Joshua's penultimate sermon: God keeps his word (Joshua 23)

To view this online as a video: https://youtu.be/9nzqPsG4xak

Lesson Twenty two:  Chapter 23: Joshua's penultimate message, God keeps his Word

A.     Introduction

1.     Greetings 

2.     Overview. [For those online, see this book overview from The Bible Project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqJlFF_eU  )

B.              Today’s lesson: Chapters 23

  Joshua is old and calls for the leadership

We begin reading in chapter 23 as Joshua is on his last leg. He knows his time is coming to pass the torch on to others. He will do that in a moment, but look at the condition report in verse 1. “After many days… Joshua was old… coming into his days.’ The signs are on the wall that Joshua’s term is concluding. And if he’s to be a success, he has to once more establish God as the One to whom Israel is owing, from whom we expect all things. God is to be our centre. And the Scriptures, which Joshua has called us to since the beginning of his tenure as general, will again play a significant role. 

Let’s dig in.

Verse one, rest was all around. The Jewish people had conquered the territory, although some vestiges of the enemies remained. God had given rest to Israel, saviv, that is, all around, if you will, as a top spins and looks around 360 degrees, it was a comprehensive rest for all Israel.  Joshua is old. It’s now time for a final declaration. We have seen such declarations by Patriarchs (Genesis 27:28–29, 48:20) and Joshua calls for the leadership. 

Who shows up? Elders, heads, judges and officers. They are the governmental and religious representatives of “all Israel.” They will hear the words of Joshua and are charged to transmit them to the people. 

History First (.1-.5)

What does Joshua tell them? First, a bit of history.

1)     I’m not the guy. I’m old. I’m not going to be around much longer. 

2)     You have been witnesses of God’s activities the last few decades. Eyewitnesses are being called to the courtroom to verify, to corroborate the testimony of Joshua.

3)     You know God has been fighting for you. This should put a cabash on those who think they were the ones who conquered. If they won a battle at Jericho or Ai, at Merom or Beth-Horon, it was God who sustained and kept them. It was God who won the battles.  We say with the apostle Paul, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua Hamashiach.” (1 Cor. 15.57)

4)     I apportioned the land as ‘an inheritance’.  Think about that one. He’s saying that I didn’t give it to you. The Lord promised and He fulfilled. Then I got to mop up the action and distribute what wasn’t mine to each of you and your tribes. I’m very much not the guy.

5)     Verse 5, God will continue to work with you in the final removing of the enemies of Israel, for God has promised you

 

All of that introduction is about God and not about Joshua. If you want to venerate me in the decades to come, that’s not the best use of praise. If you want to set up what’s next for Israel, remember to remember God. So many other ancient civiizations give testimony to the general who conquers territory; Joshua will have none of that.

First Admonition (.6-.8)

Then beginning in verse 6, there is the first of two admonitions. 

6)     Keep what is written in Torah

7)     Keeping of Torah will prevent your going astray

8)     Not going astray will keep you from the nations and their tribal deities

He continued with a beautiful charge, saying “to Shamar and L’asot (to guard and to do) the Scriptures.” Whatever that might mean to him in his day, or to us in our day, it’s clear that the Word of God is powerful and able to keep us from danger. Here in our class we spoke about God’s promises in detail a few weeks ago and I encouraged you to make a list, a long list of all the Lord had said he would do in your life and in the world. During this lockdown of Covid, yet again, we need to be looking to God and his promises. A future and a hope. Eternal life, not stolen, killed or destroyed. That kind of promise. He’s the promise keeper. Our job is to keep Torah and do it. 

Remember the first commandment? “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20.2-3)

This charge by Joshua to the eldership is a reminder of that First Commandment. 

The second commandment is not to make idols. Joshua is making the point that the enemy will not only come at you with swords and horses, but also with false deities and allurements. Joshua warns Israel not even to mention the names of their gods, since that could lead to curiosity and interest, which increases the possibility of swearing by the false gods, or making idols to which we might bow down. 

That’s the third commandment—taking God’s name in vanity. Get it? Joshua is rehearsing the decalogue for Israel. 

But then verse 8 jumps in with something different. The Hebrew is a flashback, but not to the Decalogue. It’s from last week’s lesson in chapter 22. 

תִּדְבָּ֑קוּ

Cling to him. Hold fast to him. Things are slipping—hold him fast! Cling because your life depends on it. Cling like the Titanic survivors to the piece of wood floating in the ocean. Cling, like a child to the trousers of a father, when an unknown person begins to approach them.

Cling to God, you’ve been doing that. So the word is to stay faithful to God. 

Remember, God has been battling on your behalf. So, the first commandment is again highlighted with the Hebrew to love

לְאַהֲבָ֖ה אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

You don’t see the word “love” in the Decalogue. It is in the Shema (Deut. 6), and again here it is the same command form. Thou shalt love. 

