Down the Road

When God called the children of Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land, they did so with varying degrees of success.  They were told not to make leagues (alliances) with the people of the land but to destroy all who opposed them.  The Gibeonites, hearing of the Israelite advance, out of fear of their great God disguised themselves as distant foreigners.  Joshua and the elders were flattered and pleased by the proposal and made an alliance with them - without seeking guidance from God.  Their neglect of seeking God caused them to ignorantly sin by doing exactly what God forbade them to do.

Whilst the failure with the Gibeonites is commonly known, I came across an interesting passage which had a similar outcome.  The house of Joseph went up against Bethel (formerly called Luz) and the spies struggled to find the hidden entrance to the city.  Judges 1:24-25 reads, "And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy." ²⁵ So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go."  The men of the house of Joseph did not seek the LORD but asked for the help of a man who departed the city.  They promised to show him mercy and were true to their word.

I was surprised when I read Judges 1:26:  "And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day."  The ancient city of Luz was later called Bethel by Jacob, meaning the "house of God."  The single man and his family to whom was extended mercy went to the land of Hittites and established a new city called "Luz," a city named after the ancient one.  The name "Luz" means "as growing there."  The slackness of the house of Joseph to obey God to eradicate the inhabitants of the land led to Luz being rebuilt and fortified in the land of  the Hittites, a people hostile to God and His people.  Disobedience to God causes problems to grow in our lives which will impact us and others.

This made me consider how important it is for us to seek God and heed His Word.  It seemed a little thing to show mercy to one God had deemed under judgment, but see the fruit of their negligence!  Like a single cancer cell can grow and spread throughout the body, a little disobedience and slackness will certainly lead to a future threat upon our spiritual and physical well-being.  There is no mention in the book of Judges of the house of Joseph doing what was commanded by God in Deuteronomy 20:10-11:  "When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. ¹¹ And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you."  They showed mercy to a man who had no intention of agreeing to conditions of peace, and future generations faced hardened enemies and strongholds because of it.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!  Our God is a merciful God, but let us not be merciful to corrupting influences in our lives.  Should we do what is right in our eyes, we will later reap what we have sown and increased problems down the road - in some cases literally.

Thoughts and Prayers

The news of a mass school shooting in Florida reached our fair shores in Australia on news broadcasts and the familiar inundation on social media of caustic and defensive posts.  A recurring theme was the disdain of people offering "thoughts and prayers" for the victims of the shooting without taking drastic practical action to eliminate these terrible tragedies.  There is palpable frustration for some people when others respond with "thoughts and prayers" after a tragedy because in their minds if tragedies happen what has thinking and praying accomplished?  On the other hand, cursing and making memes does not bring comfort to anyone, alter what has happened, or prevent future tragedies.

This recent shooting occurred on Valentine's Day, a day when cards, letters, and messages are sent with the recurring theme "Thinking of you."  It is not an offensive thing to be remembered and thought well of.  Based upon this, it is likely not the thoughts which riles people up but the mention of "prayers."  It is a confronting and uncomfortable for people to be "prayed" for because this assumes the reality of a God who hears and answers prayer - a concept which many people (especially when suffering is involved) vehemently oppose.  I remember an Australian Prime Minister in the face of tragedy said to victims, "You are in our thoughts" and as a Christian I wondered what mere thoughts could accomplish.  To think of others is kind, but to intercede on behalf of others in prayer to an Almighty God does more than all the thoughts in the world.

Even a child is known by his doings, and horrible stories of violence coming from the United States and others parts of the world are deeply troubling.  Never in my life have I seen the people of the United States more divided and fractured, and like Humpty Dumpty after his fall I do not think horses or men can unite them again.  There is no hope in politics, education, money, or legislation to change the hearts and minds of people.  If everyone had a gun for each hand or no guns at all nothing engineered or conceived in the minds of man can bring salvation for a country intent on tearing itself apart.  It is God - the One who people love or love to hate - who provides hope for the lost, rest for the weary, and salvation for the damned.  Blaming God or scorning prayers offered to Him is to ignore the only hope in this world.  There is no hope in prayer apart from the Living God who answers the prayer of faith in Him according to His Word.

For all those who are convinced there is value in praying to God, let us be the ones who walk in obedience to His revelation and answers.  Tragedy and pain prompts many questions, and what is the point of God's answering if we will not repent and change our ways?  Men commit senseless tragedies with no regard for God or men every day, yet God is a Redeemer.  In the face of murder, abuse, neglect, and destruction I do not see a ray of light, but I know God is good and without sin.  God has providentially placed His people all over the globe so His light will shine bright through them offering love, comfort, and compassion for all those who suffer.  It is love of God which leads to the love of people and even enemies.  The power of God's love demonstrated by Christ on the cross the wise recognise.  All who have received God's love keep believing, keep trusting, and keep praying no matter what.

