Giants

Josh 15:14 "Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak." NKJV

This is where words actually resulted in action. Back in Numbers 13, the twelve spies came back from taking a look at the land and their report was: "Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there." V28 Caleb's response: "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." V30 The ten's response: "There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants) and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." V33 The people's response: "Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword…?" 14:3 Caleb's response: "…the Lord is with us. Do not fear them." V9 Caleb's eventual action: "Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahian, and Talmai, the children of Anak." Caleb got it. He knew that no matter what the odds, no matter what the obstacle, no matter what the opposition, God was over it all…and he put his action where his words were.

I know that I can talk a good game. But when the going gets tough, what do I do? Do I bale? Do I doubt? Do I hesitate? Do my actions back up what I say? If I really believe that God is behind something then they better. If I am convinced that God has directed and God has orchestrated then the challenge is to go forward no matter what the giants may look like. It may not be comfortable and it may not be prudent, but if it is from God then I have to not just talk a good game, but I have to live a life that backs it up. I have to go forward and watch God destroy the Anakan giants.

I can think of all kinds of challenges that may be facing me/us in the future. The garbage that is hitting our country is going to result in challenges for believers. The question is: Do we really believe? Do we really trust that God is in control? Can we move forward with confidence knowing that God is directing the affairs of this world? As I think about this, I think about my church…what is God doing there? We are also going to have to make some pivotal decisions in the near future. Where is God? What is He doing? What does He want? Move forward with confidence. And my family. How is all of this stuff going to impact us? I know this: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" No one. Live it. Trust it and slay those giants.

Melters

Josh 14:8 ""Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God." NKJV

Anyone remember the name of the guy who went with Joshua and the others to spy out the land when the children of Israel were in the wilderness? Caleb. He is the one who is speaking in this verse. He and Joshua were the only guys out of twelve, who came back and told the people that God had given the land to them. They strongly believed that they should go up to possess it. The other ten were nay-sayers. The other ten doubted God. The other ten discouraged the people so that their hearts melted. The word for melt means to liquify, to vanish, to intimidate. And that is what happened. Moses sent these guys out to check out what they needed to do and the majority came back with a bad report. Just goes to show, the majority is not always right. The problem is, this melting thing. This intimidating thing. This discouraging thing. This negativity thing.

I know that I can go down that road sometimes. Something is placed in front of me, and I tend to think critically. When I do that the first thing that comes out of my mouth is: "Yes, but...". I need to stop that. I need to sit, listen, consider, weigh, talk about the good with the bad and not cause people's hearts to melt. I need to allow myself to dream a little. Joshua did. Caleb did. And when they knew that God was behind it, they said that they could not be stopped. The only thing that stopped them was unbelief.

The key is God. "But I wholly followed the LORD my God." Once Caleb knew that God was in this, he ran after it. He "wholly followed". He was filled with going after what God wanted. He did not waver. He did not hesitate. He was totally and uncompromisingly in favor of going into the land, even if there were giants there. Nothing could stand in God's way and because of this, nothing could stand in Israel's way...except the melters.

I don't want to be a melter. I just need to always ask: "Is God in this?" If He is, go after it full bore.

The Tangible

Josh 13:33 "But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them." NKJV

Property. It is a big deal. At least in America it is. Everyone wants a piece of property. Everyone wants a part of the American dream and desires to own a piece of property with a house on it. This desire is what got our banking system, our government, our economy in such a mess. We want property even if we can't afford to pay for it, and the government pushed the banking industry to give loans to people who wanted property but could not hold up their end of the bargain. When we look at the mess that we are in, we are all to blame. The people who bought the property, the banks who loaned the money and the government who strongly encouraged it.

Property was a big deal back in Joshua's day as well. Just look at all of the property that the children of Israel conquered and distributed to the eleven tribes. They all got a nice chunk to build their homes and businesses on. They all got a nice chuck to raise their families. They all got a nice chunk to put their farms to grow their crops and feed their livestock. All of them, except one. The tribe of Levi. They did not get a piece of property. They did not some land that had borders. They did not receive the "American dream". I wonder if they felt cheated? I think that this might be my reaction. I definitely believe that this is how an American would respond. "What? No inheritance? No property? No money? No stuff?"