Dear friends, when you hear a command to love, it doesn’t sound organic. It doesn’t sound natural. It sounds like a parent telling a child to love his depressing uncle or to love your little brother who is taking all the focus of every dinner away from you. A command to love leaves me a bit …how shall we say… incomplete. 

One of the really good things coming out of lockdown for me is a renewal of my first love. I really am enjoying time with God, alone, without the urgency of emails or Facebook, without the need to fight traffic and find a car park, without the regular interruptions of so many things and people. It’s actually been quite refreshing. It didn’t hurt that just before this lockdown, my wife and I moved into a new home. Not new, but new to us. And as a result, we had to box everything which meant we have had to unbox everything on this side of the move. It’s still happening. I found a couple of books and a mezuzah yesterday in unpacking that really gave me joy. So many things are making me happy in these days. I’m finding my relationship with God, and with my wife and grandsons seriously renewed. 

But here we see the command to love in context. It’s in the admonition of the Israelites by the failing, dying Joshua. Joshua is almost 110 years old. He has seen a lot, back in Egypt and in the wilderness, and now here in the conquest of the Land of Canaan. And he heard the warnings of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 from Moses. He knows that if Israel wants to get this right, to stay and succeed in the Land of Milk and Honey, that they have to have God as #1 in their lives. 

Joshua knows the enemies of Israel are the nations, and the gods of the nations, and the indolence of Israel. If we forget commandment #1, then all the others will tumble like dominos. 

After a bit of another rehearsal of the activities and power of God (verses 9-10), along with the reminder of the promises of God, Joshua enters into a 2^nd admonition. 

Second admonition (.11-16)

Joshua says to take heed to love God. It’s a different style of command. It’s a reminder that love is the goal of our instruction. It’s a reminder that it takes hard work “

וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֑ם

Guard your souls very much. Be on guard. Be the police of your soul. Don’t let anything come in which doesn’t belong there. Don’t let anyone stop your love interest. Again, it’s STAY FAITHFUL. 

What’s the admonition? Don’t cling (same verb) to the nations. Don’t intermarry with them. They will be thorns in your sides. (Remember what we said about those in light of Paul’s thorn in the flesh). 

Verse 14, Joshua says he’s dying. And that God keeps his promise. Now listen, verse 15 is the 2^nd admonition. Why? Because God keeps his promises. In the same way that he gave you the land, and drove out the enemies. In the same way if you mess up, and go after other gods, his promise is to eradicate you from the land. He will remove you (.16). He will be angry. He will deal with you according to all his promises. 

Some of the commentators I read highlight that since we are in the New Covenant that these verses do not apply to us. Clever, but the issue is the principle of God’s promise-keeping. And those same commentators (as Davis says) need to spend “an afternoon with the Epistle to the Hebrews” which “should effect a permanent cure.” (page 188)

I think of that verse ending Romans 9 through 11, the one I love and hate at the same time, 11.22, “Behold the kindness and severity of God.” God is not a one-handed deity; he brings justice and kindness; powerful judgment and mercy. He will keep his promises.

 

Invitation

Dear friends, have you met the Promise Keeping God? Do you know that Yeshua gave us victory by his dying on the cross? Have you been born again to the living hope God promised? Yeshua died to give us the way into relationship with the Lord.   We love Yeshua because in his death he accomplished salvation for all people. He took the curse we deserved to give us his righteousness which he deserved. Forgiveness is available because of the death of our messiah.  

If you’d like to receive him today, just now, join me as we pray.

Say something like this: “Father in Yeshua’s name, forgive me my sin, I was wrong to dismiss you and to disbelieve in you. I need your mercy. I deserve punishment but you are kind and merciful and I receive your grace. I repent. I receive Yeshua as my saviour and Lord. I will live because of my faith in Messiah Yeshua. Amen.

If you prayed that, please let us know of your profession by writing straightaway, won’t you? Bob@JewsforJesus.org.au We’d love to hear from you.

 

Conclusion

We are delighted you have joined us today. Please join us next week and learn with the others how you can stay on track in 2021 and beyond.   I hope to see you next week as we continue our studies in Joshua.  You will certainly see yourself in the readings, the applications, and the lessons. Next week we will finish up Joshua, reading chapter 24, in what I call “Three funerals and renewing the covenant” and see what lessons we can draw for ourselves from the scenes there! We will have one more week in a fortnight, discussing the mega-topic of Holy War as well.

Hope to see you then… until next week, Shabbat shalom!

 

 

 

Bibliography

Butler, Trent C., Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 7. Joshua. Word, Waco, 1983.

Davis, Dale Ralph, Joshua: No Falling Words, Christian Focus, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland, 2019.

