy. The Jews had to cross swords.

They had to face the enemy is much as they did not want to in my life.

I know whenever I'm enjoying a season of peace. It is a season of peace and no more. There's a season of trouble coming so I get my garments ready to face, usually a breastplate good my waist sealed a helpful helmet you need that I don't look as bad in helmet because my hair doesn't stick out the sides anymore anyway. Verse nine then ballot the son of zip or king of Moab arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Val in the son of Europe to curse you, verse 10, but I would not listen to ballot.

Therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you into his hand.

Another profound thing about that moment with balance the same with the witch of Endor Saul was desperate for his life facing the Philistines and he abandons God and he has his men seek out a witch for him medium.

Someone who can contact the spiritual realm not put down and she's going to perform a séance and bring up Samuel. She was really surprised when Samuel showed up. That's never happened before you leave the dead people don't show up and I just lied and they pay me the money and everybody's happy.

So the lesson is with balance, trying to curse the Jews but blessing them is that when God cannot rule he will overrule should he decide that is what Joshua saying God overruled Balla God overruled the witch because he way. Perhaps you know next time you hear an interruption in that annoying test of the national broadcast emergency testing system there overruling the radio and next time you hear that, just be reminded. God does the same thing when he wants to interrupt. He does and no one can do anything about it. And if you're on his side. You will want to do anything about, so that verse 10 reminds us that the prerogative of God is to overrule should he decide verse 11. Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you. Also, the Amorites and the peasant rights to Canaanites, Hittites, here we go. The girder sites and the headlights and the Jebusites of anybody called on you left out one Joshua but I delivered them into your hand. So remember when these troops were facing these peoples in war. They were nervous so maybe I'm going to die on the battlefield away from home. Maybe it will be a quick or slow.

I don't know they had to face these components, but they were victorious. 11 and 11 versus here the pronoun I referring to God shows up 17 times. As I mentioned, Joshua will be emphasizing serving and he's emphasizing serving Yahweh our flesh wants it to be served. Our flesh wants to be catered does not want to be denied.

That's why we fight in is very difficult sometimes.

Verse 12 I sent the hornet before you which drove them out before you. Also, the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. So God, of course did use a sword and bow of his people. At times, but he certainly helped of the hornet here is it literal or is it metaphor or is it both well or a Exodus 23 God said, I will send my fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you, and I will make all your enemies turned their backs to you and I will send hornets before you, which will drive out the invite Canaanite in the Hittite from before you, and if you caught that God says I will cause confusion. God confuses his enemies not his people in Hebrews muses God is not the author of confusion so that his people. If you're confused, it's not God.

Something on your end, but his enemies, he will confuse this is pronounced several times throughout Scripture. Joshua two we read about this very hornet of fear striking the people from Rahab there in Jericho.

And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted. Neither did there remain anymore courage in anyone because of you for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, so that you see the terror that God promised to send before the people or was it also a plague of actual hornets that can empty a village to get out and if it is a plague on the level of what was seen in Egypt for that village. He says, but not with your sword or your bowl, sometimes God seems so inactive, so unready to answer prayer that were looking for him to bring the victory without the sword or ball. Sometimes he does. The difficulty for Christians is that we don't.

We believe in miracles with no problems with miracles since the unbelievers, many of them do not believe in miracles.

Our problem is that the miracles don't occur enough XL problem you that's my problem.

I one more miracles. I know I need them now and if you dispute that. I dare you go to the hospital and empty it out.

Miracles cannot want to. We are in the age of truth. Truth is to bring people to Christ, not miracles. In fact, all the miracles Christ did not everybody came to Christ. In fact, some of them when hearing the truth and seeing the miracles discarded the truth and left him are you two going to lead me.

Jesus asked his disciples pizza. Nobody preaches like you nobody's got what you got. Nobody can do what you can do were not going anywhere. And Jesus said good because if you did, I would not run after you.

