Joshua 1:27-36:
The Israelites fail to drive out the inhabitants of the land. They subject them to labor, which is not what the Lord commanded. · Half obedience is not obedience at all. · Humanism is thinking that we know more than God. Making the people slaves probably seemed like a great idea. There’s more laborers, so there’s a better economy! But God always knows best. Leaving them in the land would allow them to continue to propagate their evil gods & demonstrate influence on the culture. God says “Purge the evil from among you; do not try to harness it for your profit.” Tweaking God’s commands is never profitable in the long run. The Cananites “lived among them.” v. 29 · No longer are the heathen slaves; rather they are neighbors! 33 - Beth Shemesh/Beth anath: · house of shemesh (the sun) anath (fertility god): centers of idolatry. · The religious hubs were not destroyed, thus allowing a huge influence upon the culture. 34 - Amorites pressed Dannites back! And created a border! · The influence of the pagans has reached something of a zenith. Faithlessness allows satanic religions to thrive & even control Joshua 2:1-5 Bokim God’s Indictment · History reviewed: What promises do we see in the recounting of history? Israel’s Excitement · Israel weeps and worships—but they do not repent! If they were repentant, they would return to the battlefield. Their emotion and religious rites mean nothing since they have no obedience. Joshua 2:6-10 The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua · A good leader keeps the people in check. The righteousness of one who is placed in a position of authority has the power to influence and maintain godliness within his respective society. An elder, mayor, father. Even though people might not be faith filled themselves, their sins may still be kept in check and their overall direction may be directed to good ends when godly government stands over them. Joshua’s death & burial: · No doubt Joshua’s burial place would have been a memorial. It’s name was even changed to “place of the sun” most likely as a testimony to the great battle that he fought while the sun stood still. God’s light was with him and people should have been set aflame by the remembrance of his life & work. 10: that generation was gathered to their fathers · It is interesting how the Bible talks about death. Sometimes it helps us to see that death is not the end. Death, to many, means “game over.” You die and then all is done. But this scripture reminds us that death is not the final say. There is much life to be had after death. That this generation was gathered to their fathers reminds us that God created us to be immortal. · To be gathered to one’s fathers is to be taken to a place where you will be with them and have some semblance of communion with them. This speaks of what theologins call the “intermediate state.” The body may rest in the grave, but the soul lives on. Upon death you will be transported to either a place of punishment or bliss. You will find yourself with Christ in heaven or with Christ in hell. · This being said we should consider our life now. Before we are gathered to our fathers, let us be cognizant of our Heavenly Father and the grace he offers us. Let us put our faith in him and produce fruit that is in keeping with true repentance. 11: There arose another generation that did not know · These are perhaps the most ominous words of Scripture! How did such a thing happen? We confess that the Lord is sovereign in salvation, but we also acknowledge that he ordains means to salvation. These had most certainly been neglected. Parents did not teach them diligently. While fighting the wars against the heathen, they forgot to fight the battles on the homefront. Or, having returned to their inheritance (6), they grew fat and forgot the Lord their God. They became consumed with the creation rather than the creator and failed to tell of the “mighty works of the Lord through Joshua.” · Our faith takes priority over every area of life. Passing this faith to our children is one of the supreme ways this faith reveals itself. God’s primary way of working salvation is through families. If our children are ignorant of the deeds of the Lord, we should not be surprised when they do not have a relationship with the Lord. · The angel of the Lord had prophesied that the Cananites would be “thorns in their sides.” (3) The pedogocial void produced by the parents was certainly not without a channel to fill it. The culture had been infected by paganism, and without faithful teaching at home there was no way to keep it from infecting the hearts and minds of the Israelite children.
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