Hess, Richard. Tyndale Commentary Complete. 

Meyer, F.B., Joshua and the Land of Promise, Christian Literature Crusade, Ft Washington PA, 1977.

Pritchard, James, “The Bible reports on Gibeon.” Penn Museum, Expedition, 1961. Volume 3, Issue 4.

Sanders, J. Oswald, Promised-Land Living, Moody Press, Chicago, 1984.

Thompson, Frank Charles, Chain Reference Bible, Kirkbride Bible Co, Indianapolis, 1964.

Toms, Paul, This land is your land. Gospel Light Publishing, Glendale CA, 1977.

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D-Groups for this week

1)              Monday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse

2)              Monday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White

(Contact our office for zoom details)

If you’d like to host a D-Group either online or in person, please contact bob@jewsforjesus.org.au for further details. It’s time to step up. Ponder this—who will be in your D-Group?

 

The Book of Joshua:   Outline.

 

A.     Entering the Land (Chapters 1-4)

a.     Chapter 1: A funeral and a promise

b.     Chapter 2: A harlot saves the day 

c.      Chapter 3: Go against the flow (Part 1)

d.     Chapter 4: Go against the flow (Part 2)

 

B.     Taking the Land (5-12)

a.     Chapter 5: Roll away iniquity: a study in sacraments 

b.     Chapter 6: Joshua fit d’battle ob Jericho

c.      Chapter 7: Getting it very wrong: Achan and his mistakes

d.     Chapter 8: Combat and Covenant

e.     Chapter 9: Common sense is not so common

f.      Chapter 10: Southern dominance

g.     Chapter 11: How not to win

h.     Chapter 12: God is faithful

 

C.     Possessing the Land (13-21)

a.     Chapter 13: Inheritance lessons

b.     Chapter 14:  Caleb as an example with a side of contentment

c.      Chapter 15: Geography lesson

d.     Chapter 16: God’s ways are not our ways

e.     Chapter 17: Promise vs compromise

f.      Chapter 18-19: Apportionment continued

g.     Chapter 20: Cities of Refuge

h.     Chapter 21: Levite cities to the rescue

 

D.    Retaining the Land (22-24)

a.     Chapter 22: Can an altar alter anything?

b.     Chapter 23: Staying on edge

c.      Chapter 24: Three funerals and Renewing the covenant

 

The Seven Nations

 

1.     Amorite

2.     Canaanite

3.     Girgashite

4.     Hittite

5.     Hivite

6.     Jebusite 

7.     Perizzite 

 

 Josh. 23:1   Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given ^arest to Israel from all their enemies ¹on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, ² that ^aJoshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. ³ “And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for ^athe LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you. ⁴ “See, ^aI have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. ⁵ “The LORD your God, He will thrust them out from before you and ^1adrive them from before you; and ^byou will possess their land, just as the LORD your God ²promised you. ⁶ “^aBe very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, ⁷ so that you will not ¹associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or ^amention the name of their gods, or ^bmake anyoneswear by them, or ^cserve them, or bow down to them. ⁸ “But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day. ⁹ “^aFor the LORD has ¹driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, ^bno man has stood before you to this day. ¹⁰ “^aOne of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is ^bHe who fights for you, just as He ¹promised you. ¹¹ “So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God. ¹²“For if you ever go back and ^acling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and ^bintermarry with them, so that you ¹associate with them and they with you, ¹³ know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to ¹drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a ^asnare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.

 

Josh. 23:14   “Now behold, today ^aI am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that ^bnot one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have ¹been fulfilled for you, not ²one of them has failed. ¹⁵ “It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so ^athe LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. ¹⁶ “^aWhen you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.”

Gaining perspective: Seeing what you need to see in order to accomplish what is needful

                                                                    After flying up 106 kilometers above the earth, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos said he was awestruck by the earth and its beauty. He had a new appreciation for our planet, its atmosphere, and basically, he announced that he had gained a new perspective on life. 

Some will ask whether his wealth and his expenditure on this flight is appropriate. That's not my role in this blog, though. 

 

I'm thinking about gaining perspective and seeing what is needed.

 

My pastor, Darren Waters, from LCM (Lane Cove) Anglican Church, wrote a tremendous piece today about the lockdown and this idea of perspective, taking his views from the Bible book of 1 Peter. 

 

He said, "Last year, we began 'online church' looking at 1 Peter because it is a letter written to displaced people in need of comfort.  I decided to return to this letter in my personal reading as we entered lockdown this time around. While I'm not really surprised, my reaction to reading chapter 5 this morning reminded me of the truth that scripture is alive and active!  

