Chariots and a coronation (Zechariah chapter 6)

 OUT OF THE CHAOS: A study in the book of Zechariah

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Shalom and welcome to our class today. We are continuing in this prophetic book written by a young Jewish man living in Jerusalem about 500 BCE as he writes to his people, those living there in Judah and also to those living in Babylon. To each of those groups, he has some clear words and I trust that those words he spoke 2500 years ago will speak to you and to me as we will consider what God meant as he used that young man. And we will try to learn what God has to say to us as 21^st Century people. 

Our theme in this book is “out of the chaos” and there was plenty of chaos around young Zechariah in those days, and dare I say, around us in our days as well. How we find its opposite, whether you title it control or comfort or pleasure or ease… that’s the goal of my studies in this book with you.

20 days ago, Prince Charles of England became King Charles III and wore the proper clothing and donned the crown, as the 40^th monarch since the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Great pomp and circumstance, ballrooms and balls, horse-drawn carriages, photography enough for generations and media coverage that still has not ended. In today’s reading from Zechariah, we will see another coronation at the end of the final night vision, the 8th of 8, and wonder who is wearing the crown, and what its role is in the life of the Jewish people around 500 BCE or so.

Let’s jump right in. 

1.     Chariots (.1-8) 

Verse one: The 8^th vision has a weird cast of characters and settings. Four chariots are seen coming from between two mountains. The mountains are made of bronze. They are driven by four different colours of horses. And then in the interpretation the angel tells Zechariah that they are four spirits or four winds. Are you confused yet? Just wait. While in chapter 1 we looked at horses and their riders, here in chapter 6 we only see the horses and chariots. No riders. Earlier the purpose was reporting on global events and conditions; here we have to ask what the purpose is?

As I give this talk today, we in Sydney are celebrating two things. One is Shavuot, that is, the Jewish holiday of Pentecost, the anniversary of a harvest festival and the giving of Torah 3,500 years ago. That two-day holiday began at sundown last night. The other celebration is the opening of Vivid, the annual reminder here that any building can become a canvas of light and art. In the midst of these two annual moments, we are studying chapter 6 of Zechariah with his commensurate weird imagery and night visions. OK, given our calendar, this chapter makes sense. 

Jewish commentator Ibn Ezra (XII, Spain) said the symbolism is straightforward. The chariots are there to carry the decrees of heaven to the four corners of the earth. Remember, Zechariah has labelled God the Lord of all the earth, so Ibn Ezra may be onto something. The Targum indicates that the four chariots represent the four kingdoms which ruled what we call Israel after the destruction of Solomon’s temple. Those four were Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Of course, that makes sense in light of the timing of the writings. “There is clear evidence that Aramaic translations of at least parts of the Bible were known in the days of the Second Temple: the Qumran caves have yielded small fragments of an Aramaic translation of Leviticus, and more substantial portions of an Aramaic version of Job.” (The Cambridge history of the Bible. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/new-cambridge-history-of-the-bible/aramaic-targums/66005BF403AA0C9DDCA300E81EFA83D3)

I should tell you that the word Targum simply means ‘translation’ and was the Aramaic translation by rabbis from the time of the Maccabees and even Yeshua. So, it’s no surprise that no further kingdoms beyond Rome are listed here. But we have had 2,000 more years of Jewish history and there would have been further ruling kingdoms, but the Targums don’t address those. 

But some of you will be fixated on the four chariots or winds or horses, and you might lose the bigger picture. Even as Daniel chapter 7 showcases similar four kingdoms (if you accept the Targum), the writing of these images is to help us have faith and comfort, not chaos. The number ‘four’ in the record of Scripture is not required to be a precise number but rather is a representation of ‘the lot’ or ‘the whole kit and kaboodle.’ In other words, ‘four winds’ means all the winds. Four chariots coming for judgment means all the dominant royalty that is ever going to assault the people. Four shouts universal representation. We saw that in chapter two with the craftsmen and the horns. (Chapter 1 in some versions)

I mention this with regularity because in the last 2,500 years more kingdoms have arisen and hoped to judge and ruin the Jewish people. It’s still happening to this day and will continue until Messiah returns. So don’t get caught up in what horn or what wind or which chariot is Nazi Germany or 15^th century Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella. Your spiritual gymnastics will not work and don’t need to work in that way. Four chariots. Simply that means all the kingdoms which will ever be used by the Lord to save the Jewish people and to overthrow our enemies. The enemies of the day. And they come between two bronze mountains. There are no mountains made of bronze anywhere on the planet. Most Christian commentators mention bronze as a symbol of judgment and that makes sense in the setting. Babylon is going down and we will see that in a moment. Ralph Smith says the two represent the dwelling place of God. Certainly, that would include his judgment seat. The rabbis indicate this is Mt Zion, and of course, the Temple in its being rebuilt, is ever in view.

