We begin our journey today with some people who are basically scared out of thy minds.
They've heard the news and would rather be slaves than be dead. So, they come to the Israelites with a made up story. The story goes, we are travelers from afar and we have NO idea who you people are but we would LOVE to serve you, let's make a deal.
Just like always, it wasn't long before the gig was up and everyone knew the truth. They were terrified that they were going to be killed so they agreed to be servants?
Is this open, honest, love for the lord? Or is it fear of what the outcome will be if that love is not given? Sorta like hell?
Is Joshua a great military leader? Can we give him props for that if its the Lord who's telling him exactly what to do? Not only that but He's causing the people to panic so that it makes it that much easier. This goes back to the discussion we had earlier, about how non-Christians are capable of great things all on their own where apparently Christians aren't. All their glory must go to God. So really Joshua didn't do all that much?
So here we have the day the sun stood still. The Lord did this so that Joshua could finish what needed to be finished. Although this may seem far fetched, if you believe any of this stuff, you have to believe this too. Is it such a big deal for a God who parts seas, talks through a donkey and has water flowing out of rocks?
Nope.
Just another day at the office.
Then we have a lot of smote-ing, and by a lot....I mean a lot.
We also have slewing.
According to the notes at the bottom of my page, every single one of these people are guilty of sinning against the Lord. Therefore this is why He has decided that every single one of them must die. But then I think back to when the Israelites were just babies and people were stealing an cheating and you said that this was before the 10 commandments and so it wasn't a sin yet.
Well these people have never heard of the the 10 commandments. SO how can they be expected to follow the teachings of a God they don't know? I know we have been over this before so you don't have to answer, I know what the answer will be.
3 comments:
To answer your first question, I don't think it has everything to do with fearing God necessarily, but the Israelites. I mean if they had really feared God, they could have prayed or called out to Him to be spared. I think they heard the Jews had a win streak going and didn't want to chance it. Some would call that fear, some would call that smart.
No one said Christians aren't capable of doing great things, in and of, themselves, but we choose to give the glory to God because we recognize that our talents and abilities and blessing are God-given. Joshua did a lot. He did what is too hard for many...including you...he obeyed and believed. Good one, huh?
These people have heard of God, though. And although I said they did those things before the ten commandments, that doesn't mean they weren't wrong. I mean, Sodom and Gommorah were before the no gay stuff, but God still said it was abominable. People knew what was right and wrong. Have you ever walked into a mess in your house that your dog made...like maybe got into your garbage? They hide and sulk even before you yell at them...cause there's something inherent inside of them that tells them they've done something wrong. And with people it's the same thing...until such point as their heart becomes hardened.
And the notes at the bottome are a little more detailed than that. I was going to include them in my post anyway. So here's the notes, "Infidels say that it seems wholly inconsistent with what we should suppose to be the merciful character of God that He should thus command whole nations to be destroyed by the sword...[But] when we see juries in our own country bringing in a verdict of guilty, the judge pronouncing the sentence of death, and that sentence executed, we do not complain that there is anything unjust in the act. These Canaanites are proved to have polluted and stained the land with [intolerable] crimes; it was merely the holy Judge [the Lord] pronouncing the sentence on flagrant criminals and [Joshua] the righteous governor executing that sentence to the letter. It was not an act of arbitrary or private revenge, but the execution of the sentence of retributive justice, and as such had perhaps as great mercy to the innocent as justice to the guilty" - John Cumming, cited by James C. Gray and George M. Adams, Bible Commentary
Tomorrow 12-15
In 9:14, I wanted to point out that the Israelites did not consult the Lord. As a Christian I consult the Lord in every major decision. If they had done so, they wouldn't have made a mistake. If you listen wholeheartedly to the direction of the Lord you never have to worry about making a mistake. Now, let me clarify that a mistake is not synonymous with problem-free living. Bad things may still happen to you, but God will turn them around for your good (or use them for your good).
Several posts ago, you declared that maybe it wasn't fair that all of these people already in the Promised Land didn't know of or about God. But in vs. 9,10, and 24 we see that they did know about God. The things they spoke of happened 40 years earlier. They knew of God's power and might, they could have decided to worship Him at anytime before the Israelites had come. They chose not to believe or obey.
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