You see, 1 Peter 5:7 reads, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." But these words follow a command to exercise humility (verses 5-6) and precede a command to resist the devil and stand faithfully-firm "because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

So there is a connection between humility, faithfulness, and trust (trust being the opposite of anxiety). It is as we exercise humility, entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus, and lift our eyes and our prayers from ourselves to focus them on others who are "undergoing the same kind of sufferings," that our anxiety and stress decrease.

In other words, I need to learn again that God's mighty hands hold even this pandemic and humble myself before him. There are many around the world experiencing the worst of this disease who are in need of my prayers. I'm not in charge (thankfully) and God's care ensures that in time, God will restore us, make us strong, firm, and steadfast (v10)."

Thanks, Darren, for those good words, and for helping with my perspective today.

What helps you, dear reader, to gain a good perspective?

I find the Bible itself to be the best way to get my mind right. I often am needing direction, for myself, for my staff, for contacts who ask for such. Yes it's an ancient book, but the words still matter to me and to many today. How to admit wrong, how to live with others, how to practice justice. It's all in the book. 

 

The media is trying to give me their perspective; their messages are less than substantial and mostly out-of-touch with the wisdom from God in the Book. Sometimes it's lonely following God's perspective, but I must say it's worth it.

Seeing things from God's point of view in this troubled and troubling time of COVID is especially important. Every day the premier of our state and the other states' officials share their plans for lockdowns or freedoms. They cite health officials who inform them about 3-days or construction workers' tools down or community spread and terms we hadn't thought of previously. And we have a choice-- should we be frustrated with our incapacity? Should we be angry at their manner, their lack of debate in public, their considerations? 

Vaccines are rolling out, although they started out more like a crawl. Even so, when can we travel to Bali or the US? When will border restrictions be eased? Will the Australian Pickleball Championships go ahead as planned in October? No one really knows as the goalposts keep shifting. 

The natural tendency would be for you, dear reader, to walk away in disdain and borderline anger (pun intended). Without a divine perspective, our incapacities would outweigh our capacities. 

But I recommend a daily dose of God; or at least of godly wisdom. Gain perspective from heaven by sitting alone, for a few minutes, or why not try 30 minutes? The poem "Just for today" says, "9. Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will thank God, so as to get a better perspective of my life."

There you go. A better perspective of my life. Hey, after all the other things you've tried, why not give this one a real chance?

Down but not out

 Locked DOWN...but NOT locked OUT  

When I lived in New York City in the 1980s, some of our congregation would go to the Bowery to serve the poor and indigent. One of the realities we kept before the congregation was that although we were a messianic Jewish congregation, with prayers and songs in Hebrew, and with Jewish roots being clarified in all our teachings, the Bible says, “to the Jew first, and ALSO TO the Gentile.” (Romans 1.16) We didn’t want to forget anyone for whom Yeshua died.

The first committee we formed was the Missions Committee. The churches that grow are those where missions and evangelism are primary concerns. 

Maybe you have noticed this, too. And one of the missions we supported was down in the Bowery. Some of you reading this might remember the movie series named The Bowery Boys starring Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. (pictured) I grew up watching those sometimes at the cinema and sometimes when they replayed those old black-and-white movies on television. Always full of adventures and often misadventures, this was a lot of fun for me. 

By the time the 1980s rolled around the Bowery was not a place of fun and frolic. It was a place for down-and-outers. Drug addicts and hopeless folks seemed to find their way to that section of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. One of our congregants helped me see that this was a place where we needed to care. He had actually come from that culture; he had been radically saved from that life, and he wanted to make sure the Gospel went to the Bowery. 

Why am I telling you about this foreign and far-away memory and activity? 

It’s about COVID-19. Our staff is reaching out to the Jewish people of Australia, by phone or email, or even personal visit during this lockdown time in Sydney. The number one reaction, after the traditional social convention of “I’m doing ok”, is “actually I’m a bit lonely or frustrated or …”  Real feelings of pain and suffering. 

Being down is a reality for many. Our own staff has had feelings of being down or frustrated or disappointed in this lockdown season. 

But being down does not mean being out. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the co
ming of Titus; and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. (2 Corinthians 7.5-7)

God comforts the depressed. How does he do that? By the “coming of Titus” and also “by the comfort with which he was comforted in you.” The reality of depression can be overcome by the stronger reality of God’s personal comfort in the visit of Titus and by the fellowship he brought in reporting what God was doing among the people of Corinth. 

Dear friends, the pandemic is frustrating many of us. The lockdowns are real in many of our states and local government areas. The Prime Minister as well as each of the premiers and each health minister seem to be trying their best to solve a problem that launched in March 2020, without a user’s manual. 

I lost a dear friend back in the US in May, who a month earlier was a vibrant father of six. He was my mate for 40 years. He died from the disease, and I’m still feeling sad.