For more information about chariots, see The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, one of my favourite reference books, published by InterVarsity Press in 1998 out of the US. Page 138-139 unpacks all the references including Ezekiel and Jehu’s furious ride, even Elijah’s flight to heaven (2 King 2.11-12) and the three uses of chariots in the NT. (Acts 8.28-38, Rev. 9.9, 18.13) The summary is that chariots are used in three categories: as royal vehicles, as battle vehicles and the Grand One as the Divine Chariot, which sounds to me like a combination of the first two uses. (Divine: Psalm 104.3, Ezekiel 1.5-15)

Back to our text. The four horses are colourful. Black, red, white and dappled. By the way, dappled is not a colour. Some versions use ‘strong’ and others ‘grey.’

Dappled simply means the horse is predisposed to a certain kind of marking, which can come and go based on nutrition, coat care, the seasons, if you clip them, etc. They're rounded spots of a lighter colour than the rest of the coat. Usually, they're a sign your horse is in great health.

We who have the NT have an advantage for the colour index: red stands for war, black for famine and white for death. (See Revelation 6.1-8) Dappled would then stand for plagues. Looking at judgments over time, like in Jeremiah’s days, there were four penalties: wars (which led to captivity), famine, plagues and death. (e.g., Jeremiah 18.21, 21.7, 24.10, 27.13)

But whatever each of these horse/ winds represent, it’s bad news for the recipients and, by extension, good news for the beneficiaries. Who would those be? Let’s see. 

Verse 5, the winds are headed north and south. North is Babylon; South is Egypt. Both are enemies of the Jewish people, and both have mistreated the Jews. The winds are the judgments against the enemies of the Jews. Babylon will go down in defeat as will Egypt.

Verse 7, out go the surveillance teams of horses and chariots, and obviously God’s army of angelic hosts. They went to patrol and in verse 8 reported back that the victory was complete, the Babylonians were defeated, and God’s wrath was appeased. The Hebrew is from Nuach, meaning ‘settle down on’ or ‘satisfy.’ Most understand that this is both the judgment on the Babylonians and the resultant news about the rebuilding of the Temple.

Ibn Ezra said that all the Jews in the North were then safe.

2. Coronation (.9-15)

After the first part of our study today, about Chariots, we now turn to a Coronation. It includes a confrontation, then the coronation and finally a commemoration. First the confrontation. 

Three visitors from Babylon rock up to Jerusalem. They were to stay at the home of Josiah, whose nickname was Chen (meaning ‘grace.’) and they were bearing financial aid from the Jews of the North to support the rebuild of the Temple. Only Verse 10 says that Zechariah is responsible to take the goods and to fashion a crown or two. That’s a dilemma, isn’t it? Can designated funds be reassigned by someone else? And Verse 11 says that the crown is to sit on the top of a priest, the high priest, Joshua. But nowhere in the Torah are we told about such action. Nowhere else in Jewish history had this been done. The three in the delegation probably wondered what the end game was for Zechariah in redeploying the financial package. How dare he! What’s he trying to do?

Radak said he wanted to make two crowns, not one. Others comment that this one crown was so glorious it appeared with diadems and could have appeared as two. I like that there is confusion. You see, the Hebrew word in verse 11 for crown is plural! עֲטָר֑וֹת     

But the verb is singular. Hold on, I’ll explain why I like this. Verse 11, says ‘set it (singular) on the head of Joshua.’ Some of you will remember a term, a phrase we have used in Jewish prophecy specifically, and Christopher Wright has employed it over and over again in his studies of the Tanach. It’s about horizons.  I’ll include the article from 2019 about this, that really helped me package it, but basically, it’s Horizon 1: The OT era, Horizon 2: The fulfillment in the person of Yeshua and Horizon 3: the eschaton, the way distant future. (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/march-web-only/three-horizons-of-old-testament-prophecy-christopher-wright.html)

So, when I read about the two crowns and one head, I know there is anticipation of another to wear the crown and it’s not Charles III. Who is it?