Instead, what did the tribe of Levi get? God. At first glance you would think: "Sure...sounds nice, but not very tangible." That's our problem...that's my problem. We are stuck on the tangible. We are stuck on the physical. We are stuck on what we can see. We are stuck on the here and now. What the Levites understood and what those of us who claim to know God need to understand is this: The eleven tribes actually drew the short straw. The tribe of Levi got everything because they got the very presence of God. I know that this is hard to grasp, but when we really think about it, God vs. Property...which is more valuable? Which can meet your needs? Which can give you peace? Which can give you strength when you feel weak? Which can give you mercy and grace and forgiveness? Which can love you with a never-ending, never changing love? Which can teach you and direct you and give you wisdom? Which can provide life and not just the life we have here where we grasp for the tangible, but life forever where the tangible will be put in its proper perspective? Does property do this? Does property change lives? Does property heal relationships? No...only God does all this and more.

I need to be more like the Levites...centering what I do and what I strive for on God, then the rest will come. Sounds kind of familiar:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well." Matt 6:33 We need to focus on God, His Kingdom, His righteousness...not property.

Thirty-one “Ones”

Josh 12:1 "These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain:"

This doesn't sound like a very inspiring verse at first…but then keep reading. The word that sticks out at me as I read this chapter is the word "one". There were thirty-one "ones". There were thirty-one kings that the children of Israel defeated. There were thirty-one places that that the children of Israel re-possessed. Each king was named. Each piece of land was identified. Why? Because of this: "Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." Gen 12:7 And, "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Gen 17:8 No "one" gets in God's way. What He says He will do He does and it does not matter how powerful, how mighty, how elevated, how strong, how political any "one" might be. God's will and God's way will always be accomplished no matter what the current condition may look like.

I am sure that these kings were pretty secure in their positions. I am sure that as they took over their respective areas of land, that they were entrenched in their authority. That did not matter to God. He made a promise to Abraham and He was going to keep that promise.

And now? That promise still stands. As the Palestinians think about splitting up Israel, as they discuss splitting Jerusalem in two, as much of the land has already been taken over and has become other countries, it doesn't matter to God. He did it once…He can do it again. The "ones" who threaten Israel now will meet the same fate as those kings in Joshua's day.

As I look at the political landscape in the United States, I can rest in knowing that God is over it all. God rules the affairs of the nations. No "one" can stand in His way. No matter how powerful. No matter how connected. No matter how much money they raise. God rules…Just ask thirty-one kings.

God is in Control

Josh 10:42 "All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel."

When you look at Josh 9 and 10 you realize that this was not a pretty thing. Joshua was told the conquer the land and he did it by killing thousands of people. I hate to say it, but this is similar to what radical Muslims are doing today…taking over areas and telling people that they should either swear allegiance to Mohammed or die. There is one big difference, though. The God of all creation, the God who sees everything, knows everything, who has orchestrated all of history, who is in control of everything, the God who is just and true and totally righteous was behind this. He is the One who fought for Israel. He is the One who chose the nation of Israel to be a people for His possession. He is the One who promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation. He is the One, who from the very beginning, promised this land to Israel. The problem is, others had come in and possessed the land that God had promised to His people.

Fast forward to 2011. Israel is surrounded by her enemies. Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Assad wants the U.N. to recognize a Palestinian state. Egypt is threatening. Turkey is threatening. The Saudi's are no friend. Syria is no friend. Frankly, Israel does not have any friends in that part of the world. Their very existence is constantly under attack. Guess what? God's promises still remain and the Lord God will still fight for Israel…and frankly, I would not want to be any country that comes against Israel because they will be fighting God. I know to some that this sounds radical. It sounds like crazy talk. Everyone wants peace. Everyone wants a two party solution. Everyone wants everyone to get along. If I read the Bible correctly, though, this is not going to happen until a peace treaty is made that will last for three and a half years and then it will all blow up. The world will fight against Israel and God will win.