Our hope is seriously fixed on Yeshua. Our repair from any down-and-out feelings in this time is the fellowship and consolation we experience with one another. We can meet on Zoom or phone calls with other believers. As I write this, our church is not able to meet in person. And when we could, we couldn’t sing. 

Paul wrote the Corinthians “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Cor. 4.7-10)

Brothers and sisters, we are family and whether it’s Facebook or emails, Twitter or Instagram, when we can share God’s word with each other, when we report the real news that Messiah died for us and is giving us eternal life, those down feelings are replaced. We are not locked out of God's kingdom; we have paid entry! We are not destroyed. We are down, but not out. God comforts us. The life of Jesus will be manifest in our bodies. May God comfort each one of you. Shalom.

Can an altar alter anything? Joshua chapter 22

   Living in the Promised Land: A study in the book of Joshua

To view this online as a video:

 https://youtu.be/fQEqmnpI0s0

Lesson Twenty one:  Can an altar alter anything?

A.     Introduction

1.     Greetings

2.   Overview. [For those online, see this book overview from The Bible Project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqJlFF_eU  )

B.            Today’s lesson: Chapters 22

  Background

Let me speak about something which takes place in the Jewish world starting tomorrow evening, although the last 3 weeks there have been conversations and memorials about things in this matter. Tomorrow evening we enter Tisha B’av, the 9^th day of the Hebrew month of Av. I say we’ve been considering this for 21 days already.  The "Three Weeks" between the fast days of 17th of Tammuz (27 June this year) and Tisha B'Av have historically been days of misfortune and calamity for the Jewish people, in which God is, so to speak, more distant from His people.

Traditionally, dates are hard to fix, but the rabbis have done so with this time of year. On the 17th of Tammuz Moses broke the Tablets after the Sin of the Golden Calf, and also the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem, among other tragedies. On the 9th of Av, the nation of the Exodus cried as a result of the negative report of the Spies and were sentenced to 38 years of wandering and perishing in the Wilderness. Also, according to tradition, both Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, among other tragedies.

Some Jewish people will observe various aspects of mourning during this time, such as not celebrating weddings or cutting our hair. The mourning becomes more intense as it gets closer to Tisha B'Av.  

I think this is a good time to ponder the problems and overwhelming sadness that ultra-Orthodox Jews have been considering the last 21 days. Lately I’ve been thinking about all the promises of God, as we ended last week’s message, chapter 21 highlights that particularly. What did we read? 

^“Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (21.45)

Obviously the nation of Israel had conquered much of the Promised Land and set up tribal units, but there were some vestiges of the enemies of the Jewish people still living in Canaan. So when we read ‘all came to pass’ we are sensing both the irony and the glad, boisterous celebration in the author’s pen. Yes, there were still some enemies in the land. God had promised that we would drive them out, “little by little” (Ex. 23.23) Even so, it’s right to rejoice when God gives us territory. It’s right when he fulfills his part of the bargain. Look, the 12 tribes were living in their territories. They could trade freely and set up altars. They were allowed to see one another at annual festivals. God had indeed made ‘all come to pass.’

I share this with you just now, before we even dig into chapter 22 to say that when we have opportunity to experience pain and suffering, God knows, and will help us through them. When we have opportunity to experience joy and gladness, God knows and will help us focus on him during those jubilant times. Solomon wrote, “There is a time for every purpose under heaven…a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance…A time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3.1.,4,.8)

Let God give you his purpose, his intention, and let those meet with your real feelings of confidence, of reality, of your weakness or strength, and be honest about what you are feeling. There’s a time for all that. If you just now are feeling the 21^st day of the Three Weeks and you are intensifying in mourning, so be it. Feel what God wants for you to feel. If you are still celebrating the joys of Resurrection from April or the pleasures of Shavuot and the Bounty of God’s laws and his Holy Spirit, so be it. I share this section with you so you can have the liberty to know and experience God in your unique way, in the way he wants to relate and draw you to himself. 

Now, back to chapter 22.

You know that with this lesson we begin the final four lessons in this 24-lesson series of the book of Joshua. We have three more studies directly from the Scripture and then our final week will be a study of the topic of Holy War itself. Today we also begin the final section (of 4 sections) in this book itself. First was Entering the land, then Taking the land, third was Possessing the land, and today we begin Section 4: Retaining the Land. 

1.     The 2.5 Club: Commendation and the One Thing

The chapter begins with commendation of the 2.5 tribes. We have seen them since the Wilderness, those who sought to have their own place east of the Jordan. Moses permitted them to settle their families and belongings, and as a consequence of their asking, Moses assigned them to lead the charge in taking the land. And here Joshua says that the 2.5 folks were faithful to Moses, to himself, to the rest of their brothers and thus they should go to their new, but old home. 