Look at verse 12. The coronation is happening and it’s on the Branch, for he will branch out. Many Jewish versions leave it “Flourish” for he will flourish. But the word Tsemach (see Zechariah 3.8) is a person. And a to-be-crowned person for sure. No wonder the Targum says this tsemach is Messiah and he will complete the rebuilding of the Temple. 

You see, the rabbis get so close on this one. They say there are two crowns. One for Zerubbabel and one for Joshua. So close. I get how they get it. We’ve seen them in Zechariah previously as representatives of government and religion working together. In verse 13 here we see peace ‘between the two offices’ or literally between the two of them. And maybe they are right in the first horizon. But I’m looking beyond horizon 1 and the immediate fulfillment. I’m seeing horizon 2 and someone who is named Branch (Jeremiah 23.1-5) who be “Jehovah our Righteousness.” He will be the replacement for the wicked shepherds, and he will guide, even save the Jewish people. It’s not two crowns for two people; but it’s a royal diadem, a glorious crown of majesty, atop the head of the KING and PRIEST, Yeshua. He who fulfills two offices. The king who judges and the priest who intercedes. 

And he will rebuild the Temple. John says, “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (John 2.19-20)

Jesus would rebuild the godly line, the godly life, his relationship with us, on the 3^rd day, when he rose from the dead. Everything would be satisfied in Horizon 2 when Yeshua rose from the dead. And in the Revelation, we see Horizon 3, when they crown him with many crowns and we are gathered to him, once and forever, and the New Jerusalem comes down to be established on earth and we rule with him in purity and godliness. 

Remember I said there was a confrontation, a coronation and a commemoration? The third is in verses 14-15. Weirsbe says, “Zechariah took the crown off Joshua’s head and gave him his priestly mitre (3.5) Why? Because the symbolic act was over, and the crown did not belong to Joshua. It belonged to the coming Messiah. Zechariah placed the crown somewhere in the Temple as a memorial (verse 14) (Zikaron) of the Lord’s promise of a KING-PRIEST who would bring peace and holiness to his people.” (Page 135)

Verse 15, friends, we will know the Lord and know that Zechariah is the voice of God, when we completely obey or listen to the voice of the Lord. That’s the key. If you don’t yet believe in Yeshua, the King-Priest who was to come, the Branch, the Messiah, then hear his voice calling to you, and say ‘yes’ and be born again. If you are already his, already a follower of Yeshua, please keep listening to him, do as he bid, and crown him with many crowns, even today, amen?

Chaos is subjugated. Life is available.

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Remember, you who are watching today, if you are not yet a follower of Yeshua, and see his love for you, his kindness extended, his offer of forgiveness available, right where you are, submit to him, to his lordship, to his care, and your life will take on new meaning, new substance, and you will have mates on this call, and in your neighbourhood and wherever you travel… the Kingdom is advancing under the King. Chaos is subjugated, life is available.

Would you like that? Pray with me just now. (Prayer Sample)

Shabbat shalom!

 

Resource on video

To see a fun video overview of the book of Zechariah see this from Bible Project:

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/zechariah/

 

Bibliography:

Ryken, Leland (and others), Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1998.

Smith, Ralph, Micah to Malachi: Word Biblical Commentary (Volume 32), Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1984.

Stead, Michael, Zechariah: The Lord Returns, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2015.

Webb, Barry, The Message of Zechariah: Your Kingdom Come, Intervarsity Press, Nottingham, 2003.

Wiersbe, Warren, Be Heroic: Demonstrating Bravery by your Walk, David C. Cook Press, Colorado Springs, 1997.

 

ACTUAL TEXT

 

Zech. 6:1   Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. ² With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, ³ with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses. ⁴ Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” ⁵ The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, ⁶ with one of which the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country. ⁷ “When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So, they patrolled the earth. ⁸ Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”

 

Zech. 6:9   The word of the LORD also came to me, saying, ¹⁰ “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. ¹¹ “Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² “Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. ¹³ “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honour and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ ¹⁴ “Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah. ¹⁵ “Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD.” Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God.

