THEY DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither The Lord nor what He had done for Israel.  Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of The Lord and served the Baals.”  Judges 2:10-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Samuel under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, (Exodus 14:21-22) to the edge of the promise land. (Exodus 16:35)  Because of their lack of faith, that generation wandered in the wilderness for forty years until the adults all died. (Numbers 14:16)  Joshua then led their children, the next generation, across the flooded Jordan River into the promise land (Joshua 3:15-17) and through a series of victorious battles over the inhabitants of the promise land. (Joshua 12:1-24)  Then he divided the lands that they conquered among the tribes of Israel, (Joshua 13:8 to 19:51) and that generation served The Lord God.  However, when they died off, the next generation did not know The Lord God or what He had done for their parents and grandparents.  This new generation of Israelites did not serve The Lord God as their ancestors had done, they did evil in the sight of The Lord.

Application:

It is our responsibility as believers to teach our children, the next generation, about The Lord God and all that He has done. (Leviticus 10:11, Deuteronomy 6:7, and Proverbs 22:6)  It is our job to raise up our children in the fear and admonition of The Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)  We should not only tell them about His ways, but we should be living examples of His Holy Word.  Our children should see in us that which we expect them to exemplify.  If we do not teach them the ways of The Lord God, then we should not be surprised when they stray and begin to do that which is evil in His sight. 

GOING FORTH FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY

Proclamation:

“These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of Arabah … thirty-one kings in all.”  Joshua 12:1-24 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this twelfth chapter, Joshua records the kings, and the land over which they reigned, which the Israelites were victorious over. (Joshua 12:7-24)  Beginning with Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites were victorious over the kings of thirty-one lands. (Joshua 12:24)  As the Israelites conquered these lands in succession, they went from victory to victory.

Application:

It is easy for us to be negative and to focus upon the bad times, and upon our losses.  However, some of our losses were to teach us a lesson, (2 Corinthians 12:7) or they were our punishment for our disobedience. (Joshua 7:2-5 and 7:12)  The Lord God has promised us the victory through Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthian 15:57)  All we have to do is believe in Him and obey His Holy Word, and we will be victorious.  When The Lord God is with us, our enemies will not be able to stand against us. (Joshua 1:5)  He will fight our battles for us. (2 Chronicles 32:8)  If The Lord God is with us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)  We will be victorious if we do all things His way.  If we believe and pray; trust and have faith in Him; read, study and live The Holy Word, then we will enjoy victory after victory, in this life and the next one.  The Lord God is omnipotent!  He already has the victory. (1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 98:1 and Isaiah 25:8) As believers we are born again, and whatsoever is born of God can overcome the world, and that is the victory. (1 John 5:4)

DO IT AGAIN THE RIGHT WAY THIS TIME

Proclamation:

“Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai … to … spy out the region … when they returned to Joshua, they said, ‘Not all the army will have to go up against Ai …’ So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai. (Joshua 7:2-4)  Then The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai.  For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.’”  Joshua 8:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The first time that Joshua led the Israelites against the army at Ai, The Lord God was not with them for they had sinned and broken their covenant with Him. (Joshua 7:11-12)  The first time, Joshua listened to his spies and did not speak to The Lord God.  The second time Joshua prayed, listened to God, and followed His plan when he attacked Ai.  The Lord God had to first encourage Joshua because the Israelites had been routed by Ai the first time they fought them.  This time, Joshua had renewed his commitment to The Lord God, and this time he was going to do it the right way, God’s way.

Application:

All too often we do things our way, without going to The Lord God in prayer first.  The Bible teaches us that we should pray about everything. (Matthew 21:22 and Luke 21:36)  We need to show our love for The Lord God with our life and our life style.  Jesus, The Christ, said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)  And, if we love Him, then we should not be afraid to step out on faith and do what He says do. (1 John 4:18)  We should not let the fear of failure, or the fear of rejection, cause us to stop doing something God’s way.  Even if we failed the first time, let’s do it again but do it the right way this time.  Let’s do it God’s way.  Let’s not go into battle unprepared.  Let us pray first, then let us put on the whole armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18)  If we do it His way, the victory is ours. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

GOD PUNISHES HIS PEOPLE FOR DISOBEDIENCE

Proclamation:

“Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep … That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies … I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever is among you …”  Joshua 7:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Lord God told the Israelites not to keep any of the spoils from Jericho after they took the city.  The precious metals were to go into the treasury of The Lord. (Joshua 6:18-19)  But Achan, from the tribe of Judah, took some of them for himself and this angered The Lord God. (Joshua 7:1)  So when they went to war against the army of Ai, God was not with them and they were routed. (Joshua 7:4)  Afterwards, Joshua asked God why they lost and what were they to do? (Joshua 7:6-9)  The Lord God told him that Israel had sinned and violated His covenant.  Then Joshua examined the people, tribe by tribe, clan by clan, family by family, and man by man, until Achan was found and admitted what he had done. (Joshua 7:16-21)  They gathered all that he had taken, and his family, and his animals, and all that he owned and took them to the Valley of Achor.  There they stoned him, and them, and then burned them all. (Joshua 7:22-26)