Remember, none of the men had lived at home in years, if not decades. Joshua commends them and encourages them to return to their tents. Then he reminds them of the Code of Practice. I like this; he uses singular words. Look at verse 5. Be careful to observe or guard the mitzvah, not mitzvot. Don’t miss this. Don’t forget the ‘one thing.’ And he reiterates, the “Torah” or law which Moses commanded you.

 

רַ֣ק שִׁמְר֣וּ מְאֹ֗ד לַעֲשׂ֨וֹת אֶת־הַמִּצְוָ֣ה וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרָה֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֣ה אֶתְכֶם֮ מֹשֶׁ֣ה

 

The question needs to be asked. What is the one mitzvah, the ‘one thing?’ Keep reading this verse. 

לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֜ם וְלָלֶ֧כֶת בְּכָל־דְּרָכָ֛יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֥ר מִצְוֹתָ֖יו וּלְדָבְקָה־ב֑וֹ וּלְעָבְד֕וֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃

 

We are always looking for the formula, the single issue that defines a book or a chapter, or a man’s mission in life. I think we have found it right here, tucked away in the admonition to the 2.5 Club, this is for each of us. Five verbs that all point to ONE THING.

1)     To love the Lord

2)     Walk in his ways

3)     Guard (keep) his commandments

4)     Davka bo. HOLD FAST TO HIM.

5)     Serve with all your hearts and with all your souls

Yes, there are five verbs and yes, they can each be taken individually. But consider this: Being in relationship with the Lord will lead to loving him, and to walking in his ways, and to guarding his words, to holding fast to him and to serving him. If we genuinely cling to him and hold fast to him, if we agree that life with God is way better than any other deity, then we win. No other religion has such a satisfaction quotient. Taking land, ok, well and good, but if you want to win in this transitory life, cling to the Almighty. 

Consider this. When does someone cling to another? Take a child for instance. When does that child cling to a parent? When attacked. Or the child feels threatened. When does an adult cling to a child? When danger approaches. You see that at playgrounds when a stranger arrives and sits, the guardians of small children will often go to collect the child and move on. When do adults cling? When worries or sadness affects us and we have ‘nowhere else to turn.’ Friends, I share these views of humanity to remind us that our lives are always in need of a touch from heaven. We turn to him four or five times a day and we think that’s pretty good. I dare say we need to turn to him dozens of times each day, and davka bo. Hold fast to him. 

When my grandson and I went to the playground a few weeks ago, and he was walking as he does atop the wall, he wanted me to hold his hand. Why? When he begins to tip over, he wants me to grab him, or he wants to grab me. Safety matters and holding fast is how that plays out. Davka bo. That’s how we need to be with the Almighty. 

The beginning of this chapter includes this commendation, this “Goodonya” from Joshua to the 2.5 and a commendation of the Scriptures and the purpose of them—to know the Lord personally and to walk in quick hold-fast strength to the King. 

2.     The 2.5 head home

Verses 7-9 indicates that the commended 2.5 now are sent home to their wives and children, their farmland and livestock, and they brought with them great riches including more livestock as well as 

“with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; ^(and they were to ) divide the spoil of your enemies”

These former slaves gone a few decades from the House of Bondage in Egypt are now going home, to their new homes with wealth that would make a Vaucluse homeowner jealous. 

3.     The 2.5 build an altar

Verse 10 shows them stopping short of the Jordan River and building an altar. There is disagreement among the commentators about where this altar was built.  The Hebrew phrases are the reason and found in verse 11. The 2.5 

“have built an altar at the frontier (el mul) of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side (el aver) belonging to the sons of Israel.”

 One:

אֶל־עֵ֖בֶר

The other is 

אֶל־מוּל֙

It doesn’t really matter in the long run, but it’s of interest to some. The 2.5 built an altar near the River and they are caught by the rest of the people of Israel. As a result a version of a trial ensues.

4.     Courtroom by the 9.5

In verse 16, the emissaries announce that they are representatives of the entire congregation. Note their words; they don’t invoke Moses or Joshua; they invoke Yehovah, and say they represent the entire witnesses of Adonai. 

Their conversation is a rebuke and a call to repent. They say in verse 16 that the act of building an altar is unfaithful. They say it is against God. And it’s turning away from God and rebelling against the Lord. That’s a massive summary of indictments. 

In verse 17, they remind the 2.5 of the sins of Peor, which we read about a few months ago in the book of Numbers chapter 25. There the people of Israel committed sins with the Moabites and many were killed that day. The prosecution here in this chapter are reminding the 2.5 that in the same way, they were on the precipice of committing the same sin and thus having the same punishment coming their way. 