 

Also, today’s other text:

Rev. 6:1   Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” ² I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3   When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” ⁴ And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. 5   When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ And I heard something like a voice in the centre of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”7   When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” ⁸ I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

How not to win: Horses, chariots, and Joshua Chapter 11

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

To view this online as a video:  https://youtu.be/H3SzFw4zptE

Lesson Eleven: How not to win

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: Chapter 11: How not to win

The story today is again a military story and thus may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I remember watching my father meet up with a friend of his from the US Navy with whom he served in World War II. I was only a young person and traveling by car hundreds of miles with my family in a car, to meet with a man and his family with whom I had nothing to do was already tiresome and daunting. Then over the next few days my dad and this man in Ohio would share stories of their exploits on the ship on which they served, while the rest of us were somewhat forced to bide our time, and to be with people whom we would otherwise never have even met. 

I wonder how many people reading the Bible, especially this section of Joshua, all about military actions and kings and burning cities and long lists, I wonder how many of you on this zoom call or watching this YouTube are similarly wishing for another topic or two. Knowing that everyone thinks and deals with topics on different levels, let me tell you that there will be plenty takeaway for you from this chapter, so hang in there if you feel like you are in the back of the car, while your sister voices your deepest thought, “Are we there yet?”

The Psalmist said, “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast (or remember) the name of the Lord our God.” (Ps. 20.7) And some of you may know a song or two from that particular psalm, like, “Now I know the Lord saves his anointed, he will answer from his holy heaven..etc.” or “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble.” Or the last verse, “May the King answer us in the day we call.”  In other words this psalm, written by King David, is a shout of faith and victory, a ‘how to win’ song, and helped King David get his focus right, either as he was going to battle or having just returned from one. 

I hear this psalm in my mind as I read Joshua chapter 11. If you’ve read it, you know that Joshua and the people of Israel conquer the Northern regions of what we call Israel today. And you might have seen a location that before last week you had never heard. It’s Merom. You see it in verse 5. You might know that last Friday was Lag B’omer, the 33^rd day of the countdown from Passover to Pentecost, and the traditional day of memorial to a 2^ndCentury rabbi named Shimon bar Yochai who is buried on that mountain. Over 100,000 Jews gathered last week to ….well, we don’t know exactly why they all went there, but usually there are prayers and such at the tomb of the Rashbi and his son. (Rashbi is the acronym of his name). Some attribute to him the authorship of the Zohar which is the mainstay of Kabbalah. I doubt that authorship since the books first showed up in the 13^th century in Spain and were published in that nascent form by Moses de Leon. 

History aside, the gathering in Meron last week saw a stampede and 45 people died and hundreds were injured. Investigations will be ongoing for years and blame shifting continues this first week, and no doubt, into the ages.

The locations are all purposeful in their listing, of course. And although to you and to those who like novels with fast pace, this unpacking of the conquest of the Northern parts of the land might seem superfluous, let me share with you what Butler says, 

“The use of the extended list of nations rests on an old tradition and serves a specific theological function. The territory occupied by these nations is promised to Abraham (Gen 15:18–21), and again to the nation suffering in Egypt (Exod 3:8, 17). The promise becomes the basis of divine demand in Exod 13:5; 23:23; 34:11, and can be used to exemplify the seriousness of divine anger (Exod 33:2). Deuteronomic literature then takes the motif to demonstrate the necessity that the nations in the land be totally exterminated (Deut 7:1; 20:17). Victory over the peoples becomes the sign that God fulfills his promises (Josh 3:10). This is brought to reality in 9:1; 11:3; 12:8 and serves again as the basis for divine command (24:11). The reality is that Israel has not fulfilled the divine command (e.g. Josh 15:63; Judg 1:21, 27:36; 3:1–5). Solomon achieved a solution by enslaving these peoples (1 Kgs 9:20–21). (For study of the lists and literature see J. Halbe, Das Privilegrecht Jahwes [FRLANT 114; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1975] 140–47.)”

