Calvary Church • 11338 Ozga Road • Romulus MI 48174 • 734.941.0236 • calvary@calvaryromulus.org
. . .You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
Psalm 138:2 NKJV
God Gives His People Victory
7. The Promised Land
Joshua 1:1-9
Joshua 24:1-10 is a good overview the events of Genesis 12 through the book of Deuteronomy
We have seen the consequences of choices in our study of the people of God. Ten of the twelve spies who initially surveyed the Promised Land chose to give a bad report and died by a plague sent by the Lord. The people chose to follow the ten, not to enter Canaan, wandered in desert for 40 years and then died. Moses chose to hit the rock rather than to obey God’s command to speak to it, and was denied entrance to Canaan. Joshua and Caleb chose to believe God, received leadership responsibility and shared in the blessings of the land.
As we study the victory granted by God as the His people entered the land He promised them, choices are also evident. God chooses and the people choose. And consequences follow. Life is full of decisions and choices and all of them have consequences. If that is true, should we then be afraid to make decisions?
Not according to Solomon in Ecclesiastes 11:1, 4-6
Moses challenged the people regarding choices in Deuteronomy 30:19-20
God wants us to obey His Word, love Jesus and love others
Note: The following draws heavily from Mark Dever’s chapter on Joshua in his book Promises Made. A summary of his sermon is available at http://www.chbcaudio.org/docs/summaries/2002/020511.HTM, accessed 7/12/09.
THE PEOPLE CHOOSE
We can see the choices of the people by looking at what happens in the book of Joshua
The book begins with God’s instruction to Joshua Joshua 1:1-9
The people choose to conquer land
The land was conquered by central, southern and northern campaigns
God had promised them the land and was bringing judgment on the Canaanites for their idolatry and gross immorality and disobedience
They sent in spies to get information
The Jordan River opened up for them and they crossed
They moved on to Jericho, the walls fell down and they destroyed the city
They were defeated at Ai because of Achan’s sin
The sin was dealt with quickly and decisively and Ai was defeated
They were deceived by the Gibeonites and made a treaty with them
They fought a battle in which God caused the sun to stand still and sent a ferocious hail storm to help them
The people choose to divide land
NOTE: These two subjects fill almost the entire book – they are what the book is about – what happens from the perspective of the people
The people choose to vow to worship and obey God
This is why the people do what they do – they want to follow God and be part of what He is doing
Joshua 24:14-28
The results
They keep their vows
The spies weren’t like the first ones and the people follow their lead
They begin to observe circumcision and the Passover again
They listened to Joshua reading God’s law
They challenged the tribes on the east of the Jordan as to what the meaning of their altar was – they were not going to tolerate false worship
The people also chose in some cases to sin
Achan coveted and stole (it was dealt with quickly and decisively)
Joshua and others failed to ask counsel of God regarding the Gibeonites
The people failed to completely conquer and drive out all the enemies. This is recorded clearly in Judges 1
GOD CHOOSES
The book of Joshua also tells us why these things happened
God chooses to fight for the people
God performed miracles. The Jericho walls fell down, the sun stood still to give more time for victory, and a vicious hailstorm killed more enemies than the Israelites did themselves.
Joshua 24:11-13 (Note the pronoun “I” referring to God is used 17 times.) God’s purpose in fighting for His people is His own glory, which then results in our good as we worship and obey Him.
God chooses to lead the people
Joshua 3:10-11; Joshua 5:13-15
God chooses to keep His promises and persevere with the people
God’s purpose in keeping His promises and persevering with His people is His own glory. Joshua 4:24
Man’s only significance comes as he obeys and fears the Lord and thereby brings glory to God
“that all the peoples of the earth may know. . .”
“that you may fear. . .”
The way to get what you want is to want what God wants
Psalms 37:3-5
WHAT CHOICES SHOULD WE MAKE AS GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY?
To be vigilant in regard to holiness Joshua 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:3
God wants us to obey His Word, love Jesus and love others
To be thankful in regard to God’s goodness and grace
But for the grace of God we would still be in sin
God is patient with us and perseveres with us
God continues to show us good
To be faithful in regard to our purpose as revealed by God
Get what you want! Choose to be involved in what God is doing
Next: The Kings
Next: The Kings