In fact, they say, in verse 18, that THEY will be copping the punishment and they are not willing to have that happen. In verse 20, the prosecution calls another witness, Achan, the one who kept some of the spoil from Jericho, and who died in judgment outside Ai, is used by the ambassadors to remind the 2.5 that their guilt and shame would not go away. They would be held guilty. 

Beginning in verse 21, the 2.5 answer the allegations, and the answers are surprising. They start with God, 

אֵל֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים יְהוָ֜ה

 אֵ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֤ים יְהוָה֙

The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the Lord!

They start with invoking God, not the witnesses of God as the prosecutors self-announced. This is almost a trump card already. 

Their defence shows in verses 22 and 23, they say the ancient equivalent of “let lightning strike me.” And of course, God doesn’t strike them. Their confidence grows.

In verse 24, they make this about the next generation, both of the 2.5 and of the rest of Israel. When the kids grow up and they see the river dividing the tribes of Israel, they will probably conclude that we are with the foreign gods.  We didn’t set up an altar to offer three types of sacrifices (olah, minchah and shlamim), in fact, we won’t offer any sacrifices there. 

Their summary statement is about unity! We have worked for the unity of the people of Israel and for the honour of God since we left our families across the river. Now we want to keep the peace and the unity. These folks are noble!

5.     Decision rendered

Did the altar alter anything? Verses 30 to the end are the verdicts of the leadership. Pinchas is the son of Elazar, who is the 3^rd son of Aaron the priest. Elazar has led the religion of the people since his older two brothers were killed in an act of hypocrisy and wrong worship. (Lev. 15) He is the one who was responsible for calling Israel to kill the sinners at the sin of Peor. It was his son Pinchas, (his name means ‘The black man’) who was credited with stemming the judgment of God at Peor. (Numbers 25.11) Pinchas is the judge but not the jury. He has determined that the 2.5 are innocent. He even tells the 2.5 so in verse 31.

Then Pinchas and the committee ‘bring back word’ to the sons of Israel in verse 32. And they who are the jury, agree with the priest and the committee. They say the word was tov, that is, ‘the word pleased the sons of Israel.’ (.33) Look what the result was.

 

1)     The people blessed the Lord

2)     The 9.5 did not speak of warring with the 2.5

3)     Nor did they go up to war

 

The final verse says something about a witness. The Hebrew word ‘Aid.’ So many times, certainly in the Torah, the word ‘aid’ is a contrary word, a word of conflict. A witness against someone. It’s about accusations and that one witness is not enough; you need two or three to bring a charge against someone. (Deut 17.6, 19.15). Remember Jacob and his father-in-law Laban?  Chapter 31 of Genesis highlights the conniving and the mistrust evident between these two men, and they have a mizpah moment and say there is a witness between us, that “if you mistreat (or otherwise perform evil)… there are consequences.” 

That’s the language I was ready for here in Joshua 22. But that’s not what I see and read. It’s not a babysitter camera; it’s not a Ring.com security device. It’s actually a love altar; it’s a pile of rubble to remind the people of the generations to come that there are 12 tribes, not the 9.5 and not the 2.5, but the 12. 

Many tribes; one nation. Every time anyone walks by this place, may the altar testify to each person. The altar might alter our relationship; after all, it almost made us lose our brothers when they thought we were setting up a competing worship centre. Now we get it. The altar can alter our hostility and make us one family in the Lord. 

Invitation

Dear friends, have you been born again to the living hope God promised? Yeshua died to give us the way into relationship with the Lord. Would you be willing to take a stand for him who took a stand and died on a Roman cross for you? We love Yeshua because in his death he accomplished salvation for all people. He took the curse we deserved to give us his righteousness which he deserved. Forgiveness is available because of the death of our messiah.  

If you’d like to receive him today, just now, join me as we pray.

Say something like this: “Father in Yeshua’s name, forgive me my sin, I was wrong to dismiss you and to disbelieve in you. I need your mercy. I deserve punishment but you are kind and merciful and I receive your grace. I repent. I receive Yeshua as my saviour and Lord. I will live because of my faith in Messiah Yeshua. Amen.

If you prayed that, please let us know of your profession by writing straightaway, won’t you? Bob@JewsforJesus.org.au We’d love to hear from you.

 

Conclusion

We are delighted you have joined us today. Please join us next week and learn with the others how you can stay on track in 2021 and beyond.   I hope to see you next week as we continue our studies in Joshua.  You will certainly see yourself in the readings, the applications, and the lessons. Next week we will look at chapter 23, in what I call “ Staying on Edge” and see what lessons we can draw for ourselves from the scenes there!

Hope to see you then… until then, Shabbat shalom!

 

 

 

Bibliography

Butler, Trent C., Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 7. Joshua. Word, Waco, 1983.

Davis, Dale Ralph, Joshua: No Falling Words, Christian Focus, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland, 2019.

Hess, Richard. Tyndale Commentary Complete. 