I like this. Without the backdrop of specific areas, we might be open to the idea of negotiation. We might say, “Ah, look, we took Jericho and Ai, and a couple of other locations. That ought to do, right?”

When I read Davis on this section, he made a good comment about the opening paragraph of our chapter. 

“It is precisely in reading this extended detailed, particularising description of Israel’s opposition that you begin to feel how overwhelming the enemy is, to sense in line-upon-line fashion the almost hopeless situation Israel faces.” (page 96)

I like that summary. If you know the geography of Israel, even today, and imagine the hills and the plains, the hordes of the confederacy of the nations which opposed Israel, you would see the immensity of the task. 

But now, don’t stop there. Think of the conquest. If the enemies of Israel are that massive, what must the power of God be to overwhelm them? And what resources did Joshua employ? And remember King David’s conclusion about horses and other weaponry not being what we would trust!

Moses is our teacher who said this in Deuteronomy 20, “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.” (verse 1) 

And isn’t that what we read in verse 6 of our chapter today? God assured Joshua of the same presence. God would give him the victory. God would deliver us, every one of us from every one of them. And the horses and chariots would be knocked out. Gone. Demolished. Complete victory. That’s the assurance.

Look at verse 7, what did Joshua do as a result? He attacked suddenly. That usually means ‘at dawn’ in a surprise attack, like happened at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Early on that Sunday morning, before anyone was really awake, the Japanese attacked the US and propelled the US into WWII. My dad was not far from Pearl Harbor, anchored off Hawaii’s coast at the time. Here in this passage, the people of Israel surprised the Hazor-coalition and defeated the Hittites and the Perizites and all who had confederated.

Now, don’t see this as a moment in time only. The battles probably ensued throughout the region for a long time. Look at verse 18. We read that Joshua waged war for a long timeיָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים

What’s a long time? Many days. Let’s just say this reading of our text today doesn’t allow for a television show, 42 minutes long, not including commercials, and a one-off exercise of duty. No, I imagine this taking of the North to have lasted for years.  The Bible doesn’t always tell us the extent of time, but only collapses down to the purposes or results in our time.

Taking Hazor, according to verse 10, which is the major metropolis of the day, would have been significant and when that happened, it would have traumatized the other nations in the confederacy.  The people even burned the city to the ground. By the way, this is the only city burned in the northern conquest. That itself begs another question, which we might get to .

The spoil was removed, like at Ai. I wonder why some cities were to be utterly destroyed without spoil taken and others were allowed to benefit the Jewish people. Is it possible that the Torah’s words are negotiable?  That is, Deuteronomy 20 was stated about spoil and towns. Yet there were circumstances which show that different towns experienced different endings. In my view, the Torah is a living document and we need the Word applied in our lives rather than to make a constitution out of it without the grace of commentary applied by the Author. Feel free to make mention of that in your questions later. 

Let me ask you, do you think it would be wrong to sleep in a house formerly owned by a Hivite? Or by a Jebusite? What about a former brothel? Or a house formerly owned by Rene Rivkin or Jeffrey Epstein? That may have influenced the burning of the town of Hazor, and may also have influenced the non-burning of the towns around it in the North.

More on horses

The horses were hamstrung. (.9) That means they were disabled by swords into their calves. Pain, uncontrollable yelping, and uselessness to battle. The battle took place in part on Mt Merom, which is about 4,000 feet above sea level and not in the valley. That is not where you want horse and chariots to be housed. You want your horses on level ground. Chariots especially don’t manoeuvre well in the hills. Joshua’s strategy of sneak attack worked to prevent the use of the enemy’s forces due to their inability to meet on the ground which was ‘theirs.’

Remember David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17)? There Goliath wanted David to meet him in the plains. His taunt is here: “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.” (verse 8)

Anyway, Joshua’s blitz caused conquest to occur, for the domino effect of the battles and as a result Israel ‘owned’ the North.

Two more comments before we end.

The “hardening of the hearts” of the nations against Israel (verse 20). This may seem unfair, but remember, this is the culmination of centuries of opposition by the peoples of the land against God and against his people Israel. Read Romans chapter 1 and you will see the ‘turning over’ of people to their own wishes and desires. One step at a time, people do what they want to do and God releases them to their own fate. Here again we see what we saw with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. 