It has to be the will have to want it is a closing part in halfback at the private, he says, the crops can all fail everything and fall apart. You will set my feet on high places trust in you just live by faith. I'm sure Stevens parents colleagues wanted a miracle no one came. Not the kind they wanted the miracle of salvation had already taken effect and because of his preaching and because of his dying as he got inside the head of Paul who was then Saul. Saul never forgot that when he became all the apostle and he would remind us from time to time in his writings, verse 13, I have given you a land for which you did not labor and cities which you did not build and you dwell in them you eat of the vineyard and olive groves which you did not plan succeeding generations would be paved as though this were not true that God did not give this to them that they earned it. Verse 14 now therefore fear Yahweh serve him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt serve Yahweh again.

The word serve being brought to us 15 times in this address of Joshua that this again is dominant point.

He wants that to get across to this generation and it does justice to make it to the next one. A says serve him in sincerity and truth.

Now, sincerity is no guarantee of accuracy. You can be very sincere and be sincerely wrong. The classic example of sincerity without truth of the prophets of bow there on Mount Carmel cutting themselves marching around all day screaming and hooting and hollering.

They were wrong. No fire came from heaven. In fact, the prophet mock them. Maybe your God is busy.

Maybe he's in the bathroom and he's hocking them. And of course these begin, the rules were the God who answers by fire. He is God. These were the days of the prophets and it was a remarkable time. Indeed, Israel as Joshua speaks to them saying you have to make a decision to serve the Lord and it has to be genuine and it has to be based on truth, not just genuine, not just true. You can say well this is true, but you don't really you're not into it or you can be into it, but it's lies your following no new true neutrality is offered when it comes to truth and so let's just look at a few verses in the Scripture will read the verses we don't have the time, but I'll give you the coordinates here in Joshua 24 verse 14 sincerity and truth is coupled together but in Psalm 89 verse 14 mercy and truth are coupled together as with Proverbs 16, six faithfulness and truth. Isaiah 25, one grace and truth. John chapter 117 spirit and truth. John 423 righteousness and truth. Ephesians 59 deeds and truth.

First John 318, love and truth.

Second John three so truth is not a lonely character in the Scripture is got to be more than truth. If you just have truth you can be a brute, you can be a full there are other things. For instance, you know, every semi that really thinks they know the Bible Satan is not impressed by that incidentally your flesh is not impressed by that the world is not impressed by the so you know the Bible. Do you have grace and truth is that there righteousness and truth. The spirit of God and truth about your deeds about your faithfulness. Are you sincere about them or see or do you just use truth is a hammer mercilessly on others judging everybody else ever be around someone who's just a lifetime critic. Everybody else is wrong. He was talking to the hypocrites and Pharisees and everybody else but me. That person needs to be put in their place. Maybe it's not your place to put them give me their number: so is my place. Let's be careful. Sometimes we can feel so right that would we feel like we have license to clobber and sometimes it is necessary to put it has to be in the spirit of love he says and put away the gods of your fathers served your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt and they are settled in the land. In this still cherishing idols.

What is up with that. Did you not see the miracles in the names of in the name of Yahweh. Why do you still do these things well. We look around today we see much of Christian music and church events that take place in much of it is soaked in error and if it's not soaked in arid, soaked in shallowness.

It's scary. And again, that would be a good opportunity if you go around someone who's you misusing these things to be gentle to be kind, but adhere to the truth no matter what Jacob gave this warning to his family that problems with this, Rachel, and on the idols. Samuel P had to deal with this. Centuries later, with the Jews. Ezekiel after they had been taken captive after all the prophecies of Jeremiah how how could that possibly be, Ezekiel 20, verse seven. Then I said to them, each of you throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile you defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, I am Yahweh your God. Verse 15 and if it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

Well, he says, choose for yourselves this day is echoing Moses of course in much of the speech is sort of a Deuteronomy type review, submit and commit to God is telling them not to spend too much on that power for Bob clause in this verse but as for me and my house, and that would merit an entire sermon that I think were so familiar with what really add to that point think the pastor better served walking when opens up points that maybe the flock is not had a chance to consider.

Thanks for tuning in to 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 to find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so, you'll be notified each new edition of cross reference radio.

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