The point: God is in control. He was in control when Joshua did battle. He was in control in 1948 when Israel became a nation. He was in control during the six day war. He is in control now. He will forever be in control. If He is in control of the affairs of the world…I know He is in control of the affairs of my life.

Victory

Josh 8:34, 35 "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them."

After a great victory, what do you usually do? Celebrate. Have a party. If you watch the World Series you see the guys in the locker room pouring champagne over each other's heads, shouting and hugging and all that stuff. Later the city that they represent holds a big parade where they can celebrate together. Frankly, if the any of the major three teams in the city of Cleveland won anything, I think the city would shut down for a week because of the euphoria that everyone would experience.

After a great victory over Ai, what did Joshua do? Throw a party? Have a parade? Take a few days off from work? No. This is what he did: "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law…(to all) the women, the little ones and the strangers…". You would think that after the children of Israel defeated Ai, a city that had just embarrassed them by killing some of their people and causing their army to flee, that they would have a celebration. Instead they built an altar, gave a sacrifice and read God's word.

This was the leadership that Joshua exhibited. He knew that this victory was not something that came about as a result of his abilities. He knew that this victory did not come about as a result of the army of Israel's power. This victory was from God and he wanted to keep all the people grounded. Not just the army, but the women, children and others who lived among them. He wanted to remind them of the fact that God was in control. God did this. "The horse is prepared for battle, but the victory comes from the Lord." Prov 21:31 Did they have to prepare? Yes. Did they have to make plans? Yes. Did they have to get ready? Yes. Did they have to do something? Yes. But the result was in God's hands and the celebration was acknowledging that.

I have to remember that when anything good comes, when anything successful occurs in my life, when any victory enters my sphere, it is all God. The result should be praise and worship and acknowledgement of who He is and His faithfulness…and a reminder that God's word stands. It is true. It will not ever fail.

Dads

Josh 7:24, 25 "Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, this donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that he had and they brought them to the valley of Achor. And Joshua said: 'Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.' So all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones"

As the Dad goes, so goes the family. If the Dad screws up, then the entire family is impacted.

I am sure that Achan did not even consider this as he coveted the stuff that he saw in Jericho. God specifically told Joshua to destroy everything in the city of Jericho. He told him to only keep the gold, silver, bronze and iron for the treasury of the Lord. everything else was to be destroyed. No one was to take any spoils. This was clearly communicated to the people, but there was one, Achan, who didn't think that this applied to him. As he admitted, when he saw all of the stuff, he coveted. And when he coveted he took, and he hoarded, and he hid and people died. When the children of Israel went to fight in Ai, several of them died and they ran. Joshua went to God with a complaint...a very similar complaint that he had heard the people voice in the past: "If we are going to come here to die, we might as well have stayed where we were." God's response? "Get up. Why are you lying on your face?" In other words: Pay attention to what is going on around you. There is someone in the camp who did not follow My direction and took some of Jericho's stuff. When Joshua heard this, he had to get the families together and figure out who did it. I am not sure how he was given the discernment to know that it was Achan, but somehow he narrowed it down. The result? Achan was put to death, but not just Achan, but his sons and his daughters and his livestock and all that he owned was destroyed. All because he wanted a little gold, a little silver and some cool looking clothes.

I wonder how often we as Dad's lead our families down the wrong path because of the junk that we want? How often do we ignore our wife and kids because we want to make a little more money, or we want a bigger house, or we want the newest and hippest electronic toy, or we want a little more prestige? How often are our families hurt and our kids sent down a path of sin because we are enslaved to something? This responsibility that God has given us is actually kind of scary.

A bunch of guys spent the last 24 hours fasting and praying. I had never done that before. The thing that came out of it? We need to love our wives better. We need to disciple our kids. And we need to pray. When we fail to do this, our families take the hit. We may not feel it. In fact, we may get away with our laziness, but it all comes out in the end. We decided that we can't be like Achan. (He was even mentioned this weekend.) We have to be vigilant because our families are at stake.