Finally, the mention of the Anakim is highlighted. Some still live, in Gaza and Ashdod, the author says, but this puts a cork in the conclusion of the battles. The Anakim were the giants whom the 10 spies saw (Numbers 10) and who caused Israel to wander for 40 years due to their believing that the entire land was filled with these Incredible Hulk knockoffs. If 100 years from the writing of this book there was still a question about Anakim, and about the predictions of the 10 spies (especially related to the other 2 spies) this phrasing from verse 21 to the end would help us put clarity to this. The land would have rest from war. (verse 23) due to the desolation of the nations, even the Anakim. 

As we conclude today, what will you make of this story? Is it only a record of military information and useless to the ordinary 21^st century man or woman? No, I think it’s a chronicle of God’s intervention, of human creativity, of continuing hearing from the Lord, and of the assurance that those who belong to the Lord will ‘get there’ in the end. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Yeshua, amen?

Invitation

Dear friends, do you have such a commitment to the Lord of Lords today? Have you met the one who was cursed on the Roman tree for you in Jerusalem? if you have never asked Yeshua to be your Saviour, today as we keep learning from Joshua, would you choose to believe the Lord of life?   What does it mean to be strong and courageous in light of learning about Yeshua? 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.

Without that kipporah (sacrifice) we would be hopeless, but because Yeshua died in our place on Passover, as the Passover lamb, and his blood was applied to the doorposts of our hearts, we can be forgiven. 

If you’d like to receive that 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 and in the lessons. Next week we will look at chapter 12, in what I call “God is faithful” and see what lessons we can draw for ourselves from the events 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.

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

Weirsbe, Warren. Be Strong: Putting God's Power to Work in Your Life. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs, 2010.

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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.

 

C.     Entering the Land (Chapters 1-4)

a.     Chapter 1: A funeral and a promise (Leadership Lesson 1)

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)

 

D.    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

 

E.     Possessing the Land (13-21)

a.     Chapter 13: Inheritance lessons

b.     Chapter 14:  For example

c.      Chapter 15: Geography lesson

d.     Chapter 16: Trends of note (Part 1)

e.     Chapter 17: Trends of note (Part 2)

f.      Chapter 18: Apportionment (Part 1)

g.     Chapter 19: Apportionment (Part 2)

h.     Chapter 20: Provisions (Part 1)

i.       Chapter 21: Provisions (Part 2)

 

F.     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. 11:1   Then it came about, when Jabin king of ^aHazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph, ² and to the kings who were of the north in the hill country, and in the ^aArabah — south of ¹Chinneroth and in the lowland and on the ²heights of Dor on the west — ³ to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country, and ^athe Hivite ¹at the foot of ^bHermon in the land of ^cMizpeh. ⁴ They came out, they and all their armies with them, ^aasmany people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ So all of these kings having agreed to meet, came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

 

Josh. 11:6   Then the LORD said to Joshua, “^aDo not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall ^bhamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and attacked them. ⁸ The LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they ¹defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and ^aMisrephoth-maim and the valley of ^bMizpeh to the east; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them. ⁹ Joshua did to them as the LORD had told him; he ^ahamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

 

Josh. 11:10   Then Joshua turned back at that time, and captured ^aHazor and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms. ^11 aThey struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, ¹utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just ^aas Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. ¹³ However, Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned. ^14 aAll the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took as their plunder; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They left no one who breathed. ¹⁵ Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

 

Josh. 11:16   Thus Joshua took all that land: ^athe hill country and all the ¹Negev, all that land of Goshen, the lowland, ^bthe Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland ¹⁷ from ^aMount Halak, that rises toward Seir, even as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon ¹at the foot of Mount Hermon. And he captured ^ball their kings and struck them down and put them to death. ¹⁸ Joshua waged war a long time with all these kings. ¹⁹ There was not a city which made peace with the sons of Israel except ^athe Hivites living in Gibeon; they took them all in battle. ^20 aFor it was of the LORD to ¹harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might ^butterly destroy them, that they might²receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

 

Josh. 11:21   Then Joshua came at that time and cut off ^athe Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. ²² There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in ^aGath, and in ^bAshdod some remained. ²³ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and ^aJoshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. ^bThus the land had rest from war.