Application:

Don’t play with The Lord God.  Don’t say that you are a believer, and then go about and act like a non-believer.  When we sin, we need to confess and ask to be forgiven.  We should not try to hide it as if God can’t see it.  We should search ourselves, our hearts, and our homes to make sure that we are not harboring something which The Lord God abhors, or holding back something which should be given to Him.  Unrepentant sin can not only bring God’s wrath down upon the individual sinner, but also upon his children, his grand-children, and on their children. (Numbers 14:18)   One fine day, all that we thought, said, and did will be judged, it will all pass through the fire of judgment.  All of it that gives God glory will pass through the fire, and we will be rewarded for it.  However, everything else will be burned up and we will suffer a loss, but we ourselves will be saved. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)  Let us do all that we can to the glory of God.  When we pray, let us ask to be forgiven for sins of omission as well as sins of commission.

GREAT OBSTACLES FOR MAN ARE NO PROBLEM FOR GOD

Proclamation:

“When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when all the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”  Joshua 6:20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After they crossed the Jordan River, the Israelites proceeded to Jericho.  The walls of Jericho were a formidable obstacle. (Joshua 6:1)  However, Joshua listened to The Lord God, (Joshua 6:2-5) and he obeyed Him and the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:6-20)   The Israelites entered the city and destroyed every living thing within the city (Joshua 6:21) except for Rahab and her family who were in her house. (Joshua 6:22-23)  Rahab’s house, which was built into part of the wall around the city, (Jericho 2:15) was left standing when the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:22-23)

Application:

In our lives today, everything is not always smooth sailing.  At times we run into obstacles, or road blocks, or mountains too steep for us to climb.  Whatever the problem is that hinders us, it is not a problem for The Lord God.  He is omnipotent, and with Him all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27)   We just need to pray, listen to The Lord, and then obey Him and do what He says for us to do.  If we believe in Him, and have faith in Him, He will take care of our obstacles.  Trust in The Lord, and He will give us something to shout about.

GOD CAN USE MIRACLES TO BLESS US AND FRIGHTEN OUR ENEMIES

Proclamation:

“Now when all the … kings along the coast heard how The Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.”  Joshua 5:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When the priests carrying The Arc of The Covenant stepped into the Jordan River, the water stopped flowing and they walked across on dry ground.  They stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground while all the Israelites walked around them into Canaan. (Joshua 3:17)  After the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan, The Lord God told Joshua to send twelve men back to where the priest were standing and gather twelve stones.  These twelve large stones were carried back on their shoulders and set up, one on top of the other as a monument, where they made camp. (Joshua 4:1-9)  Then Joshua commanded the priest carrying The Arc of The Covenant to out of the Jordan and the waters returned to their place and resumed flowing. (Joshua 4:15-24)  When the people of Canaan heard how The Lord God had dried up the Jordan for the Israelites, they became afraid to face them. (Joshua 5:1)

Application:

The miracles that The Lord God preforms in our lives to make a way out of no way for us, can be the same miracles that strikes fear in the hearts of our enemies.  All we have to do is trust and obey Him, and our blessings will cause our enemies to become afraid.  The very blessing which The Lord God uses to encourage us, He can also use to discourage our enemies.  When we glorify Him and proclaim His goodness to us, we encourage the hearts of other believers, and The Holy Spirit of God can use that to cause non-believers to become upset and worried, or to become convicted, convinced, and converted.

OBEY THE LORD GOD AND HE WILL EXALT YOU

Proclamation:

“And The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.’”  Joshua 3:7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God had encouraged him, (Joshua 1:7-8) Joshua told the Israelites to get ready because in three days they would cross the Jordan River and enter the promise land. (Joshua 1:11)  The people answered him by saying that would do whatever he says for them to do, and they would go wherever he says for them to go.  They said they would obey him just as they had obeyed Moses. (Joshua 1:16-18)  Then Joshua sent two spies to go scout out the city of Jericho and they went to the house of Rehab. (Joshua 2:1-24)  Then Joshua told the priests to take up the Arc of the Covenant and pass ahead of the people and step into the Jordan River. (Joshua 3:6-8)  When they stepped into the river, the waters stopped flowing. (Joshua 3:13)  Just as Moses had led the Israelites across when The Lord God parted the Red Sea, so Joshua led them across the flooded Jordan River when The Lord stopped the flow of the river and it piled up. (Joshua 3:15-17)

Application:

It is not necessary for one to brag, or to boast, or to puff one’s self up in order to impress people.  When we humble ourselves and follow The Lord God, and do as He says for us to do, then He will exalt us. (Psalm 37:34, Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11)  He can work a miracle in our lives and cause the people around us to respect us.  We may not be well known throughout the nation but we will be well respected by those within our sphere of influence.  People who push their way to the front in order to be first, will end up being last in the minds and hearts of the people that they pushed aside and those who saw their behavior.  The Bible says that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. (Matthew 19:30, Mark 9:35, and Luke 13:30)  When we lift Him up, and do His will, He will lift us up. (Psalm 37:34)