Cultivating Companionship

Friends are a blessing from God, and cultivating friendship requires individual effort as well.  As it is written in Proverbs 18:24, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  We are not "close" to brothers and sisters by virtue of having the same parents, sharing a room, or having grown up together.  We can be distant or detached from people who live in the same house as we do!  But if we want friends, it falls to us to be the kind of friend we would appreciate ourselves.  Friendship is not restricted to a handful, for even Jesus called His disciples friends.  If Jesus was not above cultivating friendship with sinners, let us not be so proud to scorn friendship with others - especially of the household of faith.

This morning I read through a list of notable people during his reign in Jerusalem.  Here is portion of the list in 1 Chronicles 27:32-34:  "Also Jehonathan, David's uncle, was a counsellor, a wise man, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons. ³³ Ahithophel was the king's counsellor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion. ³⁴ After Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, then Abiathar. And the general of the king's army was Joab."  As king David had many counsellors, for in counsel there is great wisdom.  Jehonathan was a scribe and counsellor, and Ahithophel was also an adviser - business associates one could say.  Abiathar was a priest, and Joab was the general of the army.  But the person who stood out to me is Hushai, "the king's companion."  It is amazing the king would have a companion, someone he spent time with as a friend.

The friendship forged between king and subject withstood the test other relationships failed.  Ahithophel turned against David and sided with his usurping son Absalom who sought his life.  The priest Abiathar and general Joab supported Adonijah's rise to power behind David's back, disregarding the will and command of the king.  Yet through it all Hushai was a valuable friend who risked his own life for the good of his friend and king.  His relationship with the king was greater than respect for David's calling or position ordained by God but Hushai valued his person.  Christians and especially pastors have a need of friends of this kind where there is trust without suspicion, transparency without fear, and delight in companionship which goes both ways.

How happy was David to have a friend like Hushai, and blessed beyond measure is the man who makes Jesus Christ his friend.  The most profound and lasting friendships are those formed in the shared fear of the LORD and obedience to His Word.  In a world of superficial "friends" and "likes" profound friendship is found through a relationship with God and enduring friendships which spring from this one.  Jesus has not held back anything from us, and may we not hide from the One who sees and knows all.  Through His demonstration of love on the cross for sinners and patience with His disciples we are provided a perfect picture of the kind of friend we ought to be.  As Hushai was a companion of David, may we be towards our King and other friends in His name.

Getting Off the Ground

Faithful to His promise, God gave His people victory over Jericho.  God commanded the spoils of the fallen city to be brought into the treasury of the LORD.  Anyone who took of the gold, silver, or articles of brass or iron would bring upon themselves a curse.  All the Israelites who stormed the city were obedient to God's command - all except one.  The Bible tells us Achan the son of Carmi took of the treasures for himself and stashed them in his tent.

All seemed well as the congregation set their eyes on overthrowing Ai, a small city in comparison to Jericho.  When the men of Israel went up to battle against Ai, however, the Israelites fled before their enemies.  36 men died in the assault, and the men retreated back to camp and Joshua their commander.  Joshua and the elders tore their clothes in grief and put dust on their heads for the remainder of the day.  How could this be?  Why had God brought them this far to allow them to be defeated?  Wasn't it a horrible thing that God's people should be put to flight?  What if the surrounding nations heard of it!  Oh, the shame!

God's response certainly grabbed Joshua's attention in Joshua 7:10-11:  "So the LORD said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff."  Joshua's humiliation served no purpose when there was sin which needed to be confessed, exposed, and dealt with biblically. The covenant God made with the people had been broken, and Joshua lying in dust couldn't repair the damage nor restore the loss of life.  The children of God needed to be determined to walk in victory over their own sin even as they desired the defeat of those who chased and slaughtered them.

Sin in the life of the believer has an undermining effect which ruins all.  It reminds me of a verse I read last night of those who pray but doubt in James 1:7-8:  "For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."  Unbelief and disobedience in our lives makes us unstable, unable to stand upright.  The hearts of the men melted when the men of Ai rushed at them even though God had promised them victory.  The victory of God's people is often contingent upon faith and obedience, and this is true under the New Covenant of the Gospel.  Jesus has removed the curse and power of sin, and if we will stand girded in the armour of God and fearless in battle we must confess sin and repent.

This passage teaches me humility without repentance for sin avails little.  Thankfully God spoke to Joshua and revealed the truth.  After atonement for sin the children of Israel were victorious over Ai, and so it is with us.  In our distress let us humbly cry out to the LORD, but let us also be vigilant to confess our known sin and forsake it.  God will not keep us in the dark because in Him is light and no darkness at all.  It is His will we would repent, be forgiven, and victorious.  Grieving over our loss is not adequate to deal with sin which must be repented of.  Praise the LORD God has supplied His righteousness not by works which we have done but according to His mercy and grace.