Meyer, F.B., Joshua and the Land of Promise, Christian Literature Crusade, Ft Washington PA, 1977.

Pritchard, James, “The Bible reports on Gibeon.” Penn Museum, Expedition, 1961. Volume 3, Issue 4.

Sanders, J. Oswald, Promised-Land Living, Moody Press, Chicago, 1984.

Thompson, Frank Charles, Chain Reference Bible, Kirkbride Bible Co, Indianapolis, 1964.

Toms, Paul, This land is your land. Gospel Light Publishing, Glendale CA, 1977.

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D-Groups for this week

1)              Monday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse

2)              Monday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White

(Contact our office for zoom details)

If you’d like to host a D-Group either online or in person, please contact bob@jewsforjesus.org.au for further details. It’s time to step up. Ponder this—who will be in your D-Group?

 

The Book of Joshua:   Outline.

 

A.     Entering the Land (Chapters 1-4)

a.     Chapter 1: A funeral and a promise

b.     Chapter 2: A harlot saves the day 

c.      Chapter 3: Go against the flow (Part 1)

d.     Chapter 4: Go against the flow (Part 2)

 

B.     Taking the Land (5-12)

a.     Chapter 5: Roll away iniquity: a study in sacraments 

b.     Chapter 6: Joshua fit d’battle ob Jericho

c.      Chapter 7: Getting it very wrong: Achan and his mistakes

d.     Chapter 8: Combat and Covenant

e.     Chapter 9: Common sense is not so common

f.      Chapter 10: Southern dominance

g.     Chapter 11: How not to win

h.     Chapter 12: God is faithful

 

C.     Possessing the Land (13-21)

a.     Chapter 13: Inheritance lessons

b.     Chapter 14:  Caleb as an example with a side of contentment

c.      Chapter 15: Geography lesson

d.     Chapter 16: God’s ways are not our ways

e.     Chapter 17: Promise vs compromise

f.      Chapter 18-19: Apportionment continued

g.     Chapter 20: Cities of Refuge

h.     Chapter 21: Levite cities to the rescue

 

D.    Retaining the Land (22-24)

a.     Chapter 22: Can an altar alter anything?

b.     Chapter 23: Staying on edge

c.      Chapter 24: Three funerals and Renewing the covenant

 

The Seven Nations

 

1.     Amorite

2.     Canaanite

3.     Girgashite

4.     Hittite

5.     Hivite

6.     Jebusite 

7.     Perizzite 

 

 

 

Josh. 22:1   Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ² and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. ³ “You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. ⁴ “And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan. ⁵ “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” ⁶ So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

 

Josh. 22:7   Now ^ato the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but ^bto the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, ⁸ and said to ¹them, “Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; ^adivide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” ⁹ The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home and departed from the sons of Israel at Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the ^aland of Gilead, to the land of their possession which they had possessed, according to the ¹command of the LORD ²through Moses.

 

Josh. 22:10   When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance. ¹¹ And the sons of Israel heard it ¹said, “Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have ^abuilt an altar at the ²frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the sons of Israel.” ¹² When the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves at ^aShiloh to go up against them in war.

 

Josh. 22:13   Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, ^aPhinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, ¹⁴ and with him ten chiefs, one chief for each father’s household from each of the tribes of Israel; and ^aeach one of them was the head of his father’s household among the ¹thousands of Israel. ¹⁵ They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying, ¹⁶ “Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by ^abuilding yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day? ¹⁷ ‘Is not ^athe iniquity of Peor ¹enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the LORD, ¹⁸ that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? If you rebel against the LORD today, ^aHe will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. ¹⁹ ‘If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then ¹cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD’S tabernacle ²stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us by ^abuilding an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the LORD our God. ²⁰ ‘Did not ^aAchan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’”

 

Josh. 22:21   Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the ¹families of Israel. ²² “The ^aMighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! ^bHe knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD do not save us this day! ²³ “If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to ^aoffer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself require it. ²⁴ “But truly we have done this out of concern, ¹for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons may say to our ²sons, “What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? ²⁵“For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD.” So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.’

 

Josh. 22:26   “Therefore we said, ‘Let us ¹build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; ²⁷ rather it shall be ^aa witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to ^bperform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, “You have no portion in the LORD.”’ ²⁸ “Therefore we said, ‘It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, “See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it is a witness between us and you.”’ ²⁹ “Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD this day, by ^abuilding an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His ¹tabernacle.”

 

Josh. 22:30   So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, even the heads of the ¹families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. ³¹ And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Manasseh, “Today we know that the ^aLORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the LORD; now you have delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the LORD.”

 

Josh. 22:32   Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³ The word pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel ^ablessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in war to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living. ³⁴ The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad ^acalled the altar Witness; “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”